Today's Sunday Times

lectureral

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 30, 2007
397
60
Suva, Fiji
The Test Bench (in the car section) has a comparison of 5 e-bikes.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Good to hear, that's very positive. Rather than speaking of one e-bike as usual as if it's a curiosity, a comparison of several, changing the emphasis to one of which to choose from a range of an accepted mode of transport.
.
 

John F

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 3, 2013
435
55
I wouldn't get too excited. None of the more common makes I read about here are included.

Cheapest: Momentum Electric Upstart - 3 stars £1,095.
Best buy: Sparta RX Plus Crossbar - 5 stars 2,030
Best for mountains: Haibike Xduro2 AMT Pro - 4 stars - £5,500 !!!
Plus 2 other ridiculously expensive models that no one will buy
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
If they want to do comparisons, why don't they ask us, which five models to compare. Shall we have a vote?

It's really hard to cut it down to five bikes because of the different types of riding, but I would choose from these:

A FS Haibike
A KTM hard-tail with Panasonic
A Momentum
A Ezee Torq
A Woosh Big Bear
A Kudos Cobra
A Batribike Granite
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
What they tested was not relevant to the point I made, which was the effect on the public at large reading the article. To repeat:

"a comparison of several, changing the emphasis to one of which to choose from a range of an accepted mode of transport."

It's the impression that the newspaper accepts e-bikes as so relevant a form of transport that they tested a choice. That impression is far more important to the expansion of the market than enthusiast knowledge on the best e-bikes.

Most people like to conform and avoid doing anything outside the norm, so any general publication presenting e-bikes as a normal life choice is a benefit.
 

John F

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 3, 2013
435
55
The article was published in the motoring and technology section. The technology bit is always just 2 pages at the end after acres of car stuff (and a small cycling article) it's basically just a section devoted to the latest gadgets that only rich folks can afford.

Don't get the idea that the ST has suddenly welcomed ebikes as the next big thing!

To be fair the short "why would you want one" summary was pretty fair
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Don't get the idea that the ST has suddenly welcomed ebikes as the next big thing!
I haven't, any effect on the ST doesn't concern me. It's the effect on readers of presenting a number of choices can have.

See one new unknown thing and the effect is that it's unusual.

See a choice of several and the effect is very different, that they are obviously not new to many others so are not so unusual.
 

John F

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 3, 2013
435
55
I haven't, any effect on the ST doesn't concern me. It's the effect on readers of presenting a number of choices can have.

See one new unknown thing and the effect is that it's unusual.

See a choice of several and the effect is very different, that they are obviously not new to many others so are not so unusual.
Well I see your point. My point is that most regular ST readers (like me) probably read this technology section, and note the inevitable huge price difference in the products reviewed, many of which products have eye watering price tags. A selection of sub £1,000 bikes would have resulted in more bike sales?...
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Well I see your point. My point is that most regular ST readers (like me) probably read this technology section, and note the inevitable huge price difference in the products reviewed, many of which products have eye watering price tags. A selection of sub £1,000 bikes would have resulted in more bike sales?...
I'm sure you're right John, the newspapers, indeed the media in general, usually fail to present e-bikes in the best way. We are such a tiny minority at present I suppose we just have to be grateful for small mercies.

Probably the main problem in Britain is that e-bikes are still bicycles, a very big turn-off for the bulk of our population. Just being a new thing isn't always such a big problem as we can see by the huge uptake of e-cigarettes, also getting more than a mention in this forum!
 

halfer

Esteemed Pedelecer
I suppose a list for the general public should include at least one of all the frame types, so as to include as many ages as possible.

I'd like any promotion of e-bikes to knock on the head any outdated views about e-bikes too: lead acid batteries, ten-mile range, only for the elderly, etc. I recently used a road-bike for commuting for a few weeks whilst my Ave MTB was being repaired, and discovered that arriving to the office in a sweat doesn't make for a comfortable start to the working day.
 

John F

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 3, 2013
435
55
I suppose a list for the general public should include at least one of all the frame types, so as to include as many ages as possible.

I'd like any promotion of e-bikes to knock on the head any outdated views about e-bikes too: lead acid batteries, ten-mile range, only for the elderly, etc. I recently used a road-bike for commuting for a few weeks whilst my Ave MTB was being repaired, and discovered that arriving to the office in a sweat doesn't make for a comfortable start to the working day.
The no sweat advantage is a very strong argument for ebikes -it's the one I always start off with when I try to promote them. It's not the big hill scenario at all that's the point, it's simply the long very slow incline and constant headwind that the ebike eliminates completely.

I didn't realise when I bought my Woosh that I would be regularly doing 30 mile rides, then dismounting and feeling I'd just done 30 yards.

The other main selling point, which gets mentioned less (including the ST) is that they are FUN!
 
  • Like
Reactions: halfer and flecc