Which Electric bike to buy its a hard choice

[muddyfox1971]

hi i,am stuck and in search of alittle help from others that are smarter than me on the bike front i will give info of what i think is needed and what i look for bike wise.
age 45 not super fit
weight 16.2
height 6.1
location milton keynes i few hills not loads
price upto 1,200 pounds

I have looked at woosh bikes but i kinda feel that a 18 inch frame would be to small for myself i rather 20 inch frame to match my height i see with woosh bikes mostly all are 18inch frames or less i like to stretch my legs alittle due to having a slight problem with one of my knees and i feel 18 inch frame size would be a problem .

In milton keynes we have path ways called red ways which are for people with bikes around 200 miles worth of them in total so i would mostly never be on the road as such as that is rarely needed tho hill climbing would be needed as such.

The last thing also that is on my mind is about picking a good company that i can buy spare parts like ie a new battery without the fear of sorry we went bust 6 months later :/ .
i feel the battery size like 10ah would do me nicely as i only intend to do trips of 15 miles max distance but we do have 2 big hills that are a problem for someone like me with knee problems.

Thanks.

 

[JuicyBike]

Visit a shop with plenty available to try or attend a show.

Your concerns are completely understandable. A visit allows you to check out a shop owner or a manufacturer and a ride answers most questions. The manufacturers who advertise on these forums are all sensible options to narrow down your search for a suitable test ride location.
I'd suggest you look for a bike with a 19 - 21" frame and 28 / 29" wheels being available in the store you visit.
Avoid Halfords if you want any kind of useful advice, in my opinion...

 

[trex]

You have Cyclezee on your doorstep:

http://cyclezee.com/index.html

Andy @ Woosh is about 6ft2 - he is quite comfortable on the Big Bear.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Yes, the logical starting point would be Cyclezee, which is probably walking distance from your house. If you can't find something there, come back and tell us why, and we should be able to help you further.

 

[muddyfox1971]

Thank you for the replies i was also alittle concerned over the new laws to do with the throttle control would that mean any bike sold now with even a thumb throttle would be breaking the law ? but saying this i thought the woosh big bear had this fitted unless my info could be incorrect.

 

[falmouthtony]

You have Cyclezee on your doorstep:

http://cyclezee.com/index.html

Andy @ Woosh is about 6ft2 - he is quite comfortable on the Big Bear.

Cyclezee is one of the best around in my opinion - and he's on your doorstep. Be a really good starting point.

 

[ajb9]

yes you should go see Cyclezee, you will get all the advice you need from him, as well as test rides

 

[muddyfox1971]

ok thanks for the advice i shall go there to see what might be my best option and regarding how the law is on twist and go throttles or thumb throttles are these two types now breaking the law ? thats my last question and thank you for helping.

 

[trex]

Throttle or starting aid: Cyclezee can probably program the Ezee to suit you.

 

[Kudoscycles]

There is a good dealer at Welwyn Garden City,named Bike Electric or another at Leicester,Fosse electric bikes.....full contact details on our website....kudos cycles.com
We have 2 bikes in about your price range,both 29.ers,these bikes are ideal for your size.......you feel King of the road when you ride a 29er against a small wheeled bike.
The full Kudos range is also available at our west London dealer,londonelectricbikecompany.com
Good luck with your choice.
KudosDave

 

[Kudoscycles]

ok thanks for the advice i shall go there to see what might be my best option and regarding how the law is on twist and go throttles or thumb throttles are these two types now breaking the law ? thats my last question and thank you for helping.

Throttles...to be honest the Dft have made a complete mess of the throttle situation. My reasoning is that bikes built prior to January 2016 have grandfather rights and allowed 15 mph throttles.
All e-bikes can have a set off throttle up to 4 mph.,usually a thumb throttle.
In January 2018 VOSA will make available a type approval for e-bikes (not currently available), that should allow e-bike suppliers to type approve any e-bike and include a 15 mph throttle.
KudosDave

 

[craiggor]

Throttles...to be honest the Dft have made a complete mess of the throttle situation. My reasoning is that bikes built prior to January 2016 have grandfather rights and allowed 15 mph throttles.
All e-bikes can have a set off throttle up to 4 mph.,usually a thumb throttle.
In January 2018 VOSA will make available a type approval for e-bikes (not currently available), that should allow e-bike suppliers to type approve any e-bike and include a 15 mph throttle.
KudosDave

Have you got a link to the new changes to the type approval coming in 2018.I thought they where changing the MSVA so even petrol driven L1e-a limited to 16 mph would be pedel sensor control only.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Muddyfox1971,

As others have pointed out Cyclezee is in MK, I would be happy to advise and offer test rides.
If you already have a good bike you might want to consider the option of a conversion.
Why not come over or give me a call, I'm around all weekend.
Contact details are on our website http://cyclezee.com/contact-us.html

 

[muddyfox1971]

Thank you for all the info i have been looking at many types of bikes tho i would rather have the throttle option 15.5mph the law says no know so i missed the boat 1st jan 2016 rather late for this to be an option not that i ever see many police around i still might take the chance rather than waiting til 2018.

 

[muddyfox1971]

Thank you for all the info i have been looking at many types of bikes tho i would rather have the throttle option 15.5mph the law says no know so i missed the boat 1st jan 2016 rather late for this to be an option not that i ever see many police around i still might take the chance rather than waiting til 2018.

maybe i could get a back dated receipt from 2015

 

[trex]

you can still buy bikes with twist and go throttle until the DfT make type approval tests available, up to 1/1/2018 in fact.

 

[muddyfox1971]

ahh but if you buy them this year 2016 i thought then they would be illegal to use ? but i do see you can buy them from places like Ebay i wonder if you get caught riding them what would happen maybe a fine to start with i find the rules are rather one big mess to understand but i think 250watts is fine for me no need for 500 1000 or more power.

After Looking at many brands of bikes that cost 1,200 or under it seems the best bike for me would be the woosh big bear tho i am kinda in two minds that i should up the amount to 1,600 and buy a A2B Electric mountain bike i should read more posts on the forum to see if they might not be correct for me 1st.

 

[trex]

read one of flecc's posts back at the beginning of January.

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/res...n-electrically-assisted-pedal-cycles-eapc.11/

The download button is at the top right corner.
it's a bit messy to download the attachment but para 3.2 is essentially a concession to the throttle until 1/1/2018, suppliers should still have plenty of stock until the apparatus for type approval is ready:

3.2 Requirements of European type approval for vehicles sold after 1 Jan 2018
From 1 Jan 2018 all EAPC which are of the “twist and go” type will need a full type approval to 168/2013. This encompasses a long list of requirements, on lighting, brakes, and so on, although in many cases “bicycle” CEN standards are accepted and low speed vehicles are exempt from some requirement

The woosh Big Bear is indeed a good hill climber but it's always nice to have local backup.

 

[muddyfox1971]

Thanks for the info i did read it all

 

[muddyfox1971]

ok i was very close to buying the woosh big bear today but i still had one thing on my mind about frame size 18inch when i would like 20 inch frame so even tho the big bear was very close to perfect for myself i shall continue to search on.