2000-2700 budget

[Toondoom]

Hi,

I am looking for an ebike for my daily commute, I feel like I have read pretty much every thread (twice) so thought it was probably time to say hello and ask for input.

My commute is 21 miles each way. I can recharge the battery at work if necessary. I'm happy to pay the money for the bike as long as it does the job. My train ticket costs 2500 so the bike will pay for itself as long as it is functional, reliable and hopefully a bit of fun. I'm pretty fit. I ride daily a shorter distance and go to the gym. I weigh 95kg (all muscle haha)

So the criteria

• At least 22 mile distance
• I want to do the ride, legally, as quickly as possible. So I'd like to be as near to 15mph on the uphill sections.
• I'd like to be able to override any limits put on for off road fun. So a bike that is easy to switch between modes would be good.
• If there are many bikes that fit looks/price will be the deciding factor.

Here are the bikes that seem to tick some of the boxes:

Electric Bikes - Commuting - 2012 Kalkhoff Agattu Premium C11 ...
HAiBiKE Electric Bikes | eQ Trekking ebike
http://www.kudoscycles.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=272
http://www.kudoscycles.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=270

What are the pros and cons with these? Are there others I should be considering?

I've reached to directly to some of the dealers. So would like to thank them for the info provided so far. Ideally I'd like to come visit all of you and then make a choice. I seem to be sitting a couple hours away from most of you though so if I can limit my travelling a little bit that would be cool.

Thanks in advance.

 

[OxygenJames]

Well toondoon..... I had a similar challenge a while back - I ended up going to 50cycles in Richmond where I tried out two very different bikes - the Kalkhoff with its crank drive and an Oxygen ecity with rear hib drive as throttle control too - I didn't try any front hub bikes. For me the Oxygen was much the easier to get the hang of and had a 50mile+ range weighed in at around 24Kg (22 if you get the smaller battery) - and only cost £1400 so I went with that.

If you have a lot of hills the Kalkhoff with a crank drive may well be better - but I have found my bike goes up hills just fine - plus there is of course the cytronex too - which I tried later - though the range there may not be good for you.

I personally think you can't go far wrong with the oxygen - but then I am biased coz I have one and obviously want o justify my decision! But I did try both and thats one advantage of 50 cycles is that you can try more than one - but also Kudos you can do that too - though they are all the way in Kent - but Dave there sounds like a good guy and somebody who would help you out.

Good luck whatever you decide.

James.

 

[flecc]

If you are prepared to put in a fair contribution of pedal power and you have no exceptionally steep hills, a hub motor bike can be faster up hills than crank drives which rely upon changing down gears for climbing, therefore losing speed. Typically crank drives have around 400 to 500 watts of peak power, the most powerful legal hub motor bikes go up to 700 watts peak or a little over.

Highest powered legal hub motor bikes are the eZee model bikes and certain Heinzmann motor equipped ones, but the latter are very expensive. The Haibike probably has the edge on your choice of crank drives.

However, make sure you choose a bike with well in excess of your range need, since battery capacity and range declines with battery age.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Toondoom You have just described our Range off Bikes Where about are you


Frank

 

[Toondoom]

Well toondoon..... I had a similar challenge a while back - I ended up going to 50cycles in Richmond where I tried out two very different bikes - the Kalkhoff with its crank drive and an Oxygen ecity with rear hib drive as throttle control too - I didn't try any front hub bikes. For me the Oxygen was much the easier to get the hang of and had a 50mile+ range weighed in at around 24Kg (22 if you get the smaller battery) - and only cost £1400 so I went with that.

If you have a lot of hills the Kalkhoff with a crank drive may well be better - but I have found my bike goes up hills just fine - plus there is of course the cytronex too - which I tried later - though the range there may not be good for you.

I personally think you can't go far wrong with the oxygen - but then I am biased coz I have one and obviously want o justify my decision! But I did try both and thats one advantage of 50 cycles is that you can try more than one - but also Kudos you can do that too - though they are all the way in Kent - but Dave there sounds like a good guy and somebody who would help you out.

Good luck whatever you decide.

James.

Cheers. I will add the oxygen to the list.

 

[Toondoom]

If you are prepared to put in a fair contribution of pedal power and you have no exceptionally steep hills, a hub motor bike can be faster up hills than crank drives which rely upon changing down gears for climbing, therefore losing speed. Typically crank drives have around 400 to 500 watts of peak power, the most powerful legal hub motor bikes go up to 700 watts peak or a little over.

Highest powered legal hub motor bikes are the eZee model bikes and certain Heinzmann motor equipped ones, but the latter are very expensive. The Haibike probably has the edge on your choice of crank drives.

However, make sure you choose a bike with well in excess of your range need, since battery capacity and range declines with battery age.

That is interesting. I have been leaning towards crank as they seemed to edge popularity. I will take a look a closer look at the hub motors.

 

[Toondoom]

Hi Toondoom You have just described our Range off Bikes Where about are you


Frank

Hi frank,

I'm in Hertfordshire. I've just taken a look round your site. The bikes look interesting. Do you do any with hybrid wheels, or are the mountain bike wheels preferable for ebikes?

 

[JuicyBike]

Only the Kalkhoff would appear to have the AH you need to avoid regular discharge of the battery, which is to be avoided.

Despite what manufacturers claim, a 36V 250W 10AH system would use more than 50% of battery capacity on a 22 mile trip. As a rule of thumb you should plan your battery capacity to remain in the 50% to 95% charge state, i.e. you need around 14AH for your regular commute to preserve the longevity of the costly battery.

 

[eddieo]

I would try latest 36v bikes with Panasonic or Bosch drives, and maybe try a classy hub bike as well like the Storck

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Toondoom You are not that far away we are open 7 days a week for test rides

Try Before you Buy


Frank

 

[eddieo]

I would try latest 36v bikes with Panasonic or Bosch drives, and maybe try a classy hub bike as well like the Storck

Oop's I forgot the Wisper 905 SEL, very good spec, powerful, with large battery. support and dealerships all over the place....Handy for keeping you on the road!

 

[Toondoom]

Oop's I forgot the Wisper 905 SEL, very good spec, powerful, with large battery. support and dealerships all over the place....Handy for keeping you on the road!

Thanks. Can you point me in the direction of bikes with the 36v panasonic and bosch drives?

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Toondoom,

Cyclezee is located in Milton Keynes, within an hour or so of most parts of Hertfordshire.

We supply eZee bikes and conversion kits that can provide what you are looking for.

Our conversion kits are very versatile with both front and rear motors, several battery options and upgrades like Cycle Analyst.

I am confident that we can supply you with a practical and reliable solution well within your budget.

Regards,

 

[Kudoscycles]

Toondoom....if you think hub drive will do your job,then the full range of Kudos bikes is available to you...I agree with most of the foregoing except the range of 10Ah LifePo4 is a good reliable 30 miles...our batteries are not expensive (mostly £208.80) and they have very little capacity loss with age...if you google Kudos on this site my customers Alan B,Brian Smithers and Jimod all have achieved easily 30 plus miles...if you are concerned why not keep a second battery at work,that will give you 60 plus miles. It depends on the riding position you prefer but the King is very high spec for the money.
Dave
Kudoscycles

 

[smudger1956]

I will throw this into the mix...have you considered a conversion ? for the budget you are working to you could purchase a full suspension,full hydraulic brakes,light weight, high end bike, then have it converted into an E-Bike.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Toondoom


We are a bought to updated our web site it will show the NEW 29er using the following bike

Diamondback - Peak 29er

It will be the same price as our Commuter P £1695

Please look at the Raleigh site we can convert any off there bikes


Thanks Frank

 

[Hero Eco]

Hi,

I am looking for an ebike for my daily commute, I feel like I have read pretty much every thread (twice) so thought it was probably time to say hello and ask for input.

My commute is 21 miles each way. I can recharge the battery at work if necessary. I'm happy to pay the money for the bike as long as it does the job. My train ticket costs 2500 so the bike will pay for itself as long as it is functional, reliable and hopefully a bit of fun. I'm pretty fit. I ride daily a shorter distance and go to the gym. I weigh 95kg (all muscle haha)

So the criteria

• At least 22 mile distance
• I want to do the ride, legally, as quickly as possible. So I'd like to be as near to 15mph on the uphill sections.
• I'd like to be able to override any limits put on for off road fun. So a bike that is easy to switch between modes would be good.
• If there are many bikes that fit looks/price will be the deciding factor.

Here are the bikes that seem to tick some of the boxes:

Electric Bikes - Commuting - 2012 Kalkhoff Agattu Premium C11 ...
HAiBiKE Electric Bikes | eQ Trekking ebike
.: Kudos Cycles - e-bikes with style :.
.: Kudos Cycles - e-bikes with style :.

What are the pros and cons with these? Are there others I should be considering?

I've reached to directly to some of the dealers. So would like to thank them for the info provided so far. Ideally I'd like to come visit all of you and then make a choice. I seem to be sitting a couple hours away from most of you though so if I can limit my travelling a little bit that would be cool.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Toondoom,

Welcome to the site!

You may want to consider the A2B Hybrid 24. It is rated by the The Electric Transport Shop as "The best pedelec we have ever tested". Details can be seen here: Electric Bike Sales - Shop Online for Electric Bikes, Electric Vehicles and Cycle Accessories - UltraMotor A2B Hybrid

We still have our try before you buy scheme active if you wanted an extended trial.

Many thanks
Mark

 

[eddieo]

Thanks. Can you point me in the direction of bikes with the 36v panasonic and bosch drives?

Down in Spain at the moment so no access to info on PC (working on travel laptop)

you have already identified one of the nicest Bosch drive bikes in the Haibike Trekking, when looking at bikes make sure you compare prices of main components to see if they really are comparable and good value......The haibike has nice spec and offers good value IMO

For week in week out commuting you cant do better then a Wisper bike. the latest SEL has XT gearing, powerful Dapush motor and back up is impressive.My bike has smaller dapush motor and that gets my 18 stone up most hills


latest Panasonic seem to be in The S class category. But check this as there may be a few models that are legal. if you get to a 50 cycles dealership and try these they also have the S class 350 watt Bosch Kalkhoff on offer, and I am sure it is very impressive! but I would not touch a fast bike myself because of the legal situation. they also have the new Impulse drive bikes. Not so new really as they bought an interest in Daum a German company with a reputation for not very impressive drives, they are 36v and an improvement on old 26v system apparently.worth atry though....

there was a thread on here about a court case involving a chap on a s class bike being hit in Richmond park by a bus! when police discovered he was riding a 300 watt bike they prosecuted him.The thread is on here somewhere but locked so has slid away...

Have a look and see if the German "bulls green mover" range of bikes have made it here yet. they use the same "go swiss" drive that Storke use but a 36v version (storke 26v) they are gaining popularity in Germany and one to watch I think, as drive near silent. and that's unusual for a hub drive...

I would try the Haibike and Wisper first

 

[flecc]

The Haibike you mentioned is one of the best Bosch unit bikes and legal, but the only 36 volt Panasonic unit bike available here in the UK at present is this one. Of course at 350 watts rating it isn't legal on UK roads.

 

[eddieo]

Tony, Swiss Flyer are using 250 watt version of new 36 v pana drive and it is getting very good reviews