ebikes

[mikeprice]

I do think there's an argument for decent brakes, so if you convert a bike that's a consideration. I've been glad of my disc brakes a couple of times.

 

mine's got normal brakes and stops fine

 

ebikes are quite heavy but decent normal brakes should be OK is cost is an issue

 

but then disk brakes are always better - especially in the wet

[mikeprice]

Just seen a review for something that is being promoted by Victoria Pendleton

Pendleton Somerby Electric Bike - W...

 

only £600 with a decent range

 

only 'ladies' version - i.e. no crossbar but seems good from the reviews

basic but that seems fine to me - most of the recent ones seem far too complex

[tg12]

This thread reminded me that I had been looking at getting an ebike a while back, so I've just been out for a test ride with the Gtech bike. My goodness that thing is fun! In maximum power mode, it really shoots off like a rocket. Definitely going to be ordering one later on! Probably the most fun I've had on a bike in a long time.

[mikeprice]

Just been looking at the renewal for my House Insurance. Turns out that Tesco do not insure ebikes - but don't actually mention this at any point - and it isn't in the policy documents (I checked on the old ones) - only found out when talking to someone on the phone to tell them about some minor changes. If I had been able to do it all online (which was not set up for some reason) them I would have renewed it thinking the bikes were covered OK.

 

I am assuming that any claim would have been fine until they found it is an ebike then they would have blocked it. I have checked with other companies (Direct Line and LV) and they both cover them by default.

BTW - theyt are happy to cover a £1000 bike with no motor - but a £650 ebike is not covered - seems a bit daft!

 

Something to watch out for anyway

[mikeprice]

Just been looking at the renewal for my House Insurance. Turns out that Tesco do not insure ebikes - but don't actually mention this at any point - and it isn't in the policy documents (I checked on the old ones) - only found out when talking to someone on the phone to tell them about some minor changes. If I had been able to do it all online (which was not set up for some reason) them I would have renewed it thinking the bikes were covered OK.

 

I am assuming that any claim would have been fine until they found it is an ebike then they would have blocked it. I have checked with other companies (Direct Line and LV) and they both cover them by default.

BTW - theyt are happy to cover a £1000 bike with no motor - but a £650 ebike is not covered - seems a bit daft!

 

Something to watch out for anyway

 

EDIT - turns out the guy on the phone was talking rubbish

 

Ebikes ARE covered when in the house - but the terms are a bit different when outside the house - still worth checking each policy's specific terms

[mikes]

My dad picked up an e-bike for £500, it is pretty decent to ride - I could ride it all day if the charge held out without getting tired. i think it would do about 20 miles and that is with very inefficient riding on the maximum power setting.

 

it's called a carrera vengeance and i think it is pretty low end, not that familiar with ebikes. it does about 15 miles an hour which is a lot faster than non-assisted riding.

turning the battery off on the thing makes it an absolute dog to ride, so make sure you don't run out of power

 

maintenance wise it is just like a normal bike, the battery slots in and out using a tab pretty much like a laptop battery does, so if the battery failed, you would just buy another one.

all i've needed to do on it is replace two spokes (the spokes on the motor wheel keep failing, not sure why, they are very small spokes).

it has mechanical disc breaks and is a hardtail. the front suspension is okish not great, but then it is a cheapo bike it's not exactly a full sus downhiller.

[mikeprice]

My dad picked up an e-bike for £500, it is pretty decent to ride - I could ride it all day if the charge held out without getting tired. i think it would do about 20 miles and that is with very inefficient riding on the maximum power setting.

 

it's called a carrera vengeance and i think it is pretty low end, not that familiar with ebikes. it does about 15 miles an hour which is a lot faster than non-assisted riding.

turning the battery off on the thing makes it an absolute dog to ride, so make sure you don't run out of power

 

maintenance wise it is just like a normal bike, the battery slots in and out using a tab pretty much like a laptop battery does, so if the battery failed, you would just buy another one.

all i've needed to do on it is replace two spokes (the spokes on the motor wheel keep failing, not sure why, they are very small spokes).

it has mechanical disc breaks and is a hardtail. the front suspension is okish not great, but then it is a cheapo bike it's not exactly a full sus downhiller.

 

Wow - looks good - but £500 seems very cheap - was it second hand ( sorry - I mean preloved:))

 

same make as my wife's folding bike - seems like a good make

[mikes]

Yeah it was second hand, condition wise though it is fine, battery charges nicely etc. (it still takes 4-5 hours to charge though!)

if I lived in a city I would probably consider commuting on it. let's hope they can make some decent battery technology breakthroughs.

one that does 30mph and lasts a good amount of time would be great (they'd have to change the legislation also, they go on about wanting to save the planet yet something that would be useful for a lot of people namely a fast ebike, they regulate so you need a car license!)

Edited August 23, 2018 by mikes

[mikeprice]

Yeah it was second hand, condition wise though it is fine, battery charges nicely etc. (it still takes 4-5 hours to charge though!)

if I lived in a city I would probably consider commuting on it. let's hope they can make some decent battery technology breakthroughs.

one that does 30mph and lasts a good amount of time would be great (they'd have to change the legislation also, they go on about wanting to save the planet yet something that would be useful for a lot of people namely a fast ebike, they regulate so you need a car license!)

 

I suspect that battery tech will improve rapidly over the next few years - the demand is there because of electric cars and also from people with solar power who could do with a cheaper and better way of storing it

These are the things that are holding back all sorts of electric stuff - ebikes included!

 

as far as the 'fast ebikes' are concerned I would worry about the safety of the things when used on a road - for a start helmets are not designed for that sort of impact (OK some expensive ones probably are - but not the sort most people buy - when they actually bother.)

also - the concept of having a normal bike but with a motor would have to be looked at - brakes come to mind??

and the damage they could cause in an accident would make having insurance more desirable - but compulsory insurance would open a massive bag of worms - good luck to any politician who tries to introduce that!

 

anyway - as far as I am concerned - 15 mph is find by me - I normally ride at 17-18 - which I find OK and it forces me to put some effort in. If I am going somewhere where I need to be non-sweaty I can go slower and let the motor to the work

[mikeprice]

Ok - bit if a necro bump but

 

I got a new ebike in july - I went for a Raleigh Array because I liked it and the local bike shop are great and it was the main range they sell

 

 

BUT

 

I am now on my 3rd charger - no funny electrical problems - just VERY fiddly to get the plug on the charger into the socket on the battery - and the prongs are vey thin and bend easily

also - once the prongs are engaged - you have to screw the collar down to fully lock it in place so it will charge OK

and it looks like the metal on the collar is too soft so the screw thread gets distorted and stops engaging

 

Raleigh have admitted that it is fiddly and awkward - and have said (according to the bike shop) said they are working on a solution

 

 

but it has been going on since July - and I'm getting fed up now

 

We are going away on holiday toon so I have taken the bike plus charger to the shop (by arrangement) and it is staying there while we are away so the Raleigh rep can see it

I have also sent an email saying that I want it sorted by the New Year one way or another - and if another means money back then so be it

 

 

really fed up with it - love the bike - but this is my 3rd ebike and the only one I have had problems with - and for pete's sake - if I can dismantle a laptop and unplug everything - then plug it all back it (and all the other stuff we do in schools etc) then if I can;t put a charger into a battery the design must be really bad!!!

 

 

[end rant]

[jmak]

Could you fit an alternative connector yourself? i.e cut the cable between the transformer and the original connector and insert your own connectors. I wouldn't expect that to interfere with any control electronics.

 

Obviously it'd be better for Raleigh to sort out, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

[mikeprice]

Could you fit an alternative connector yourself? i.e cut the cable between the transformer and the original connector and insert your own connectors. I wouldn't expect that to interfere with any control electronics.

 

Obviously it'd be better for Raleigh to sort out, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

I am reluctant to mess with something under guarantee - at the moment I am thinking that I may ask for my money back due to it not working and they had 3 chances to fix it and failed

Hence they have no real choice in law

If I start messing about with it then this goes out of the window

 

If Raleigh doesn't get it sorted by the New Year then that will be my direction.

The bike shop have been brilliant - but there is little they can do other than pester Raleigh - but at the end of the day if it is still broken something needs to be done

 

I am wary of leaving it too long and maybe weakening my case

[jinnantonnixx]

I'm a keen mountain biker, and one by one my riding partners are getting e-bikes.

I tried one of them other weekend (for the life of me I can't remember the brand, but it had top-end Fox shock and integrated battery, and was upwards of five or six grand. 29 on front wheel, 27.5 rear (mullets!))

Totally impressed. Apart from the obvious plus of going up hills quickly, the bike handled better than mine on downhills. The extra weight, which I thought would be disadvantage, lowered the centre of gravity and planted the bike firmly on the trails, on managed bikepark trails and off-piste. There was none of the skittishness you'd experience going fast over rocks. My bike is 'slack' but this had geometry very close to downhill bikes.

 

So, to conclude, I want one.

Edited November 6, 2019 by jinnantonnixx

[mikeprice]

5 or 6 grand

 

WOW

Sounds good though

[Arthur]

5 or 6 grand. WOW

You can buy e-bikes through the CtW scheme now they have removed the £1,000 limit. This would make it a bit cheaper (especially with a £5k+ bike). [emoji846]

 

https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/cycle-to-work-scheme-any-price

 

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/e-bike-cycle-work-scheme-without-1000-limit-launched-uk-government-426596

[TomHD]

IMO the Dutch make the best bikes in the world... check out Koga for ultra premium and Batavus and friends for cheaper but still quality options

[manc_techie]

IMO the Dutch make the best bikes in the world... check out Koga for ultra premium and Batavus and friends for cheaper but still quality options

 

Have to agree, living over the border from the Netherlands I own a Dutch e-bike (Vanmoof S2) and couldn't be happier with it. Cycle 25KM every day to work and don't break into a sweat and I'm a hefty fella.

[Ditto]

A lot of the ebikes do look fantastic, but the prices, wow. In the EV thread, there is a lot of comment around e-cars costing much more than the combustion equivalent, but generally you would get something comparable for double money. The ratio for bikes seems to be much greater. I wonder who can enter the market at the right quality and price mix to really get people out of there cars and on to their bikes.

[MYK-IT]

Colleague has just bought a CUBE Acid Hybrid (500w) https://www.cube.eu/en/2020/e-bikes/mountainbike/hardtail/acid-hybrid/cube-acid-hybrid-one-500-29-blackngreen-2020/ . Will work out approx. <£1,200 on CTW scheme plus he's fitted a Speed Box 2 (https://www.ebiketuning.com/speedbox-bosch-gen2.html) - Very impressed...

(Still love my Xiaomi M365 scooter though)

[Garacesh]

https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/cycle-to-work-scheme-any-price

 

Huh, my council are actually a part of this.. Might have to take advantage of this before we academise!

[mikeprice]

There are some good deals around at the moment due to end of range stuff

[flyinghaggis]

I was considering one of the Halfords folding ebikes mainly for the practicality and convenience as it comes with mud guards and a rack. Plus my primary concern about a electric bike is leaving it outside given the cost of them! It'd be reassuring to know I could fold it down and pop it in a locked storeroom or under a desk rather than leaving it outside on a bike rack somewhere.

 

Carrera Crosscity Folding Electric Bike

 

Does anyone have an experience of commuting to work on folding bikes. I've never ridden one so wondered if it would feel much different with the smaller wheels/etc.

Edited November 17, 2019 by flyinghaggis

[mikeprice]

They are great

My wife has one andride it quite often

 

Just Gert a bungy corsmto keep it folded

 

 

Apologies for typing

In Maldive on hols with old device and wife who is wondering why I'm on edugeek!!!!!

[mikeprice]

OK - just got back from hols to find an email from bike shop about the ebike I bought in July.

 

it has been back 3 or 4 times due to the charger being very difficult to plug into the battery - and eventually it just gets impossible - I was on my 3rd charger since July - which is excessive!

 

anyway - on the suggestion of the owner - I left the bike in the shop while we were away

 

So - got an email from him sayiong that Raleigh had agreed to upgrade to the bike to the 'Raleigh motors' - which makes no sense as Raleigh don;t make motors

 

so when I got back I replied to him saying I would come round this morning (Saturday)

 

 

ANYWAY - turns out that Raleigh have decided to just upgrade the whole bike from the Array to the Modus (daft names but anyway) - i.e. inital cost of £1275 to one of £1800

 

just got home after piucking up the new bike

 

WOW - massively better bike - much smoother motor - much quienter - narrower frame tubes, better gears

 

I'm well pleased!!

 

 

 

now - how do I switch the weather to non-rainy mode????

[Ditto]

OK - just got back from hols to find an email from bike shop about the ebike I bought in July.

 

it has been back 3 or 4 times due to the charger being very difficult to plug into the battery - and eventually it just gets impossible - I was on my 3rd charger since July - which is excessive!

 

anyway - on the suggestion of the owner - I left the bike in the shop while we were away

 

So - got an email from him sayiong that Raleigh had agreed to upgrade to the bike to the 'Raleigh motors' - which makes no sense as Raleigh don;t make motors

 

so when I got back I replied to him saying I would come round this morning (Saturday)

 

 

ANYWAY - turns out that Raleigh have decided to just upgrade the whole bike from the Array to the Modus (daft names but anyway) - i.e. inital cost of £1275 to one of £1800

 

just got home after piucking up the new bike

 

WOW - massively better bike - much smoother motor - much quienter - narrower frame tubes, better gears

 

I'm well pleased!!

 

 

 

now - how do I switch the weather to non-rainy mode????

That turned out well - looks a nice bike! I see it is a 'Motus' not 'Modus' hence the confusion over 'Raleigh Motors'. Someone in marketing no doubt with a degree comes up with this stuff! It's not exactly capturing the joy of cycling in the elements.