Hi there
My wife and I are both looking for an e-bike. They don't have to be the same, or even from the same supplier, although the latter would seem to be a potential advantage from the cost point of view.
We've looked at - and tried - a few bikes already but are still open to ideas. Our intended use is mainly recreational/fitness, and mostly on tarmac, although it would be good to know the bikes could handle the occasional bridleway or forest trail. We live near the Sussex coast, so those frequently strong westerly winds are a consideration. Our desired travel radius is about 20 miles or so, and we're therefore looking for bikes that could comfortably cover 40 to 50 miles on a single charge, and preferably with a bit of margin to spare.
My wife's height is 5' 3", and she's pretty fit but does have a dodgy back, which puts comfort and an easily adjustable riding position high on her priority list. Getting a sufficiently small frame size (probaly 46cm) as well as addressing her comfort requirements has proved a bit of a challenge so far, and her favourite to date is a Gazelle model - she likes the sit-up-straight style, and swept-back bars. We've tried a couple of Kalkhoffs, which I liked - but my wife couldn't find a frame size that suited her, and which also offered seat-post supension. Also tried a couple of QWICs - very nice, but again difficult to get the frame size in the spec she fancied. I suspect she'll go for the Gazelle - an Orange C8 HM - but any other ideas welcome!
For my part, I couldn't get on with Gazelle, but have liked a Raleigh Motus, enjoyed trying the Kalkhoff Integrale 8, and liked the QWIC P-RD9s, but the latter's rack-mounted battery and rear-hub motor made it quite rear-end heavy, although it did ride well. Still on my own shortlist to try are some of the KTM models, and the Haibike sDuro/xDuro Trekking RC/RX models, as I suspect they may offer a neater fit for what I think I'm after (!), and I gather they offer small frame sizes, so my wife may even like one too!
We don't mind paying for quality bikes, as long as it's worth the outlay for reliabilty and longevity, but would prefer a well-established and proven brand. I bought a Swizzbee through my work some years back - a brilliant machine, but the company vanished from the market rather quickly! I still have the bike and it rides well, but doesn't offer enough range, and I'm well aware it's illegal... I would prefer to go with legal.
Any suggestions welcome - thanks!
My wife and I are both looking for an e-bike. They don't have to be the same, or even from the same supplier, although the latter would seem to be a potential advantage from the cost point of view.
We've looked at - and tried - a few bikes already but are still open to ideas. Our intended use is mainly recreational/fitness, and mostly on tarmac, although it would be good to know the bikes could handle the occasional bridleway or forest trail. We live near the Sussex coast, so those frequently strong westerly winds are a consideration. Our desired travel radius is about 20 miles or so, and we're therefore looking for bikes that could comfortably cover 40 to 50 miles on a single charge, and preferably with a bit of margin to spare.
My wife's height is 5' 3", and she's pretty fit but does have a dodgy back, which puts comfort and an easily adjustable riding position high on her priority list. Getting a sufficiently small frame size (probaly 46cm) as well as addressing her comfort requirements has proved a bit of a challenge so far, and her favourite to date is a Gazelle model - she likes the sit-up-straight style, and swept-back bars. We've tried a couple of Kalkhoffs, which I liked - but my wife couldn't find a frame size that suited her, and which also offered seat-post supension. Also tried a couple of QWICs - very nice, but again difficult to get the frame size in the spec she fancied. I suspect she'll go for the Gazelle - an Orange C8 HM - but any other ideas welcome!
For my part, I couldn't get on with Gazelle, but have liked a Raleigh Motus, enjoyed trying the Kalkhoff Integrale 8, and liked the QWIC P-RD9s, but the latter's rack-mounted battery and rear-hub motor made it quite rear-end heavy, although it did ride well. Still on my own shortlist to try are some of the KTM models, and the Haibike sDuro/xDuro Trekking RC/RX models, as I suspect they may offer a neater fit for what I think I'm after (!), and I gather they offer small frame sizes, so my wife may even like one too!
We don't mind paying for quality bikes, as long as it's worth the outlay for reliabilty and longevity, but would prefer a well-established and proven brand. I bought a Swizzbee through my work some years back - a brilliant machine, but the company vanished from the market rather quickly! I still have the bike and it rides well, but doesn't offer enough range, and I'm well aware it's illegal... I would prefer to go with legal.
Any suggestions welcome - thanks!
