Hello everyone I'm new here and I'm in the process of looking at an electric bike for work etc, I know a couple in work who did theirs through the cycle scheme and both got the calibre kinect ebike from go outdoors.

 

I've the done the calculator and it says I can save around 28% on a bike which good for me

 

I been looking at trek bikes on tredz but since being on here couple days I've been reading suggestions for Whisper or whoosh.

 

My commute is only a 1.5 mile there and another 1.5 back. Will use it mainly on road and paths.

 

But I start early mornings (4am) so the ebike will help my legs lol)

 

I was looking at YouTube videos of bikes and I did like the fiido bikes but what do you suggest? Thanks

Good customer service from Wisper and Woosh - My wife has a Wisper 705 ( https://wisperbikes.com/shop/e-bikes/step-through-ebikes/wisper-705-26/) and it is very nice and powerful and relaible but Wisper do a lot of other options now,

Good customer service from Wisper and Woosh - My wife has a Wisper 705 ( https://wisperbikes.com/shop/e-bikes/step-through-ebikes/wisper-705-26/) and it is very nice and powerful and relaible but Wisper do a lot of other options now,

Just had a look on the website and like the look of the tail wind bikes and wayfarer bikes,

 

Is it worth going full throttle for extra £300?

 

Do they do home delivery with the bike built?

 

I see they do cycle to work scheme which is great

I think there are different cycle to work schemes, so double-check they do the one you want.

 

I doubt it is worth the throttle at that price for your usage. The throttle can be really useful for people with certain disabilities to make that cost worthwhile but not that important for most people. The reason it is so expensive is that if the throttle is to be fully legal the bike has to got through a special independent inspection for each individual bike. That costs £55, plus lots of their time organizing the inspection and taking the bike to it. , but

Just had a look on the website and like the look of the tail wind bikes and wayfarer bikes,

 

They're all good, I would opt for the most comfortable bike, hub drive and the biggest battery you can afford, and the Cadence Sensor.

 

Is it worth going full throttle for extra £300?

 

Absolutely not, unless you are old and infirm.

 

 

Do they do home delivery with the bike built?

Don't know.

 

I see they do cycle to work scheme which is great

 

Get your order in!

Just had a look on the website and like the look of the tail wind bikes and wayfarer bikes,

 

Is it worth going full throttle for extra £300?

 

Do they do home delivery with the bike built?

 

I see they do cycle to work scheme which is great

I think they are very nice bikes, if you say [mention=181]Wisper Bikes[/mention] , then David appears, like an e-bike genie, he might give some good advice

I think there are different cycle to work schemes, so double-check they do the one you want.

 

I doubt it is worth the throttle at that price for your usage. The throttle can be really useful for people with certain disabilities to make that cost worthwhile but not that important for most people. The reason it is so expensive is that if the throttle is to be fully legal the bike has to got through a special independent inspection for each individual bike. That costs £55, plus lots of their time organizing the inspection and taking the bike to it. , but

My work does the cyclescheme.co.uk and so does whisper as far as I can see.

They're all good, I would opt for the most comfortable bike, hub drive and the biggest battery you can afford, and the Cadence Sensor.

 

What does the cadence sensor do?

 

Absolutely not, unless you are old and infirm.

 

 

Don't know.

 

 

 

Get your order in!

What does the cadence sensor do?

 

With a cadence sensor, as you pedal, the the controller supplies power to the motor at the assistance level you have selected on the LCD Display. It makes for a relaxing cycling experience.

 

A torque sensor on the other hand depends on how hard you pedal, the harder you pedal, the more assistance it provides. Some say this is a more natural experience, and helps one gain fitness.

 

Of course, if it's fitness you want, then with a cadence sensor one can simply select a low assistance level.

 

If you simply want to commute 1.5 miles to work on tarmac roads as fast as you can, a cadence sensor is easiest, just select assistance level 5 and go for it.

Edited January 16Jan 16 by Waspy

For a mile and a half the technical aspects of the bike hardly matter. Its more about making the riding experience something you look forward to so that you carry on using it, and minimising the need for maintenance so that it doesn't quickly become a chore.

 

Mudguards, lights, comfortable riding position which means saddle and bars and the right height for both.

 

Disc brakes, maybe a chain guard but they are less common.

 

Cycle to work scheme tends to push you towards more expensive, so consider whether you would use the bike for other purposes, because the requirements of those might be more important than the commute. Or can you save money by buying cheap and cheerful outside the scheme?

 

And finally, security: is there a nice lockable bike shed at work? If not, you might want something unattractive, cheap and simple.

And finally, security: is there a nice lockable bike shed at work? If not, you might want something unattractive, cheap and simple.

 

I second this observation - my next door neighbour bought a very nice Specialized e-bike on the cycle to work scheme. I think she barely had it a week before it was pinched from the (apparently secure) bike shed at work. For simple transportation, the bike doesn't have to be 'flash', just functional. A basic rear hub-motor type of machine would be my choice.

It affects the amount going in pension I heard, although that's a small amount but that bothers me.

I keep meaning to ask if that's correct.

For a mile and a half the technical aspects of the bike hardly matter. Its more about making the riding experience something you look forward to so that you carry on using it, and minimising the need for maintenance so that it doesn't quickly become a chore.

 

 

Mudguards, lights, comfortable riding position which means saddle and bars and the right height for both.

 

Disc brakes, maybe a chain guard but they are less common.

 

Cycle to work scheme tends to push you towards more expensive, so consider whether you would use the bike for other purposes, because the requirements of those might be more important than the commute. Or can you save money by buying cheap and cheerful outside the scheme?

 

I would use it to ride to my mum's couple times a week, she lives around 5 miles each way.

 

And finally, security: is there a nice lockable bike shed at work? If not, you might want something unattractive, cheap and simple.

 

There's a bike cage but with my normal bike I put inside the building which needs card to open door

It affects the amount going in pension I heard, although that's a small amount but that bothers me.

I keep meaning to ask if that's correct.

 

If you type "Does the cycle to work scheme affect my pension?" into Google, there is a ton of information.

 

Bottom line seems to be, if it does, it's minimal and you should have a chat with HR about it.

Edited January 17Jan 17 by Waspy

If all you want is a utility bike to ride to work, you should get one from Amazon or Ebay, which would be half the price and much cheaper than any discount you get from Cycle to work scheme, but it sounds like you're worried about assembling a bike from a box. If you can't do basic bike maintenance, your only chance is to buy a bike from a local shop, and you'd be limited to whatever they have.

 

All electric bikes develop faults that need fixing sooner or later. There is no rule for which ones are worse than others. The only consideration is how easy and expensive they are to fix. When you get an error code on some bikes, the only thing you can do is take it back to the dealer to sort out, so if you haven’t got a dealer, your bike becomes a garden trellis for your runner beans. The cheapest bikes are generally the easiest to fix, but bike shops generally won't do it. They just stick to their own brands.

 

If you find a bike you like, let us know. We can then comment on any reliability and maintenance issues. You should also let us know about your ability and attitude to maintenance.

I was talking to someone the other day that bought from Go Outdoors. To cut a long story short the bike developed a fault between the battery and base. Apparently Go Outdoors have had it since September and have been unable to repair as waiting for a part. Not sure if this is typical.

 

I haven't seen the bike or fault so no idea if it would have been an easy fix.

If all you want is a utility bike to ride to work, you should get one from Amazon or Ebay, which would be half the price and much cheaper than any discount you get from Cycle to work scheme, but it sounds like you're worried about assembling a bike from a box. If you can't do basic bike maintenance, your only chance is to buy a bike from a local shop, and you'd be limited to whatever they have.

 

All electric bikes develop faults that need fixing sooner or later. There is no rule for which ones are worse than others. The only consideration is how easy and expensive they are to fix. When you get an error code on some bikes, the only thing you can do is take it back to the dealer to sort out, so if you haven’t got a dealer, your bike becomes a garden trellis for your runner beans. The cheapest bikes are generally the easiest to fix, but bike shops generally won't do it. They just stick to their own brands.

 

If you find a bike you like, let us know. We can then comment on any reliability and maintenance issues. You should also let us know about your ability and attitude to maintenance.

 

I did look at the wisper M9 but it saying it's on back log till November which is way too long away.

 

If anything goes wrong then yes if it's an easy fix I would give it ago myself but if it's not then have to be someone else .

I did look at the wisper M9 but it saying it's on back log till November which is way too long away.

 

If anything goes wrong then yes if it's an easy fix I would give it ago myself but if it's not then have to be someone else .

A hub-motor would be better for commuting, which would be the H9, but even that is over-kill for a 1.5 mile journey.

 

Another important point for a commuter is where the bike would be parked when you're at work. The place needs to be sheltered and very secure. If it doesn’t have that, you can forget using an e-bike.

A hub-motor would be better for commuting, which would be the H9, but even that is over-kill for a 1.5 mile journey.

 

Another important point for a commuter is where the bike would be parked when you're at work. The place needs to be sheltered and very secure. If it doesn’t have that, you can forget using an e-bike.

It would be inside the building with only colleagues who can access the building, it also has cameras if a colleague was going to take it.

It would be inside the building with only colleagues who can access the building, it also has cameras if a colleague was going to take it.

OK. That's one thing less to worry about, but if you use it for shopping at Tesco, don't think you'll keep your bike with a thin cable lack or chain. You need one of these.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227014214728?_ul=UK&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338353466&toolid=20006&_xiid=227014214728&customid=Cj0KCQiAprLLBhCMARIsAEDhdPeht-mN2eY1CgKUKcWzCYveqv2gp-1w5bT1-dg1J6wKOq81kqy9QY0aAvEUEALw_wcB%7C0AAAAADtppYdF85KXIeVkMtKHwSqQPBP8k%7CCkAKCAiAg63LBhAMEjAAr1c1AJvP4_8zH7lC02_oDIbKV-RxGP6K4TU6gqRCo6d9DvHgUOi178KM-WFry-kaAoB9&gclid=Cj0KCQiAprLLBhCMARIsAEDhdPeht-mN2eY1CgKUKcWzCYveqv2gp-1w5bT1-dg1J6wKOq81kqy9QY0aAvEUEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAADtppYdF85KXIeVkMtKHwSqQPBP8k&wbraid=CkAKCAiAg63LBhAMEjAAr1c1AJvP4_8zH7lC02_oDIbKV-RxGP6K4TU6gqRCo6d9DvHgUOi178KM-WFry-kaAoB9&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=1007151&adtype=pla&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1504518621&gbraid=0AAAAADtppYdF85KXIeVkMtKHwSqQPBP8k

OK. That's one thing less to worry about, but if you use it for shopping at Tesco, don't think you'll keep your bike with a thin cable lack or chain. You need one of these.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227014214728?_ul=UK&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338353466&toolid=20006&_xiid=227014214728&customid=Cj0KCQiAprLLBhCMARIsAEDhdPeht-mN2eY1CgKUKcWzCYveqv2gp-1w5bT1-dg1J6wKOq81kqy9QY0aAvEUEALw_wcB%7C0AAAAADtppYdF85KXIeVkMtKHwSqQPBP8k%7CCkAKCAiAg63LBhAMEjAAr1c1AJvP4_8zH7lC02_oDIbKV-RxGP6K4TU6gqRCo6d9DvHgUOi178KM-WFry-kaAoB9&gclid=Cj0KCQiAprLLBhCMARIsAEDhdPeht-mN2eY1CgKUKcWzCYveqv2gp-1w5bT1-dg1J6wKOq81kqy9QY0aAvEUEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAADtppYdF85KXIeVkMtKHwSqQPBP8k&wbraid=CkAKCAiAg63LBhAMEjAAr1c1AJvP4_8zH7lC02_oDIbKV-RxGP6K4TU6gqRCo6d9DvHgUOi178KM-WFry-kaAoB9&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=1007151&adtype=pla&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1504518621&gbraid=0AAAAADtppYdF85KXIeVkMtKHwSqQPBP8k

Looks good, and I will make sure to get it when I get a bike, that H9 bike is also on backorder

Looks good, and I will make sure to get it when I get a bike, that H9 bike is also on backorder

Woosh have some good bikes that are pretty well suited to home maintenance and repair - cheaper than Wisper too.

I second this observation - my next door neighbour bought a very nice Specialized e-bike on the cycle to work scheme. I think she barely had it a week before it was pinched from the (apparently secure) bike shed at work. For simple transportation, the bike doesn't have to be 'flash', just functional. A basic rear hub-motor type of machine would be my choice.

I came in basically to point out such. Thinking about where its going to be left, maybe a folder like Brompton sized might be a consideration.

This one looks pretty good. 48v battery means powerful enough for any hills. You'd probably have to remove the throttle to make it legal, which means unplugging a connector and a single screw. In the video, the chain came off, which is normal for any new chain/bike with a single chainwheel. It happens during the first 100 miles, then will never happen again until you fit a new chain.

 

Their web page shows £600, but they offer a £30 discount code, so £570, and they offer 3 payments if you want to spread the cost. The overall cost would be much lower than anything you can get on the cycle to work scheme:

 

 

https://gb.pvybike.com/collections/e-bikes/products/pvy-m29-commute-ebike?ref=yiglydhc

This one looks pretty good. 48v battery means powerful enough for any hills. You'd probably have to remove the throttle to make it legal, which means unplugging a connector and a single screw. In the video, the chain came off, which is normal for any new chain/bike with a single chainwheel. It happens during the first 100 miles, then will never happen again until you fit a new chain.

 

Their web page shows £600, but they offer a £30 discount code, so £570, and they offer 3 payments if you want to spread the cost. The overall cost would be much lower than anything you can get on the cycle to work scheme:

 

 

https://gb.pvybike.com/collections/e-bikes/products/pvy-m29-commute-ebike?ref=yiglydhc

 

That looks similar to my C29 -that I bought on Alibaba. They had uk stock and mine arrived within a couple of days , came to just under £500

 

There looks like a new version which has a more sophisticated controller - (that was the only big gripe I had about mine)

 

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/UK-EU-Warehouse-DUOTTS-C29-Max_1601294767320.html