Best Electric Bike

[Dougie]

Hi all,
I am brand new to this web site so please forgive any ignorance -
please could anyone help me with the following.
I am looking to purchase an electric bike - price not a major obsticale but
would like it to look similar to an ordinary road bike with good distance and
speed.
I have looked at the Torq and would like any opinons about this bike
and what realistic distance/speed figures can anyone give.
Should I also buy a back up battery as well to cover longer distances.?
What is the Rolls Royce of electric bikes in terms of spec etc and is anything new on the horizon worth waiting for ?
I am looking to loose weight (15 stone at present) and would really
appreciate any advice because to be honest I have not got a clue !
Many thanks
Dougie

 

[Beeping-Sleauty]

Hi all,
I am brand new to this web site so please forgive any ignorance -
please could anyone help me with the following.
I am looking to purchase an electric bike - price not a major obsticale but
would like it to look similar to an ordinary road bike with good distance and
speed.
I have looked at the Torq and would like any opinons about this bike
and what realistic distance/speed figures can anyone give.
Should I also buy a back up battery as well to cover longer distances.?
What is the Rolls Royce of electric bikes in terms of spec etc and is anything new on the horizon worth waiting for ?
I am looking to loose weight (15 stone at present) and would really
appreciate any advice because to be honest I have not got a clue !
Many thanks
Dougie

Hi Dougie and welcome to the forum,

there are a lots of Torq enthusiasts on the board and there are plenty of discussions covering different aspects of that machine, but in a nutshell, it appears to give up to 20 miles on a single charge, has a good turn of speed at about 20 mph when de-restricted ( a simple DIY modification ) it looks and rides pretty much like a normal bike and seems to be good value for money.

there are some reviews of other bikes

Extra batteries are obviously a good idea to extend your range, although they are a little pricey, see the threads about options and prices.

The 'Rolls' of the electric bike is probably the Swizzbee, a Swiss design, very nice build, extra speed & range, very light, very reliable and about £2.5k, see their site.

New bikes arrive all the time and there is a lot of buzz about the 'Liv' which looks like very good value.

The real test is of course to try as many as you can before handing over your cash, take into consideration how far you will be riding, the type of terrain and whether you need to carry the bike for any part of journey, lastly, consider that should you run out of battery you have to cycle home.

have a good browse around before you make your mind up.

beeps

 

[nigel]

Nigel

Hi dougie
there are still a few good options out there for you these would be the powacycle and the ezee Liv both good bikes for the money then moving up the scale there is the torq which is the fastest electric bike which i own not to good on steep hills though distance with speed limiter of is about 15 miles but with carefull throttle control this can be taken up to 25+ the torq weighs about 25 kilos which is ok my only grumble with all electric bikes is they need to bring the weight down to 20 kilos or less fingers crossed.

 

[flecc]

The most important thing to know is the territory you will be riding on Dougie. Is it fairly flat, hilly or very hilly, and are hills if any very steep? Also what distances are you likely to be covering in a single trip? Are your trips going to be for leisure riding, commuting or shopping, or any particular combination of those?

We have your weight already and the fact that you'd like to gain some more fitness, but by their nature electric bikes have limited power, and that's used by manufacturers on each model to give particular strengths at the cost of others. The level of equipment included also varies. Therefore if you can give the answers to the above questions we will be able to be more positive about the options most suited to your needs.
.

 

[Dell]

This is a similar question that I need help with.
I really like the look of the Torq but dont think it will manage the hills.
Which signs say are 1 in 8 but my legs beg to differ Two of which are quite long.
I travel just over 12 miles to get to work and back and was looking at the Ezee Liv although maybe the Sprint would be better (more gears).
Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.

Derek

 

[flecc]

Hello Derek, I'd definitely agree that the Sprint seems to meet your need. The Torq is rated by the manufacturer as good for up to 1 in 10 hills and I ride one on short 1 in 8 hills but wouldn't like to tackle a long 1 in 8 as presently geared. The rider gearing can be changed to make those steeper hills a bit easier, but the better solution is to have a bike for those conditions. Although the Liv is an excellent bike, you might find the three speed hub insufficient for long steep hills, and the more powerful Sprint with it's seven speed hub gear is obviously better suited to make light of 1 in 8.
.

 

[Ian]

Hi Dougie, Hi Derek,

I've had a Torq now for 8 months, done close on 1000 miles and love it. I'm 12 stone, middle age, live in a reasonably flat area and allways achieve over 30 miles on a charge of my NiMh battery, I do pedal all the while but am certainly no athlete, I also don't spare the watts on hills and usualy catch up with the lycra clad mob who passed me earlier. I've done 30 miles today at an average 11mph with a total ascent of 1400 feet (according to my Garmin GPS) allthough I wasn't trying to break any records. I'll probably do a 6 mile trip tomorrow evening before charging the battery.
I have fitted a smaller chainring (38T) to help with hills and I find if I put some work in there's not much I can't get up, even on holday in North Yorks. In spite of the small chainring I can still pedal at 30 mph downhill. I've tried deristricting my Torq, but run it restricted most of the time to maximise range.
I also have an Ezee Sprint 3, a very nippy little bike which is happy to slog up steep hills (1 in 5) with very little work on my part, mine only has 3 gears but they cover a wide range, it won't manage the speed (Although the 7 might) or range of the Torq though and lacks the rugged sporty looks, at least to my eyes.
One more point, the torq is a big bike, I'm 5'6" and if I was any smaller I'd struggle, I've replaced the sprung and hinged seatpost with a normal alloy type to lower the minimum saddle height which suits me better.

My perception is that the Sprint is an easy to ride bike that will suit anyone regardless of fitness level, whilst the torq is more suited to the keener cyclist, they are both good bikes, well designed and built with quality components.

Ian.

 

[Dougie]

Ian,
I am only 5'3'' so perhaps the Torq may not be any good - does anyone else my height have one ? - what are the diff between the
Ezee ranges and do you think the Sprint might suit me better.
Many thanks
Dougie

 

[Ian]

Ian,
I am only 5'3'' so perhaps the Torq may not be any good - does anyone else my height have one ? - what are the diff between the
Ezee ranges and do you think the Sprint might suit me better.
Many thanks
Dougie

Dougie,
You may find that even the sprint is on the large side, it's a bit lower than the Torq but not much. The Ezee Chopper looks a bit smaller, and the folding Quando II is aimed at shorter riders. Our guru Flecc has a Quando with which he tows a large trailer and sings its praises very highly on his own website.
The problem with most electric bikes is that unlike conventional cycles most only come in one frame size, designed for the average male who is rather taller than many of us.
The Sprint has a styling that appeals to ladies, yet in order to make mine suitable for an average lady I had to fit a standard seatpost to reduce the height as I had already done with the Torq.
Whatever you choose it would be wise to try first, 50 cycles have owners around the country who will give demonstrations or if you could get to their Loughborough warehouse or London shop you could try the whole range.

Ian

 

[juliam]

Hi Dougie
I am having the same problem. I am 5'3'' and have been looking for a suitable electric bike for a while. I have tryed the torq and it was far too big. I want the sporty look that this bike has but on a smaller frame. The smaller framed bikes tend to be less sporty and less rugged looking. I havent found anything small, sporty and powerful yet, so if you do find something please could you let me know!

thanks
Julia

 

[flecc]

I agree with Ian, I'm 5' 6" and can just cope with the standard Torq, but it's a stretch to the ground on a cambered road. At 5' 3" you definitely couldn't ride the torq Dougie, and the Sprint could well be a struggle so you'd need to try it first.

The Quando II is suitable for shorter riders, but it has no gears, just one 70" single speed, but it's a terrific hill climber and can handle 1 in 7 at around 9 to 11 mph with minimal input from the rider. It has to be the model II though, the model I is only suitable for taller riders.

The Sprint comes in a version for shorter riders, named the Chopper, but in every respect it's the 7 speed Sprint with 20" wheels. That gears the motor lower so it drives to about 13 mph only, though you can pedal to whatever speed you like of course. In exchange for the slight loss of assisted speed, it again gives exceptional hill climbing like the Quando.

Like the eZee bikes, most other makes come with sprung seatposts which makes most of them unsuitable for short riders, but changing that as indicated by Ian can knock about a couple of inches off the seat height.
.

 

[MazB]

Hi Dougie and welcome,

I totally understand the height problem, I'm only 5ft.

Have you thought about adding a motor? Nick on the forums has a Bionx system fitted on his bike, and I've got the Currie Motor on mine. Although I don't think the Currie comes close to the Bionx on performance. The only thing with the Bionx is that its only available for import making it pricey.
Plus points for these is that you can choose whatever bike you want and then just lob the motor on.

The other thing you could keep in mind is a folding bike - as you will have seen on the threads the Quando as fantastic reviews.

Whilst we are on the subject of size, can anyone gvie me the inside leg measurments for:

Currie Izip 24inch wheel and
Ezee Chopper

Anyone had experience of any of the above?

Hope you find a nice leccy bike Dougie...

Maz.

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

weight reduction

Hi all,

I am looking to purchase an electric bike - price not a major obsticale but
would like it to look similar to an ordinary road bike with good distance and
speed.

You can buy yourself a Heinzmann Kit to attach to any lightweight bike of your choice. But read the small print and reviews first. Kinetics - The Heinzmann Motor
I have looked at the Torq and would like any opinons about this bike
and what realistic distance/speed figures can anyone give.
At 15 stone you'll need a lot more help if you have any serious hills in your area. about 7 % is the maximum unless you have muscles like Armstrong.

Should I also buy a back up battery as well to cover longer distances.?
A second battery is a good idea if you are having a Lithium - then you can swap them about and need not (necessarily) deeply discharge them before recharging.
What is the Rolls Royce of electric bikes in terms of spec etc and is anything new on the horizon worth waiting for ?
At present it seems to be the Swizbee - at £2500 it ought to be
I am looking to loose weight (15 stone at present) and would really
appreciate any advice because to be honest I have not got a clue !
You could try an ordinary bike

Then you've come to the right place
Many thanks
Don't mention it!
Dougie

I have to say something else because they have a minimum message size.
Peter

 

[Dougie]

thanks everyone,
I weighed myself today not 15 stone - now 13.5 I'll get up the hills yet !!
Has anyone any thoughts on this model listed on ebay 300099750420
I haven't the experience to fully understand the spec and would appreciate your advice. The bike looks good.
Great forum

 

[coops]

Hi Dougie

Welcome to the forum & glad you're benefitting from it already

You've probably gathered by now that the best bike for anyone depends very much on their riding purpose, style & terrain, aswell as budget etc. :

The most important thing to know is the territory you will be riding on Dougie. Is it fairly flat, hilly or very hilly, and are hills if any very steep? Also what distances are you likely to be covering in a single trip? Are your trips going to be for leisure riding, commuting or shopping, or any particular combination of those?

We have your weight already and the fact that you'd like to gain some more fitness, but by their nature electric bikes have limited power, and that's used by manufacturers on each model to give particular strengths at the cost of others. The level of equipment included also varies. Therefore if you can give the answers to the above questions we will be able to be more positive about the options most suited to your needs.

In your case, frame size will also clearly be an important consideration.

Also, to gain fitness, some pedalling will be required, so a bike reasonably well geared for pedalling aswell as motor would help in that: of the options mentioned I'd have thought that the ezee sprint/chopper would be better for that than the ezee Quando? But I have no experience of these bikes so couldn't say for sure . All 3 bikes are very good for hills, but there may be alternatives if your terrain isn't hilly.

Stuart.