Looking for a ebike

[netmike1]

I have decided to get back cycling after 25 years, I used to travel around the country rideing bmx on tracks & trails, with the odd mountain bike session.

So today I dropped into a local shop to me, im in the midlands leicester city, to view some ebikes, there website is advertising names of, haibike, ghost, lapierre, Raleigh.

How disappointed was i?
The range they had on show was only two haibike & a few other makes, absolutely shocking.

Where can I go & actually view/sit on bikes? Midlands area?

 

[saneagle]

I have decided to get back cycling after 25 years, I used to travel around the country rideing bmx on tracks & trails, with the odd mountain bike session.

So today I dropped into a local shop to me, im in the midlands leicester city, to view some ebikes, there website is advertising names of, haibike, ghost, lapierre, Raleigh.

How disappointed was i?
The range they had on show was only two haibike & a few other makes, absolutely shocking.

Where can I go & actually view/sit on bikes? Midlands area?

What exactly do you want the bike for? Do you have plenty of money to waste? How heavy are you and what sort of hills do you expect to have to ride up? Are you good at fixing things and capable of doing bike maintenance? Answers to these questions will help you choose an appropriate ebike for your needs rather than how many letters are in the brand name.

 

[netmike1]

Yup, i can fix, maintenance etc, it would be for tracking across countryside & forests, plus the odd jump if i come across any.

 

[saneagle]

Yup, i can fix, maintenance etc, it would be for tracking across countryside & forests, plus the odd jump if i come across any.

Still two questions unanswered!

 

[thelarkbox]

Try hanging around the bike racks at tesco etc...


You might find more millage with a fully featured 2nd use ebay bike and applying a conversion kit. This will avoid the bespoke and closed systems used by most Branded ebike offerings which can brick a bike and limit options.

It was a bit of a gut punch this end when i realised the sleek built in control systems and batteries of the bikes i had set my eyes on when first looking myself are the very features that make them unsuitable for any rational purchaser. (replacement batteries to fit a custom shape cost £££££ and control systems that reject any component (battery) not provided by the manufacturer!!

Ask about replacement batteries for any bike you consider, the answer if vague will be very telling.

Generic compliant with the regs kits complete with batteries start at circa £400, if you want the most performance possible Woosh sell a Mid drive kit with a legit 250w rating that is rated as high as 750w? in different market places.. go figure? but if oomph is needed to climb a near vertical hill that would probably be your best option.

If set on a new bike check out the warranty conditions and service requirements, as well as the availability and cost of spares.. Battery packs have a limited life, is your new bike designed to outlast the battery pack? or will new a battery packs cost be on par with a new bike when the time comes?? And avoid any bike with battery communication features!

 

[Peter.Bridge]

There's quite a lot of us that have converted bikes, either using hub motors or mid drive kits. The bikes with mid drive kits seem fine for off roading, even going up rough, steep inclines quite slowly, but I would probably draw the line at big jumps, I think you are then in the realm of Bosch motored bikes, lots of people here have them and generally seem quite pleased, but are relatively expensive to buy and service and maintain (maintenance of the Bosch system has to be done at a bike shop)

 

[matthewslack]

Jumps are a bad idea if you want your bike to last! Landing with your weight on the pedals puts high stress through the crank area, which is where the sophisticated and potentially slightly delicate torque sensor lives in mid-drive bikes. Asking for trouble putting more punishment than necessary through there.

Leaving jumps aside, the more off-road you intend, and the rougher and hillier it is likely to be, the more you are pushed towards a mid-drive. Canals, forests and normal roads you will likely be fine with a hub motor, but better converting a decent bike than buying many of the off the shelf models. You get to choose the componentry, rather than living with someone else's idea of value engineering.