inexpensive e-bike for 6 miles commute

[trex]

It looks nice. I think 10Ah battery would be enough so it's only £599.
But are there reasons to pick it over other ones?
http://www.therange.co.uk/silent-force-electric-bike/-/search-engine-friendly-text/fcp-product/90325
http://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/Item/Brands/PowaCycle/PowaCycle_Prague_Electric_Bike.aspx
http://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/Item/Brands/Cyclotricity/Cyclotricity_Sahara_Electric_Bike.aspx

you can generally count on traders on this forum for good service, like Cyclotricity, Cyclezee, Kudos, Woosh etc -
The Range handles 65000 lines in their mailorder catalog. The bike sold by Therange (CDS Superstores) is a one off, it's the best VFM bike out there at the moment but beware, the bike can potentially be of old stock, the battery may not have been kept in charge for a very long time.
The Powacycle Prague has 24V 10AH battery - pretty gutless. You would be better off with the £699 Cyclotricity Sahara or the £625 Woosh Santana for a step through.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Marcin,my experience is that 24 volt is low powered,I took a big customer out for a test ride and he struggled up our test hill,our 36 volt Kudos Secret bike and he made it up the hill with minimal rider input.
We bought a rack for £15.00 that easily fitted all our performance bikes including the LEBC Vita bike ,the Vita has mudguards,kickstand and lights as standard.
KudosDave

 

[John F]

you can generally count on traders on this forum for good service, like Cyclotricity, Cyclezee, Kudos, Woosh etc -
The Range handles 65000 lines in their mailorder catalog. The bike sold by Therange (CDS Superstores) is a one off, it's the best VFM bike out there at the moment but beware, the bike can potentially be of old stock, the battery may not have been kept in charge for a very long time.
The Powacycle Prague has 24V 10AH battery - pretty gutless. You would be better off with the £699 Cyclotricity Sahara or the £625 Woosh Santana for a step through.

I went for a "cheap bike" - the Woosh Santana CDL step through at £800. It seemed to me that spec was as good, or better than some at a far higher price. Are the components "cheap"? I don't think so.

I am a 95kg 67 year old guy, and have done 650 miles. The bottom bracket is smooth and has no play. The rims and spokes are the same as when they were new, with no broken spokes. The front disc, and rear brake are still performing well. The wheel bearings are smooth and have not required adjusting. The motor is quiet and sounds as it did on day 1.

The bike reminds me of a Lada! Basic looking, but seemingly pretty robust in the engineering department. I'm also a convert to step thrus. I think it's safer for getting on and off as it's a heavy bike. It also encourages a more laid back approach to riding. No Lycra for me!

The downside is obvious - you need to be handy with the tools which I am, because I can't take it the shop to be sorted. This would be an issue if you needed it 5 days a week for commuting. I did have electrical issues early on which I actually enjoyed sorting out with Woosh, whilst learning a lot about eBikes.

The only niggle is that the chain was not up to the job, in my opinion (others disagree) but it seems I'm not alone in this (see my thread "How long should an ebike chain last)

The bike came with a 15amp battery, bigger than nearly all the bikes under £1K. It's essential to buy a bike with the biggest battery (whilst bearing in mind the cost of course) because if you enjoy the ebike experience as much as I have, you'll be going further and further on each ride!

 

[OldBob1]

Hi Marcin have you thought of a folder basic 24 volt should do 25 miles on a charge and if member at work suggest taking you home in there car on a crappy night you can fold it up and put it in the boot!

 

[Chainring]

6 miles is not too far for normal bicycle, but usually I feel lazy in the morning and give up.
So I'd like to use engine when going to work and pedals when going back.
The steepest hill on my way has gradient 8-9%.
I was thinking about Cyclotricity Sahara and PowaCycle Prague (both £700), but I've just read on this forum about Silent Force ebike from The Range that costs only £500. All have aluminium step-over frames.
Should I consider other bikes in this price range? Which one is the best value for money?

We are not far from a branch of The Range, and I intend to go and have a look at this bike, if they have one to view. From their photograph, it looks very European and practical. As someone else has said, they are not in a position to give any service,just like B&Q and their mowers, so you will be on your own once you've purchased. My Woosh Santana at £625 has done me well for 1900 miles in ten months, with help from Woosh when I had any problems, which were few. I, personally, would like a 3-speed setup, like the model at the Range, and like the one Cycleezee do at £695. I don't think a lot of contributors to this forum realise that a lot of people in the UK are on a low income, which is why they are looking for transport they can afford. It's all very well to tell someone to spend £2000 on a bike, but do they have that sort of money? The trend in the UK seems to be towards style before practicality. The same applies to motorcycles. Once you get across the Channel, you see a change in how people approach the question of transport.

 

[Cyclezee]

I called in to our local branch of The Range in Milton Keynes this morning and asked about the bikes, but the staff knew nothing about them.

Maybe they are only available online?

 

[Marcin]

The bike sold by Therange (CDS Superstores) is a one off, it's the best VFM bike out there at the moment but beware, the bike can potentially be of old stock, the battery may not have been kept in charge for a very long time.
The Powacycle Prague has 24V 10AH battery - pretty gutless. You would be better off with the £699 Cyclotricity Sahara or the £625 Woosh Santana for a step through.

Both Sahara and Santana are very reasonable. I like how Cyclotricity Sahara looks and its low weight. On the other hand it seems that all cables are just strapped to the frame. I've been also considering conversion kit, but at the same price I can get a bike from The Range. So I'm inclined to buy the Silent Force bike, despite the fact that not much is known about it - I couldn't find any reviews.

 

[Marcin]

I've sent email to Silent Force asking about the weight and got a reply quickly:

I'm Annie, working for Silent Force B.V. in the Netherlands. I got the forwarded message from our colleague about your question on the weight of bike.
Total weight for the bike is 34Kg as indicated by the specification of the website of the range. It's gross weight, inclusive the weight of the bike itself, weight of the battery, weight of the carton and all package material.
Net weight for the bike with battery (as you inquired) is around 26Kg.

 

[trex]

marcin,
you could have also asked them for the cost and availablity of replacement battery and motor and if this model is being discontinued.
Their list price is Eur 1,400, huge saving.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's a standard 24v rack battery, so can use any battery on that it. At replacement time you could up-rate to 36v.

 

[trex]

good point. The bike looks straightforward for upgrade when the time comes, the parts alone are well worth the asking price.

 

[Marcin]

It's a standard 24v rack battery, so can use any battery on that it. At replacement time you could up-rate to 36v.

That's what I hoped for. But according to the spec the battery is 36V 10Ah

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Which spec? I thought it was 24V from a previous post somewhere. Maybe I'm wrong. Whatever, a standard 36v rack battery will fit.

 

[Marcin]

Which spec?

the one linked from 'the spec' phrase above
i.e. http://www.silent-force.eu/producten/Fietsen/electrical_bike_SF0103/

 

[Marcin]

I called in to our local branch of The Range in Milton Keynes this morning and asked about the bikes, but the staff knew nothing about them.

Maybe they are only available online?

Apparently :-(
I called Swindon branch and was told I can only buy it online.

 

[trex]

marcin, have you bought it yet?

 

[Marcin]

marcin, have you bought it yet?

yes, waiting for delivery

 

[flapajack]

It's a standard 24v rack battery, so can use any battery on that it. At replacement time you could up-rate to 36v.

Can you just upgrade the battery from 24V battery to a 36V one without causing problem for the motor/controller, for example a Kalhoff Pro Connect with the 26V Panasonic motor?

 

[aardvark5]

I have a £799 Cyclotricity Stealth for a 10 mile round commute every day and I couldn't be happier. Obviously I now need time to see how long it lasts.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

6 miles is not too far for normal bicycle, but usually I feel lazy in the morning and give up.
So I'd like to use engine when going to work and pedals when going back.
The steepest hill on my way has gradient 8-9%.
I was thinking about Cyclotricity Sahara and PowaCycle Prague (both £700), but I've just read on this forum about Silent Force ebike from The Range that costs only £500. All have aluminium step-over frames.
Should I consider other bikes in this price range? Which one is the best value for money?

Hi Marcin

You may like to consider the latest bike from the FreeGo Wisper stable.

The bike will be in the UK early May and will retail at £799.00.

The FreeGo Falcon is a full 26" road bike that weighs in at 14kg, has a sine wave controller keeping the motor noise to almost nil. It has been designed specifically for the commuter with a range of about 15 miles, with a second battery option to boost the range to 30 miles if needed. The Falcon features a bottle battery by Sanyo and a patented controller that fits inside the seat post tube, it hardly looks like an electric bike at all. Very discrete!

We are particularly excited about this all matt black beauty and have already sold more than half the first container. We offer, through our dealer network, a 0% finance deal, making the bike VERY affordable. £200 deposit and £24.95 per MONTH. Most Londoners will be spending more than that each WEEK on their Oyster cards!

If anyone is interested in ordering one of these amazing machines, please drop me a line and I will send full details. david@freegowisper.com

All the best

David