Advice most appreciated

[Kathy Morgan]

Hi
I am a newbie and would love some advice! I am looking for a bike to commute a rather hilly area, 12 miles a day, step through, I am on 5'4 and 85 kilos approx (but it is going down
I am happy to pay up to 1300 or so, and the lighter the better, though I am realistic.

Any advice.? So far I am looking at the Volt Kensington, Juicy Classic A2B Ferber and Galvani

any ideas?!!

 

[trex]

woosh Santana2.
This one has a medium sized rear motor, Bafang SWX02, smaller and less powerful than the Bafang BPM on the Big Bears but still gives about 30% more pulling power and acceleration than the standard sized motors found on most bikes, so very suitable for your weight. £839 with 13AH battery, you get about 40 miles on a full charge, enough for 2 days, well within your commute without worrying about forgetting to recharge overnight. It is equiped for all weather riding, kevlar tyres, mudguards, lights and bell.

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?santana2

 

[Angelnorth]

Hello Kathy, welcome.

As a complete newbie I think your best bet is going to be to try some and see how you feel! What's right for one person is not necessarily right for the next and you'll learn a lot by testing a bike that you won't learn by reading about it.

With a starting point of Oldham I'd say you could do worse than hop in the car or on a train and visit Juicy HQ in New Mills - Bob stocks a range of bikes as well as his own Juicy brand so you'd be able to try out several on terrain that's probably quite similar to what you have around you. He's often around on the forum too.

Good luck finding something to suit!

 

[Kathy Morgan]

Ah thank you both, I hadn't considered the Woosh but that does seem a powerful battery which I need to get myself up the local brutal hills! It is also very competitively priced ...so will definitely try to test ride. Trex do you know is there a list of stockists somewhere, I looked on the website but couldn't see one?

Angelnorth I have actually tried the Juicy Classic which i like but just trying to figure out the pros and cons of each at this stage, and where I can try them! It is so nice to have a forum here and you guys to guide me, it is much appreciated!

 

[trex]

Woosh don't have dealers but they can easily put you in touch with someone local willing to show you their bike. Talk to Hatti.

 

[Angelnorth]

Angelnorth I have actually tried the Juicy Classic which i like but just trying to figure out the pros and cons of each at this stage, and where I can try them!

Did you try it at New Mills? I'm pretty sure Bob has Juicy, Raleigh and Wisper there (and maybe others) which would give you some comparison points at least. The Wisper bikes have the battery mounted in the rear rack (like the A2B ones you listed) which would let you do a direct comparison of how it feels to have the battery mounted under the seat vs rack-mounted.

Otherwise, Manchester must have e-bike sellers I'm sure. I have no experience with them but Harry Hall (city centre) is listed as a Volt dealer.

 

[Warwick]

I had a Woosh Sirocco CDL (bought secondhand with only 200 miles on the clock) and I used it on a 16-mile round-trip commute and it swiftly failed to perform the task, so beware. I also had to upgrade quite a few parts (brakes, tyres, etc.) to make it rideable in my view.

I was told that the bike was not suitable for such a commute on here, so go for as high-spec bike as your budget will allow.

 

[Kudoscycles]

How about our latest Kudos Verona or Milano,£795.00.
If you want to spend some more,the Kudos Sonata ia very high spec bike,with the powerful BPM motors,hydraulic brakes and multi gears.
We have an ex demo Sonata,hardly ridden for sale at £1100.00 incl vat and delivery.
All specification on our website,www.kudoscycles.com
Good luck with your ebike search.
KudosDave

 

[trex]

warwick is right to point this out. There are always variations. Woosh have sold a lot of bikes to commuters, many do more than 2,000-3,000 miles a year. Last week, a lady commuter in Cambridge sold her second hand 2014 Woosh Petite with 4000+ on the LCD and still going perfectly. The best performers have Bafang motors. There may be a lesson somewhere in these statistics.

 

[Kathy Morgan]

Another quick question- is there a big difference in AH for a battery- is it the duration it lasts or the ability to get up hills or both. I notice the Woosh has a 13 or 15AH and 36 V whereas others have an 8 or 10 ah

Thanks!

 

[Alan Quay]

Another quick question- is there a big difference in AH for a battery- is it the duration it lasts or the ability to get up hills or both. I notice the Woosh has a 13 or 15AH and 36 V whereas others have an 8 or 10 ah

Thanks!

Primarily it's a measure of capacity, like fuel tank size.

Assuming the bike is correctly designed, then it's won't make a very much difference to the hill climbing ability.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

 

[trex]

Another quick question- is there a big difference in AH for a battery- is it the duration it lasts or the ability to get up hills or both. I notice the Woosh has a 13 or 15AH and 36 V whereas others have an 8 or 10 ah

Thanks!

there is a technical reason for it, besides the mileage that you can get, 30% more with the 13AH than with 10AH battery. The Bafang SWX02 mid sized motor can take a lot more current than the standard sized motors. The controller on the Santana2 has 18A maximum limit while most bikes have 15A maximum limit. That means when it pulls you fast up a steep hills, it will pull as much as 18A from the battery. When batteries are pulled hard, their voltage sags. The bigger the capacity, the lesser the sag. Voltage sag stresses the battery and reduces power to the motor because power is proportional to Volts squared. Therefore, bigger battery capacity is better. Technically, the maximum pull should be 1.5C, C being 13AH on the Santana2, so maximum pull is 19.5A on this battery. The cost of the battery is of course proportional to the number of AHs.

 

[Warwick]

As I was quite harsh on the Sirocco above, I can praise the battery on the Woosh. Although it was two years old when I sold it, it was still better than the brand new one I got from a leading kit provider by a country mile.

 

[JuicyBike]

the lighter the better

Hi Kathy
Electric bikes are heavier for obvious reasons. Where that extra weight is placed on the bike is important to consider.
Bikes with a low centre of gravity are much easier to handle when getting them out of the shed or up and down steps etc.
Look at bikes where the battery is placed as low down on the bike as possible.
I'm pleased you've had a go on our Classic and know the bike will do the job in the hills. If you can charge at work after 12 miles then I would advise that the standard battery is all you need, saving a little weight and money
Our lightest bike Roller is just 19.5 kgs with its battery - 5 kgs less than the Classic. But perhaps not your style. The Classic is our most popular bike by far.

 

[Kathy Morgan]

This is very useful thanks Trex Bob Warwick and Alan it is so good to get this info.
Another question, at 5' 4'' does it matter if I have an 18 inch bike if I is a step through, or am I better with a 17. Or is it a 'try it and see' question. I have a 70 cm inside leg. Each source I look at has a different guide!

 

[trex]

17 is better.

 

[JuicyBike]

Only riding the bike will tell you for certain.
Also important is wheel size. If you can sit comfortably on a frame with a larger wheel, so much the better. Better range, better stability and a less twitchy steer comes with a larger wheel in general.
How did you feel when you rode the Classic Kathy?

 

[Kathy Morgan]

It was fine at the time I don't really notice but now when I am looking at my old and much loved mountain bike it is 17 inch. Might need to try both heightsof bike to compare again!

 

[JuicyBike]

It was fine at the time I don't really notice but now when I am looking at my old and much loved mountain bike it is 17 inch. Might need to try both heightsof bike to compare again!

You'd be very welcome to try Poco too.
These things take time but you should end up with the best fit for you.
12 miles is quite a commute and you stand a better chance of success in the long run by taking your time at this stage.

 

[Rosie]

Hi Kathy, I'm also in the Gtr Mcr area and there are few dealers selling electric bikes. Wherever you go, make sure you test ride on a hill similar to those in Oldham. My first bike came from North West Electric bike centre in Bolton,where they are quite helpful. Check out the website and if anything takes your fancy give them a call. There is a big hill to the rear of the shop.

Living in Oldham you'll need plenty of oomph on the hills. I've recently bought a crank motor Raleigh Captus from a Stockport dealer, although I needed the 26ins wheels because I'm short. Whilst looking around I came across a Captus with 700mm at Brooke's cycles in Eccles, which I rode and liked, but decided on the smaller wheels. It was reduced and may still be available. The shop owner was very helpful. For me the crank motor works best on the hills, and whichever motor you choose I've found a torque system preferable for hills.

Buying on the net is tempting, but I believe, best avoided. Happy hunting.