Which electric bike?

[bilko2]

Anyone used one, have one?
I already have a ridgeback genesis day 1 but i have a grand through the cycle to work scheme and fancied an electric one.

[Kermit power]

Blimey. Really? Why not just get a G-Whizz? At least you'll be dry whilst being ridiculed by everyone from toddlers to grannies.

[neil_bolton]

>looksintothisthreadandlooksaround<

>seessomethinghethoughthe'dneversee<

>considersbanningmember<

>decidedsheca'tbearsedandsimplyispointingtodoor<

Door. Over there.

Out.

Now...

[b2hbm]

bilko2 said:

Anyone used one, have one?
I already have a ridgeback genesis day 1 but i have a grand through the cycle to work scheme and fancied an electric one.

Geez, really ? It's dead flat around here and there's a couple of these bikes locally. Now I wouldn't class myself as super-fit but I pass 'em even when I'm warming up for a ride on my way out of the village. I don't know what speed they'll get up to but I bet it's under 20mph. As for going up hills you might as well get off and walk.....

nooooooo !

[john_p]

Why does every cyclist in the UK feel the need to race everyone else?

[peterperkins]

Well I got an electric bike conversion kit for my (Giant) bike from

http://www.alienbikes.co.uk/page9.htm

I've been very pleased with that and I weigh 18+ Stones, it can still push me along at 15mph+ for 13 miles or so. (My commute is 13 miles each way)

Charge it up at work and bobs your uncle.

I pedal all the time so am still getting a work out but just arrive less knackered and sweaty.

I find the electric assistance just enables me to maintain a higher average speed. Without it I could manage say 13mph average but was knackered, especially if there was a head wind With it I can maintain say 17mph and arrive quicker and reasonably fresh.

13 miles is a fair trip twice daily. With someone lighter and pedaling I think it could do 20 miles.

Ignore the others who are pouring scorn on the idea, it saves a fortune in fuel and you can use your toy in earnest at weekends filled to the brimn with all that petrol you saved during the week!

Plus you will be fitter, I am.

In fact this looks good as well and a bloody bargain at £550!

http://www.alienbikes.co.uk/page2.htm

Edited by peterperkins on Monday 29th June 09:51

[k-ink]

[Kermit power]

john_p said:

Why does every cyclist in the UK feel the need to race everyone else?

I don't.

I used to feel the need to race people on electric bikes, but then I decided to stop, as it's not fair to mock the disabled.

[john_p]

I do think there is a bit of hostility which pervades the cycling scene in the UK. Definitely amongst commuters, it seems. Perhaps some of them need to remember they're not in a car anymore.

eg. overtake at all costs ("wow he was mincing along on a racer.. I blasted past him at 20mph on knobbly tyres" er no, he just didn't care)
"your bike is st because it was £200" (all the gear, no idea)
"you must commute to work at 25mph and anyone who doesn't is a gayer" (not everyone likes to arrive at work sweating)

If the OP wants to cruise along in comfort, then I say let them.. if you're lucky, they'll even wave to you as you go past!

Edited by john_p on Monday 29th June 11:47

[Mekon]

The two shops that get widely recommended are 50 cycles and The Electric Transport Shop

http://www.50cycles.com/ <- they sell kalkoff, which are decent commuter bikes with a great panasonic motor. They are expensive.

http://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/<- they sell everything, from cheap smartas to £7500 Vectrix Scooters. They've also got the GoCycle and the Ultra Motors, both of which looked great. I tried one of their Wisper 905SEs. In "off road mode", the 15mph speed limit if disengaged. It'll cruise just shy of 20mph with no bother, just on the throttle.

From what I've seen, if you think of it as if the motor, controller, etc takes up about £1000 of the RRP, the remainder will indicate the relative quality of the rest of the bike it's built into, ie don't expect a £1300 e-bike to be any better than a £300 normal bike.

BTW - the Sun has a video of the Ultra Motor - http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2442...

Edited by Mekon on Monday 29th June 12:53

[k-ink]

This is way cooler, if you simply refuse to make any effort...


http://www.electricskateboards.co.uk/

[TwistingMyMelon]

I used to think the same, "what's the effing point of an electric bike, complete waste of time"

But:

Then a older mate of mine, whos early 60s and not that fit got one . His son bought him an electric bike as a surprise present and the guy loves it. Every weekend he goes out on different rides , he speaks really enthusiastly about his new found love of cycling. He claims the bike really helped break him in gently to cycling after a 45 year gap, and his doc told him to start slowly and build up . The enthusiasm hes now gained is great.

I think threes far too much snobbery and anal up their own arse opinions in UK cycling, if somone wants an electric bike so be it, I dont and doubt I ever will want one, but that's me. Everyone should be able to just get on with rideing wiothout some 2bob on their soapbox casting their opinion or sticking their nose up because of it.

[longblackcoat]

peterperkins said:

Well I got an electric bike conversion kit for my (Giant) bike from

http://www.alienbikes.co.uk/page9.htm

I've been very pleased with that and I weigh 18+ Stones, it can still push me along at 15mph+ for 13 miles or so. (My commute is 13 miles each way)

Charge it up at work and bobs your uncle.

I pedal all the time so am still getting a work out but just arrive less knackered and sweaty.

I find the electric assistance just enables me to maintain a higher average speed. Without it I could manage say 13mph average but was knackered, especially if there was a head wind With it I can maintain say 17mph and arrive quicker and reasonably fresh.

13 miles is a fair trip twice daily. With someone lighter and pedaling I think it could do 20 miles.

Ignore the others who are pouring scorn on the idea, it saves a fortune in fuel and you can use your toy in earnest at weekends filled to the brimn with all that petrol you saved during the week!

Plus you will be fitter, I am.

In fact this looks good as well and a bloody bargain at £550!

http://www.alienbikes.co.uk/page2.htm

Edited by peterperkins on Monday 29th June 09:51

Personally I wouldn't, but if it works for you, why not?

Of course you could look at it the other way - by using an electric bike you're missing some of the point of riding in the first place. Certainly, if you were doing 26 miles per day entirely under your own steam you'd probably drop a bit of weight quite quickly, would increase your speeds, and thus not need the electric motor in the first place.

[b2hbm]

john_p said:

Why does every cyclist in the UK feel the need to race everyone else?

hmm, sorry it came across like that because I'm well over the age where I feel the need to pass everyone on the road.

I used the example to illustrate that they really are slow and that as a rider of one you're likely to get passed by folks riding normal bikes. Which may or may not bother you.

[bilko2]

Ok thanks,
Some good responses.

[nogginthenog]

I had this Klein bike converted to electric for commuting :



It was lot's of fun - fast acceleration, about 22mph max, 10 mile range. Totally illegal though, so if you cause an accident plod would take a very dim view of it as it's technically a moped, but without tax, MOT, helmet etc. There was an option to put another motor on the front wheel that would top out at about 30 mph, so you could use one motor to get you to 22, then the other for 'high-speed' but it would mean another battery, more stress on skinny wheels, more chance of getting nicked, and would be just plain scary!

I eventually sold mine for a good price on Ebay, and went fully pedal-powered, but it was fun for a while.

Here is a link to the company that did the conversion. It was about £800 plus the donor bike :

http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/heinzmann_ki...

[Bri957]

I quite fancy one of these:

http://www.gocycle.com/

Just hoping the cycle to work scheme they sign up to at work includes a retailer selling them.