Short newbie looking for recommendations!

[Dingus]

Hello!

I'm looking to get an electric bike as I've recently developed a health condition that makes cycling difficult.
I'd use it to commute to work every day, about a 3 mile round trip up a long hill.

My budget is around 700, ideally with finance options as I'd need to pay in installments. I don't really know what I'm looking for. I'm 5"1 so quite short and I weigh about 70kg.

My dad is really motorbike savvy and recommends I get this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-Bike-Built-In-48V-Battery-Lithium-Battery-THROTTLE-TWIST-GO-20-New-/152648694052

But I'm apprehensive about buying a bicycle off eBay without knowing what I'm looking for really. Anyone had any experience with this particular bike?

Any advice and recommendations would be hugely appreciated, thank you all!

 

[topographer]

Do you need to be able to ride without pedalling? There aren't many with full throttles these days. Can you do gentle pedalling?

 

[Dingus]

I can do gentle pedelling, I suffer from CFS which means too much physical activity will give me essentially a bad hangover. Pedelling on straight isn't too much of a problem but Bristol where I live is full of big old hills, I just need a bit of extra help getting up the inclines!

 

[topographer]

Given that you can do the commute on a non-electric bike, any electric bike will probably do. For higher purchase it might make sense to visit Halfords and some local bike shops and have a ride on some bikes. In fact it's not really a good idea to buy without testing. Halfords currently have six bikes up to £750 and they're offering 10% off with a trade-in bike (which can include bikes that have some bits missing and are a bit rusty). The Carrera Crosscity may suit. It's 36v rather than 24v like some of the other cheaper ones—that means more power—and it's fairly light for an ebike.

Just remember that salesmen tend to use a load of patter to make you spend more than you intended. It helps to be a bit cynical about what they tell you if it involves more money.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

There's several things you need to be aware of with that bike:

It doesn't mention a pedal sensor. A bike with only a throttle is not legal, though nobody is checking, nor has anyone been prosecuted. there's another listing of what looks like the same bike but more expensive that does mention a pedal sensor. If it does have a pedal sensor, it will be useless because there's no way to regulate the power with it.

The listing doesn't mention the rated power. It has to be 250w max. We're not sure whether a 48v battery is allowed.

The rear brake is a band brake, which are OK when new, but they soon deteriorate.

Apart from that, it looks like a nice bike for the money. It's all standard Chinese electrical stuff, so easy to fix when it goes wrong. if you buy it, look at the motor to see if it has any markings. As long as it says 250w or less, you're OK, otherwise it might be good idea to remove any labels that say anything else.

 

[Dingus]

I'm a little confused, is it better to look for a bike with a pedal sensor, or without one?
Also is the 48v battery allowed? I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

If anyone has any other bike recommendations under 700 pounds I'd be keen to hear them!

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's much easier if you have a pedal sensor as long as you have a panel where you can select at least three levels of assist.

The law says that power must stop when you stop pedalling, but there's a bit of a loop-hole for independent throttles, which is complicated to explain and has never been tested in law. If you have a pedal sensor, and pedal wherever you go, except in emergencies or other particular circumstances, you're at least compliant with the spirit of the law and can say that you have a pedelec.

With a pedal sensor, you only need to turn the pedals to get the power. You don't need to pedal hard. The problem with that bike is that when you pedal, you only get maximum power, which isn't always what you want and it can be a bit inconvenient. They could have added a three-level control panel for around $10, which would have made that bike a much better proposition.