What is the best budget electric bike?

hi all

 

i am a newbie and i need some advice.

 

i used to do alot of cycling but due to ill health i am now finding it hard to start up again. i need to lose some weight and a friend of mine suggested an electric bike.

 

i have been looking at reviews and reading threads on this forum and i am a bit confused as what bike to get.

 

i live on the top of a hill so it is great going down but not so good coming back. i have chest related problems so normally i just get of my bike and walk the rest of the way. which takes longer.

 

what i am looking for is something which will help me get up the hills and also if i get to the last 2-3 miles that the bike could take over and get me home.

 

my budget is £300-£500. the cheaper the better.

it needs to be able to help me up hills and have a range of at least 25 miles.

 

i have seen the meerkat e motion which is in argos/tesco and the izip ezgo. i found both for about £300. but there are mixed reviews on both. i have also looked at the conversion kits but it seams to be more money than buying the pre-made ones.

 

if any body has any other suggestions then that would be great.

 

thanks

 

Chrisc

Hi Chrisc,

 

Firstly, I very much doubt if you will find a new bike to meet your criteria. That leaves used bikes which is where a lot of people start.

 

My advice is to learn as much as possible from this forum, see if you can get some test rides local to you.

 

You may be able to find a member near to you by looking here Pedelecs.co.uk - Members' Locations - Google Maps

 

then make contact and ask if you can view or even have a ride.

 

Good luck,

 

J:) hn

Hi Chrisc,

 

Firstly, I very much doubt if you will find a new bike to meet your criteria. That leaves used bikes which is where a lot of people start.

 

My advice is to learn as much as possible from this forum, see if you can get some test rides local to you.

 

You may be able to find a member near to you by looking here Pedelecs.co.uk - Members' Locations - Google Maps

 

then make contact and ask if you can view or even have a ride.

 

Good luck,

 

J:) hn

 

thanks John. i will look into doing that.

Hi again Chris,

 

Have a look here too Electric Bicycles Buyer’s Guide - Ranked list of electric bikes for sale in the UK.

 

J:) hn

Thanks for that its really helpful.

what do you guys think about the Cyclamatic Power Plus Electric Mountain Bike. i have found one on ebay for £275. its only 4 months old.

Here's the Cyclamatic Power Plus Owners Thread in here, jump past the early contentious posts to see plenty more information later in the thread.

 

Also see this search page for many other posts containing info on this bike which a number of forum members own.

.

Chris:

 

A month ago when I joined this forum I was in a similar position to you (with similar budget ideas, too).

 

What really blew my budget was the swift realisation that what YOU do on the bike is just as important as the bike, that is to say: how fit are you? How heavy? How old? How used to riding? How much pedalling do you WANT to do, and CAN you do? How far do you want the bike to take you - 5 miles, 15, 50? Battery size is vital to this point, and the bigger the better (crudely).

 

First point: cheap bikes (and the prices you quote are at that end of the market) are fine if you are generally fit, 'bike'-fit, not overweight, and probably handy with a set of tools. The battery and motor have to work like hell to get you going, and move you up hills, and if you're a big fat sod like me they have to work several times harder. You want a big battery, it'll cost you more.

 

Second point: you really do get what you pay for. (There is the 'designer'-bike end of the market, where folks will pay 3 or more thousand pounds for a bike made of titanium and (apparently) precious stones). But in the (for most of us) realistic price band, from say £600 up to less than £2000, there is a good range of machines, as ridden by the people on this forum, all of which seem to be good value for money.

 

From your postcode you seem to be in the Slough/Windsor/etc area, and it's a shame that you missed:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/6013-swindon-e-bike-shop-open-day-saturday-22nd-may.html

Last Saturday, an electric bike shop in Swindon held an open day and you could have tried out different models.

Might be worth a ring to see if they'll let you pop in and do just that sometime, as that was going to be Third point - you've got to ride a couple of bikes to get a better idea of what they can do. You wouldn't want to pay out hundreds of pounds and then be disappointed!

 

Hope this helps you ask the right questions.

 

 

Allen, NW London.

thanks Allen that was very helpful.

 

to answer your questions:

 

i am 36, 16 stone. not very fit at the moment. one of the reasons for getting an electric bike. i used to ride at least 60 miles a week and i was also a postman so i am used to cycling.

 

i thought to start with i would do 3-5 miles round trip. i live on a hill so i would need help getting up that hill. its a 1 in 6 incline. i have tried it a few times but i have found that i have had to get of and walk most of it. i havent done any cycling for about 6 months. to start with i would not do to much pedalling.

 

if i have to i can stretch my budget. what i dont want is to buy a cheap bike then spend even more money fixing it. i want to get a good bike thats going to see me through for at least 2 years.

 

i have been looking on ebay more than anywhere to see if i can find a bargin.

i think to start with i would use the motor more than i would pedal.

 

if you guys have any other suggestsions then that would be great. i would still like to keep under £500.

 

thanks for all your advice so far. its really helping me have an idea about what to look for and what to do.

 

Chrisc:)

Chris:

 

Some more thoughts.

 

£500 is bottom end, unless you get lucky and find something better, but second-hand. They do come up (sometimes on the classifieds on this site), but few and far between, and often at the other end of the country from us!

 

A poster on this site called Old Timer has a Powertrek Dynamo by which he swears, which is down in that price range, although maybe £650-ish. You'll find posts of his dotted around. (He's got several other bikes, too, plus he's an engineer and has electricified ordinary bikes from kits).

 

The Powertreks are on this link:

 

http://www.uksportimports.com/catalo...321f38663bb675

 

Aliens make bikes and kits, and some of their bottom-end models get near your budget:

 

Electric Bicycles - Electric Bicycles

 

And in Camden, North London, there's the Electric Transport Shop, which does a wide range of bikes including an 'under £800' selection:

 

Electric Bike Sales - Shop Online for Electric Bikes, Electric Vehicles and Cycle Accessories - Powacycle Windsor LPX

 

The PowaCycle Windsor seems okay, but watch out for the batteries on these cheaper bikes. (And definitely avoid lead-acid at all costs. Too heavy, old technology, short range).

 

I suppose once you've got a few names together, you can start keeping a closer eye on eBay, but unless you're clever in the ways of electrics, it is obviously full of dangers (a clapped-out battery or motor can cost you HUNDREDS to replace, for example - one of many reasons why I'm sticking to a 'known' name from a well-known supplier, and sod the overdraft).

 

There you go, that's given you a headache for a Bank Holiday, hasn't it? (But they're great fun to ride!)

 

 

Allen.

makro retail has the powacycle salibury for £449 +vat ( about £530 inc. vat).

this is the mens step over frame,ive just got mine and it seems great value.

Well if that Salisbury is full spec, it's the one that Electric Bike Shop sells for £699, so it certainly is good value. And you can always take it to the likes of the EBS for any problems that arise (as I don't suppose Makro have a bike service dept!)

 

Allen.

Chrisc

 

I too am a newbie and I had the same problem as yourself, in that I couldn't make the hills. Last year I went on a local easyride on my Trek Navigator, which wasn't so easy for me. The group encountered hills on the roads towards Woburn and I had to pull out: a) because I was knockin on 72 and b) because I had slipped disc and knee problems. I was so embarrased that I didn't go back and also thought about binning the Trek. Anyway, I was watching the Gadget Show on TV and saw the item on E-bikes and thought. 'Thats the very thing for me' and ordered a Powabyke x6. However, six weeks later the bikes were still somewhere on a container in the Atlantic (and possibly still are) so I cancelled. I'm glad I did, for I then stumbled upon this excellent site and a few days later, through the classifieds, was on my way down the M1 and M25 to pick up a third hand Kalkhoff pro Connect. I've only had it for a few days but I'm already in love with it to the point that I park the car 1" from the garage up and over door every night for extra security. Next Sunday I rejoin the easy riders with confidence.

 

Sorry about the me me me stuff Chrisc but to sum up, I think you should be patient. Trawl all the websites (specially this one) for a used bike rather than new. I now have a top of the range bike in great condition, at half the price of a new one and cheaper than my original choice.

 

Best of luck

 

Jack

Jack,

 

You are practically a neighbour and one of select few members in MK:D

 

Chris,

 

To get you going over those hills you might consider one of these PowaRider - Electric Bikes, a bit of a lump, but will do the job and more importantly, there are always a few on eBay well within budget.

Could be good for a first pedelec;)

 

J:) hn

thanks to all of you for your advice. i am making a list of bikes and i am going to keep an eye on here and on ebay for a good second hand one. i have looked at the new bikes that fit my budget but they dont seam good enough for what i want. so like you guys have suggested i am going to see if i can get a good second hand one as my first bike.

 

i am going to my local bike shop to see if they have any that i can try.

 

i will keep you all updated on what happens.

 

thanks Jack, John, Allen, lantus and everyone else. you have really helped with all your info and suggestions.

 

Chrisc:)

Well if that Salisbury is full spec, it's the one that Electric Bike Shop sells for £699, so it certainly is good value. And you can always take it to the likes of the EBS for any problems that arise (as I don't suppose Makro have a bike service dept!)

 

Allen.

 

 

There are two versions, the LPX has the lighter better battery.

I have sold about 60 of these with not to many problems, had the odd control box fault.

Before you go, Chris, that link John gave in the last post is to PowaBikes who are across in Woking, not that far from you I think.

 

Point is that have several different bikes which they will be happy to let you ride, including the one linked by John, which does look very good value.

 

Allen.

Thanks Allen i might pop over there and have a look.

 

i have made a quick short list of bikes i like. if you guys could give me your thoughts on them that would be great.

 

Powacycle Salisbury lpx, windsor, cambridge

 

cyclamtic power plus

 

powertrek marthon, cruiser

 

izip trailz enlightened

 

powabyke mountain (johns suggestion)

 

i like the cyclamtic and the salisbury lpx. i have seen some of these on ebay which are cheaper and not that old.

 

i have tried to stay away from the lead acid batteries.

 

any thoughts on the bikes above or any other suggestions would be great. i am not thinking about budget to much as i have been looking for a second hand ones.

 

thanks again guys.

 

Chrisc:)

You'll need to phone Woking first - they haven't got an orthodox 'shop' front.

 

 

A

will do thanks

We're in Crowthorne ,Berks

 

We've a brand new Powabyke City in stock.If you can collect you can have it for £450.00

Well if that Salisbury is full spec, it's the one that Electric Bike Shop sells for £699, so it certainly is good value. And you can always take it to the likes of the EBS for any problems that arise (as I don't suppose Makro have a bike service dept!)

 

Allen.

 

yeah full spec lpx with the lith ploy battery.and a bell:)

hi all.

 

i have got my list down to three bikes.

 

i have also found one on ebay and i was wondering what you guys thought of it. its the Moskino Eagle electric bicycle.

 

heres my top three:

 

1.izip trailz enlightened

 

2.cyclamtic power plus

 

3.Powacycle Salisbury lpx

 

i have seen some going on ebay but i am holding off at the moment until i can try some which i will be doing soon.

 

if any one has any other suggestions then please let me know.

 

thanks guys

 

chrisc:)

you really need to try a few bikes before making a decision.....good quality used bikes come up all the time on ebay or in the classified section here (where I got my first e bike). In the £500 price range Alien where one of the favourite choices on here but seems like they have upped the prices a bit.

The other point, Chris, is that of how reliable a bike you'll be getting off eBay or the like. To some extent you will be better off on this site, but obviously there are no guarantees in life - or rather none if you have to buy second-hand and privately.

 

I know it's a problem, i.e. money, but if you could push to that Makro mark and buy new, it would obviously have less problems. Did that electric bike shop in Swindon do second-hands? At least buying from a shop you have somewhere to take it back to...

 

Maybe someone else here can advise you on this point: is there any way of telling whether a battery or a motor is clapping out? A bike might still run for a mile or two on a test ride, but if it claps out next week you will be upset!

 

Allen.