chr4

I am not an expert but I thought I would mention a few things based on my buying experience a few years ago. You did not say whether you already tested both bikes. Although they seem to have a similar geometry I would ask for extended test of both to see which one fits you better and feels more comfortable. Short rides are often not sufficient as the novelty of riding with a motor takes our focus off the basics like fit. Since you are planning to commute to work such a long distance I would say fit and comfort are crucial. Maybe you could rent each for a few hours and then get the rental deducted with the purchase? I would rather "lose" £40 than realise afterwards that the bike does not work for you. Especially as buying through the scheme might mean being stuck with it for a while. If both bikes ride equally well then I would prefer to buy the one with more extras as everything will fit well with no mishmash of components. Also, I would consider trying different types of ebikes including more uprights ones. With the motor aerodynamics are irrelevant and with more upright bikes you can enjoy the scenery more as you are not looking at the asphalt so much. They could also reduce the risk of wrist and neck injury. Both seem to have wide tyres which is good. I would not consider any model which can't take balloon tyres like Schwalbe Big Apple. Over time we become more sensitive to road imperfections which can cause back problems etc. so anything we do to prevent that is a bonus.

I thought I would provide an update on the thread I started here a few years ago. A lot of you kindly came up with lots of tips and I tried a few but was still struggling with pain and as a result did not do much cycling. I was in fact going to sell my ebike as it did not make much sense to keep it for these rare occasions. A few weeks ago I went on what was going to be one of my last rides just to visit a few places locally I never got round to see. It was also my final attempt to see if I there was a way to avoid triggering the back pain. In the end I tried to do a combination of things - in the order of importance I think: 1) lower tyre pressure (which some of you suggested and which my brain never fully registered) to 30 psi which was less then the rating for my current tyres. I also have Schwalbe Big Apples sitting in my garage now which I hope will fit but did not have time to swap them yet. Otherwise I think Marathon Plus can take lower pressure as well - so this might be an option. 2) I decided to go quite a bit slower than usual. This meant I had more time to react if I saw a pothole, possibly lower speed further reduced vibrations as well. It also meant I was able to pay more attention to being in the right gear and saved my knees as well. Also, at lower speeds joggers and walkers were much more likely to acknowledge me and say hello which was nice and I had more time to enjoy a beautiful countryside around. 3) I tried to change the position and stand up on a bike to give my back a bit of variety of postures. Also, when going down hill or on the flat if I had enough momentum I would rest part of my weight on one of the legs rather than the saddle. Usually I would be heading back after 1-1.5 hr but this time I spent almost 3 hrs cycling. No pain (!) - just a little bit of tension in the back but that's to be expected as the back muscles were engaged as well. Distance was only slightly bigger as I was going slower. I did not feel any jarring except when the road was in a really bad shape. I am still tempted by recumbent trikes as I think "napping" position would better suit my current riding style. But even if it turns out to be too expensive at least it looks like my current bike is going to be a keeper. I have also found this article on tyre pressure which I found quite interesting. Thanks again everyone.

Thank you for your replies. Sent from my SM-J530F using Tapatalk

Hi I was hoping to buy a second hand trike and convert it or get a Performer electric trike if they start making one next year as implied by some videos on youtube. But yesterday I stumbled upon this thread http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/cheap-kit-to-make-a-big-hill-feel-like-a-small-hill.32862/#post-463540 where some comments suggest that conversions might not be road legal unless officially approved. It made me think twice. What about type approval carried out by the manufacturer? If done in one EU country (Brexit aside) does it apply in the rest of EU?

Having read a bit more looks like thudbuster lt which I bought requires 14 cm of clearance whereas st about 10. Suntour about 11.

I think the cycling position feels rather comfy for me but can try different settings. Still think is is all about suspension but can't afford another bike.

Thanks. From what I read Suntour requires at least just as much clearance as Thudbuster if not more.

Hi A year ago I bought a Scott Tour 20 crossbar ebike which I enjoyed using but was not able to do it often because of back problems. I stopped cycling to work because walking seemed to be better for my back - work in IT so too much sitting. It took me a long time to get back to shape. Once the problems were gone I decided to cycle again but this time only at weekends for pleasure when I knew I would also walk a lot. Started to feel the same symptoms anyway which led me to believe that cycling was the direct rather then indirect cause. I am pretty sure it's caused by poor quality of paved roads in some places which my fragile spine can't handle any more. I bought a thudbuster seatpost only to discover that the suspension part is much bigger than expected and my seat would be too high. Suntour looks similar. I don' t know what else I can try. Any suggestions?

Yes, Freygeist is a great bike too. On the one hand having a battery hidden is great but on the other not being able to remove it might be a problem in colder climates.

It's a great looking bike designed with attention to detail. The battery looks very stylish. You might try publishing on other websites like cleantechnica, treehugger, gizmag etc. I hope you succeed. All the best!

Regarding the price at cyclingmadeeasy you can always ask them but I doubt there is a catch. I bought my bike from them - on sale - paying £200 less than at other shops. It's an established high street retailer with quite a big choice of bikes. I suggest you try a few before you buy.

I think it is worth pointing out that some ebikes are rated for 100kg max rider weight. I would check that before making a decision. While some dealers are still happy to recommend them for heavier cyclists I am not sure where they stand if issues crop up. Bluelabel and scott have some pretty robust bikes but not cheap. Also with crank drives some effort is always required so I guess not exactly what you are looking for.

So Brexit already happened?

Worth checking the listing here: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/forums/manufacturer-dealer-promotions-and-offers.13/ There is an ex display ktm on offer. Max (rider and luggage) load on ktm is lower than on scott but if you don't exceed it you could get yourself a bargain.

The rack on my scott is rated to carry 25 kg. http://www.cyclingmadeeasy.co.uk/electric-bikes/scott/scott-e-sub-tour-20-men/