zinko

Hey all, I'm a student based in Brighton, and so far I've been using buses to get around, but I miss the freedom and speed of cycling. I've been apprehensive about cycling here because I currently live up a steep hill (14% at its maximum point), and I might well be moving to a part of town with even steeper gradients (22% at maximum). I know that the steepest roads in the city are about 25%, and it would be nice to feel able to go anywhere in the city. I don't know much about bikes (nor do I really have the time and energy to get into them more), and I'm not a major fitness enthusiast. I just want to get at least a bit of exercise and have more freedom, rather than feeling reluctant to go out because I live at the top of a steep hill (with buses or walking it always takes ages to go anywhere and get back home). Ideally I'd like a bike that would give me back my freedom and let me get some exercise. I've previously been comfortable cycling non-electric bikes at more ordinary gradients (like maybe up to 6% for 2-3 minutes (slowly and at low gear) would probably be my maximum before I would get off and walk). I weigh around 65 kg, and I might carry up to 25 kg of stuff on a bike, I suppose? Groceries in a big rucksack plus a couple of locks. Am I right in thinking that I am looking for a bike with a "mid-drive motor"? Or could a cheaper hub motor work for me? What would work for me in terms of batteries? I know that in the UK ebikes are limited to 250 W, but I'm not sure if that means the maximum power they can offer... Would a motor labelled 250 W be able to provide more power than that when needed? Would that be legal? Or would I be looking for something like a motor labelled 1000 W? What kind of sensors would work for me - cadence, torque, throttle? I would ideally like to just ride the bike as if it were a regular bike when I'm on the flat or on gentle slopes, so I can get some exercise, and only use electrical assistance on steep hills, so I no longer dread those hills. Do I need to be concerned about the types of brake? - does it need to be hydraulic disk brakes, or would V-brakes be absolutely fine? I'm a bit apprehensive about going downhill on a steep slope on a heavy bike. I'm prepared to consider a new e-bike, but I'm hoping to get enough of a sense of what I'm looking for that I could buy a second-hand one, because my student budget is extremely unforgiving. (Previously I've always bought second-hand non-electric bikes for £60-100, and been absolutely happy with those.) I have more questions, but I think that's enough for now - thank you!