Replacing my pedelec

[Maddz]

I'm about coming to the end of my patience with the unreliable Kalkhoff I have. My dealer has suggested replacing it with a full suspension model (loads of pot holes locally especially on the cycle tracks) but I don't know if that will work with my lack of flexibility these days.

So, what I need is:

* A step-through frame/commuter bike in small/medium (I'm 5' 5.5'' female with relatively short legs for my height)
* Battery pack under the rear pannier or handlebar mounted (I have to haul it up a flight of steps and get it on the back of the car)
* Decent range with a 100 kg rider (I'm lucky to get 10 miles on one charge with the Kalkhoff on sport mode)
* Hub gears (the bike lives outside under a cover and I can't cope with derailleur)

My dealer no longer handles Kalkhoff and given my experience with the current one I'm not keen either.

So, can anyone suggest anything?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

We need a bit more info to narrow down the choice.
How much do you want to spend?
How far do you need to go?
How hilly are your rides?
Was there something that made your Kalkhoff inadequate?

 

[Kudoscycles]

Hi,it would be easy to recommend many bikes excepting that requirement to 'haul it up a flight of stairs and onto back of a car'
the problem with all step-thru's is that they are normally quite heavy,upwards of 25kg.
It may seem a strange recommendation but how about a light folder with 20" wheels,our Secret model is 18kg,the range is a good 25 miles,the bike is nicely balanced for hauling around.
Could you manage a low x-bar bike like our ECO model,it ticks all your boxes but still up in the 25kg weight.
Alternatively,could you manage an MTB style bike but with a very low seat tube,like our Arriba or Cobra bikes,these are light,with the battery removed only 17kgs-they are very easy to mount because of the 46cm seat tube height.
Good luck with your search.
Kudosdave

 

[Maddz]

OK, in order:

Money: I paid £1400 for the Kalkhoff, and with PX I'm happy to spend as much or a bit more.

My daily commute is 3 miles total, with the occasional trip into town which adds an extra mile plus the only hill in town. Once in a while I'll take the bike further afield. I'd like to extend my range and use the bike more on weekends for longer trips but the range I was getting was poor enough for me not to want to do that (I needed to recharge every 2-3 days so was lucky to get 10 miles). Ideally I want to only recharge once a week.

Hills: There's a single hill which I only need to go up if I go into town at lunch. Going to work there's a slight gradient which you can't see but I feel in my knees on an ordinary bike. Otherwise there's various bridges and the slope up from the river if I do a supermarket run on the way home.

There was no single problem with the Kalkhoff - it just seemed to go in and out of the workshop with astonishing regularity and frankly didn't seem reliable. It was in for 2.5 months over Xmas waiting for a new wiring loom & controller, last week the display has packed up so it's stuck on power mode, and now the motor won't engage even though there's power going to it so it's back in the workshop until new parts can be obtained. I bought it Feb 2012, go figure. Part of the problem is the poor state of the local roads and cycle paths after a couple of bad winters and the astonishing number of speed humps in the area so we think it just can't cope with all the rattling and bouncing.

The stated flight of steps is ramped, but the ramp is on one side and is designed for pushchairs not bikes. You have to hold your bike at a 45 degree angle to clear the wall. Getting it onto the car is a matter of getting onto the tow bar carrier I have. I use a false xbar which helps but it's still a bit of a struggle if I'm on my own. It's only for when I need to get the bike to the workshop & back (they're the other side of town) or if I want my bike when I'm away.

The problem I have with xbars or mountain bike styles is that I have bad knees, gout and am generally not very flexible any more. I last used a bike with a xbar 30 years ago and after coming off it 3 times in a day I swore never again. I can usually get on OK, it's getting off that's the problem - I can't lift my legs high enough and tangle myself in the frame. Also, I do wear a skirt to the office every so often if we are expecting visitors or I have a formal meeting and the work changing area is poor.

I'd rather not have a small-wheeled bike any more - I used a Raleigh Hercules Hunter for many years until my knees got too bad and I switched to a large-wheeled Universal. I've not tried a folding bike but it's the small wheels which I find off-putting.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

So to summarise your requirements:
Step-through
Large wheels
Light-weight
Reasonably powerful
Able to take rough terrain
Range of about 30 miles or more without pedalling hard?
Easily removable battery for charging
Price up to about £1600?

I need to think about that for a bit, but I'm sure others will be able to come up with something.

 

[AlMel]

How about the Moustache Lundi 26 Nuvinci ?
Very solid, hub gears, stylish, battery under pannier rack, good range (400Wh battery).
Negatives: price around £2650; weight 25.6kg.

Moustache Bikes | Lundi 26 NUVINCI

Note: I’m biased, I have a Moustache Samedi 9s.

 

[ghouluk]

hmmm its step-through, light, and good on bumps that are foxing me.

We looked at a lot of bikes with step-through being high priority for my wife, and none of them were particularly light.

might be worth taking a look at the ave ch special edition, its well built and designed, 300 pounds under budget and seems to have a system where you can wheel it from the back without the bars turning which might suit your ramp climbing? it also has decent hub gears, climbed really well and had a good amount of power.

I also think i'd be shouting at the bike shop loudly, never mind trading it in, they should be replacing it with that kind of failure statistic.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I can't think of any full suspension step-through bikes with big wheels. If you can get to Bristol in 4 weeks time, there'll be a big show with loads of different bikes to try, which might give you some ideas, and you can often get show discounts.

Here's a few that come closest to your requirements.

The Tonaro Compy, the same as what Funkylyn has, although you don't have to be funky to own one. Good price from Cyclezee.
Tonaro Compy - electric bikes and conversion kits

The Ezee Sprint LDS has a strong powerful motor and simple electrics.
eZee Sprint 8 - electric bikes and conversion kits

Various Bosch-motored bikes. All have the same motor - more powerful than your present one. The price starts from about £1600, but you have to shop around. This is the cheapest I can find in a quick search:
http://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/shop/electric-bikes-trikes/bosch/bosch-ave-th-5-electric-bike/prod_809.html

 

[Mike63]

I also think i'd be shouting at the bike shop loudly, never mind trading it in, they should be replacing it with that kind of failure statistic.

.....Not half

....I have had 2 brand new Urban Mover UM44 U Sprite ebikes..buying a step through model after coming off my first which was a x bar style....never a minutes bother with either in 2 years and 5000 miles.
...granted I struggle to get 30 miles on a charge but 25 miles is easy and the power is always on.
...both bikes cost less than 1K each...never even a puncture with Shwalbe Marathon Plus tyres.

I can now buy a Fast4Ward Ride 36 from the same stable for £1000 so I am forced to ask myself why I am looking at £2000 bikes.

.....Mike

 

[Maddz]

The Bosch looks closest to my requirements. It really depends on how robust it is - will it stand up to the rattle and bounce I get?

The eZee has the battery pack located behind the seat pillar which adds to the length of the bike (more of a struggle to get it loaded on the car), and the Tonaro has derailleurs which don't work for me as my bikes live outside and (I think) are used as scent marks for the local feline population.

 

[Maddz]

I also think i'd be shouting at the bike shop loudly, never mind trading it in, they should be replacing it with that kind of failure statistic.

Everything has been done under guarantee so far; unfortunately the bike is now out of warranty. I think they tried to get a replacement, but the distributor won't play ball. Let's say that my dealer is now not selling Kalkhoffs.

Frankly it reminds me of a Dagenham special my sister once had.

 

[jhruk]

Riese & Müller do several full suspension step-throughs, although I’m not sure they’ll meet all the other criteria, particularly price. I understand Wisper have just been appointed UK distributor for R&M, so may have some to try at the Bristol event.

E-Bikes | riese und müller

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Riese & Müller do several full suspension step-throughs, although I’m not sure they’ll meet all the other criteria, particularly price. I understand Wisper have just been appointed UK distributor for R&M, so may have some to try at the Bristol event.

E-Bikes | riese und müller

4,3000 Euros; Cough! Quick nurse, oxygen!

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Yes indeed we have, the press releases regarding Wisper and Reise and Muller have just gone out.

R&M bikes are not cheap, indeed with a 14sp Rohloff and all the goodies they can get up to more than €5,000.00. We will be majoring on the blueLABEL Bosch drive bikes that retail at less then £2,000.00, but have already had interest in a non electric Birdy Rohloff Disk folder that retails at just under €4,000.

R and M bikes are very nice, despite the price tag, having seen and ridden them I absolutely understand where the money goes. We will have a good selection for trial at the forthcoming Bristol event.

It is good to see the UK market maturing and starting to embrace higher quality bikes. As you may know we recently took on the Grace distributorship and are currently doing well with the MX and Easy, even though they retail for more than £3,000. Of course they don't match the Wisper sales in quantity, but we should reach double figure sales for the five days of this week.... far better than we expected.

All the best

David

 

[Kudoscycles]

I have often thought that the best application for a carbon frame bike would be a step thru,the frame weight representing a larger percentage of the overal on a step thru than on a mountain style bike.
The problem is that the UK volume for a lightweight carbon frame step thru would I suspect be very small,not enough to justify the design/tooling involved but it would be a very effective solution.
Does anyone know of a carbon frame step thru?
KudosDave

 

[funkylyn]

Does anyone know of a carbon frame step thru?
KudosDave

No Dave....but if you find one be sure to let me know

Lynda

 

[hopper_rider]

Whilst you are not adverse to spending more, I suggest you see if its possible to try out a Santana by Whoosh
The Sant Ana | Electric Bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

Its something I thought compared very favourably with much more expensive models

 

[Maddz]

2 problems with the Sant Ana - derailleur gears and the battery is located behind the seat pillar.

I've never got on with derailleurs and with the bike living outside it means I have to faff around with it on a weekly basis to keep them clean.

The battery being located behind the seat pillar means the bike is longer - which means it's harder to get on the towbar mount and more difficult to get up the steps. Plus I think I would have to use a light board as it'll be much longer than my car is wide (not to mention being a complete PIA negotiating a narrow drive).

The price is nice though.

Much as I'd like to get to the Bristol event, I'm the other side of the country in Cambridge. These days the nearest I get to Bristol (I did my BSc there years ago) is Poole.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

We are in Cromer in Norfolk and have good testing conditions nearby. You could also visit us at the East of England Electric Bike show in Great Yarmouth (15 June). Although the event is more about raising the profile of electric bikes as the test area is flat but there are likely to be headwinds.

Good luck with the search!

 

[Wisper Bikes]

If you can make the East of England Show Maddz, please stop by and have a look at the beautiful new Riese and Muller blueLable Cruiser, I am sure that David from Electrifying Cycles would be happy to supply you with one!


blueLABEL

Leather battery and carry case

blueLABEL Mixt

For more details click on the Riese & Muller facebook ling in my signature.

All the best

David