SLA power or Li-ion???

[Fordulike]

Hello everyone. I am planning to purchase my first bike soon, and am sitting on the fence at the moment on which one to get.
Being an e-bike virgin, i am not spending loads of cash just in case it's not for me. Then again, if i get hooked then i'd be happy pumping some cash into upgrading.
I originally set my heart on a Synergie Mistral, as it's a good looking bike with the rear rack free, which is what i'm after. It's priced at the max that i am prepared to pay £549.
Now i've seen a couple of IZIP MOUNTAIN TRAILZ AL bikes on eBay, brand new.
Item number: 390165592121
Looks like they're from the same seller and i'm going to contact him to see if he's got more. Although auction, they could potentially sell for just over £400.
Now the problem. The Mistral has a li-ion battery and the IZIP SLA.
Although i'm sure they are both powerful enough for my needs, i'd like to know if getting the cheaper one will be cost effective in the long run.
Obviously there are lots of factors involved, but maybe someone with experience with both types or batteries and/or bikes can help.
The old saying ' if it looks too good to be true ', is probably relevant here

 

[flecc]

The Mistral has a more modern 36 volt hub motor, which is reasonably quiet. The Izip the old Currie side of rear wheel 24 volt motor and rather noisy in a "buzzing" way, but powerful enough so that the performance of the two would be fairly similar.

The Currie's two 12 volt SLA batteries probably won't last as long as the lithium one, but they are much cheaper. Range on the Izip can be as little as 10 miles in difficult territory, I'm not familiar with the Mistral's range but I'd expect it to be about double that or more.
.

 

[NRG]

In my very humble opinion having tried SLA on my DIY bike this is a, as they say...'a no brainer'. Go for the Mistral...

 

[Fordulike]

Ooooh, i never factored in the noise issue. Took a look at a video on youtube of someone with a currie drive on their bike and it does sound very noisy.
Reminds me of every Boxing day, when it seems like all the kids in the street got a remote control car for Xmas and are racing them in the street.
Think the Mistral's the one for me

 

[flecc]

Yes, wise choice. We have a number of members with Mistrals.
.

 

[Old Timer]

In my very humble opinion having tried SLA on my DIY bike this is a, as they say...'a no brainer'. Go for the Mistral...

I was thinking of experimenting with 3 x 12V SLA batteries as a project (1/3rd the cost of Li-ion) what exactly were your findings Neil?

 

[NRG]

Dave, experimenting is fine, however, for long term use they don't add up. The main issue is bulk...the size and weight and how to mount them, to get decent Ah after taking into account Puekert affect and the need to keep DOD as low as feasible SLA become an issue on a bike...it's possible to mount those smaller sized 10Ah SLA's and this is what I did but they still weigh around 6kg and the range is poor. The negatives, for me outweigh(!), any cost savings.

 

[Kal]

My experience of the Mistral...
I've owned a Synergie Mistral for 2 years. My Mistral has been trouble free and a joy to ride (you can read mine and other's reviews on here). The range with a new battery is at least 25 miles on one charge but after two years, as expected, the range is now down to less than 10 miles on the flat and only 5 miles with steep hills. I will be living in flat country soon so my predicament now is to decide whether to buy a new battery when the time comes, at around £300, or sell the bike. Flecc knows the formula (worth £150 I think).

I own an ebike for fun but if you want to save money on commuting I'd do the maths.. you can buy a lot of petrol with what you have to pay out. I wonder if anyone has worked this out.

I would still recommend a Mistral. The only thing I don't like is the drag on the motor, this is because the brushed motor has no free wheel built into it and this means, should you need to peddle without motor assistance, you get resistance from the motor magnets. I was concerned about this at first but fortunately the battery has never run out on me while riding.
.