Smaller bike with good range

[Nealh]

If your b/f rides fast on his runs say av 20mph then to keep up you will have to use the top assist to even try and keep pace which will be detrimental on range.
The Bosch/Yamaha drives etc have a 15.5mph cut off after that you have to be a strong rider to go faster, definitely visit some bike outlets and try before you buy to see how fast you might be able to pedal.
The option fro a quick ebike is a kit bike with a rear hub motor with a 15 or 17.4ah battery. For a light kit with power a Q128c with a kt controller will be almost silent, if you are ,10st a Q100c would be good ordered direct from China. All batteries can be got in the UK for piece of mind and returns if a fault occurs.
Woosh bikes is also a good place for kits with superb CS.

 

[louiem]

A ready reckoner for range is to divide the battery capacity(Wh) by the riders usage Wh/per hr. A starting basis I would say is to use the figure of 15 or 20 Wh per mile.
For instance I am a regular rider with Asthma who pedals quite hard, my Wh usage ranges from 9 -15 Wh per hour.

So, if we said 15 Wh per hour, would that mean a 400 watt bike would only do about 26 miles and a 500 watt one 33 miles? My bf is home during half term week so we can go out and look at some options then.

 

[Woosh]

No, I couldn't do 30 miles without assistance. On the flat, I probably wouldn't need any unless we were some way into the ride. However, I would need one that with various levels of assist along the way and sometimes with no assist, would be good for up to 50 miles without me worrying that I was going to have to peddle a heavy bike under my own steam for the last half a dozen miles.

On Bosch bikes with 500WH battery, you are usually limited by your own fitness. The bikes offer between 100% and 300% assistance, you have to provide the rest. If you can do 10 miles without assistance, then you'll get at most 300% of that from the bike, your range would be then 40 miles.

 

[Woosh]

So, if we said 15 Wh per hour, would that mean a 400 watt bike would only do about 26 miles and a 500 watt one 33 miles? My bf is home during half term week so we can go out and look at some options then.

be careful, Nealh assumed that you pick a Chinese bike.
German bikes have torque sensor, you rarely use more than 8WH per mile, you have to pedal a fair bit.

 

[Nealh]

So, if we said 15 Wh per hour, would that mean a 400 watt bike would only do about 26 miles and a 500 watt one 33 miles? My bf is home during half term week so we can go out and look at some options then.

Those ranges would be the minimum you could expect.

 

[Nealh]

be careful, Nealh assumed that you pick a Chinese bike.
German bikes have torque sensor, you rarely use more than 8WH per mile, you have to pedal a fair bit.

The Torque sensing bikes can offer better range but are reliant on your input so not so good if you tire easily or feel knackered at the end of a ride. Cadence/pas sensing bikes are easier for less athletic riders a simple gentle rotation of the cranks allow a less effortless ride.
Test and try is the best advice then make a list of your likes and dislikes to suit your attributes.
All hub drive bikes front or rear are nearly always cadence/pas sensored.
All the big brand Bosch,Yamaha & Steps mid drive are Torque sensor drive.
There is one that bucks the trend which is the well regarded Wisper torque hub drive bike which has a dual torque and sensor setting, select the drive to suit your needs on the day.

 

[louiem]

Just to update, having now tried a few, I have bought this:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/lapierre-overvolt-cross-800-ladies-e-bike-2017/rp-prod148750

Went a little over budget, although used my partner's British Cycling discount to bring the price down a little, so hope I like it when it arrives. Tried a Liv bike with very similar measurements to this, so hoping this one suits!

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Now you need to find a way to derestrict it if you want to keep up with him. I missed your previous posts. I was just about to recommend the Oxygen S-cross because it can comfortably do 24 mph, until I saw your last post. You'll find that you hit a wall at 16 mph, but at least you should catch up on the hills.

 

[louiem]

Now you need to find a way to derestrict it if you want to keep up with him. I missed your previous posts. I was just about to recommend the Oxygen S-cross because it can comfortably do 24 mph, until I saw your last post. You'll find that you hit a wall at 16 mph, but at least you should catch up on the hills.

Yes, the Oxygen S-Cross was on my list but there was no dealer anywhere near. However, likewise this Lapierre, but the spec just seemed too good to miss! He tells me we are 'only' going out for 20 miles the first time as he hasn't been on his bike or trainer now for a few weeks.

 

[mr_s81]

Yes, the Oxygen S-Cross was on my list but there was no dealer anywhere near. However, likewise this Lapierre, but the spec just seemed too good to miss! He tells me we are 'only' going out for 20 miles the first time as he hasn't been on his bike or trainer now for a few weeks.

You can order them in through your local bike shop if non are available already. That's what I did and having picked it up a couple of days ago, I am very pleased. It looks to be fantastic value for money in terms of components and has made my commute much faster and easier.