Hi. Im looking for a e-bike (new or used ,below £1000) , I have been reading about it and from what I can see its best if its not more than 20kg but majority is about 25kg. I need something thats good to go up the hill ,but that will need 500W motor ( I know over 250W is not legal in UK or EU ) everywhere I look 250W is not enough to go up the hill. I have no idea where to look,or what specifications are important to check. It looks like its not only the motor thats important but also power (no idea what part of the bike this is really) Ive checked like 15 companies selling/making affordable (not more than £1000) e-bikes. Im looking into used as well. Im seriously puzzled by this e-bike business Ive found this one used (2 years old) guy swears it goes up the hill no bother https://voltbikes.co.uk/e-bikes/classic/kensington .What do you think? My main question really is what specifications are most important in a powerful bike? Thanks for help

What is the gradient and length of the climb on this hill? and what mass do you want to carry on the bike.

Do you want motor only hill climbing? or are you happy to contribute to the climb yourself?

most ebikes climb hills ok, mine needs a lil input from me but i remain sat in the saddle comfy as i pedal and coast over the crest of the hill...

 

you could buy the cheapest £500 ebike on amazon, and replace its no doubt 15a controller with something that can provide more amps while remaining within the capacity of your battery to supply. that way you can feed a motor stamped 250w way more than 500w to get you up your hills.. and remain legal so no risk of loosing your license/house etc..

What is the gradient and length of the climb on this hill? and what mass do you want to carry on the bike.

Do you want motor only hill climbing? or are you happy to contribute to the climb yourself?

most ebikes climb hills ok, mine needs a lil input from me but i remain sat in the saddle comfy as i pedal and coast over the crest of the hill...

 

you could buy the cheapest £500 ebike on amazon, and replace its no doubt 15a controller with something that can provide more amps while remaining within the capacity of your battery to supply. that way you can feed a motor stamped 250w way more than 500w to get you up your hills.. and remain legal so no risk of loosing your license/house etc..

 

 

Hi,

 

Im not prepared to do or add anything by myself to this bike. I have literally no idea how to do it. Just want to buy a bike that works. What do you think about that bike in the link I provided?

When Im mentioning a hill lets imagine a steep hill. At the moment Im bit fat so it will need to carry me and Im not fit.

Ive read few reviews of bikes that are 250W and people were saying that it struggles up the hill. I dont want to buy something thats going to be useless to me.

As I said in my post ,I really am looking for advice on where to look when Im checking bikes online and looking at specifications.

 

thanks

Woosh bikes and whisper bikes, both contribute in here and will probably welcome a sales call inquiring about their bikes.. and going by their input in here both could easily supply your needs..

 

an ebike system has 3 main elements the battery which needs to be able to output sufficient power for the controller/motor, the controller/display which delivers the battery power to the motor as needed and the motor which expends the power to move the bike..

 

Upgrading the controller on most stock e-bikes is a simple/cheap and LEGAL way to improve power output.

hence the recommendation above for a basic amazon special + £50-80 controller upgrade saving you circa 75% the cost of the bike linked to for an afternoon with a screwdriver, but thats not for everyone

Ive found this one used (2 years old) guy swears it goes up the hill no bother https://voltbikes.co.uk/e-bikes/classic/kensington .What do you think?

 

Looks ok, if a bit expensive at full price. Pretty standard ebike, nothing unusual. Unfortunately it doesn't give some key information as far as I could see, max controller power and battery size. I think it will go up hills !

 

My main question really is what specifications are most important in a powerful bike? Thanks for help

The most important specifications are max power supplied by the controller (voltage * current), also some motors have more torque if you supply the same power. The capacity of the battery is important, the bigger capacity, the longer range. Also for stopping power I would look for hydraulic disk brakes

 

My hub bikes have max power of 36volts*18amps and 48v*15 amps and I weigh 105 kg. These bikes let me get up any hills I have encountered although I have to pedal quite hard on very steep hills. Somebody weighing 75kg would only need 3/4 the power to go up the same hills

250W is a legal limit on rated power. There is no limit on power provided by controller.

 

Have a look at what Woosh have to offer. You are most welcome to send them an email and Andy will choose right bike for you.

 

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/

To get a heavy weight up a hill on an ebike, you need a 48v system, small wheels or both.

This one would do it, and it says it's good for 150kg riders.

DYU Electric Bike 250W 48V Folding Commuter City E-Bike Bicycle Adults Teens NEW | eBay

 

There are others on Ebay and Amazon. Just search. That Volt doesn't look suitable to me. It's only 36v and has 24" or 26" wheels. If it were 48v, it might just about be OK, but not at 36v.

250w rated hubs have got me up hills ok , Ditchling Beacon is no mean feat for a non athletic rider and so got me up with out issue, even with my asthma.

Coming down is even better , one can top 40/50 mph with no power but have to wary of washing out on the bends coming down on gravally bits.

Folks read too much nonsense about hubs simply because the articles don't use the best control systems or use the correct voltage or applied current.

washing out on the bends coming down on gravely bits.

yes seen people sitting bloodied on the side coming down on the London to Brighton cycle ride.

If my bike didn't have a rider weight limit of 105kg, my 20" wheeled 36V 15A BBS01B folding bike conversion is capable of helping a rider weighing over 160kg ascend steep hills. I know, because I've dragged up the equivalent weight in trailer and cargo. I weighed 70kg. I'll record it on video someday, but it won't be this year, because I've given up growing that sort of veg.

Edited May 23, 20241 yr by guerney

I've given up growing that sort of veg.

 

What, no more royal pumpkins? No more gourds of any sort?

.

What, no more royal pumpkins? No more gourds of any sort?

.

 

Nope. Thanks to climate change it'll be prickly pear cactus fruit and turtles all the way down.

 

I've recorded the above mentioned many times using my cheap Crosstour 4K action camera, but always deleted it along with everything else which wasn't of personal interest. Can't have thousands of gigabytes of cycling videos littering my computers.

"everywhere I look 250W is not enough to go up the hill. "

 

CRAP

 

My 250w get me up these, .................... so !!!!!

 

 

Took this in the car today very steep x 2 hills

 

THAT is the benefit of a MID drive and GEARS

I can also happily get up 15% gradients with my 250W rated AKM100 rear hub motor and 36V 15A controller. I think the problems come if you have a direct drive motor or one that is designed for high RPM. mine has 201rpm winding which is right for 15mph on 26"wheels.

I can also happily get up 15% gradients with my 250W rated AKM100 rear hub motor and 36V 15A controller. I think the problems come if you have a direct drive motor or one that is designed for high RPM. mine has 201rpm winding which is right for 15mph on 26"wheels.

An AKM85 in a Bromton can get a 100kg rider up a 15% hill without pedalling. Saracen keeps getting confused about ebike motors because he's on,ly ever tried two.

An AKM85 in a Bromton can get a 100kg rider up a 15% hill without pedalling. Saracen keeps getting confused about ebike motors because he's on,ly ever tried two.

 

 

Don't you love the mistakes people make when they "assume"

 

Before buying my conversions and I have said this THREE times now, but seneagle has selective memory, I tried and rented Front and Rear and Mid drive bikes for a month, and it was on this forum before I bought and asked for help after renting five bikes to try.................. I also as a Journalist am not stupid, I did extensive research as I do with everything.

 

My advice is "never assume"

 

"Never make assumptions. Making assumptions allows you to hide behind the version of the story you've heard without having all of the necessary information. Don't make assumptions! "

 

According to Albert Einstein, “Assumptions are made and most assumptions are wrong.”

 

I asked Front/rear or Mid drive, the advice here and on "Cycling UK Forum" was that for MY off road needs Mid drive was best, on hills gears rather than a rear drive on it's own and a front drive can skid out in the wet when cornering. All What I was told HERE.

 

Let's hope that puts an end to the "assumptions".

 

Also don't just listen to the assumers here, sorry, just google

 

What is best mid or hub drive

 

• Climbing Hills
  

Mid-drive motors offer improved performance when climbing hills, due to their increased torque and the ability to make better use of the bike's gears.

 

With a mid-drive e-bike when encountering a steep hill, you can shift down to reduce the gear ratio. This takes less force to spin the cranks.

 

Additionally, with a lower gear, the motor won't have to work as hard, while still keeping a high RPM. This is beneficial as electric motors usually perform best when running at high RPMs.

 

In contrast, hub motors tend to struggle when climbing hills, as they have lower torque and lack gear options.

 

This means, a mid-drive motor is more powerful than a hub motor, so it can provide more power when climbing hills.

 

https://himiwaybike.com/blogs/news/hub-motor-vs-mid-drive-motor#:~:text=This%20is%20beneficial%20as%20electric,more%20power%20when%20climbing%20hills.

Edited May 23, 20241 yr by Saracen