I've never been fully satisfied with electric bikes.
I'm not going to put names to the following bikes because all e-bikes fall short of what I think they should be, though the informed might work out which they are.
Take one highly thought of one that's underpowered. On one trip up a very long hill commencing at 1 in 5 (20%) with me working hard at 4 mph, gradually increasing to 6 mph as the hill lessened and ending with me exhausted well over ten minutes later as I finished it's 1.3 miles length, I remember thinking that I'd be no more tired walking up there and keeping the £1200 in my pocket.
Then there's the well known bike that only works properly if the rider helps it! That's a crazy reversal of logic if ever there was one.
Yet another has adequate power to potentially do what we expect from electric bikes, but that potential is squandered by inappropriate parts and sheer lack of cycling qualities, efficiency and essential basics.
And what are we supposed to think about the very expensive bike with drive through gear suitability for hills that has to be pedalled away at first until the motor kicks in? When I come out of the supermarket with 10 kilos in bags that, added to my own and the bike weight, means I have to pedal over 100 kilos, how am I to do that up the steep one way hill outside to get the motor going?
Or the bike, not a "parts bin" job, but one designed from the ground up with the only rear sprocket well out of line with the chainwheel?
With every indication that the industry wouldn't reach the demanding standard I wanted before I was too old to cycle, the only answer was to use my own skills and knowledge, but kits were often no better unless illegal, and I was insistent that I wanted to create a legal bike. Not because I'm prudish about the letter of the law, but to prove that it was possible by good design and build to achieve everything that was needed within UK law.
The result is based on one of my own bikes, but drastically changed, and when you first see the Q bike it will disappoint many, especially if they are fashion concious. But fashion has been the curse of the cycle industry for nearly three decades now, making the majority of bikes the most inefficient that's ever been known in the whole history of the bicycle, a curse that's been carried over into electric bikes.
So don't be a victim of fashion and fooled at first glance, the Q bike is an always legal bike that in road use does everything we'd like but never completely get. It's combination of versatility and capability is better than any other UK legal e-bike in the world. (he modestly said
)
N.B. For those owners who've previously asked about photos of the internals of the Quando and Torq motor, they are included in the Q bike article.
To see my motivation for the project, the problems involved, how they were overcome, and the all-round abilities of a truly good electric bike, click here. It's a long read.
There's a 13 page PDF download available at the foot of the home page as well.
.
I'm not going to put names to the following bikes because all e-bikes fall short of what I think they should be, though the informed might work out which they are.
Take one highly thought of one that's underpowered. On one trip up a very long hill commencing at 1 in 5 (20%) with me working hard at 4 mph, gradually increasing to 6 mph as the hill lessened and ending with me exhausted well over ten minutes later as I finished it's 1.3 miles length, I remember thinking that I'd be no more tired walking up there and keeping the £1200 in my pocket.
Then there's the well known bike that only works properly if the rider helps it! That's a crazy reversal of logic if ever there was one.
Yet another has adequate power to potentially do what we expect from electric bikes, but that potential is squandered by inappropriate parts and sheer lack of cycling qualities, efficiency and essential basics.
And what are we supposed to think about the very expensive bike with drive through gear suitability for hills that has to be pedalled away at first until the motor kicks in? When I come out of the supermarket with 10 kilos in bags that, added to my own and the bike weight, means I have to pedal over 100 kilos, how am I to do that up the steep one way hill outside to get the motor going?
Or the bike, not a "parts bin" job, but one designed from the ground up with the only rear sprocket well out of line with the chainwheel?
With every indication that the industry wouldn't reach the demanding standard I wanted before I was too old to cycle, the only answer was to use my own skills and knowledge, but kits were often no better unless illegal, and I was insistent that I wanted to create a legal bike. Not because I'm prudish about the letter of the law, but to prove that it was possible by good design and build to achieve everything that was needed within UK law.
The result is based on one of my own bikes, but drastically changed, and when you first see the Q bike it will disappoint many, especially if they are fashion concious. But fashion has been the curse of the cycle industry for nearly three decades now, making the majority of bikes the most inefficient that's ever been known in the whole history of the bicycle, a curse that's been carried over into electric bikes.
So don't be a victim of fashion and fooled at first glance, the Q bike is an always legal bike that in road use does everything we'd like but never completely get. It's combination of versatility and capability is better than any other UK legal e-bike in the world. (he modestly said
)N.B. For those owners who've previously asked about photos of the internals of the Quando and Torq motor, they are included in the Q bike article.
To see my motivation for the project, the problems involved, how they were overcome, and the all-round abilities of a truly good electric bike, click here. It's a long read.
There's a 13 page PDF download available at the foot of the home page as well.
.
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