Newbe

[bjohn]

Hi all, Brendan is my name and I'm looking forward to being part of this community.
At 61 years and retired I am in the process of purchasing my first electric bike. However the amount of bikes available with their mind boggling selection of different motors batteries and types is very confusing. Sometimes I think this internet gives me access to too much information and is designed to confuse me completely.
At 6ft 2ins and 20 stone near (enough), totally unfit this purchase will help change things. C.O.P.D. limits my ability to exercise so the e-bike will get me around and give me some regular exercise.
I am now off to your forum to see if I can get rid of some confusion about 10ah versus 14 ah etc etc.
Regards
Brendan

 

[indalo]

Hi Brendan and welcome to the Pedelecs site.

Like you, I'm a bit overweight and have COPD amongst other things. I find it difficult to lose weight through diet alone and my exercise ability is limited. I'm 62 and doubt I'll ever get into 34" waist trousers again but cycling is a help and I can manage much more on my bike than walking as I can only do about 100yards on Shanks' these days without stopping.

If I can raise my pulse rate a little and make myself slightly breathless, I feel like I'm getting a good workout on the bike. Apparently, different muscle groups are involved for each pursuit and although I'd love to walk for miles, my legs won't let me so I use the bike as often as I can.

The electric bike is a godsend as I live in a really hilly area and I can't ride my regular bikes up the local hills. The Panasonic motor ensures I can get up any hill I've tackled so far, although very slowly at times. It's much better than pushing a bike uphill when your legs don't function properly.

There's an amazing diversity within the ebike market now and there are plenty of tech-savvy guys on the forum who will gladly help and advise. Regardless of budget, I'm confident you'll be spoiled for choice wherever your limit occurs. The most common mantra on the site is "Try before you buy" and I firmly believe that's essential. There are bikes which are extra-strong for the heavier rider but I think most of the decent, well-regarded marques you'll find discussed in the forum are sufficient.

I hope you find something to suit you quickly so that you can get the benefit of exercise on two wheels. You won't need or want assistance all the time but when you do, you'll really appreciate the back-up from the motor.

All the best,
Indalo

 

[bjohn]

Thanks Indalo for your reply.
Sorry to hear your in similar circumstance but it's encouraging to know of your sucess with the electric cycle.
May I ask what make and model of bike do you use, I am finding it very difficult come to any conclusion about which bike to choose. Battery size is my big bogey I am looking at a 14 ah battery in a Shark-W and a Wisper 905 not but the Wisper is €300 more expensive
However I would spend the extra for a good bike
Thanks again
Indalo

 

[indalo]

Hi again Brendan.

I'm one of a number who ride bikes no longer in production so my personal steed isn't something I could recommend to you. I ride a Gazelle Easy Glider early model which is a really nice, comfortable machine but rather low-powered compared to the current crop of ebikes.

The right bike for you will be determined by a few simple but practical criteria.

1) Budget.....set yourself a limit.

2) Geography and topology....flat or hilly. Near any major ebike outlets?

3) Your likely riding course or commute. ie, Road, towpath, off-road or a mixture.

4) Style....Sit up & beg, (comfort) Mountain bike, Tourer or racer......hybrid.

5) Crank drive or hub drive.....you need to test-ride different types.

That should be sufficient to confuse you totally but you can glean quite a bit from postings on this and other cycling websites.

If you can mend things and have a basic understanding of electrickery, you might not need to live next door to an ebike dealer but it's probably a good idea to have one not too far away if you're not. On a forum, any internet forum, answers to questions can sometimes seem a little obtuse at times but it helps if you keep questions really simple thus avoiding any confusion...hopefully!

If you already possess a bike you enjoy riding, there are kits available so you can transform your bike to a powered machine. Lots choose to do just that and reports are very positive. I'm going to take a guess here and suggest that, given you're similar in age to me and on the large side, you ain't going to be commuting daily over large distances so that may be another factor which informs the decision over which bike is right for you.

I'd like you to keep us abreast of developments as you go down the path of selecting a bike that will suit your purposes and you're welcome to ask any and as many questions as you like along the way. There are some smart people among the contributors in this forum so help will be available.

Regards,
Indalo

 

[allen-uk]

Brendan:

As my comrades have said, you've come to the right place, and there are quite a few of us in similar situations to you. Me: fat, 60s, unfit, one leg (for example).

Worst thing for me, and I think possibly for you at 20stone+, is starting off on any sort of slope. You're okay (on ebike or ordinary bike) on the flat, but even then it's an effort, to get that much weight moving along. Once you ARE moving along, it's much easier, as momentum takes over!

Bear that in mind when testing any bike. Make sure you find a slope, stop at the bottom, and see how hard it is to get going.

Many bikes have throttles; a few (notably the immensely powerful and expensive Kalkhoff) do not. You might find that a throttle is an essential, particularly to get you going on those slopes. I couldn't ride an ebike without one. An ebike throttle works like one on a car or motorbike - you turn it, the bike moves.

But try them. The Kalkhoff's power kicks in after half a revolution of the pedals (from memory), which is okay, but at the bottom of that darned slope that is a LONG half revolution before the motor starts helping.

Battery size is vital. My bike is a 36V 14Ah Wisper 905, which is fine, but if they'd made a bigger battery, I'd have bought it.

Whereabouts are you? I ask as there are various locations where you can ride one or more different types of ebike.

(Oh, and whatever you think you're going to spend, it's usually not enough!)


Allen

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Brendan, I don't usually get involved in this kind of thread, however I sympathise with your plight being 20 stone myself (down from 22.5 before I started to use my bike every day!)

Everything said so far in the thread is as usual on pedelecs bang on. However here is some food for thought.

Being a heavy chap you do need to think about the frame make certain it has at least 5 years warranty and has been designed to take 125kg. Most manufacturers will not publish that their frames come up to this standard but a lot of frames will be OK. Our frames in particular have been designed to take a good hammering (with me in mind)! We hydro form the tube ends to give more weld area hence the distinctive shape to the 9 series Wispers. By designing the frame with curved, hydro formed tubes and using very high grade aluminium suitably hardened and tempered we can achieve great strength with no cost as far as frame weight is concerned.

Battery size and torque are the next most important factors to consider. If you can wait, may I be so bold as to suggest you test ride our new 905sel it is very different to the se models. The battery is 36V 16Ah or 576Wh one of the most powerful on the market. We can supply 720Wh batteries for the bike but they are expensive and on special order so can take 3 or 4 months to get in. The drive is brand new, a very quite yet high torque Japanese motor we are very excited about. All the running gear has been upgraded. Especially important for the heavier rider is the hollow tech crank system, superb for high power pedaling.

The bike is not cheap at £1799.00 however it is certainly a great investment!

I will be writing a full report on the bike today hopefully but here is a photo for now.


905sel


705sel


(image from the new Alpino but same as sel)

All the best

David

 

[bjohn]

Thank you for all the great information,
I’m making progress of sorts.
I’ve called to a number of cycle shops and looked at some different bicycles.

So far I have followed Indalo’s advise and set the parameters of what I think I need, pricewise, type, crank or hub etc.
Indalo’s point about “Geography and topology....flat or hilly” I decided to go with hilly the worst case scenario. I have a little campervan and will be facing a lot of different cycling conditions.

My first stop was at a Powabyke dealer and while they looked to be good strong bikes at 6ah I thought the power pack was not strong enough for my bulk. With a price tag of €999 it was well inside my budget which I set at around €1600. Green Machines : Pedelectric 4M Mens Electric Bike

Next called to a dealer who sells a CI-Ebike which has a good 16ah power pack called a Shark-W (€1299) but I didn’t think much of the bike, looked a light weight. Other bikes of the same make but carrying a 10ah power pack looked much more robust. Battery packs not interchangeable unfortunately.

Finally called to a dealer who sells Giant a good brand but pedal assist only so not suitable.

David might help me here living in the south east corner of Ireland I cannot find a Wisper dealer The 905 with 14ah which I can buy for €1599 is just about on my limit while the Sel you mentioned David is €2097 which is outside my budget range. [url]https://secure.stayhome2shop.com/electric-bikes/wisper-rg2l-electric-bike-with-14ah-battery.836.html

Other points I cannot find a dealer locally who would lend or hire a bike I know Kenby in Dublin hire for a week and if you decide to buy your rental comes off the final price.

Allen thank you for your help. Your point about the throttle is well taken. The Kalkhoff's are outside my price range, but mouth-watering at 18ah power packs.

Again thanks for all your help I can’t think of anything else at this stage.

Just wondering should I move this to somewhere more appropriate ??

Regards
Brendan

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Brenden

I have sent your details to Marty who is our main dealer in Ireland, I hope he can help. The se model has exactly the same frame as the sel so wil be fine with your weight.

Be careful when looking at the number of Amps in a battery, you must aways multiply the Voltage of the bike by the number of Amps to get the capacity of a battery. i.e. a 24V 18A battery = 432Wh a 36V 16A battery = 576Wh and a 48V 14A battery = 672Wh.

All the best

David

 

[bjohn]

Thanks David looking forward to hearing from Marty