Which Ebike - I am lost/confused.

[MyPump]

Hi

I have been looking at an Ebike for my 4 mile work commute and there are so many to choose from and different designs etc. I currently have a Trek Hybrid Road Bike which is fairly fast but hard work and given the fact I have Type 1 Diabetes it just burns up my Carbohydrates plus I am exhausted when I get home.

I am not a great lover of the old fashioned looking ebike or montain bike style as they look rather heavy. I see they are restricted to something like 15 mph so does that mean even if I cycle a little my max speed is 15 mph ? Why do they all seem to only have 8 gears ? Does the weight of an ebike make much of a difference when riding as it does with normal cycles ? The price seems to vary alot for an ebike so some ideas would be great for a fast/light/race looking bike. I like Cytronex but they do not seem to do any sort of deals ? Do I also need to look out for anything in particular I.e. Motor type/Battery etc as I do not know much about bikes at all ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Andrew Borrett

 

[Kalkhoff USA]

Here's a free guide that can answer a lot of your questions:

Electric Bike Buyer's Guide | Spencer Ivy

 

[Deleted member 4366]

If you want to pedal fast and are fit, then you should get a lightweight minimalist type ebike. The heavier mountain bike style are no problem unless you simply don't like the looks. The weight helps you down hills and the motor overcomes the weight when going uphill. For legal bikes, the motor will help you to about 15mph, but you can go faster by pedalling, so, if it's flat or downhill you can go faster, but the motor won't help you at all. If you want minimal effort to go the 4 miles, you could consider the "probably illegal" Alien Aurora, which has a more powerful motor than most and is also a bit faster. If you don't want an illegal bike then the performance of the rest is similar although there are differences in the way that they give their power. If you choose a shortlist, I'm sure that the members here will be able to explain the good and bad points to make your final choice. You need to state a budget.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi If you have good comfortable bike Alien do some good conversion kits as well as finished bikes



Electric Bicycles - Home

Frank

 

[MyPump]

Thanks very much for the info as it does help - there are so many makes/prices/types to choose from ?

I am sure I will be on my way and happy soon 

 

[MyPump]

So any ideas are actual ebike brands or models please ?

Also why do you thinks it's best as there are quite a few to choose from ?

 

[flecc]

One the Cytronex models would be best for you Andrew. As they are a unique product they naturally don't need to do deals as you want since they aren't directly competing with anyone. That's not unusual anyway, many other e-bike suppliers won't do deals.

You can cycle above the motor cutoff speed as much as you like, and the Nano motor in the Cytronex will not hold you back as some do since it has no perceptible drag.

If you want light weight with low drag, but with motor assist above 15 mph, then the best thing would be a sporting version of the Panasonic powered bikes, either one of the Kalkhoff models or even lighter, the BH e-motion range. In these cases a change of the rear cassette can enable assistance to higher speeds.
.

 

[themutiny]

I'm with Flecc on this one. I think a Cytronex should suit you well. My Synapse for example has 27 gears.
If speed is important, then off-road (ie higher rpm) options are available.
You don't state where you are geographically speaking? This may have a bearing on your decision

Regards,

Nick

 

[EdBike]

You don't state where you are geographically speaking? This may have a bearing on your decision

If you're going with Cytronex, they're based in Winchester, Hampshire and are quite close to the train station

 

[MyPump]

Hi all

Thanks again for the info - I am based in Berkshire so getting to places by train etc is no problem.

I did go to last years Cycle Show which was great - I just wish I had the money to buy what I want ha ha. I managed to test ride an Ebco Ebike, Wisper and the Ultra Motor A2B all of which were great but I did find the A2B Metro very heavy/bulky but understand they are to release some new bikes soon. Wisper were also nice and smooth to ride if not a little expensive, not so sure about Ebco as it is quite a different looking cycle and not my cup of tea.

Is there any sort of ebike magazine available to buy as I have not seen one - this would be great ?

I do like the idea of both pedal assist and full throttle which I do not beleive Cytronex offer ?

 

[flecc]

There's this free Electric Bike Magazine, quite newly launched so not comprehensive yet. Ten reviews listed at the foot of the home page, some transferred from parent magazine VeloVision.

A to B magazine have tested and reviewed more e-bikes than anyone else over more than ten years, brief details on their website. They've also just published a book on Electric Bikes, but it's general information on the whole subject, not too much on specific models.
.

 

[MyPump]

Thanks for the info Flecc.