Quote:
Originally Posted by The Maestro
Hi, I'm new to the forum. Recent circumstances mean I can't drive a car or motorbike so I'm after an electric bike or pedelec for my 20 mile round trip commute to work. I am very fit and could do it on a normal bike but it would be a real pain on those days when I had a bit of a cold, hangover or knackered for some other reason. Because its going to be my main form of transport its got to be fairly reliable and stand up to bad weather etc.
I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any good pedelec/e-bike sellers in the North-West of England? I've searched the forum already and came up with two:
Apple BIkes in Lytham St. Annes who stock the 'Giant' range
Valley Scooters in Bolton that sell the PowaByke, PowaCycle and Urban Mover ranges
At the moment I'm leaning towards the Powercycle Salisbury. I like the look of the Kalkhoff range and maybe the Ezee Liv but all the dealers are 'dahn sowf' and I'm not sure if mail order is a good idea. I've exchanged a few emails with 50Cycles but they didn't really answer my questions and I find their extended warranty which costs 100 pounds a year just to cover shipping costs in the event of a problem VERY off putting to say the least. Its like they are expecting every bike to need shipping back 3 times a year! Are electric bikes still very much a 'work in progress', i.e. 'expect problems' or are they a reliable transport method?
Anyway any advice is greatly appreciated
|
Welcome to The Maestro!
Your new e-bike will be used for to commute to work so reliability should be your main priority in which case I think buying local would be the best option for you. Some people do have problems with their electric bikes and if things go wrong then buying locally would enable you to get things sorted out more quickly and with the least amount of hassle. Buying off-line you have the advantage of being able to compare and try the bikes for size and performance.
PowaBykes are good reliable machines and good hill climbers. In this case I personally would go for the basic 6 speed lead battery model. Upgrading to a lithium battery makes this bike too expensive in my opinion. As carpetbagger says new bikes out soon but more expensive no doubt.
The PowaCycle Salisbury is one of the lowest powered electric bikes but is reliable and is cheap. This e-bike has a good range and would be fine if you don't have any steep hills to climb on your commute. Choice of battery too.
When I was researching cheap e-bikes I had the PowaCycle Salisbury on my shortlist. I live in a very hilly area so chose the cheaper more powerful yet still modestly powered Synergie Mistral instead. I have been very pleased with the 36v Lithium Mistral that I have now owned for over two months and have done around 650 miles without any problems except for the useless dynamo lighting. This bike may not be suitable for you because it was an eBay purchase.
Ezee Liv would be a good and not too expensive choice too but would be an online purchase.
Kalkhoff are thought to be, by many enthusiasts, the best pedelec available right now. These use the Panasonic system replacing the now out-of-production Giant Lafree. This system is the best for hill climbing but Kalkhoff are expensive.
One thing I would miss is the throttle control on my Mistral, this is not always included even on expensive machines. E-bikes with throttles give you the choice of going for miles on the flat without having to turn the pedals, make pulling away smooth and give you more control all round.
.