Looking for new bike

[uk_steve]

Hiya

I am Steve based in Folkestone Kent and 1st thing is 1st Hi Everybody!






I am 18 stone in weight
5ft 11inchs tall
34 years of age
I am looking for a good bike for my health needs


Basicly i want a bike which is light and 1 which can do a bit of distance with my weight in mind


Ok i got one recently via someone in Tun Wells Kent which has served me well but i am always looking at the battery power level everytime i go out i think this is strongly on my weight ratio

if i can have a light bike with a long life battery of 2 hrs or more in assistance cycle mode? i be well happy and if there is an option to take off speed limit when i am on private ground would be great as well

price range can be anything from £400-£1500 on the right bike which is going to serve me well for a few years!

here is the short spec which i have now

bike is 26kg with nimh battery 180watt motor v brakes

here is the link for full spec

eBay.co.uk: New Adult's Unisex ALUMINIUM ELECTRIC BIKE BICYCLE (item 140135886543 end time 13-Jul-07 12:24:21 BST)

as i say i deffo want a better bike then this as i really do want to use it a lot!

i have always loved the look of the bike called The Diavelo D(ja)velo but its never been made and i have been checking for the last 12mths


ps sorry about spelling i am a nightmare with grammer

Thanks

 

[coops]

Hi Steve & welcome to pedelecs

Believe it or not, weight has relatively little effect on range on flattish terrain: it will have some effect on the bike's climbing ability and range in hills though.

I'd expect the battery on your bike to give around 16-20 miles at 15mph (with normal pedalling) on the flat for most riders, so an easy way to get more range is a 2nd battery .

If you really want a new bike, for more power/speed etc. bear in mind that, although some batteries will give up to around 30 miles range on flat terrain at 15mph when new, at speeds over 15mph or in hillier terrain or after some time when the the battery capacity has reduced you are likely to need a 2nd battery to maintain the same range or 2hour ride time. Of course, if you use the power less i.e. less speed or hills climbed, you can get the same or better range & ride time .

A higher capacity battery is also roughly proportionately heavier and costlier e.g. a 36V one will be around 1.5 times or more the weight & cost of a 24V, a major consideration if you want the extra range aswell as a comfortable ride (& doesn't break the bank)!

A light bike will make an easier ride, but again won't necessarily give better range by itself .

For your budget you could certainly get what you're after and having tried a bike already you probably have a good idea how you'd like to use it, so its just a matter of how best for you to go about it .

Stuart.

 

[Ian]

Hello Steve and a warm welcome to the forum.

A bike that will give two hours of assist could be a tall order, or it could be manageable depending on how fast you go and how much effort you put on the pedals. It's probably true to say that most of the better bikes will go at least 50% further than your present bike on a charge, that's a prediction based on battery capacity alone.

Almost all bikes available now have batteries based on lithium-ion chemistry, they are lighter and theoretically give a slightly longer range than a NiMh battery of similar physical size, but unlike the NiMh battery that range will begin to deteriorate from day one. That is particularly true of batteries that are repeatedly fully discharged on long rides so a battery that initially gives good range may not be adequate after a few months of use. With that in mind it might be worth allocating some of your budget towards an additional battery(And the means to carry it!) thus ensuring you have the capacity for 2 hour+ rides and will continue to do so.

The only bikes I know of that can have the speed limiter disabled are the high end Ezee bikes, ie Torq, Forte & Forza which can supply power up to approx 22 mph, and the new version of the Wisper 905 whose capabilities are as yet unknown.
It's worth remembering that the use of this facility does reduce the range, quite considerably if used to extreme.

A lot of people had set their hearts on the Diavelo and were disappointed, it seems the bike was eventually made in the guise of the Schwinn Continental but it's not available in the UK and is not likely to be. In any case it has been reported that it's performance is only a fraction of what the hype surrounding it suggested so no surprises there

PS I just noticed Stuart got in first, at least his advice is similar so no arguments.
PPS This happens all the time

 

[uk_steve]

Thanks for the replys!

I have no idea what i want to go for but want to make sure i get it right my short list is below and want to see peoples point of view before purchase


i like the sound of the following

whisper 905e but think i meight wait for the se version

ezee forza

ezee torq

Diavelo D(ja)velo if it gets built before i buy a bike?



or after watching a few vids i meight just get one built with a currie motor or something i just cant seem to see which is the best way to go?


the whisper range just seems really good value when you go against the ezee price range

but there again i would be going across private ground a lot of the time and i would like not to be in a 15mph bracket all off the time if you get my point?

i really do make life hard for me at times he!he! i am still not clear which way to go he!he! help me folks with your views on bikes or custom bike builders

Kind Regards Steve

 

[uk_steve]

Thanks Ian

Thats 1 bike ruled out now (The Diavelo D(ja)velo)





mmm i have to see what the whisper se has to say for its self once the spec goes public, i quite like the fact there is a source in Kent as well

 

[coops]

Stuart got in first, at least his advice is similar so no arguments.

Two complimentary answers you might say good that you mentioned battery chemistry differences (Lithium type vs "Nickel metal hydride" aka NiMH) Ian, and making the same points worded in slightly different ways can help make things clearer .

If you're set on a new bike, Steve, rather than a 2nd battery for your current one, and you want to do over 15mph for any distances, then you'll likely need to factor 2 batteries into the cost Steve, at around £200-250 or more each at current prices: do your homework on the different battery types though, since not all bikes are supplied with the same battery options, Wisper only have Lithium option currently (though its a high capacity one), Ezee do NiMH too but are out of stock and recent Nickel shortages have increased prices & reduced supply of those too...

A side by side comparison of the qualities of the new wisper 905se and fairly new ezee f-series bikes may be clearer after the New Forest bike fair/rally shortly, which I think many people will be interested in .

PS You have no reason to be concerned about spelling etc. Steve, and we don't bother about such trivial issues here anyway - I hope you'll find its a friendly & relaxed forum .

Stuart.

 

[flecc]

Hi Steve, a welcome from me as well, and no apologies needed for spelling or grammar, just an appreciation of bikes needed.

The Wisper if chosen would definitely be best in the 905se version for you, since it's 13.8 Ah battery can give a range possibly in the order of about 40 miles, so your two hours use would be met if you didn't go into unrestricted mode too much.

Out of the eZee Torq and Forza, the Forza is a bit more powerful but that only shows on the hills. On the flat they are effectively similar in both restricted and unrestricted forms, though for a given usage, the Torq will probably have a slightly better range due to it's slightly lower power motor. So there the choice is between better on hills, or slightly longer range with less steep hill climb ability. The Forza is also the better featured of the two.

As said, there's no substitute for trying them out for yourself. Both companies will be at the New Milton show in the New Forest on Sunday if you could make it from Folkestone, and the new Wisper will be there as well as the eZee bikes.

Otherwise, get in touch with both Wisper for the 905se and 50cycles for the eZee models and ask for trial rides.
.

 

[uk_steve]

thank you so much!

i think it makes sence if i get my self down the bike show and see for my self or if i cant get down there for one reason or another

i think i do just what you said! telephone and speak to both companys

 

[Ian]

You have no reason to be concerned about spelling etc. Steve, and we don't bother about such trivial issues here anyway - I hope you'll find its a friendly & relaxed forum .

Quite right Stuart and Flecc. On the subject of spelling the word which always amuses me is Pedal, Pedel or Peddle, all three spellings are often seen here.

 

[uk_steve]

back to the bike i got


reason i want to upgrade to another bike is that i personly think for my needs the bike i have wont last the test of time... and the last thing i need with my personal condition is i am about 5 miles away from home and the bike breaks down on me


my problem is i cant walk far due to having a dodgy leg... so its important i have the power and a good quality bike build


i will deffo have 2 batts which ever bike i get and make sure this is an option before i buy

thanks for the input so far

 

[flecc]

If you do get down to New Milton hope to see you there Steve, weather permitting. I'll probably put a "flecc" tag on my jacket so I can be waylaid!
.

 

[coops]

my problem is i cant walk far due to having a dodgy leg... so its important i have the power and a good quality bike build

In that case Steve, I'd strongly advise you be guided by good advice to help choose a good quality & reliable model .

About the need for extra batteries: as I hinted at, and flecc said clearly, 2 batteries may not be necessary with moderate use with the Wisper 905se because of its higher capacity, and given the usually shorter lifetime & "shelf-life" & possible faster deterioration of Lithium vs NiMH, it may be inadvisable on cost grounds to have 2 unless you're sure you'll use both from day one ... on the other hand, to get best life from lithium batteries they shouldn't be discharged too deeply, so even a battery capable of up to 40 miles (flattish route @ 15mph) shouldn't be fully discharged often, so 2 hours of mostly such use with occasional unrestricted speeds would be very near its limit at new & maybe beyond its limit within a year or less for normal lithium deterioration rates. you see the difficulty of choosing we face!

I think you must decide roughly how high a capacity of battery you will need on a regular basis based on your usage, then choose your batteries accordingly e.g. 1 or 2 large capacity lithium, or 2 "normal" capacity lithium/NiMH.

I don't know how practical it would be to carry 2 such lithiums on a wisper and haven't used a lithium battery myself, but I think anyone intending to make longer trips on ebikes must choose in the way I said to avoid deep discharge of lithiums, and which may still lead to a difficulty of judging when to swap them over to avoid overdischarge when using 2 or more of them...

Stuart.

 

[coops]

As a footnote/afterthought to the above, I'm pretty much decided in my mind that the only current way to ensure ~2hours power or ~35-40+ miles range on a regular basis for the long term i.e. at least a year or more, that makes sense, is to have 2 NiMH batteries of around at least 300Wh each.

My reasoning is that, based on pedalling a derestricted Torq, range per battery is roughly between 15-30miles depending on hilliness & speed e.g.

for very hilly (but climbable) or full throttle on flat, range is ~15miles;
on mostly flat with moderate top speeds of ~17-18mph, range ~20-25 miles;
for mostly flat, 15mph top speed, range ~30miles max.

More pedalling, lower top speeds or less hills will increase range.

So for moderate unrestricted use on non-hilly routes, 2 NiMH 36V 9Ah batteries should give around 40-50 miles until fully discharged.

For the same usage from new a high capacity Lithium should give up to around 30-40miles, but to avoid damaging battery life it shouldn't be used for that full range i.e. till cut-out, and after a year the capacity and range of the battery may still have deteriorated by 33% or more, so no longer giving 2 hours use; range around 20-27 miles for the above unrestricted usage, so more like 1-1.5 hours of use only and likely decreasing to barely 1 hour or less, 13.5-20miles after 2 years.

It may seem unecessarily troublesome or costly to try to carry a 2nd battery, but several members at least have done so, a rear pannier the best place, with no trouble, and it seems the only way to me to get extra range if you want it, except for stopping to recharge of course.

I estimate 2 NiMH batteries used in this way (if they are obtainable...) should still give 32-40miles at least after several years if fully discharged regularly & depending on recharge frequency (say, every other day at most).

Stuart.

 

[Ian]

It may seem unecessarily troublesome or costly to try to carry a 2nd battery, but several members at least have done so, a rear pannier the best place, with no trouble, and it seems the only way to me to get extra range if you want it, except for stopping to recharge of course.

I carry a spare battery on longer trips when the return journey is uphill. I've just bought one of these to carry it in.

 

[urstu]

whisper batt

hi does anyone know if spare batteries are available for the whisper and the cost-thanks

 

[hawkwind]

hi does anyone know if spare batteries are available for the whisper and the cost-thanks

Hi urstu, depending on which model you have, prices can be found here...
wisperbikes