Vin

They've even got a couple of free ones but I'm leaning to a front hub conversion Electric Bikes | E-Bikes | Halfords UK

Thanks for sharing this . Something similar on the Clubman if done well could even enhance the look. The silver front hub would fit in well in proportion and complementing the crank and other chromed parts and the controller could go in the existing bag on mine. As you mentioned adding a lightweight kit to an already lightweight racer/ road bike of this type is unlikely to affect the feel/ handling to any significant degree and could add an extra dimension in terms of usability in a package that comes in at a very low weight for an ebike. The cost of the entire kit although important may be less of an issue to a point as you would be converting something you have and perhaps could say are emotionally attached to. However with the market now offering cheaper and cheaper perfectly usable bikes e.g. since starting this thread the Apollo Phase which seems quite popular and reliable has gone down to 499 (and with a couple of combined discount vouchers £400 for me) Apollo Phaze-E Electric Mountain Bike 20" | Halfords UK it may even be feasible to buy something similar at a lower cost than a kit and utilise some or all of the parts somehow coming in at a lower cost than the kit.

Hi, when we bought ours actually must have been 5+ years ago I intentionally sought out a model with the suntour hesc torque system after buying the Raleigh Array with it. I had tried cadence sensor bike at the time in Decathlon and the unnatural and delayed "turbo surge" when just turning the cranks was offputting and thought would present issues with fine control at low speed. I didn't spend too long testing so perhaps a different technique would have worked. However the hesc system was a delight to use delivering the power in a far more natural refined way. Halfords were using both the cadence and hesc systems at the time for different models but the womens e vengeance had the hesc system at the time. I think it is now sold with the simpler cadence system possibly due to more demand for this or possibly less to go wrong or a combination of the two. We initially even used the bikes on light mountain bike trails for some time but when I read about the potential fragility of some of the e parts e.g. the little plastic torque sensor exposed on the crank we have been using them on river paths, gravel and roads since . I commuted occasionally from Kent to London on the Array in all weathers and neither of the bikes have ever let us down and the battery from the Array which I used on the Carrera yesterday got me from the Thames Barrier to Chiswick and back with 1 bar remaining (outgoing on a mix of economy & mid and return on high power). I do longer runs on a non assisted Giant Revolt gravel bike but yesterday was just not feeling up to cycling without assistance so having the ebike got me out and definitely still got some exercise. The only issue we had was when I mishandled the Carrera during transporting it and the chain came off when wheeling it backwards cracking the guard of the torque sensor. I patched this up with some araldite although you have to be careful not to get it on the thin rubber surround of the crank as it could tear it when the crank rotates. Perhaps the materials used were necessary from some sort of safety aspect or just to reduce cost. Last time I asked Halfords a few months ago they said they could source parts e.g. the whole crank assembly if required and sell the 313 watt battery for the Carrera at the moment for £400 (which works on the Array). My branch lets me use multiple discount vouchers combined also which other branches say they shouldn't be doing. At the moment for a few hundred more than the battery you can get the new Array with the larger battery and the hesc system for £700 and I would still buy it (it is the price I paid 5 years ago for mine under cycle to work) if I didn't have one. Although they are the same systems my Halfords branch confirmed they will only repair the electrical parts for the Carrera as I bought it from Halfords but not the Array. However the branch checks over my Array and fine tunes the mechanicals without charging if I ask. (they also fitted the Marathon plus tyres on it).

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I was out for a long fun on my wifes Carrera e vengeance today and have never ridden it properly before. I took it because needed to take it somewhere in the car first and only had access to a supermini (no rack) and was the Array wouldn't fit in it. also it is fitted with Marathon plus as well as tyre anti puncture liners which have needed in now and work well and didn't want a puncture on this run. The Argos folder would have fitted but didn't have the range needed. I really enjoyed riding the Carrera mtb and got to thinking each of the bikes has its own character and electrifying the 531 racer especially would be like replacing the engine in a Testarossa with batteries and take away from its soul especially the sort of bodge job I would probably end up doing.

That would have been perfect but I set a very strict budget and unfortunately that kit exceeded it by a fiver

Thanks for sharing, a front wheel motor in silver with a bottle battery or a small friction drive may work best for a little bit of boost and maintaining the look

Thanks, Thanks for sharing, I was thinking something low powered like this may be ideal

Thanks for the suggestion

something low power and discreet like this Apollo Phaze Mens Electric Mountain Bike - M, L Frames | Halfords UK

Thanks for the replies. It would only be for preserving the knees uphill/ along the straights is fast enough so something lightweight and low power which is unlikely to impact safety of the brakes. The black bag/ bottle could be used to hide some of the electrics

Hi, the era of the Ferrari Testarossa which are now in some peoples opinions controversially being converted to ev. How would you convert this ? Thank you.

I am just about to go and do the Christmas Shopping on the Argos special and was working out how to secure the turkey on top of the rear rack to leave the other bags free. The car parks in the supermarkets have been clogged and it is a relief I will be using the bike. Went outside and feels particularly cold with a biting wind but I am getting layered up and have heated clothing so don't mind the occasional longer runs also. How much of a demand do you think there is/ really could be for using these regularly in the U.K. spending that amount I would prefer an enclosed quadricycles like the ami for regular runs at those sort of ranges. Back in the day I used to commute 16 miles each way on a 531 racer but in the cold wet winters nearly getting knocked off twice in the morning (car windscreen misted up turning left in a rush ). We have more safer networks now like cycle paths though. You see the occasional illegal e bikes bikes on them but you also get the legal heavyweight ebikes e.g. the icebreaker design cargo/ family bikes bombing down them hardly pedalling (cadence sensor) and almost got hit by one the other day around a tight corner where I used the bell but they didn't. It is going that way though . I think there is now also a consultation to increase power to 500 watts. Last time I asked the technical team at the DVSA about where you could use throttle bikes (in 2022 when the word got around you could type approve them) they emailed me to confirm their opinion was once type approved they could not be used legally on cycle paths. They were aware of opinions that the Dft may interpret this differently ( we were discussing my area). It is a bit of a mute point though in my opinion if all you have to do to bomb along (possibly with a 500 watt if it becomes legal) on cycle paths is just go through the motions of turning the pedals with no effort occasionally.

Thanks, if you bought one of these Argos special ebikes and are not in a desperate hurry to get a spare battery it may be worth waiting for the next special they do for around the £200 mark and you've then got yourself the spare with the bike thrown in for £100

BTW I rang the technical helpline number in the manual that came with the book and was informed they could recommend suppliers of batteries in the future if required so will probably ask them about this one. They also advised using a 24 volt battery. In the q&as on the Argos website someone asked whether they could use a 36v or 48v and was advised it could cause damage the controller/motor. I thought about it further and as already have 3 ebike batteries in the house now may not get a spare just yet. I enjoy taking the Raleigh Array on longer trips with the Carrera battery in a pannier bag as a spare. When I switched to Marathon plus tyres on the Array was advised to go for slightly narrower ones than the the tyres it came with it which added a bit of speed as well as making cycling without the motor more enjoyable also. The Argos folder obviously for me isn't the ideal touring bike because I have the Array but for for the local area is fine and is already substituting for the car for shopping trips. Its surprising how much you can load onto it now I have a front bag, two recently acquired twin Basil pannier bags (the ones which are curved on one side to give pedal clearance) and also on top of the pannier.

Hi, now the battery has been charged three times the range is improving. When I receive the bike it was completed discharged so may have been in storage for some time. On the same runs that previously depleted it it now still shows 2-3 bars on the handlebar display and 2 on the battery after 10- 15 miles using at full power on the roads here which have quite a few gentle inclines is realistic. There is a 24v 10ah with charger for £112 on ebay currently (without charger £100) which I am thinking of buying. 24V10.4Ah Rear E-bike Electric Bicycle Lithium-ion Battery for e+ City Folder | eBay They are a lot lighter than the Array/ Carrera batteries so taking a spare if needed is easier. Also I want to avoid putting the battery on charge overnight if possible (I often cycle in the evening). The battery is now charged in the stove though and have been able to close the stove doors also without damaging the lead. On the subject of battery powered assistance does anyone wear heated clothing. I committed to continue to cycle for several hours in very cold weather and in addition to wearing multiple layers a few years ago when Regatta still had shops bought a heated jacket and carry three 10,000 ah powerbanks which last a couple of hours each when the jacket is on full power. This model the Voltera 3 has a large heated panel in the back and 2 in the front bottom pocket areas and was designed for watching football matches etc where you could put your hands in the pockets to keep you warm . The model before this the Voltera 2 which I could not get had the two front panels in the chest area which I would have preferred.