Cold And Rain

[c_elder]

I'm new to the pedelec's forum but found my way here after 6 months of looking at electric bikes on and off. Basically I would like one to commute my 23 mile round trip in London. However, I've been put off by reports that rain ingress into electrical contacts and battery non-performance in the cold seriously hampers reliability.

However, looking at some of the posts in this forum I get the impression that these are now longer major gripes, especially on the newer and more top end bikes. On the other hand it is summer!

Does anyone have an opinion on water ingress and cold batteries? I am especially interested in views on :
Wisper 905e (soon to be 905Se)
Ezee Liv Plus
Ezee Forte
Gazelle Easy Glider

Thanks in advance for any input

 

[rsscott]

Hi c_elder and welcome to the forum!

I've commuted (approx 20-mile round trip) on an eZee Torq (approx 2,000 miles) and a Cyclone (cheap Chinese import ~5-6000 miles). Both have been ridden through all a British weather could throw at me including prolonged torrential rain. I've never suffered any electrical problems with either bike during those conditions.

From my own experience it's difficult to judge whether my batteries suffered in the colder conditions (sometimes I would hit red on the guage sooner than in the summer) but I attribute that more to the extra weight I was carrying in winter clothing etc..

I'm sure others will be along soon with some more experiences for you!

 

[flecc]

In brief:

The Wisper 905se will be additional to the 905e, the "e" being the normal always legal bike, the "se" being a high speed version when illegally derestricted like the eZee Torq. As with the Torq, the "se" may have some hill climb deficit as a result, but that's not yet known. I have no knowledge of waterproofing on these models. Li-ion batteries.

The eZee Liv plus, like all later eZee models has improved waterproofing and it doesn't appear to be the problem it was some while ago. It's a good medium to high power bike and remarkable value, but the three speed hub does limit steeper hill climbing. Li-ion battery.

The eZee Forte is a first class choice if high power and good gearing range is wanted for difficult hills etc, and it's a well equipped bike. Again it has the waterproofing improvements. It can also be derestricted like the Torq and proposed Wisper se for higher speeds to 22 mph. Li-ion battery.

The Gazelle is a quality bike and will definitely not suffer waterproofing problems with its Panasonic motor unit. It's capable of climbing any hill since it drives through the cycle gears, but it does so slowly as it's a low powered bike. Li-ion battery.

All batteries are affected by cold and lose some performance in winter as a result, but the effect is rarely severe in the UK, especially in the much milder winters we now enjoy. Li-ion batteries can drop voltage under excess loadings and have a protection cut-out operate, meaning switching off and back on before continuing with the journey, and this is more likely in cold weather. The important thing to remember is that these are electric assist bikes and a rider needs to do their bit when the going gets tough as in hill climbing. Leaving it all to the motor can bring an overload cut-out. The Gazelle won't have this problem though, due to it's lower power motor, and it is a pedelec only meaning you have to pedal with the motor to get power. Over most of the London area hills aren't too much of a problem anyway with just the odd exception.

Your 23 mile trip might just be possible on all these when the battery is new, but they lose capacity and will not manage that after a while. Taking the charger with you to recharge at the work end solves the problem, and some ride with a spare battery.
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[DBCohen]

In brief:

The eZee Liv plus, like all later eZee models has improved waterproofing and it doesn't appear to be the problem it was some while ago. .... Again it has the waterproofing improvements.
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Flecc,

Given these comments, as I have just taken delivery of a Cadence of recent manufacture, does that mean I don't have to worry about the waterproofing mods you mention on your site?

Thanks in advance,

David.

 

[flecc]

It probably won't need all that attention David, they've got better with both methods and their application in manufacture, and that certainly shows in the sharp drop in reports of waterproofing problems.

We've recently gone through a very wet period but there's been very little mention of this in here, and one or two have commented on ploughing through water without problems on these late models.

But of course where water and electrics are concerned, the possibility of the exception always exists, and it's usually the controller where water can disrupt, so it's a good idea to check if there's easy access for water at the cable entry points. If so, silicone sealant, bluetack or a small deflector piece of plastic to prevent direct spray access could be wise.
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[jac]

hi i ride a giant lafree every day to work have ridden it through monsoon type rain and never had a problem

jim

 

[c_elder]

Thanks to everyone, especially flecc and rsscott, for their replies. At the moment, I am tending to rule out the Gazelle and will choose between Wisper and Ezee when the 905Se is launched. Hopefully, I will be able to share some experiences on this forum after that.

 

[flecc]

Thanks c_elder, I'll look forward to your experiences. Hopefully you won't have to wait for too long before you're able to make that choice.
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