Bosch or Bionx.....how do you like your power delivery?

[indalo]

There's a small selection of fairly expensive ebikes at: Stevens Bikes 2012 | Home if you have a couple of grand to spend on an ebike. I don't recall seeing these models in the UK.

Indalo

 

[eddieo]

have never ridden a BionX but they are well regarded and have their fans, John of Ezee had one...

German pedelec has a Bionx dedicated forum, so have their fans there as well. problem being battery price. most consider Bosch expensive at around 4 - £500 BionX twice that, but they are supposed to be good.

You would have to try the dealers listed and see if they actually stocked them, and have demo bikes ...as I bet they will be "order only" until brand established over here, which in all honesty very short sighted and will hamper any real interest. if I was at home I would call them re drop cross bar bike....

I did not see prices?

 

[indalo]

I did not see prices?

Prices were on pages illustrating the individual bikes Eddie. The ones I looked at were all over €2000 but that seemed reasonable to me considering what UK prices are like for better quality machines.

Indalo

 

[Cyclezee]

Yes, the BionX is a good system, but only available as a rear wheel motor, the maximum battery capacity is 10Ah, then we come to the cost of a replacement battery £1049 for a 10Ah in the UK, scarry

 

[cristianx]

any comparison available? I'd like to buy (or adapt) a e-mtb but not sure which one is better. Bionx 350 only available in the US (and cheaper) where I travel often but due to the new international regulations lithium batteries cannot be checked-in so it must be shipped via sea. What about the Bosh? Is the Bosh mechanic transmission system more effective and balanced than the Bionx' magnetic one?

 

[kemi]

any comparison available? I'd like to buy (or adapt) a e-mtb but not sure which one is better. Bionx 350 only available in the US (and cheaper) where I travel often but due to the new international regulations lithium batteries cannot be checked-in so it must be shipped via sea. What about the Bosh? Is the Bosh mechanic transmission system more effective and balanced than the Bionx' magnetic one?

If you plan on spending most of you time unassisted and you should, then a hub motor is out of the question. The wheel set on a bike is very important and a hub motor compared to a normal wheel creates a lot of drag. I made the mistake of getting a bike with a hub motor and I have regretted it ever since. I have since then tried a MTB with a Bosch center motor and I firmly believe that is how a ebike should work.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi We have our new baby Kit now upgraded to 500 watts 48 volt with 3 battery options

Programmable up to 22 MPH

the motor is Gerard with built in free wheel Absolutely No Drag can be supplied in 26 inch or 29er size rim

Frank

 

[103Alex1]

If you plan on spending most of you time unassisted and you should, then a hub motor is out of the question. The wheel set on a bike is very important and a hub motor compared to a normal wheel creates a lot of drag. I made the mistake of getting a bike with a hub motor and I have regretted it ever since. I have since then tried a MTB with a Bosch center motor and I firmly believe that is how a ebike should work.

I don't think geared hub motors create a lot of drag necessarily. The system you bought perhaps does. It depends on the motor.

However, I agree completely that I prefer a crank drive centre motor and a central battery position. Aside from anything else having the bike's weight distribution set up like this feels much more balanced.

If you want a derestricted bike like 350W that drives through the gears then high gearing is needed to take advantage of its potential especially at higher speeds / power output. For hub gears this is 11sp or equivalent in my view - or a derailleur if you are OK with riding a crank drive bike with that system.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

If you plan on spending most of you time unassisted and you should, then a hub motor is out of the question. The wheel set on a bike is very important and a hub motor compared to a normal wheel creates a lot of drag. I made the mistake of getting a bike with a hub motor and I have regretted it ever since. I have since then tried a MTB with a Bosch center motor and I firmly believe that is how a ebike should work.

Your motor's a direct drive, which is why it has a lot of drag. Geared motors have clutches, so drag is negligible. Don't condemn all hub-motors just because yours is bad.

Bionx is also a direct-drive motor.

 

[kemi]

Your motor's a direct drive, which is why it has a lot of drag. Geared motors have clutches, so drag is negligible. Don't condemn all hub-motors just because yours is bad.

Bionx is also a direct-drive motor.

I once bought a specialized bike with a shimano WH-R550 wheel set, the bike felt heavy and sluggish. So I replaced them with Fulcrum racing 7 wheels and the bike was transformed into something nimble. So in my case I can feel the difference between two non assisted wheels. Now a ehub wheel does not come even close to the performance characteristics of a normal non ehub wheel. To some people the difference doesn't matter, but I am of the opinion, that if you try it, you don't go back.