Help in choosing electric bikes please!

CameraDealer

Pedelecer
Jul 12, 2007
63
14
Bolton
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!
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
Hello Camera Dealer, welcome to the forum. The Powacycles are a good light choice for your application, and I'd recommend you go for the NiMh batteries. That's because the Lithium batteries age at a constant rate whether used of not, so they'd be wasting your money when standing idle. The NiMh like any rechargeable battery should not be completely neglected though, it's important to recharge at least every three months, better two monthly, during the off-season. They naturally lose about 1% of the charge each day while standing, so will be ready for recharging at two to three month intervals.

There's no power regeneration on most bikes, only two models attempt it, but it gives a very poor return for the complexity. Bikes and riders just don't have enough mass to make reclaim of kinetic energy worthwhile.

I've heard nothing adverse about Powacycle reliability, and cannot recollect a single mention of failure in this forum. The company gives good service in my experience. The models you mention are at the budget end of course, so you won't get top of the range components, but they are more than adequate for your intermittent usage.
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Ian

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2007
1,333
0
Leicester LE4, UK.
Welcome Camera Dealer, further to the good advice given by Flecc I believe the Powacycle batteries can be removed for charging. Removing the battery also lightens the bike for transporting on racks etc, as batteries each weigh in the order of 5Kg it's a useful weight saving.

A word of warning, as I found out riding an electric bike can be addictive and you may end up using them more than you think ;)
 

CameraDealer

Pedelecer
Jul 12, 2007
63
14
Bolton
Thank you both for that very swift and good advice. I'm pleased to hear the info about the NiMh being a better proposition as they're £100 less than the Lithium Polymer version. I suppose that I could buy a spare battery with that saving.

To save weight on the bike rack I would also remove the batteries when travelling so the only real advantage of the Lithiums would seem to be their larger power output, which I presume will give more miles per charge?

My next biggest problem is that my wife will not buy a bike without first sitting on it as her last one was very uncomfortable, so I shall now try to ascertain whether PowaCycle has dealers up here in N.W. England where we can have a hands-on (or bums on!) experience.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
They're economical on both batteries, the Li-ion Polymer giving a slightly longer range as you've assumed. Perhaps like many motorhome owners you have a small generator which will enable recharging. Hopefully Powacycle will have a dealer not too far from you to try out the Windsor.

Here's the Contact page for Powacycle.
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Ian

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2007
1,333
0
Leicester LE4, UK.
so the only real advantage of the Lithiums would seem to be their large power output, which I presume will give more miles per charge?
The Powacycle lithiums do have a significantly larger capacity than their NiMh equivalents which does translate to more miles per charge, but only when new.
As Flecc has pointed out Lithium batteries lose capacity over time whether used or not, so after perhaps one year of occasional use the lithium is likely to have lost the capacity advantage it started with.

Your wife is sensible not to consider a bike without trying it, I'm sure Powacycle will be able to advise where you can try in your area.
 

CameraDealer

Pedelecer
Jul 12, 2007
63
14
Bolton
I don't use a generator as they can be a bit noisy and annoy the neighbours but we often stay on proper sites where of course there's an electric hook up.

Like most motorhomes mine has two or three 13 amp sockets, which is why I was interested to know if the batteries can be charged off the bikes. If they can only be charged in situ I can always run a cable through a window from the nearest socket but it wouldn't be my ideal manner of charging!

Thanks for the link. I'll contact PowaCycle and see if they've someone in my neck of the woods.
 

CameraDealer

Pedelecer
Jul 12, 2007
63
14
Bolton
Sorry to throw a spanner in the works but does anyone have an opinion on the eZee Liv? I've just come across a test report which rates it highly. Will its three speed hub gear be a big disadvantage over the PowerCycle's 6 speed?

Also, how does its lithium manganese battery compare to an NiMh in terms of light use as previously mentioned.

Thanks folks!
 
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Ian

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2007
1,333
0
Leicester LE4, UK.
I own two Ezee bikes that I am very happy with and although I have no personal experience of the Liv I have heard it is a very capable machine, the magazine "A to B" tested it and rated it highly.

The lithium-manganese battery has similar characteristics to other lithium types and like the others will lose capacity over a period of time whether used or not. This can be loss can be reduced by storing at a low temperature (In the fridge) in a partially charged state.

Unfortunately there is currently a world shortage of Nickel which is leading to supply problems with NiMh batteries, this is the reason most bikes are only available with lithium batteries. If considering the Liv it is worth enquiring about NiMh as the battery is the same as the other Ezee models and has in the past been available as NiMh.

PS The liv has a more powerful motor which should offset any disadvantage from the 3 speed hub, the overall gear range will be similar to the 6 speed derailiuer but with bigger steps.
 
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