My wife and I have just had three weeks' holiday in Europe in our new motorhome and enjoyed it immensely. What became apparent very quickly is that we need two new bicycles as with a motorhome it's not always easy to park in city centres. I've now ordered a new bike rack to be fitted!
We're both over sixty and I'm considering electric bikes as we can then go farther with less effort. The bikes won't be used for commuting or everyday use and will mainly be utilised when on holiday with the occasional ride out when at home.
I'm considering the PowaCycle range, particularly the Salisbury and Windsor with the lithium polymer battery as they are reasonably light at 22 Kg and reasonably priced too compared to others. It seems silly to spend twelve or fifteen hundred pounds on a bike that won't be used regularly, especially as I'll be buying two!
I'd be grateful for advice on the reliability and efficacy of these models and I'd also like to know which battery (lithium polymer or NiMh) is better for occasional use and may not need regular charging as often when not being used.
Also, can the batteries be charged away from the bikes or do they have to be on the cycle?
Finally, a general question about this kind of bike. Is the battery recharged by pedalling or when descending a hill? I'm curious to know if there's some kind of dynamo or generator mechanism which will take advantage of a long downhill stretch for instance, to put back some juice into the battery.
Thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to help and answer my rather long enquiry!
We're both over sixty and I'm considering electric bikes as we can then go farther with less effort. The bikes won't be used for commuting or everyday use and will mainly be utilised when on holiday with the occasional ride out when at home.
I'm considering the PowaCycle range, particularly the Salisbury and Windsor with the lithium polymer battery as they are reasonably light at 22 Kg and reasonably priced too compared to others. It seems silly to spend twelve or fifteen hundred pounds on a bike that won't be used regularly, especially as I'll be buying two!
I'd be grateful for advice on the reliability and efficacy of these models and I'd also like to know which battery (lithium polymer or NiMh) is better for occasional use and may not need regular charging as often when not being used.
Also, can the batteries be charged away from the bikes or do they have to be on the cycle?
Finally, a general question about this kind of bike. Is the battery recharged by pedalling or when descending a hill? I'm curious to know if there's some kind of dynamo or generator mechanism which will take advantage of a long downhill stretch for instance, to put back some juice into the battery.
Thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to help and answer my rather long enquiry!