Ebike vs Road bike

IR772

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 5, 2016
931
1,044
Leominster
The couple of times that I have encountered road cyclists they leave me standing.

All have said hello or waived though, must be you townies with your cheating electric bikes that upset them.
 

Croxden

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2013
2,134
1,384
North Staffs
Sitting and thinking about my bikes.. (One off-Road and one Road both e bikes)
Given the choice of a trail ride or a road ride I would choose a trail ride 90% of the time, but if for some obscure reason I had to get rid of one of the bikes then that would be a more difficult choice, and bearing in mind that the off-Road bike is equally capably on the road, and the road bike would be useless on a trail..
I would probably keep the road bike.. Yep, I know, and it doesnt make sense to me either..
So, anyone reading this with more than one bike ask yourself the question, and see just what a difficult question it is!
For me, the Haibike would go.
 
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LeighPing

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 27, 2016
2,547
1,944
The Red Ditch
must be you townies with your cheating electric bikes that upset them.
I try my best not to do that. But sometimes your best just ain't good enough. :D

I'd get rid of my bigger bike, mistakenly bought, not knowing about the bigger picture. I rarely use it, but for going off road through some local woods. It's set to the street legal cut off of 15.5 mph, for woodland use. It can do 36..

I'd keep the kit bike, which is set to 18 mph and is around the same speed that this young guy was doing unassisted.


1.JPG 2.JPG 3.JPG 4.JPG DSC00623.JPG
 
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IR772

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 5, 2016
931
1,044
Leominster
After watching your video Youtube offers me

"Baba Yenga-Best golden buzzer audition in BELGIUM's got talent"

So much for me to do, so little time to do it in.

Do not view as it is shite.
 
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flik9999

Pedelecer
Dec 11, 2016
164
29
32
london
On another note how hard is riding an ebike unassised say battery run out, glitch happened or any other sort of problem. Is it just like riding a cheap mountain bike or really hard. Im takling the ones which can be riden without assistance.
 

D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
Bottom end bikes like riding through treacle 5 mph tops. Top end bikes get above the assist speed and keep going at +18 mph on the flat.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
Bottom end bikes like riding through treacle 5 mph tops. Top end bikes get above the assist speed and keep going at +18 mph on the flat.
That's not quite true. The cheap bikes mainly have free-wheeling motors, so there's no penalty riding them without power compared with the same bike without the electrical stuff apart from the additional weight, which you can feel on hills. Obviously, the lighter the otor and battery, the less you can feel that. Some of the expensive bikes have hub-motors, which are often direct drive. These are not good for pedalling without power.

The notion of riding through tracle is mostly an illusion unless the clutch is stuck or the brakes are binding.
 

JimRides

Pedelecer
Sep 9, 2016
55
47
Liverpool
On another note how hard is riding an ebike unassised say battery run out, glitch happened or any other sort of problem. Is it just like riding a cheap mountain bike or really hard. Im takling the ones which can be riden without assistance.
I've got a Coyote Connect, which appears to be the Lada Riva of e-bikes, but even riding that without the motor isn't too bad - I think it is just that when you switch the motor off, having been using it with the motor on, you just feel like it is going very slowly, compared to how it was with the assistance. (I'd much rather be riding a normal bike than my e-bike with no battery though!)
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
If we agree that the modern ebike motor doesnt offer resistance when not powered then its easy to put in simple understandable terms that the less technically minded can visualise..
My carbon bike weighed 8.6KG ,
my E-Bike weighs at least 18.5KG. but could be 20KG!!
Difference approximate 10KG
A std house brick weighs about 2.2KG
10 divided by 2.2 =4.5
So, a rucksack with four and a half house-bricks in it should simulate riding an e bike without power..
Or, if you are used to a heavier bike then 3 and a half should do it.
Apart from the discomfort of carting this weight on your back, flat riding and downhills wont be much of a problem once you get rolling, but on a hill it would be like riding through treacle perhaps..
But dont forget that the weight that is your enemy up hill, becomes your friend downhill... Until you want to stop that is...
 

D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
That's not quite true. The cheap bikes mainly have free-wheeling motors, so there's no penalty riding them without power compared with the same bike without the electrical stuff apart from the additional weight, which you can feel on hills. Obviously, the lighter the otor and battery, the less you can feel that. Some of the expensive bikes have hub-motors, which are often direct drive. These are not good for pedalling without power.

The notion of riding through tracle is mostly an illusion unless the clutch is stuck or the brakes are binding.
Or a Salisbury, I had and rode that before returning as not fit as per advert. Treacle is my perception, I may have exaggerated slightly so 10 not 5 mph unpowered. vs a BH Race which stood up well against a 10 spd from the 80's. holding circa 18 mph with ease.
 
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D

Deleted member 4366

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I rode a Salisbury without power, and it was absolutely fine. Did you check whether the brakes were binding or the clutch stuck?
 

fishingpaul

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 24, 2007
871
86
When i got my bike second hand a few years ago,it was difficult to pedal unnassisted even downhill,the front disk brake just needed setting and after it rolled free as anything,it was about nine months old and i guess the previous owner recieved it new in this condition,and never realised.
 

D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
I rode a Salisbury without power, and it was absolutely fine. Did you check whether the brakes were binding or the clutch stuck?
All checked and tire pressures. The bike could just barely do 24 miles assisted. The BH race with and old 26v 10ah battery could do over 45 miles.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

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All checked and tire pressures. The bike could just barely do 24 miles assisted. The BH race with and old 26v 10ah battery could do over 45 miles.
That's obvious. You don't have to pedal the Salisbury, while as the BH's motor is very weak and won't give its power without pedalling hard.
 

D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
That's obvious. You don't have to pedal the Salisbury, while as the BH's motor is very weak and won't give its power without pedalling hard.
I had to work hard on both to get the ranges. But the bh had a far lower rolling resistance, weight difference too. The BH gave a lot for the input the Salisbury took a lot for any movement.
 

Steve A

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 28, 2016
704
414
Ashford, UK
I'm still a member of the local roadie club and my last road bike was sold in summer of last year Colnago c59. The last sportive ride it did was 63 miles in 3 hrs 32 mins with very short stop at 35 mile point. i spend most time behind a group of 50-60 years old riders who paced themselves beautifully. To be honest, i did enjoy road riding but much prefer my e-mtb and being able to go anywhere.
My de-restricted mtb up to 32mph assist on flat can easily beat any road bike. i generally ride in either off, but usually only eco mode at 20mph avg for a decent workout. If the e-bike wasn't de-restricted id also buy a road bike again for road rides only as quicker.
 
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flik9999

Pedelecer
Dec 11, 2016
164
29
32
london
Right so I got my kit fitted. However my road bike seams very top heavy, I have the bottle battery and the front wheel hub. Is this gonna be dangerous for me to ride in the drops as this puts most my weight on the front.

My rear wheel is still steel with a 5spd. Should I upgrade to alloy or would keeping the rear as a steel rim balance the bike weight out a bit?

Also would riding a ebike with rim brakes be the same as riding a manual bike with steel rims. Im used to riding with steel, I actually find V brakes a bit too strong and has sent me over the handlebars a few times.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I have no idea how much a housebrick weighs so i just googled it and this was top pick.
https://www.reference.com/home-garden/much-standard-red-brick-weigh-27f23ade7f2cf67e
But my point is that if you add the weight difference you will know how easy or hard it is to ride and bricks are easy to visualise ..
Could also use bags of sugar at 1kg each..
10 bags of sugar is the difference between my road bike and my ebike ..