Another Newspaper Article - E Bikes

[bert11]

Testing a rather expensive crank driven mountain bike

How e-bikes got sexy | Peter Walker | Environment | guardian.co.uk

 

[eddieo]

I have a KTM bike with same system and its £1000 cheaper......You will find most on here in denial regards the Bosch system, presumably as yet, not many opportunities to try one......

 

[Scimitar]

I see the usual lycras lining up in the comments section to sneer and castigate the whole idea of motorising bicycles.
Stuff 'em.

 

[flecc]

I have a KTM bike with same system and its £1000 cheaper......You will find most on here in denial regards the Bosch system, presumably as yet, not many opportunities to try one......

It mainly seems to be based on the sharp power cutoff at the legal limit and the 8 Ah battery size Eddie.

With more crank drive systems arriving also with sharper cutoff, maybe that will become more acceptable.

The battery size objection is predictable after years of asking for larger batteries and those arriving in as much as 16 Ah on 36 volt systems. As you say, only experience of these factors will show how important they are.

 

[eddieo]

I find the cut off no problem really when you get used to it. and battery fine unless you want to go touring and then you can carry two. 1.5 hrs for 90% recharge and 2.5 hrs for full recharge is light years ahead of most of the competition as well.....With my weight and level of unfitness I get 30 miles that is on Max assist....many on other forum getting twice that with more economical use of power available. and that power does not seem to die as battery flattens as strong with 1km left as when full. but where these bikes shine is in the area of weight, smaller wheel base and and hill climbing.

My problem is I cant as yet find a step through model under 20kg

 

[flecc]

My problem is I cant as yet find a step through model under 20kg

Step throughs are a bit more difficult to design with these crank drive units, especially when in-frame batteries are part of the design. I'm sure they'll appear more often though, with so many competing now in this drive type market.

 

[eddieo]

Step through are a bit more difficult to design with these crank drive units, especially when in-frame batteries are part of the design. I'm sure they'll appear more often though, with so many competing now in this drive type market.

They do a pannier battery as an alternative (same capacity) and many manufacturers have gone this way including Cannondale. But I have never liked this arrangement, and weight approaching that of out old 705 so no point.....

I have identified a few drop crossbar bikes from the likes of Scott, Claude Butler and GT at around 11-12 kg. and may get a kit for one of these. BUT I did not want to go back to having two identical bikes. I liked the Bosch for exercise/every day use (less conspicuous) and the DaaHub for excitement...to much excitement probably bad for me!lol

I like the AVE X speed with 20 inch wheels looks a bit like a folder/BMX, swarbe big apples, weight under 20kg....it looks fun!

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But reluctant to buy without wife trying one first...teach me not to follow generally accepted advice and best practise ...TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! As it gets expensive when you get it wrong

EDIT: I wont rush into it this time as we are very busy with trying to move house at the moment so new bike could wait till new year if it comes to it (we have many unpowered bikes for pottering around) Also chatter about new stuff on the way probably worth waiting for.....

This Peter Eland article shows the Pacific system in the AVE bikes, but it was this time last year.....I presume they have dropped this now in favour of Bosch

http://www.electricbikemag.co.uk/showStory.php?storynum=39

 

[flecc]

Yes, I found that AVE strangely attractive when I first saw it, looks very practical too.

 

[eddieo]

Yes, I found that AVE strangely attractive when I first saw it, looks very practical too.

Now be very carefull.... next you will be saying its the best bike in the universe! and probably blubing all over the place...

remind you of the Ezee quondo does it?lol

 

[flecc]

No chance of that Eddie, so many good e-bikes available now or soon arriving, I can't get OTT about any one of them.

It's getting like being accidentally locked into a closed sweetshop at 8 years old, too much all at once!

 

[lemmy]

It's getting like being accidentally locked into a closed sweetshop at 8 years old, too much all at once!

I'm suffering from that doubly! The digital camera industry is on fire with new and creative ideas at the moment. What with that and all the new e-bikes, I think I may retire to my bomb proof shelter and stay there for a year until it's settled down.

Seriously, isn't it great that all these new ideas in so many spheres are coming to fruition? It's a privilege to be alive at such a time.

 

[eTim]

Having owned and ridden this bike for a few months/few hundred miles, mostly off-road, alot of it extreme, I have a few issues with this article (well you would expect me to say that wouldn't you!?!), it would appear that the author is not completely 'sold' on the idea:

"As for riding it off-road ... well, for anyone who's tried mountain biking it just feels like cheating. Once you get used to the inevitable jolt as the motor kicks in, even on the lowest power setting you can more or less cruise up the steepest slopes."

Not true, I am relatively fit and in the lowest settings I need to work and work hard at getting the bike uphill, I deliberately use the lowest settings so that I get a workout, I'm guessing his steepest hills are not the same as mine or possibly any other 'experienced' mountain bikers. Oh, and there is no jolt on the lowest settings, he obviously is clueless about riding this bike off-road.

"Secondly, for legal reasons the electrically assisted speed is limited to a modest 25kph (just over 15mph). The moment you reach that – ie much of the time on the flat or downhill – the motor cuts out and that magic helping hand suddenly vanishes. Every time it feels like the tyres have just hit a big patch of treacle."

Anyone that knows about ebikes knows about the legalities and legal limits, does this journo? The only time I may feel an abrupt cut off is when the motor is on it's highest settings and I would be on a slight slope hitting the speed limit, on the flat or on a downhill, I don't notice the cutoff, this is one area that I feel is overstated by others also. This bike is as easy as any other to ride on the flat and I often switch off all assistance for this reason (and to extend range) and I can quite easily pedal above the assist limit without the motor, maybe this guy is not quite as fit as he thinks he is.

"Bringing back the real me, there's a host of other possible reservations. For the £2,795 price I could get myself a far more versatile off-road bike, at less than half the weight and with a range limited only by my physical endurance. But that's largely pointless carping, as I'm clearly not the target market."

Yes pointless journalism, comparing apples and oranges. Just how is a non-powered bike in this price range more versatile I'm finding difficult to understand! I own a Marin un-powered in this price range and no way is it more versatile. And now we find that the journo writing this piece is biased because he considers himself not the target market! I'm not sure he knows who 'the real me' is!

It's good that the media is picking up on these things, but I would have expected a bit less biased journalism from the Guardian, or am I just being naive about journo's ?

 

[indalo]

It's good that the media is picking up on these things, but I would have expected a bit less biased journalism from the Guardian, or am I just being naive about journo's ?

It's the latter, I'm afraid Tim. After 35 years as a Times reader, apart from the odd flirtation with the other broadsheets, I have ceased buying it due to the diminishing standard of journalistic prose in addition to their editorial stance on a number of issues.

As for their journalists, they are no better these days than the tabloid hacks and although I haven't picked up the Guardian in some time, I expect it's no different.

On the subject of target markets, one wonders about the demographic of that particular newspaper and how old the reporter is. Perhaps he wasn't the best choice for such an article? I'd guess a soon-to-retire member of staff with no intention of ever riding through woods or heading up mountains would probably have loved the machine and would have expressed a much different opinion.

Indalo

 

[flecc]

I'm suffering from that doubly! The digital camera industry is on fire with new and creative ideas at the moment. What with that and all the new e-bikes, I think I may retire to my bomb proof shelter and stay there for a year until it's settled down.

Seriously, isn't it great that all these new ideas in so many spheres are coming to fruition? It's a privilege to be alive at such a time.

You aren't kidding Lemmy, I'm also torn over the new digital camera developments. There are so many options I've decided not to make any move and let time tell me whether I really need all these things. I doubt the industry would be happy with that response though!

 

[eddieo]

You aren't kidding Lemmy, I'm also torn over the new digital camera developments. There are so many options I've decided not to make any move and let time tell me whether I really need all these things. I doubt the industry would be happy with that response though!

I am after a camera as well..maybe one of those compact SLR's. Sick of my son telling me my Sony cybershot is rubbish.

Looked around before holiday but it was so bewildering I gave up! When the fog clears a bit wouldn't mind some feed back on the clear favourites out there

 

[eTim]

Can't go wrong with a Canon S95

 

[lemmy]

but I would have expected a bit less biased journalism from the Guardian, or am I just being naive about journo's ?

Funny, I read that and thought what a fair write up it was for people who were interested in but not committed to electric bikes. The problem is that everyone thinks THEY are unbiased.

There will be people reading that piece who object to the idea of electric bikes being written about in a cycling context at all. They will think the piece is biased in the other direction from you.

Surely what you do is understand that journalists do not write exclusively for you and interpret their work in the light of your own thoughts.

Having been a professional photographer all my working life, I own the latest examples of the latest technology and lenses so that's one area at least that I have no trouble in understanding and still occasionally earning a bit of easy money In my own area, I think my knowledge might even be on a par with yours of the 2 wheeler world, Flecc.

For anyone serious about their pictures, the main thing is the sensor size. Just buy one with 4/3rds sensor or bigger, up to APS-C. And always buy something with interchangeable lenses. The best compromise between size, price and performance at the moment are models like the new Olympus E-PLs or Panasonic GFs.

The new Olympus (which I have on loan at the moment, so have hands on experience) gives low end professional cameras a run for their money. A camera like this will do anything a keen photographer could now reasonably want and for long into the future too.

 

[james@justebikes.co.uk]

My problem is I cant as yet find a step through model under 20kg

Eddieo, I've been banging on about this to Habike all year. Theyt have a step-through for MY 2012 (ie almost now)

James

 

[eddieo]

Eddieo, I've been banging on about this to Habike all year. Theyt have a step-through for MY 2012 (ie almost now)

James

KTM are changing the frame on my Macina Cross to a drop crossbar for 2012...I cant blooming believe it! perfect for my wife, and same weight as normal crossbar bike....

http://www.ktm-bikes.at/e-bike/e-bike/MacinaCross.php?lang=DE

most of these swan neck style bikes are heavier. KTM already have on of those as well

any links to Habike step through James?

 

[james@justebikes.co.uk]

Manual typewriter fans are unlikely to smile on newfangled electric models

eTim I do share your frustration! But on balance am pleased Peter wrote the article. I did spend time with him explaining things like speed being 17.2mph not 15, but cant edit journalists copy before it goes to print.

The Ecologist review Could the Haibike Xduro e-bike spark a cycling revolution? - Green Living - The Ecologist is worth looking at, and the two pages in TimeOut were great.... three very skeptical bike commuters end up loving them. Simone Baird (features editor) wont give her Haibike back! ...so hopefully she'll have more to write on it and e-bikes in general in future.

The review in The Wall Street Journal is here Electric Powered Mountain Bike Gives Extra Push - Tech Europe - WSJ

Julia Hailes OBE thinks "E-bikes are Brilliant!" and has said so here: The Julia Hailes Blog: E bikes are brilliant

One of the problems with this PR campaign (and I'm sure other retailers/distributors have the same problem) is that editors often ask their cycling journos to review the product. I really want the cricket or flower arranging scribe on the things 'cos their views will mean so much more to everywoman. If you're a fan and proud owner of 18 manual typewriters you're unlikely to write a very positive review of a newfangled electric one!

We still has 16 e-bikes still out on loan with Knights, popstars, MPs, tv, print, & online media journos. There are no guarantees they will write what we'd all like, but wot ever their views it raises public awareness of e-bikes. So i smile

Best wishes,
James