I need help please

[ding-dong]

Hello fellow forum,ers,
I am 75, I live in a very hilly area of Spain, I have very weak legs (the left one's lazy & the right one's crazy). I have been searching this fine forum for a suitable folder. I am informed that the Wisper 805fe may be suitable because it has a very low gear (16 speeds) but I am curious about the 806 Alpino with 8 Alfino gears & 6 levels of pedal assist. I would really welcome your opinions on the suitability of these two plus your views on anything else that you think may be more suitable.
Thank you for your time. Eddie (ding-dong).

 

[flecc]

All small wheel folders are intrinsically low geared since it's difficult to gear up sufficiently to offset the small wheel circumference. Accordingly the twin-chainring Wisper has it's extra chainring to give better high gears rather than any lower ones, so don't let that factor influence you where hill climbing is concerned. The 806 Alpino will be just as good in that respect.

Small wheel bikes have a mechanical advantage in hill climbing anyway, so the important factor for you will be the motor's power, rather than the bike.

We have a member, "Poppy", who lives in a mountainous part of North West Spain and he has had difficulty finding a bike to suit, but has ended up with a Spanish made, Panasonic unit powered BH-emotion bike and still finds the going tough, though it's not a folder. I mention this to stress that e-bikes never make things really easy on the steepest hills, especially when there's any physical infirmity, so it's best to try out anything before buying.

 

[Scottyf]

Could you not just get something with a higher wind to increase the hill climbing ability and then increase the controller to enable more defined "Torque". As most controllers with legal kits are not that powerful getting something with more than 10amp continuous should help on those hills (As torque goes up linear on electric motors with more amp's)

 

[ding-dong]

Thanks for your knowledgeable reply flecc. If both bikes are about the same I think it would be best to go for the 806 with the Alfino gears as they should be less troublesome when putting it in the car. Plus the 806 has a throttle which I believe should be better?? Any further info will be very welcome, thanks.
Eddie, (ding-dong).

 

[ding-dong]

Thanks Scottyf. Rather a bit over my head at present (but am slowly learning). Not sure what you mean by "a higher wind", do I have to eat more baked beans?????
Thanks, Eddie ding-dong.

 

[flecc]

The 806 is about as powerful as e-folders with gears are Eddie, but that still doesn't answer whether it will be powerful enough for you. The most powerful folder I know, the eZee Quando has no rider gears, so although it's motor is excellent on moderate hills and needs little help from the rider, on steeper hills the lack of rider low gears means it fails to measure up.

Scotty was referring to the motor's internal windings of it's coils, suggesting one that was designed to maximise climb power. That means getting the motor kit or parts separately and converting an existing folder. I know that Spain's e-bicycle retailing isn't very well developed yet, so that could be difficult if you don't have the necessary aptitude.

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

Dear Eddie

You need a powerful hub motor.

Small wheels will increase its hill climbing ability by effectively reducing its gearing.

Small wheels will also reduced the centre of gravity of the bike and make it feel more stable at low speed.

If you have any difficulty in getting on or off a bike or a little unconfident (of course, none of this may apply), a step-through frame would be helpful.

Put all this together and the classic bike is the eZee Chopper, now replaced by the Street

eZee Street Electric Bike

There are plenty of electric bikes which meet this description, some much much cheaper. The advantage of the eZee is the power of its motor, plus general quality and support.

It is essential that you try out any bikes on terrain similar to that on which you will be using the bike. You would need to check that they can cope with the steep hills on which you will be riding.

Good luck

Andy

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Eddie,

Have you considered an electric bike conversion kit fitted to the folding bike of your choice?
I can supply an eZee kit with a front or rear hub motor for virtually any bike.

Let me know if I can help.

 

[ding-dong]

Hi Andy, thanks for your very useful input, I have just checked the Quando 11 & see it comes with only one gear--would this be a big disadvantage??
thanks in anticipation Eddie ding-dong.

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

Yes, Eddie, my apologies. I should have checked the gearing. A single speed would not do. Forget that one. Andy

Edit: have deleted the reference to the Quando.

 

[ding-dong]

O/K Andy, I think you were just checking to see if I was alert.
I have seen a 26" wheel folding push bike (250 quid) and maybe get an ezee kit to fit it but need to look into that in a bit more depth (motor size etc (for off road of course)??? Thanks again Eddie.

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

Why 26" and why folding?

I've got one, by the way, a Dahon Espresso. Jolly good bike and its fold means that it can be put a car or kept indoors. But do you need that?

From your description, you need hill climbing. For that you need small wheels to maximise the hill climbing ability of the hub motor.

What gradient do you need to go up and what can you manage on an unpowered bike?

 

[PennyFarthing]

Are your legs really that bad or were you just joking? Just checking you are looking into the correct bike for your situation.

 

[ding-dong]

Thanks guys, If I walk up the (steep) hill to my house, I have to walk very slowly & keep stopping for a couple of minutes as my legs start to ache. I have now discovered a more gentle but longer route which may be more suitable.?. I need a folder as I go caravan touring in Europe & would use the bike to get closer to the tourist spots. I only mentioned the 26" wheel because that was the only one that the shop had, if as you say a 20" would be better then I will do a search of the area to see if I can locate one. I suppose if you build your own "kit bike" you should finish up with a product more suitable for the job (as long as you know what you are doing). I used to be a motor bike mechanic so building a kit should'nt be to difficult. Once again thank you for your very valued input. Eddie

 

[ding-dong]

Hello helpers, today I have been having a scout around bike shops & I came across a Dahon Vitesse P18 (18 gears), it looks a really nice bike (800 quid ish) 20" wheels. What do you think???. What would be a good front wheel kit to go for???. All sugestions will be very helpfull.
Thanks for all your help folks. Eddie.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hello helpers, today I have been having a scout around bike shops & I came across a Dahon Vitesse P18 (18 gears), it looks a really nice bike (800 quid ish) 20" wheels. What do you think???. What would be a good front wheel kit to go for???. All sugestions will be very helpfull.
Thanks for all your help folks. Eddie.

Hi Eddie,

Nice bike, I like Dahon, but with and electric bike, you are never going to need 18 gears, 7, 8 or 9 would be quite sufficent. There is a good selection here Dahon Folding Bikes Sale - J E James Cycles - Bike Shop for less money which would leave you with more to spend on an eZee front wheel kit like this one below

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

Eddie

That is a very expensive bike and it is unlikely to be necessary to spend that much on something that you are going to put an electric motor on.

But!

Before you spend anything...

Do you ride at the moment and if so what gradients can you ride up?

How much do you weigh? Apologies for asking, but it has a big effect on the hill climbing ability of an electric bike.

What do you mean by steep, what gradient?

I am worried that you may end up spending a great deal of money on an electric bike which is not going to work for you in your particular circumstances.

Best wishes

Andy

 

[ding-dong]

Hi Andy. I have taken some details from google maps. In 1 mile the rise is 288 ft. in actual fact it is only half a mile long. I have not ridden for years but I am pretty sure I would need a lot of assistance I have been told by the doctor that it is bad circulation (or arthritis). I will obviously try to imput a bit to maybe improve my problem (may be in the tour de France next year) (on an e-bike of course??). My weight is 70 kilo. Please note I am not a cripple, I can stand at the bar for hours no problem.
Thanks for your genuine interest. Eddie

 

[flecc]

So over half a mile that's a 1 in 9 hill (11%), getting into the steeper region. On the basis that the rise probably wont be constant and will have bits steeper, the average e-bike motor is enough for anyone who is fully fit, but with any impairment I'd recommend one of the more powerful options.

The eZee hub motors are an obvious choice, and it's a pity it has to be a folder, since the compact eZee City Bike mentioned above is a champion climber that will murder that hill. Failing that, equipping a folder with an eZee kit or one of the higher power (but illegal) SB motors would be ok.