Budget Bikes

[thomasbatley]

Hi -have noticed many posts about ezee star bikes that cost nearly £1000. My budget is much more limited; I don't even know if I can affird the Liv. So could anyone tell me what are the best budget bikes around? I live in west Yorkshire, so some hill climbing is necessary! Thanks.

 

[FatMog]

Hi Thomas

I'm a recent convert to e-biking and I appreciate your dilemma about price. The dam' things do seem ferociously expensive!

I gave very serious consideration to the izip as a cheap and cheerful (they were available for £299 then) introduction to the scene, but was a bit concerned by the buzzy motor as seen on the video clip, and steel frame.

I was also contemplating a powacycle, since they had some ex-demos available a few weeks ago at a very good discount. I think they're all gone now, but it might be worth giving the nice chaps at powacycle a call!

Ultimately I was seduced by the hub gears for an easy start from standstill, the power and quietness of the motor, the alloy frame etc etc. and I'm afraid I plumped for the sprint in the end.

But it is so hard to make an informed choice - I was unable to test any of my possibles so had to buy blind basing my judgement on reviews given by real people here and elsewhere. Fortunately they didn't let me down - I'm sure someone here will have actually ridden a few alternatives and be able to help you.

Good luck!

 

[electric.mike]

thomasbatley


budget bikes are a bit hit and miss there are probably loads that would give you an introduction to the world of ebike but not many may be recommended by members of this forum, due to the hit and miss factor.
to recommend anything you need to have faith in that product, most if not all will be heavy with old fashioned battery technology ie lead acid.
i use a powabyke euro 6 and if your budget is really that tight you could look at this its an old model with probably steel frame but it should be reliable and if used correctly should give good range and hill climbing.

mike

 

[Ian]

Hi Thomas,

I started e-biking with a budget ebay bike and the whole experience was one of continual problems of varying severity. Fortunately I am technically minded and was able keep the bike going, but after less than 6 months enough was enough and I bit the bullet and purchased an Ezee Torq, a purchase I did not regret.

There are lot of relatively cheap bikes, and not all are necessarily bad, but as Mike has stated there is a big hit or miss factor.

Good quality secondhand bikes sometimes come up for sale on the classified ads in this forum and on ebay, often selling for less than half of the new cost. However if buying anything much over a year old it would probably be wise to budget for a new battery.

Ian

 

[Beeping-Sleauty]

tuppenceworth

Hi ThomasBatley,
welcome to forum

budget bikes are a bit hit and miss there are probably loads that would give you an introduction to the world of ebike but not many may be recommended by members of this forum, due to the hit and miss factor.
to recommend anything you need to have faith in that product, most if not all will be heavy with old fashioned battery technology ie lead acid.

Yes, budget bikes abound and having heard them called 'chinese egg whisks' and 'cheap 'n' jazzy' among other putdowns, you'd be right be wary.

but after 8 months, i am still delighted with my Eco-Brand 'Whirlwind' this bike comes complete but for a lock and a carry rack, yes it comes with a steel frame, yes it comes with 'old tech' lead acid batteries as descibed by Electric.Mike above, but , these 36 volt batteries return well over 30 miles per charge, i get 38+ even after 2,000 miles and you can get them on eBay for about £60, compare that to the price of the newer hi-tech batteries.

The Whirlwind is an extremely comfortable ride, with big springs front & back, it is a pedelec and also has a throttle, really useful for the extra help setting off and climbing hills, disc brakes front and back.

i live in a hilly part of Essex and have yet to use the lowest gear for any hill,
it cruises very happily at about 18mph and will give you more if you pedal harder.

this bike cost £300 delivered to my door.

i have made about £100 of changes, increasing the size of the chainwheel to 52 teeth, adding a rack and extra lights and a couple of locks and lastly replacing the cheap knobbly tyres which were rather puncture prone.

see them on eBay, there is now an alloy version,

beeps keeps it cheap.

 

[electric.mike]

Beeping-Sleauty
you have no idea how much it cheers me up to hear a recommendation for a budget bike,a lot of hobbies and interests are started with budget buys to test the water, buying at the middle to top of the market is always best, but not always possible i bet 50% of the ebikes i see being used in grimsby are from the budget end of the market.
i must admit i never say much about my powabyke because its not very highly rated but its a great bike for me it will do every thing i ask of it with still something in reserve, and at £600 ish and £100 for a new battery i am totally happy.
mike

 

[nigel]

Nigel

Hi thomas
its not easy to choose when the budget is tight the main thing is not to rush in to buying anything as a forum member said the curry izip is cheap enough and would do a fair job on hills or take a chance on e bay good luck whatever you choose and welcome NIGEL

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

Government Tax Relief scheme

Hi -have noticed many posts about ezee star bikes that cost nearly £1000. My budget is much more limited; I don't even know if I can affird the Liv. So could anyone tell me what are the best budget bikes around? I live in west Yorkshire, so some hill climbing is necessary! Thanks.

Have you considered the Gov. Tax Relief scheme which whilst a touch complicated can, I believe, create a discount of about 50% of new cost.
Swat it up.
Peter

 

[Silver_Rover]

Hello Thomas,

I purchased my bike over the internet from All Terrain Cycles in Shipley. The reason I chose this particular dealer was that, after much Google research, it was the only one I could find that offered interest-free credit for my £600 budget. So I was able to finance my Giant Suede bike for around a £150 deposit and £12 per month over 3 years. I was quite happy with the buying experience from them. Although they currently only stock Giant & Powabyke models it may well be worth a look.

Ken

 

[thomasbatley]

Hi thomas
its not easy to choose when the budget is tight the main thing is not to rush in to buying anything as a forum member said the curry izip is cheap enough and would do a fair job on hills or take a chance on e bay good luck whatever you choose and welcome NIGEL

Thanks, Nigel. I enjoy your posts. The izip may be good enough for starters if noisy but 50 cycles don't seem to sell it any more. Do you know why or where I may buy one?

Thomas

 

[coops]

Hi Thomas

I very much agree with what you say on the cost of some ebikes.

Given that you'll want good power for hills too, that should limit your choice still further I'm afraid... but its best if you can try before you buy.

I've only limited experience of riding different ebikes, but I tried the Izip at 50cycles & was disappointed - admittedly the battery was low on charge, but the power didn't seem too good, the bike was very heavy with battery, but for me the hardest part was it was difficult to pedal for some reason - may be due to some oddity of that particular bike, but seems borne out by others' experience too.

If you don't want to pedal too much, or want to develop massive thigh muscles (!), it may be ok, but the Liv is a much better bike for the price difference, except I don't prefer the upright ride style of it, and could be a reason if 50cycles no longer stock the izip.

Cheaper bikes do look to be hit & miss, but if you find one, or a choice, which are recommended - especially for hills - then its up to you but it may be worth a try

As has been said here before though, many buy electric bikes expecting help on hills to be a given, but they'll only help on steeper slopes if the motor & gearing is powerful enough, so best do your homework & ask around before choosing.

Best of luck in your bikehunt & hope you find the right bike for the right price

Stuart.

 

[flecc]

The big problem on e-bike costs is the battery price. An eZee Li-ion is a low £250 (a bargain when the similar battery for the BionX costs about 900 dollars) but that makes a £300 bike impossible. With nickel prices being what they are, the NiMh batteries are getting too expensive or no longer available.

Lead acid is cheap, but it really is long past it's sell by date for this purpose.

 

[electric.mike]

Thomas
are you still looking for an izip try here
mike

 

[halfmedley]

Have you considered the "Synergie Mistral"? At around £499 it's in the budget range but has a Li-ion battery. Pedelec only. I've been using one nearly every day for commuting and am about to pass the 500 mile mark. Overall quality is fine, but I've replaced the tyres (for puncture resistant Schwalbes) and the dynamo (for a much better Nordlicht). It takes about 1.5 hours to recharge after a twelve mile round trip of varying terrain with some nasty inclines.

I'm quite happy with the bike so far, indeed as an introduction to the world of ebikes, it's been something of a revelation (particularly when changing the back tyre!).

Good to see that someone is asking about more affordable bikes on this forum, as it seems to be a bit of an Ezee Love-in on here sometimes. To be honest, I've not read anything that convinces me a Torq is worth three times as much as my machine. I haven't ridden one though, so can't really make a proper judgement.

Good luck in your search!

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

love-in or love-hate?

.

Good to see that someone is asking about more affordable bikes on this forum, as it seems to be a bit of an Ezee Love-in on here sometimes. To be honest, I've not read anything that convinces me a Torq is worth three times as much as my machine. I haven't ridden one though, so can't really make a proper judgement.

Good luck in your search!

See title!
Peter

 

[flecc]

To be honest, I've not read anything that convinces me a Torq is worth three times as much as my machine. I haven't ridden one though, so can't really make a proper judgement.

Likewise I've not read anything that convinces me that a Bentley Turbo Continental is worth thirty times the price of my car, or a Rolex is worth two hundred times the price of my superior atomic clock radio linked watch.

That's the way of things with all pricing, the higher up-market, the lower the proportional value, and the Torq is no different. We will always pay a premium for "special", primarily because it makes us feel special too.
.

 

[halfmedley]

Absolutely right, Mr Flecc. I hope my comments weren't misconstrued as a criticism of the Torq (or any Ezee product for that matter), as I'm sure they're fine machines.

Personally I think it behoves us as consumers, particularly in the nascent electric bike market, not to get too carried away with equating price with superiority, or cheapness with value. Whilst I'm sure the "you get what you pay for" rule holds true to a certain degree, on the other hand manufacturers (or should that be: importers?) are not charities and like us to pay handsome premiums too. Isn't that why they have marketing departments...

I wouldn't like to see electric bikes turned into an expensive niche product, which surely will happen if prices for the good machines become over-inflated. Before you know it we'll be riding around on the electric bike equivalent of 4x4's (a marketing ruse if ever there was one) and paying for the privilege!

 

[coops]

Hi halfmedley

I hope my comments weren't misconstrued as a criticism of the Torq (or any Ezee product for that matter), as I'm sure they're fine machines.

Not at all, and I share the frustration at the high prices of many ebikes - especially when, if as I do, lacking the engineering or general bike experience to be confident of whether one gets one's moneys worth, or value for money if you are willing to put in a bit extra for something special: either in the sense of an ebike being "special" in itself (since its still something of a rarity), or an ebike with "special/unique" qualities - a niche within a niche market if you like .

Got to say though, "ezee love-in" - that's truly inspired wording! I know what you're saying, but I think if there is a slant in forum content towards ezee (especially on maintainance; usage & even recommendations etc.) its only because of the large proportion of ezee riders around 50% of those who've polled (73).

I for one hope this forum remains as free, fair and neutral as possible, and I absolutely would like to hear of anyone's experiences, whether good or bad (preferably good), on any bike of any design, whether cheap or expensive (preferably cheap! ) in any country hope that covers it! That way, too, those of us less technically inclined can at least get a good idea of which bikes represent best value for money for our purposes.

I certainly hope it does not become or be considered an exclusive "club" for obvious reasons: I hope that many more will take to ebikes and benefit themselves and us all accordingly, and sadly but realistically that will only happen if performance, quality, demand, supply & competition grow to a point where prices become more attractive. So here's a forum to let your voice be heard .

 

[flecc]

Not at all Halfmedley, your remarks were very pertinent and appreciated.

The problem relating to the eZee bike exposure here is that they are very capable, have plenty of power, and are different in that they are not the usual assembly of items from the Chinese electric bike parts-bin.

That's bound to attract attention and approval, but of course it also attracts a price tag too!

However, as you've seen they are not perfect and we've had cause to criticise as well at times, sometimes to 50cycles discomfort. Self defeating though, since they often take on board criticism and improve the darn things, taking us back to square one. In truth, the ball is in other manufacturer's courts for them to improve their products to compete more effectively.

Then we'll get the lower prices.

 

[thomasbatley]

Have you considered the Gov. Tax Relief scheme which whilst a touch complicated can, I believe, create a discount of about 50% of new cost.
Swat it up.
Peter

have looked into it, but employers don't want to play!