kirsty

Buying a £2.50 copy is a good investment but it's also available free online: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code

No, it definitely hasn't got one!

I had no idea! I don't think I want to, but thanks for pointing it out. Also, I found SYEBC/Oxygen really friendly and helpful when I visited, I think it was Chris who served me but I might be wrong on that. I haven't been to any other electric bike shops but I have been to some bike shops over the years where I've been made to feel that I couldn't possibly understand the technicalities of bikes or know what I wanted and this certainly wasn't one of those.

I've just bought an Oxygen bike and one of the things I asked about was how much hassle rear tyre punctures were going to be. They assured me it wouldn't be a hassle but then threw in a "slime" of the tyres which, as I understand it, seals up small punctures. Might be something worth doing once you get a repair? I'd be interested in whether this is considered to be any good though, I've got no previous experience with slime. When I've had repeated punctures in the past though it's always turned out to be some tiny thing stuck in the tyre.

I posted this yesterday but I think my message got stuck in moderation probably because I added a photo. Thanks for the SYEBC recommendation! I went to see them and am now the proud owner of an Oxygen S-Cross ST Mark II. Oh this gets stuck in moderation too. Ho hum.

Thanks for the SYEBC recommendation! I went to see them and am now the proud owner of an Oxygen S-Cross ST Mark II I've just taken it for an inaugural 20k spin, and it definitely goes up hills! And has put a huge smile on my face.

Oh yes, it does say that. I was looking at the 3 rather than the CD as I’m at the top of the weight range for the CD. Not sure how much difference that makes as I’m certainly not planning on getting heavier after buying a new bike! With a non-ebike I probably wouldn’t have worried but I don’t want the motor refusing to help me!

Ah, thanks for all the replies. I'm just wading through all the extra info you've given me The Camino seems to only come in crossbar configuration so that's out, I like the look of the Santana but I think that's unavailable at present. The Volt Pulse does have a stepthrough version but it doesn't look to be available until maybe October. I hadn't come across the South Yorkshire Electric Bike Centre before so thanks for mentioning that, I'll have a look at what they have too.

What I want: an electric bike for leisure riding in a hilly bit of Yorkshire. After 20 years of enthusiastic bursts of cycling (& walking up hills) when at home, and much enjoyable riding in flatter places on holiday, I'm finally taking the plunge and deciding I need a bit of assistance to enjoy cycling around home more. Mostly I want to take 10-20 mile rides, but would like the bike to allow me to take longer rides too. I'd like to get on and order a bike straight away and obviously stock is low everywhere at the moment. Budget is flexible but I'm looking at around the £1500 mark. I'm looking for a women's style lower crossbar on a hybrid bike. I want kickstand, pannier rack (for shopping) & mudguards (I guess they can all be fitted later but I've just been looking at bikes that come ready with them). Built in lights seem useful but not essential. Woosh Santana looks really good, and cheaper, but I don't think it's currently available for delivery. Also looked at Oxygen but can't find them in stock in right frame size other than in ~10Ah battery which sounds a bit low? I'm feeling like I'm rather drowning in specs and struggling to work out the important bits. I don't feel the weight of the bikes or the gears are useful things to compare. Batteries, motors, drives, displays do seem useful to compare but it's hard to find comparable info. Three bikes I can find that look to be available to buy now (and get delivered with just pedals to screw in and handlebars to turn) are: Raleigh Array E Motion Lowstep 2020 Electric Hybrid Bike £1350 I'm not sure how this one will be on the hills? Suntour e25 rear wheel hub motor, 400wh battery, 3 assist levels. 23kg bike. I like the ~£1650 Motus too but can't find that in stock in the right frame size. NCM Milano Plus 26" Trekking E-Bike, 250W 48V 16Ah 768Wh Battery, white £1499 This looks very well specced, I'm dubious of the "can only buy via eBay" thing though? Would there be trouble with parts or servicing? 27kg bike, Das-Kit, X15 Rear-drive motor, 48V 250W, 15mph. Also there's at least three versions of the Milano and I can't really see the difference between them. Cube Town Hybrid One 400 E-Bike (2020) £1699 24.4kg bike, hub gears (other two were derailleur), battery is a Bosch PowerPack 400 but I can't see the details anywhere? Opinions on which of these will give me the best assist on the hills are much appreciated, or ideas for what else to look at. I want the shortlist to be a bit longer, but I'm struggling to find bikes that will be available soon.