Electricity bicycles

Cornucopia

The technology is there around the World- so it's not being surpressed by anyone.

Even here, if you go down the electric motorbike route, there are some very capable vehicles.

The issue is that the rules have not kept pace with (a) the technology and (b) the desire to have zero-emission vehicles on the road.

If a push-bike can be ridden without insurance at 30+mph, why not an electric bike?

System

Cornucopia wrote: »

If a push-bike can be ridden without insurance at 30+mph, why not an electric bike?

An electric bike can if you pedal it.

Unless self powered above 15MPH then it comes under the regulations for a motor vehicle.

System

spacey2012 wrote: »

EU directives are to protect big business, they have castrated Electric Bikes so they are not a viable alternative to Oil burning products..

How does this sqaure with the comment from Cornucopia

I've seen the electric bikes and other light vehicles that they have in Italy and the US, and they are vastly superior to ours - mainly in terms of speed and power-weight ratio.

spacey2012

!!!!!! wrote: »

An electric bike can if you pedal it.

Unless self powered above 15MPH then it comes under the regulations for a motor vehicle.

The NEW regulations.
It was fine until they realised that they actually worked and offered an alternative to fossil fuel, pedalling, or paying extortionate bus fares.

ev70

@Jaffa cake, most of the electric bikes that I have built are recent as in the last year. I have experience with these machines over the past 5 years and there does not seam to be that much of a reduction of weight. The most recent ones that I have built are made by EBCO and are about 26kg with the battery. They also come with a price of £1800. And these are the light ones!

The problem I frequently see with cheaper electric bikes are that the build quality is generally very poor. I saw one today where the owner said that the spokes kept breaking in the wheel that has the motor in it (he said that 1 or 2 go a month). One look at how it was built just shouted out that it would be a very week wheel.:eek:

Any decent wheel builder would refuse to build some of the wheels I see put on many of the cheep imported electric bikes.

Also 25mph powered by the motor is too fast and would most likely not be road legal in any way.

@spacey2012, Where do you think electricity comes from? In the UK the majority of it is generated from fossil fuels such as gas and coal.

Altarf

spacey2012 wrote: »

If you have a car licence a 50 cc moped is a better choice.
Failing that a good road racer bike under 12 k weight would be as easy as assisting the heavy electic bike and get you in to fitness

Totally agree. Either a moped, or a real bike if you have the ability to have a shower at work when you arrive.

An electric bike for that distance has the downsides of both the above, with none of the advantages.

SailorSam

I've looked into getting an Ebike, it think you'll find you can legally do up to 15mph and you can ride them using battery power only or pedal assist. Obviously if you're only using the battery the will need charging more often.
You do see these bikes from £300/£400 but they don't get a good name, mostly Chinese type things. The three i picked out which i think i'll go for one are Kalkhoff Sachel Compact Nexus £1700; Green Zebra Transport Classic (a folding) £900; or Oxygen Emate £1300.
The best sites to check out are .... 50 cycles and ..... Pedelec where there's a good forum where you can ask advice from other users.
Another one you could have a look at is the ..... GoCycle,

nogginthenog

My mate has one of these bikes, the battery is not 36 amps but does the job of a to b well.
Ans it certainly turns heads...costs about £999.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MfO-j9mS9I


PS That should be 24v....10amp
Sorry.

motch

I bought a 2nd hand carbon fibre racing bicycle, mostly dura-ace, Scott frame, on ebay a couple of years ago, genuine not nicked or anything for around the £500 mark, in good servicable condition. Weight about 15 pound. On the bicycle side of things i'm sure there's load on here who can give you some good advice.

With you riding 7 flat miles each way if healthy it could be done under 30 mins each way (on average) no problems once fairly fit.

the trouble with the electric bikes in the uk is the ridiculous slow legal speeds on the road, I think off-road bikes have no power or speed limits. if the law was changed and you could get a lighter electric bike that would be ace.

also as has been mentioned, the weight, 3+ times the weight of a good lightweight, reliable, flashy, cheaper, bicycle.

If your roads really are flat and you are healthy you would beat an electric bike no sweat, especially with said 15 pound bike above. With a bit of training you'd fly past like they're standing still with a tailwind!

Jaffa_cake

Thanks for many options.
I think I will go for a Chinese electricity bike.
I am just deciding to go for 48 volts or 60 volts.
I will not bother with the 10Ah battery, but go for the 20Ah one.
I can have one with the limiter switch fitted, so it will only do 15mph.
The 48 volt one can do 25mph, the 60 volt can do 35mph, with both 20Ah batteries giving 40 miles range.
They are non spoked alloy wheels, with the motor in the rear hub.
They have a rear "dicky" seat for up to 50kg passengers also.
.