Electric Bike- worthwhile

HeatonGuy · 23 November 2017 at 8:27PM

I'm moving down south shortly, to a city famous for students, flat surroundings and bicycles.

I'm likely to be about 6-8 miles from the office, and we will be allowed charging facilities. I'm looking Electric for comfort and lack of that sweaty-cyclist feel when I arrive.

The best electric bikes in terms of weight and (legal) power seem to be all around the £6-800 mark, meaning that payback for not using Public Transport or driving to work is going to be the thick end of 18 months/2 years.

Anyone with any experiences, good or bad, of such machines?

silverwhistle · 24 November 2017 at 12:00AM

My first thought, do you have office bike sheds with racks, and is it covered by CCTV?

I've an ordinary bike and thought of riding to my nearby leisure centre for swimming, but I'd going to do a reccy first for the security situation. Otherwise I'll just go in the car.

If you're living somewhere like Bar Hill you'll find there's always a head wind in those parts and you'll appreciate the assistance!

RichardD1970 · 24 November 2017 at 12:38AM

£6-800??

Mine is quite a basic, not quite entry level but not an expensive one and cost £1100.

I use mine for commuting about 6 mile each way and it is great, especially in this windy weather.

Was following a bloke up quite a long hill, in the wind yesterday. He was on his proper road bike with all the kit and looked like a serious cyclist. He was huffing and puffing and cursing the wind, I on the other hand just sat behind him on full assist taking it (relatively) easy.

Find a local dealer and see if you can get a test ride.

Things to consider:-

Range, mine is fine for what I use it for but when using full assist and in the cold the range does decrease quite considerably.

Weight, obviously they are heavier than a "normal bike".

Battery life, it will need replacing probably around 3-4 years depending on use and care. They are not cheap, mine will be about £300.

I love mine and despite what the naysayers may think, it does provide a decent amount of exercise, my running has certainly improved since I started using it, both CV and leg strength.

warehouse · 24 November 2017 at 12:43AM

RichardD1970 wrote: »

He was huffing and puffing and cursing the wind, I on the other hand just sat behind him on full assist taking it (relatively) easy.

He will live a lot longer than you, (unless he gets hit by a truck).

Richard53 · 24 November 2017 at 7:46AM

warehouse wrote: »

He will live a lot longer than you, (unless he gets hit by a truck).

Not sure that is right. The last time I saw any research on this, it was that the best predictor for longevity was regular moderate exercise. Hardcore athletes seem to keel over early as often as couch potatoes. It's the guy who walks his dog every day, rain or shine, who lives longest.

For me, an electric bike was ideal. I got an hour of decent exercise twice a day (not strenuous but not loafing either) and I lost tons of weight. My commuting route is very hilly and I wouldn't have attempted it on a pushbike.

Richard53 · 24 November 2017 at 7:51AM

RichardD1970 wrote: »

£6-800??

Mine is quite a basic, not quite entry level but not an expensive one and cost £1100.

I use mine for commuting about 6 mile each way and it is great, especially in this windy weather.

Mine is quite good quality and was £1700 (cheaper today though). It has proved reliable and durable. As a regular commuting bike, I wouldn't want anything of lower quality. £600 is almost in Tesco Special territory for an EAPC. For 6 miles on the flat, should be OK, but it won't be brilliant.

RichardD1970 · 24 November 2017 at 9:32AM

warehouse wrote: »

He will live a lot longer than you, (unless he gets hit by a truck).

I refer you to the last paragraph of my post. :whistle:

SamsReturn · 24 November 2017 at 1:39PM

I've thought about getting an Ebike for long long time, but i don't think in my position it's worth the money. I'd only be using it for 'fun', if i want exercise i'll use a pedal bike, if i need to go any sort of distance i've got my Merseytravel pass to travel free on public transport (after9.30). I i needed a bike to get to work, i'dgo for it.
The one i wanted was £2k, from 50Cycles. I had an email yesterday to say the Black Friday price is just under £1600. If you do decide to go ahead, check the 50cycles webpage.

RichardD1970 · 24 November 2017 at 7:46PM

I got mine through the cycle to work scheme, although they only allow £1000 my retailer just let me add the extra myself. I'll save about £300.

1886 · 28 November 2017 at 8:00PM

A friend of mine at work has an e-bike. He bought it second hand for £350. The previous owner had simply bought a kit and put it on his existing bike, the kit alone cost £550

My friend really likes the bike. I think he cycles around ten miles a day on it. The only issue he's had is that when it has rained the electrics have played up and he's had to push the bike home as it's very heavy

Personally I would'nt buy an e-bike that has been built in this way. I'd look at buying one built from factory. The prices OP quotes do seem quite cheap, maybe they are second hand ones

susiejq · 28 November 2017 at 9:21PM

Me and my hubby bought electric (battery assisted) bikes a couple of years ago when the arthritis in his knee became so bad he couldn't ride a normal pedal cycle anymore. We paid £800 each for them and although we don't use them every day we are pleased with them. The range on a single charge is about 60 miles but does depend on the weight of the cyclist, terrain, head wind etc. I'm quite light so mine does more than that, hubby's slightly less. They came from Whoosh bikes who have an outlet in Cambridge and a main office in Southend.

Electric Bike- worthwhile

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