BigTom
Well-Known Member
With the lightest person they can find riding it, carrying nothing at all.
Buying an electric bike
- Thread starter Brainaddict
- Start date
With the lightest person they can find riding it, carrying nothing at all.
weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
And the tyres pumped up to the max, and a brand new drivetrain etc etc
I can get 70 miles out of mine, down to the last bar. But it's advertised as having a 130 mile range. I generally use it on level 1 or 2 and I cycle around the Peaks so a fair bit of climbing and I'm overweight.
Frankly the range is just indicative - I'm happy with 70 miles in a day. Could probably squeeze 80 but it's not worth it. Bad for the battery to drain it right down.
Frankly the range is just indicative - I'm happy with 70 miles in a day. Could probably squeeze 80 but it's not worth it. Bad for the battery to drain it right down.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Canyon never claimed a range for mine, there's too many variables. The most I have had is around 40 miles climbing up to and travelling along The Ridgeway from Swindon to Reading; rode without turning it on from Swindon station to the foot of the ridge, battery died at the entrance to Reading station. It has 3 power settings, eco/trail/boost. I ride in eco all the time, only using trail for thick mud or sand for the extra torque, never use boost at all. You can set how much power each gives via the app, have set eco a bit below standard to get more range out of it but still gives the assist I need to enjoy myself.
Leafster, what bike have you gone for?
Leafster, what bike have you gone for?
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Brainaddict
slight system overdrive
I don't think I ever posted on this thread to say that I went with a conversion kit in the end, having looked at the price of decent ebikes. My £1k Boardman with hydraulic brakes now has a swytch kit fitted for £500, and I bought a spare battery for £100. If I look at a purpose-build ebike with similar spec it is about £3000, maybe £2500 in a sale. Of course there are a few compromises with a conversion kit but on my current budget it was by far the best option.
Leafster
.
I bought a cheap mid-life crisis e-bike as a late 60th Birthday present to myself.
It's a Cyrusher XF800. It's a full suspension fat-bike which cost me £1,800. I wasn't sure whether I'd actually get on with an e-bike so I didn't want to spend a fortune on one. I mean, £1,800 still isn't cheap but a lot less than some of the e-MTBs I was looking at!
I can tell it's made to a budget but it's been a good starter e-bike for me. It is heavy (35kg) and the electronic bits are fairly basic but it's comfortable, versatile and a lot of fun. I have to say, it's not very nimble on the tricky bits but gets the job done.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
35kg 
Leafster
.
I know!35kg
I've been avoiding any routes which need me to lift it over gates or stiles.
When I took that photo I had to manoeuvre it through a kissing-gate. It was only when I went back to the road I realised I could have just opened the farm gate right next to the kissing-gate and pushed it through!
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Mine's 23kg, I try to avoid styles/kissing gates etc., but can do it if I need to. Yours seems decent enough for what you need it for though, do you find you get out more than on the analogue bike?
Leafster
.
Yeah, it's fine for my needs. I'm not doing anything technical like riding through rock gardens or jumps. I have encountered a few rougher bits where the lack of nimbleness has been a problem, although the extra weight and solid construction can have its advantages - I knocked a rock (about the size and weight of three house bricks) out of the ground on a tricky climb with one of the pedals which would probably seen me come to halt on my Norco. The pedal was fine!
I don't think I'm using it more frequently than my Norco although that could be down to the weather at the weekends this season. When I have been out I have felt less apprehensive about doing longer rides with more hills. The longest I've done so far was to ride along the North Downs Way to Box Hill and back. That's just under 30 miles with climbing of 2,250ft. I'm not sure I would have tackled that on the analogue bike with my level of fitness.
I've also started to use it for running errands like shopping or going to the garden centre for odd bits as it's no effort to carry the extra weight. It's got a load capacity of 150kg and I'm only 75kg so I could theoretically carry another 75kg and still get up the steep hill to home.
I still intend to use the analogue bike too but for shorter rides. I recently rode over the Downs to Gatton Park and back which was around 16 miles but it was noticeable that I was less tired after the 30 miles to Box Hill on the e-bike than I was doing 16 miles on the non-e-bike.
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Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Yeah, come to a fork i the path, one goes up, the other down, now you choose the up one
Bet you don't. Mine sat in the garage, unloved for nearly a year before I got shot of it...
Yep, and if the weather wasn't so rubbish this year you could go and do it again the next day too..
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Brainaddict
slight system overdrive
Not to diss your choice, it seems to work for you, but the weight of that bike kind of explains why I decided to fit a kit on my main bike in the end, despite the compromises. Fairly nice 10kg gravel bike, plus about 5kg for the kit, and I've got a nice 15kg electric bike. To get anywhere near that with a purpose-built ebike you'd have to spend a lot of money. The new lightweight swytch kits are only 2.5kg added.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Guess from where you live you don't don't much off-roading past tow-path type stuff?
Leafster lives in the same area as me, lots of bridle paths that can be quite gnarly. Much of what there is here is ridable on a gravel bike, but would be uncomfortable. If you tried your bike on the trails I ride it would fall apart quite quickly. All a matter of what you need it for vs cost of the damn things. But one thing that can very much be agreed upon is how they take the sting out of it and make it so much more pleasurable to get out and ride.
Brainaddict
slight system overdrive
But presumably you can also fit a kit to a semi-decent mountain bike and also end up with a lighter machine.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
You could...but the added stresses that would go on due to the extra weight and power going through it would probably see you in hospital fairly quickly if you went large on the rough stuff.
Leafster
.
No, it's OK I totally understand. You wanted a light bike which suits your needs. I would have preferred mine to be lighter but it suits the terrain I ride over and the full suspension and fat-bike tyres make it comfortable everywhere. I didn't want to do a conversion on my MTB. I just wanted to buy a bike that worked 'out of the box' which wasn't too expensive.
Like Bahnhof Strasse says the terrain we both ride over is pretty varied with deeply rutted surfaces, rocks, roots, loose flinty trails, sand (less so on my bit of the Downs), ploughed fields and thick mud (even at this time of year) so having a rugged bike was important to me. I try to avoid tarmac roads if possible so I'm not too worried about the fact a heavy fat-bike is slower on those surfaces. Having said that, I still managed 25mph on the road back from the shops yesterday on a slight downhill stretch. (my bike is still limited to providing assistance up to 15.5mph although I could de-restrict it)
Idaho
blah blah blah
Had a weekend of touring on the ebike. Did 98km on the first day (1600m ascent) and 92km on the second day (1200m ascent). Generally used the lowest setting, but with power boosts up the steeper hills. Finished the first day with 10% power left and the second with 20% power.
Does anyone know anything about shimano linkglide parts?
The cheapo shimano cassette on my bike feels like it's wearing fast (1330km so far)
9 speed linkglide bits don't look that expensive but online I'm not seeing all the parts available in any one place
Although I noticed when I got back from work last night that the gear cable had worn through to the last 3 or 4 strands, so should be better now that's replaced
When I get a new bike it's usually because I'm tired of doing maintenance on the old one, so they tend to get a bit neglected to start with
The cheapo shimano cassette on my bike feels like it's wearing fast (1330km so far)
9 speed linkglide bits don't look that expensive but online I'm not seeing all the parts available in any one place
Although I noticed when I got back from work last night that the gear cable had worn through to the last 3 or 4 strands, so should be better now that's replaced
When I get a new bike it's usually because I'm tired of doing maintenance on the old one, so they tend to get a bit neglected to start with
girasol
Addicted to handstands!
I thought about conversion and it seemed to be not viable Question: Electric Bike Conversion Kits - please share your knowledge!
Will be watching this thread to see how it pans out. I tried a Human Forest e-bike hire recently and I'll definitely be using it again. It' a great alternative for the casual user, instead of public transport, but for daily commuting it'd soon get too expensive.
edit: sorry, I posted before getting to the end of the thread, without realising it's an old thread. Interesting to see you that you opted for conversion Brainaddict. Another friend of mine did it too and is happy with it
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weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
What issue are you having with it? If the gear cable was frayed that will have been sending your shifting all over the place. Linkglide is very new so a lot of places won't be stocking the bits yet as they haven't needed to (no demand for replacement parts yet because people haven't started wearing them out yet). We haven't had anyone in my repair shop needing a Linkglide bit yet for example, and we fit maybe twenty chains and cassettes in a week.Does anyone know anything about shimano linkglide parts?
The cheapo shimano cassette on my bike feels like it's wearing fast (1330km so far)
9 speed linkglide bits don't look that expensive but online I'm not seeing all the parts available in any one place
Although I noticed when I got back from work last night that the gear cable had worn through to the last 3 or 4 strands, so should be better now that's replaced
When I get a new bike it's usually because I'm tired of doing maintenance on the old one, so they tend to get a bit neglected to start with
BigTom
Well-Known Member
So my work have finally got a cycle to work scheme in place, only been 5 years since I've been there and they've been saying they'll sort it out
and then they reveal it's with halfords
Pisses me off, not just cos it's halfords but because I work for a co-operative charity and we're supposed to follow the co-operative code and try to work with other co-ops where possible, and I'm certain other cycle to work schemes would have allowed us to buy from the edinburgh bike co-op or another co-op bike seller.
Anyway, anyone got any thoughts on halford's ebikes? Seems like a choice between the lapierre or carrera and I don't think carrera's are particularly good. I don't want drop handlebars and the pendletons are not in large size so will be too small for me.
and then they reveal it's with halfords
Pisses me off, not just cos it's halfords but because I work for a co-operative charity and we're supposed to follow the co-operative code and try to work with other co-ops where possible, and I'm certain other cycle to work schemes would have allowed us to buy from the edinburgh bike co-op or another co-op bike seller.
Anyway, anyone got any thoughts on halford's ebikes? Seems like a choice between the lapierre or carrera and I don't think carrera's are particularly good. I don't want drop handlebars and the pendletons are not in large size so will be too small for me.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
No idea on Halfords bikes, but this is the first time I have heard of the cycle to work scheme being limited to one retailer, the paperwork for your company is exactly the same no matter who you buy the bike from, even some direct import bikes such as Canyon can be had through it. Are you on good enough terms with finance to ask if you can get a bike from elsewhere?
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Leafster
.
I don't know much about cycle to work schemes but is it the Halfords Cycle2Work Scheme your work has signed up to?So my work have finally got a cycle to work scheme in place, only been 5 years since I've been there and they've been saying they'll sort it out
and then they reveal it's with halfords
Pisses me off, not just cos it's halfords but because I work for a co-operative charity and we're supposed to follow the co-operative code and try to work with other co-ops where possible, and I'm certain other cycle to work schemes would have allowed us to buy from the edinburgh bike co-op or another co-op bike seller.
Anyway, anyone got any thoughts on halford's ebikes? Seems like a choice between the lapierre or carrera and I don't think carrera's are particularly good. I don't want drop handlebars and the pendletons are not in large size so will be too small for me.
If it is, I don't think you have to buy from Halfords, it's just operated by them.
If you go to the website https://www.halfords.com/cycling/expert-advice/cycle2work.html
Scroll down and it gives a complete list of retailers you can buy from.
BigTom
Well-Known Member
oh great, we were just told it was Halfords and I assumed that meant we had to buy from halfords
I will now do my best to get Edinburgh bike co-op namechecked in any comms from HR about this because we should be trying to work with other co-ops where we can.
weepiper any suggestions for an e-bike the co-op stocks? Using for commuting, want a hybrid type bike, budget ideally £1,500-£2,000 but can go up to £2,500 if it makes a significant difference.
weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
I don't work there anymore but I always liked the Whyte ebike hybrids when I did. Like thisoh great, we were just told it was Halfords and I assumed that meant we had to buy from halfords
I will now do my best to get Edinburgh bike co-op namechecked in any comms from HR about this because we should be trying to work with other co-ops where we can.
weepiper any suggestions for an e-bike the co-op stocks? Using for commuting, want a hybrid type bike, budget ideally £1,500-£2,000 but can go up to £2,500 if it makes a significant difference.
Whyte Clifton 2022 Electric Bike | Bike Coop
Whyte Clifton 2022 Electric Bike is a great choice. Our accessible experts are always here to help. UK delivery available.
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Whyte Coniston 2022 Electric Bike | Bike Coop
Whyte Coniston 2022 Electric Bike is a great choice. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help. UK delivery available.
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