new ebike or convert mtb

[wookie7070]

My employers are starting a Cycle to Work scheme starting next week and it got me thinking about a new bike. I have never cycled to work before but have started going out quite regularly with the family recently doing a 12 mile round trip which was both fun and easy to manage.

The cycle to work scheme is through Halfords so the £1000 will be adhered to and I will be stuck with suppliers who will work through Halfords.

My commute is 9 miles, one way, and includes 1.5 miles flat well surfaced cycle path with the rest being A roads with quite a few long hill sections but nothing horrendously steep. I am 16 stone, 6 foot and not as fit as I should be. That said I could cycle to work under my own steam if I had to. Time is the major issue for me as I recon it would take 40/50 mins to cycle unaided. An ebike should be able to shave a good 10 mins off that, possibly more, and when parking is taken into account the time should start to be competitive with the car.

My current bike is a Claud Butler Cape Wrath D27 which is pretty well specced as far as I can tell and is both comfy and easy to ride.

Having looked at the posts on here for a few days I have came to the conclusion that a new bike from Juicybikes or Kudos may be the best option through CTW but I would also consider one of the other better specced bikes from Kalkhoff, Cytronex or Oxygen outwith the CTW sceme.

My other option is to convert my existing bike. I am relatively handy and think I could manage the DIY but the range of kits seems to be harder to compare than the ebikes.

Whatever bike I end up with I will be pedalling. I hope this will end up a life changing decision both health wise and fitness wise as well as financially. If I can commute through the winter it would mean I could drop one of our cars which would be a massive benefit to the family coffers.

So to sum up.

Do I start with a new bike through CTW or bite the bullet with a fancy well specced ebike financing the purchase myslef. Alternatively do I convert my existing steed.

I appreciate there is no substitute for actually trying bikes out but there doesn't appear to be much scope for the models mentioned up ion Edinburgh. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi wookie7070

You have a perfect bike for conversion

You can come and try one off our kits

I would recommend the rear wheel kit

Or Ezee

Cyclezee Ltd - Home

Or the New Daahub from wisper

D a a H u b By Wisper Wisper Electrifies Cycling

Frank

 

[JuicyBike]

You're right Wookie, there are few places to try in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative is an extremely well run shop, with an excellent staff attitude, clean and friendly with a great range of bikes - at least their shop in Manchester is. Ask them for a try of one of our Juicy Bikes (they are considering stocking us there).

It's a great pity your company is restricting you to Halfords for the scheme, which, though changed since the new government, who are clawing back a greater amount of VAT than of old, still gives a good saving.

There are many kits available to you, to convert your existing bike. Make sure you will still be able to use the front disk - with our latest kit (£550) you would have to rely on V Brakes at the front. You will also need to establish whether you can fit the kit motor inside your existing forks. With ours, the distance between the drop-outs needs to be at least 98mm.

It does seem sensible to adapt your existing bike and create your own unique and perfect vehicle. If you want to take full (£1,000) advantage of the scheme then a trip to Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative is worth taking.
Good luck!

 

[andyh2]

If you're limited to Halfords for your CTW it looks like the only e-bikes they do is Urban Mover models. I've no idea how they compare to the competition or what other e-bike suppliers can work through Halfords?

I think most of these company schemes will have clauses to say you can't modify the bike as it's actually the employers bike so adding an aftermarket kit wouldn't normally be within the rules

If your company lets you buy the bike after a year (and they can't agree to do that in advance) then you'll be paying 25% of purchase price including VAT. That cost reduces in later years (see table here; EIM21667a - Particular benefits: bicycles: simplified approach to valuing cycles sold to employees after end of loan period)

It means that if your company is VAT registered and you do scheme for a year and then are able to buy the bike you'll save about 33%. That assumes that your salary sacrifice rental payments are based on 75% of the bike cost net of VAT, as your company will get the final 25% back at the end of 12 months. The 33% saving goes up to about 40% if the agreement is for 4 years.

Worthwhile, but not as good as the 50% saving available before HMRC came up with their standard valuations (who said 'joined up government'!).

There are a few dealers with hub motored bikes to demo in Scotland, but no current 2011 Panasonic motored bikes available to demo in Scotland, which is frustrating. It's definitely worth trying both hub and crank motored if you can to see what you prefer.

Given that average temp for 3 months was 0.5C last Winter you might want to check out Marathon Winter studded tyres if you want to commute year round

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Wookie 7070,

Your Claud Butler hardtail is a similar in style to my BMC front motor demonstrator as shown below, although with eZee kits you have the choice of a front or rear motors depending on your personal preference.



Cheers for the mention Frank The Pedelec Forum, what a friendly place to be

 

[wookie7070]

Thanks for all the help guys. Looks like a conversion seems the sensible option. That suits me as I will end up keeping a bike I like and not have to worry about storing another bike.

I like the look of the Daahub and looking at your BMC, which is indeed similar looking to my bike, that would fit the bill too. Looks like the Wisper is the keenest price and the two year warranty on the ezee looks good.

Any views on what is the easiest kit to fit and what would be the lightest. Do I have the choice to go front or rear wheel drive. If I fit it at the rear I presume the kit wheel has gears so how would that work with my existing gears. If fitted at the front how would it work in terms of controls with the two sets of thumb controls already on the bike. Hope that made some sense.

 

[wookie7070]

Halfords can buy in bikes from other suppliers so it isn't out of the question that I could order a Juicy bike through them. I am a Civil Servant, stop booing at the back, so the Vat will not be being reclaimed or so I am told. The Cycle to work sceme looks like it will save a few quid so I would like to take advantage of that if possible but the conversion kit idea is winning at the moment. Mind you I have changed my mind about 3 times already on Kit or Complete. It will get harder when I have to narrow down makers etc. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[alexk-il]

My 2C's.

If you decide to go with modifying your rear hub, don't forget to check if there is enough room both for the hub and for for the 9 gear sprocket that your bike have.

Great bike, by the way.

 

[wookie7070]

So I would use my existing gears whether the hub is front or rear mounted. That makes sense now. I thought the hubs had gears. I'll measure the distance of both front and rear tomorrow.

 

[Cyclezee]

I like the look of the Daahub and looking at your BMC, which is indeed similar looking to my bike, that would fit the bill too. Looks like the Wisper is the keenest price and the two year warranty on the ezee looks good.

Any views on what is the easiest kit to fit and what would be the lightest. Do I have the choice to go front or rear wheel drive. If I fit it at the rear I presume the kit wheel has gears so how would that work with my existing gears. If fitted at the front how would it work in terms of controls with the two sets of thumb controls already on the bike. Hope that made some sense.

Hi again Wookie7070,

I am not going to make exaggerated claims about the eZee kit, but I think you would find performance wise, it is one of the most powerful and torquey on the market. It also has a proven track record with thousands of eZee bikes and kits sold around the world.

An eZee kit can be fitted in two or three hours, personally I take longer, because I don't consider it to be something that needs to be hurried. When fitted, most people never remove them, so it might be something you only do once. An eZee kit weighs 7 to 8 Kg including battery., depending mainly on which one of the range of eZee batteries is chosen.

In you case Wookie, a 9 speed Freewheel can be supplied and fitted to rear motor hub and you existing dérailleur would work as it does now. If you chose a front motor, your gears remain unchanged.

A throttle which replaces a handle bar grip activates the motor, so this takes up no extra space on the bars. The only other control on the handle bars is the LED battery meter or alternatively a Cycle Analyst, which can also be supplied. Either one of these take only 20mm of space on the bars.

 

[Cyclezee]

So I would use my existing gears whether the hub is front or rear mounted. That makes sense now. I thought the hubs had gears. I'll measure the distance of both front and rear tomorrow.

Hi again,

For an eZee kit you need 100 mm space +/- 5mm between the front drop-outs and 130 mm +/- 5 mm at the rear.

I like Civil Servants, my daughter is one

 

[andyh2]

Not being able to reclaim VAT means saving on CtW is 24% if a 1 year deal, rising to 30% if a 4 year deal.

 

[Cyclezee]

I like the look of the Daahub and looking at your BMC, which is indeed similar looking to my bike, that would fit the bill too. Looks like the Wisper is the keenest price and the two year warranty on the ezee looks good.QUOTE]

One more thing, all eZee kits and parts include VAT and free delivery within the UK

All motor wheels are fitted with Schwalbe Marathon Plus puncture resistant tyres as standard.

 

[Caph]

Hi Wookie, if you don't mind a bit of DIY then you would definitely be better off getting a kit especially if you've already got such a good quality bike to fit it to. Believe it or not, your bike is better specced than the new Storck Raddar and that's nearly £3k so that puts in to perspective the savings you are going to make. The only problem areas are making sure you've got enough room on the bottom bracket for the magnetic disk (at worst this will involve buying a longer BB), and fitting the battery (which usually involves making sure you can fit a rear rack).

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the Sunlova conversion kit, it's great value for money and half the price of Daahub. It's got a top speed of about 18mph and the three pedelec speed settings are 10mph, 13mph and 15mph. I went for it after recommendations on this forum and I'm glad I did.

I'd recommend a front hub kit with a connector because then you can convert your bike back to a "normal" bike in just a couple of minutes.

 

[spankdanny]

Hi wookie. I have just fitted a bafang bpm kit from BMS battery to my mountain bike. I had some problems fitting a thumb throttle with the existing quick shift levers. I found by trimming the plastic levers I could get it all to work. Not that I need 27 gears anymore.

 

[TylerD]

I appreciate there is no substitute for actually trying bikes out but there doesn't appear to be much scope for the models mentioned up ion Edinburgh. Thanks in advance for any help.

Hello wookie7070, if you're stiil interested in trying a pedelec and are able to get to Glasgow, Cyclelife in Dumbarton Road should be able to help . I tried a Raleigh Dover , which is meant to be almost the same bike as the Kalkhoff Agattu, there last week. Thye were very helpful and actually ordered the Dover from Raleigh for me to try as they didn't have one in the shop