Advice For A Lady Please!!

[Figgy2004]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a good electric bike to replace the Greenedge Blackstar 11 that I currently have. The Blackstar 11 is a great bike and has two speed choice, up to 15mph, and 6 gears but the downside is that it is heavy and also I have had a few problems with the electrics. After it's latest service I feel it's time I bought a different make.

I am a petite female who uses the bike to travel locally and for work (quite hilly in places) but also enjoys ebiking in the country on long distances (with my charger of course)

All the new 2010 bikes I have been looking at are too expensive (£1500 - £1800 upwards) but I feel sure someone can recommend a much cheaper bike which has a good record and is known for it's ease of ride and speed on hills!

Look forward to any advice.

I am London based if that helps!!

Thanks.

 

[Old Timer]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a good electric bike to replace the Greenedge Blackstar 11 that I currently have. The Blackstar 11 is a great bike and has two speed choice, up to 15mph, and 6 gears but the downside is that it is heavy and also I have had a few problems with the electrics. After it's latest service I feel it's time I bought a different make.

I am a petite female who uses the bike to travel locally and for work (quite hilly in places) but also enjoys ebiking in the country on long distances (with my charger of course)

All the new 2010 bikes I have been looking at are too expensive (£1500 - £1800 upwards) but I feel sure someone can recommend a much cheaper bike which has a good record and is known for it's ease of ride and speed on hills!

Look forward to any advice.

I am London based if that helps!!

Thanks.

Hiya

Giving your max price might help and if you want/need a step through frame would also narrow it down.
My wife and I have a number of E bikes that were well under £1k but I am handy and like tinkering around with them.
To be honest (and I get this from the fact that you said your bike went in for a service) You will probably be better off buying one of the more expensive bikes from the word go from a decent local dealer that can give you good back up.
This is against what I would have advised a few months ago when I got into E bikes myself. First of all I would go for a 36V bike over a 24V bike and look for the latest Lifpo battery rather than Li-ion(although Li-ion is fine provided you get a decent make and it would be nice to get more than 10Amp)

Wisper do a 705se step through and the 905se mountain bike that are top spec with 14Amp battery that will give you a decent range and good back up. Ok! they are not cheap but for a lady who maybe not into bike servicing they are going to be reliable with back up and have a good range. If you don`t get the back up from the dealer then David from Wisper will step in and resolve any problems. Not sure what the current prices are and I know they are at least double what you can buy a bike for but if you need a bike for commuting and can`t afford to be let down and require a good range for leisure then you won`t go far wrong.
As I said, my wife and I own a number of e bikes and I enjoy playing around with them so I get my fun a lot cheaper but your situation might differ. There are a number of other decent makes with back up but as far as I know nothing has the support like wisper.

(can`t believe I just wrote that

 

[Lloyd]

Hi Figgy,

There are 2 words in your post that would ring alarm bells. Hills and long distances (OK that's 3 ). If you break it down you have 2 types of system, hub and crank. Hub drive bikes will be cheaper no doubt, but generally not as good hill climbers or long distance bikes. There are the exceptions, Wispers and the newer Ezee's both use higher capacity batteries to help extend the range and hill climbing ability, but it comes at a cost.

The more suitable option in my opinion would be a crank drive unit, as it is more efficient, better at hill climbing and they have a great range. You will also notice that all the big Crank drive names offer a range of sizes, which would suit the more petite rider. A lot of crank drive bikes are simply one size fits all, which is fine if you are mr/mrs average, but if you are taller or more petite you will struggle to get a good fit. Raleigh and Kalkhoff do offer the smaller 45cm size frames, and both have crank drives, and Gepida also offer the Yamaha crank drive (I am unsure of their size range, although I am sure Aidan will put that straight). The only problem is these are all top end bikes. I am not sure exactly what your budget is, but if you are going to upgrade, given the use that you are going to use the bike for it is well worth looking into. The performance is leaps and bounds ahead of what you are used to.

Wisper,Ezee,Kalkhoff,Raleigh and Gepida all offer top end solutions, like I said I think the crank system will suit your needs better but the best thing you can do is Ride one for yourself, as your preferences will certainly play a part.

 

[Old Timer]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a good electric bike to replace the Greenedge Blackstar 11 that I currently have. The Blackstar 11 is a great bike and has two speed choice, up to 15mph, and 6 gears but the downside is that it is heavy and also I have had a few problems with the electrics. After it's latest service I feel it's time I bought a different make.

I am a petite female who uses the bike to travel locally and for work (quite hilly in places) but also enjoys ebiking in the country on long distances (with my charger of course)

All the new 2010 bikes I have been looking at are too expensive (£1500 - £1800 upwards) but I feel sure someone can recommend a much cheaper bike which has a good record and is known for it's ease of ride and speed on hills!

Look forward to any advice.

I am London based if that helps!!

Thanks.

BTW Figgy

At £579 the new Alien Unisex Special 2 has probably got to be about the best bang for buck at that price range. It has a superb Barfang 36V hub motor (The same as in the kit that I have fitted to my Evans MTB)and has a triple front crank giving 21 gears so hill climbing won`t be a problem using the lower gears. The battery is a really good 36V 10Amp unit that when I use that bike seems to go on forever.
So there you do have a reasonable alternative at a pretty decent price when you compare the spec. Electric Bicycles - Alien Unisex "Special" II

The good thing about the Alien is that so much of the bike is normal road bike equipment should anything fail into the future.

Hope it helps

Dave

 

[eddieo]

No e bike is going to be light unless you spend many ££££ on a hi tech carbon model. My wife has the latest Wisper 705 SE and it is a lovely bike. But as Lloyd says if really hilly you may be better of with a crank drive.

On some of these have different sized frames as well. I like the Emotion bikes from Onbike and you also need to try a Gepida and a few from the Kalkhof range. but if you like the hub motor bikes can I suggest the new wisper alfine 8 hub geared, 36 volt folder, which is just coming out the 806 Alpino

 

[themutiny]

Check out Cytronex Claud Butler with an extra battery. Will give you 40 mile range with a battery recharge time of 90 mins
Better still see if you can find a used Cytronex trek 7.3 wsd
they do appear on fleabay occasionally

 

[eTim]

Check out Cytronex Claud Butler with an extra battery. Will give you 40 mile range with a battery recharge time of 90 mins
Better still see if you can find a used Cytronex trek 7.3 wsd
they do appear on fleabay occasionally

+1 with themutiny, the lightest ebike's out there at a reasonable price are produced by Cytronex, they are normal off the shelf bicycles with a kit fitted, the kit is neat and simple and there is very little to go wrong.

 

[Figgy2004]

Food For Thought

Wow.. Thank you so much everyone. I will digest all the posts and get back to you.

I guess when I say hilly I am being a wimp! Some experienced cyclists whizz past me on normal bikes and put me to shame LOL! I think my legs, since riding e bikes, have turned to jelly!

I guess my price range depends on what I can sell my Greenedge Blackstar for.. They retail at £1195. I must jump in and say the support from Greenedge has been top notch. It's just a shame they are not close to me so it's a hassle having to go there. I did have a Silverado but after problems they changed it for a Blackstar 11 which is a much better bike. I just feel perhaps there are better bikes out there now for me now.

I would be willing to pay around £1000 I guess (Hoping for £600 sale on the Blackstar 11??). I would like a step through bike and the handlebars have to be high (not racer style) where I can keep my bike straight.

So very much appreciated!

 

[Lloyd]

Just a thought too Figgy, have you looked into the cycle to work scheme? You say you use your bike for work, if your employer is on the scheme or can be persuaded to join it would be a huge benefit to you, and you would save a fortune! And before anyone says, yes it is capped at £1000 but a good dealer will be able to invoice you for the bike and battery seperately.

 

[Figgy2004]

Self employed

Self employed... :-(

 

[Lloyd]

You may still be able to do it yourself, it just means that you get your "company" to pay for the bike upfront. Then make the salary sacrifice out of your own salary.

 

[Figgy2004]

Yes sure...

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Figgy

Re hub motors vs crank motors and hill climbing, I wont be drawn into the discussion again, I would simply say try both, I have.

Best regards

David

 

[Figgy2004]

Thanks David,

I will need to surf the net to actually understand the difference between Hub and crank as, being a complete novice, I have no idea what your talking about LOL

I have attached a link to my bike: Electric Bikes

Is this a hub motor? ;-)

 

[Figgy2004]

Any shops in London?

BTW Figgy

At £579 the new Alien Unisex Special 2 has probably got to be about the best bang for buck at that price range. It has a superb Barfang 36V hub motor (The same as in the kit that I have fitted to my Evans MTB)and has a triple front crank giving 21 gears so hill climbing won`t be a problem using the lower gears. The battery is a really good 36V 10Amp unit that when I use that bike seems to go on forever.
So there you do have a reasonable alternative at a pretty decent price when you compare the spec. Electric Bicycles - Alien Unisex "Special" II

The good thing about the Alien is that so much of the bike is normal road bike equipment should anything fail into the future.

Hope it helps

Dave

Hi Dave,

Where would I go to try one out in London?

Anita

 

[flecc]

Thanks David,

I will need to surf the net to actually understand the difference between Hub and crank as, being a complete novice, I have no idea what your talking about LOL

I have attached a link to my bike: Electric Bikes

Is this a hub motor? ;-)

Yes, your bike has a hub motor.

The crank drive motors drive through the same chain as you do, so the motor has the advantage of having the gears available for itself as well as you. That means that, just like on a car or motorbike, the change down for a hill helps the motor to climb better, albeit a bit slower.

The crank drive has the advantage on the steepest hills that can defeat a hub motor bike, but on more average hills the hub motor is faster up them. Therefore, its important to know exactly how steep your hills really are.

One important thing for you to bear in mind is that small wheel bikes like your Blackstar have a climb advantage over larger wheel bikes. If you chose a bike with the same degree of hub motor power and larger wheels like 26" or 28", it wouldn't climb as well.

So choose carefully and make sure you try out anything properly before buying.
.

 

[Figgy2004]

Explaination

Yes, your bike has a hub motor.

The crank drive motors drive through the same chain as you do, so the motor has the advantage of having the gears available for itself as well as you. That means that, just like on a car or motorbike, the change down for a hill helps the motor to climb better, albeit a bit slower.

The crank drive has the advantage on the steepest hills that can defeat a hub motor bike, but on more average hills the hub motor is faster up them. Therefore, its important to know exactly how steep your hills really are.

One important thing for you to bear in mind is that small wheel bikes like your Blackstar have a climb advantage over larger wheel bikes. If you chose a bike with the same degree of hub motor power and larger wheels like 26" or 28", it wouldn't climb as well.

So choose carefully and make sure you try out anything properly before buying.
.

Thanks for taking the time to explain. The hills are average.. My mechanic at Greenedge thinks what I call hills are just dimples LOL

 

[Old Timer]

Hi Dave,

Where would I go to try one out in London?

Anita

They are based in Scotland and as far as I know only supply from that base. Interestingly enough, alien has just taken over synergie and I was in touch with alien(bob) today because only last week my wife purchased a Synergie Breeze (typical dutch style sit up and beg step through) she loves it but I think that in the near future Bob is going to upgrade it to a Barfang motor and make some upgrades. Unless you are in a hurry then it might be worth visiting the site and sending Bob an E mail to keep you informed as to progress which he says won`t be that long. The Breeze is a cracking bike( maybe a touch low geared as standard) but with Bobs know how I reckon it could be a winner. The Synergie breeze site Synergie Bikes - Breeze and the Alien site Electric Bicycles - AlienOcean Home

Dave

 

[tangent]

Hi Figgy,

where do you normally cycle in London and how far is your commute? I cycle from Clapham to the City every day, about 7 miles and there are not really any "proper" hills - steepest is probably Southwark Bridge, or up into the City when I get over a bridge. If these are the sort of hills you mean then either sort of motor would suffice. I have an old crank based bike and go up all "hills" on my route in top gear, so having a crank motor does not help me much here.

 

[Figgy2004]

Hi Figgy,

where do you normally cycle in London and how far is your commute? I cycle from Clapham to the City every day, about 7 miles and there are not really any "proper" hills - steepest is probably Southwark Bridge, or up into the City when I get over a bridge. If these are the sort of hills you mean then either sort of motor would suffice. I have an old crank based bike and go up all "hills" on my route in top gear, so having a crank motor does not help me much here.

I guess Notting Hill is the steepest.. from Ladbroke Grove.. I cycle about 6 miles a day in and around London. I also would love to take the bike to The New Forest which has a few steep hills. I know because when I was there with a normal mountain bike I had to push the bike up most of the hills LOL