Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Pedelecs Electric Bike Community

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Featured Replies

I would hope so, a litre is a liquid measure.

 

.

Don't they measure the volume of a car boot space in litres?

Don't they measure the volume of a car boot space in litres?

That's right. It's how many milk bottles you can spill in there without drowning yourself.

That's right. It's how many milk bottles you can spill in there without drowning yourself.

Glad it's milk not beer bottles with your suspected gout.

Don't they measure the volume of a car boot space in litres?

 

Yes, it is a volume measure, but as such best suited to material that can fill a volume, such as liquid.

 

Boot litres were suitable when I carried bags of shingle which conformed to the space, but little use otherwise.

.

Best to just think in quantity terms, just as we do with cars, such as 30 mpg.

 

Average e-bike consumption is 12 W/h per mile, shown by our many surveys over the years. So if you've got a 480 W/h battery and you're an average rider in moderate territory, you can get about 40 miles range.

 

Strong riders and a few older weak e-bike systems can get consumption down to about 8W/h, below that it's not worth e-biking since it's mostly pedalling.

 

And very powerful systems can eat more, up to 20 W/h per mile or more, while you sit back enjoying the view.

.

 

And then there is the vélomobile: "Due to vastly better aerodynamics of velomobiles the range of a similar electric assist unit and similar battery in a velomobile can be about 50% to 100% higher compared to upright bicycles or unfaired recumbents." (Wikipedia)

 

Lets say between 3.75 - 6 Wh/km (while taking things easy). By adding a bit of weight to an already heavy vehicle you do however smooth out the bumps (hills) in a ride. As there is very little aerodynamic drag to take into account the motor only has to work hard at keeping speed at 25 km.h on the hills.

Strong riders and a few older weak e-bike systems can get consumption down to about 8W/h, below that it's not worth e-biking since it's mostly pedalling.

.

 

I use roughly between 2.5 and 4.5 Wh per mile depending on the terrain and strength in my legs on the day and it's VERY much worth e-biking. I ride my e-bike as a normal bike and only use assistance for long or steep hills. It takes the sting out of them. On todays circuit the first bar on the power meter clicked off (ie went from 5 to 4) after 65km. Last week on the same run it was 45km.

 

The fact is I can ride all my routes on my normal bike easily enough but I consider cycling a leisure / pleasure activity and prefer to enjoy ALL the ride rather than most of it.

 

Fitter people will enjoy an e-bike as much as the less fit.

I use roughly between 2.5 and 4.5 Wh per mile depending on the terrain and strength in my legs on the day and it's VERY much worth e-biking. I ride my e-bike as a normal bike and only use assistance for long or steep hills. It takes the sting out of them. On todays circuit the first bar on the power meter clicked off (ie went from 5 to 4) after 65km. Last week on the same run it was 45km.

 

The fact is I can ride all my routes on my normal bike easily enough but I consider cycling a leisure / pleasure activity and prefer to enjoy ALL the ride rather than most of it.

 

Fitter people will enjoy an e-bike as much as the less fit.

 

Yes, but as you've said, much of the time you are not e-biking, you are cycling. That's fine, but it's very far from typical.

 

The great bulk of e-bikers use around 12 Wh per mile as our ten years of surveying of members has shown. The ranges most quote also show that.

.

Yes, but as you've said, much of the time you are not e-biking, you are cycling. That's fine, but it's very far from typical.

 

The great bulk of e-bikers use around 12 Wh per mile as our ten years of surveying of members has shown. The ranges most quote also show that.

.

Well that's true enough I guess.

 

We are all pedaling (throttle bikes excepted) and I like to think of everyone as cycling but just with varying levels of assistance.

We are all pedaling (throttle bikes excepted) and I like to think of everyone as cycling but just with varying levels of assistance.

 

Agreed, but the more extreme the usage the less useful it is as information for the majority.

 

If you were to review an ebike and report your sort of range, virtually all those buying on the basis of your review would be seriously unhappy!

.

Edited by flecc

I was in halfords a few weeks ago and a customer asked an assistant ( young lad) how far his wife would be able to go on one.

This young lad looked perplexed so I intervened explaining that he had asked the ultimate unanswerable question and filled in with the why that is so.

He seemed quite happy with my explanation and left chewing the cud.

I was in halfords a few weeks ago and a customer asked an assistant ( young lad) how far his wife would be able to go on one.

This young lad looked perplexed so I intervened explaining that he had asked the ultimate unanswerable question and filled in with the why that is so.

He seemed quite happy with my explanation and left chewing the cud.

... I am charitably assuming that the question related to travel distance not matters romantic...

... I am charitably assuming that the question related to travel distance not matters romantic...

Shame there's no chuckles option an taptalk mobile

Shame there's no chuckles option an taptalk mobile

 

I've clicked your "Funny" for you to add to my one on Danidl's post.

.

  • 2 weeks later...
I would hope so, a litre is a liquid measure.

 

By the same virtue a gallon of apples is no easier to judge.

.

8 pints of Cider should do it

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...
Background Picker
Customize Layout

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.