Electric bikes 15.5mph powered top speed?

AdrianHi

... and with pedal power as fast as you can make it go with the power assistance.
Apparently equivalent to 800 to 2000mpg depending on how much effort you put in yourself.
Kalkhoff Pro Connect seems to be the pick of the bunch but not cheap at nearly £1500 including VAT.
Range on battery power alone 26, 31 or 51 miles depending on which of the 3 power levels you pick.

So questions:
Do you use an electric bike, if so do you rate it, share your experience?
Could you do electric bike instead of car for your commute?
Would you do electric bike instead of car for your commute?

AdrianHi

OK more details, the power assistance stops at 15.5mph due to regulations and so it can be used by people as young as 14.
People are getting trip average 12-14mph with effortless cruising at 20mph, and they are easy to power up hills. Many users doing a daily commute of up to around 15 miles each way with these. Apparently you don't work up quite so much of a sweat either.
If your travelling up to around 8 miles in the rush hour there is a really good chance a bike like this is going to get you to work in the same time if not quicker as you breeze past the traffic queues.
Negligable battery re-charge costs, you might eat a bit more with the excercise. This has got to be a great money saver if your commute is short enough.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

I can do those speeds without a motor. Why would I want one on a bike? My 7.5mile college commute used to take me 30 minutes back in the day. These days I use a mountain bike but still average 12mph.

Stupid pointless invention designed for lazy people.

hewhoisnotintheknow

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

I can do those speeds without a motor. Why would I want one on a bike? My 7.5mile college commute used to take me 30 minutes back in the day. These days I use a mountain bike but still average 12mph.

Stupid pointless invention designed for lazy people.

This is true but my nan used one up until the age of 86, she could go right into town, 3 miles away with only light peddling, great for people like her :rotfl:

BillScarab

The big problem with these is they are heavy, so if (or when) the battery runs out you are really going to struggle. You'd be far better off buying a resaonable road bike, not a racer more like a lfat barred commuter bike and using that. You'll be a lot fitter and save even more money.

I can only see them being any good for very short distances as the range and top speed are so limited and if you're doing short distances you don't need one. Unless you're hewhoisnotintheknow's gran of course!

AdrianHi

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

I can do those speeds without a motor. Why would I want one on a bike? My 7.5mile college commute used to take me 30 minutes back in the day. These days I use a mountain bike but still average 12mph.

Stupid pointless invention designed for lazy people.

The point is, for people who are not fit to begin with a bike like this removes a barrier to entry. Hills are easy, getting moving is easy, you don't get nearly so exhausted, so the maximum range you can cycle in an hour is greatly extended. If your feeling a bit poorly one day, you can still manage on the electric bike. If you are older and not as strong as you used to be you can still ride this at speed.
You can ride it without power assistance if you want to. Seasoned cyclists say it's by far the easiest bicycle they have ever used for gaining and maintaining speed.
It weighs 20.8kg including the battery which is 2.5kg.
If you are very fit I have no doubt you can go faster with a lighter weight road bike. For the rest of us it is not pointless and stupid and may offer a solution to traffic congestion (which is a big part of my interest in it since car fuel is always going to be affordable for me) and a way to get fit when you don't have time to go to the gym, take a run or whatever.

AdrianHi

BillScarab wrote: »

The big problem with these is they are heavy, so if (or when) the battery runs out you are really going to struggle. You'd be far better off buying a resaonable road bike, not a racer more like a lfat barred commuter bike and using that. You'll be a lot fitter and save even more money.

I can only see them being any good for very short distances as the range and top speed are so limited and if you're doing short distances you don't need one. Unless you're hewhoisnotintheknow's gran of course!

I'm not especially fit and don't have the time in my life to spend hours training to get fit enough to ride a bike over the distance I would need to be able to do it to bike to work.
On a regular bike I probably average 8 to 10mph. On one of these pro connect bikes anyone with a moderate level of fitness can obtain an average speed of about 14mph to 16mph and cruise at 18 to 20mph. This means you have got close to doubling the distance you can cover on a bike inside an hour commute. My current commute is 14.2 miles, I need to be able to complete it in an hour, that's the first priority. Currently the only way I can do this is in a car. I don't have time to start a fitness regime which would get me to the level where I could do that journey in an hour on a non-powered bike.

Wig

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

Stupid pointless invention designed for lazy people.

Lazy people and those who are genuinely not able bodied due to age or ill health or disability.

And I agree with Adrian, even those who are able bodied but who are unfit, could (if they could afford it) use this as an introductory aid into the world of cycling, they would eventually become more fit, and be able to convert to an ordinary bike.

Have you got a link Adrian?

Also, Adrian said "regulations" apply. It was previously the case that electric scooters were in the news about which laws applied, did they need insurance, and drivers licence and not to be ridden on the pavement and such. Chris Eubank was prosecuted for riding one - without crash helmet and registration plates.

So, I'm wondering if these bikes require insurance, crash helmet, registration with DVLA... and if these regulations are new or have they been with us for a long time, are they for example the regulations that apply to mobility chairs?

BillScarab

AdrianHi wrote: »

I'm not especially fit and don't have the time in my life to spend hours training to get fit enough to ride a bike over the distance I would need to be able to do it to bike to work.
On a regular bike I probably average 8 to 10mph. On one of these pro connect bikes anyone with a moderate level of fitness can obtain an average speed of about 14mph to 16mph and cruise at 18 to 20mph. This means you have got close to doubling the distance you can cover on a bike inside an hour commute. My current commute is 14.2 miles, I need to be able to complete it in an hour, that's the first priority. Currently the only way I can do this is in a car. I don't have time to start a fitness regime which would get me to the level where I could do that journey in an hour on a non-powered bike.

How do you cruise at 18-20mph when the max pseed on batteries is limited to 15 mph? I can't see how it's going to be eaasy to add another 5 mph by pedalling. Also 20.8kg for a bicycle is incredibly heavy. If you want to save fuel and get to work quickly buy a scooter, it will be quicker and you don't need any level of fitness. They even do electric ones nowadays.

AdrianHi

BillScarab wrote: »

How do you cruise at 18-20mph when the max pseed on batteries is limited to 15 mph? I can't see how it's going to be eaasy to add another 5 mph by pedalling. Also 20.8kg for a bicycle is incredibly heavy. If you want to save fuel and get to work quickly buy a scooter, it will be quicker and you don't need any level of fitness. They even do electric ones nowadays.

I have not ridden one of these yet, but my understanding is, because you are assisted up to 15.5mph it takes very little effort to get up to this speed which means you have not tired your muscles out to get to that level, which makes it much easier for your muscles to push up a few more mph. With this and the assistance up hills the fact it's a bit heavy does not matter. The batteries have a range of 21 to 56 miles or more depending on which of the 3 power levels you choose, your weight, head winds and how much you actually use the assistance.
The electric scooters which can do 30mph I've looked at have a range of 15 to 21 miles which is not far enough for my purposes. A motorised scooter is a thought, but I really want to break the reliance on using petrol or diesel from a garage as much as possible and get fitter into the bargain.

Wig

Here's an electric scooter £5K (VAT not mentioned) 60mph
http://www.nicecarcompany.co.uk/vectrixbike/vectrix_96.html

And £4,700 30mph
http://www.nicecarcompany.co.uk/vectrixbike/oxygen-scooter_97.html

And £2,850 OTR presumably inc VAT
http://www.nicecarcompany.co.uk/vectrixbike/e-max-scooter_95.html

And another £1000 30mph road legal
http://www.firebox.com/product/2166/Ego-Electric-Street-Scoota

I'd like to know why there is even any VAT on these things! The damned government doesn't know how to encourage green. Mind you, they really aren't so green as the energy used to make them esp the batteries is apparently quite severe.

I'd also like to know how much a replacement battery is?