Electric Bikes

[Ianc2]

Thinking of buying one. My son burst out laughing and said I should save time and go directly to the local casualty dept and volunteer for spare parts surgery.

Anyone got one? What do you think of them?

[Hidden]

I’ve got one and love it.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Exactly what my husband would say.

[BobD Volunteer]

If you already ride a bike and find since AF this is difficult I think they are a great idea. I rode a friend's one recently and it was amazing but then it was a sports version capable of 30+ mph and 60 mile range. Buy decent safety equipment as well but please no lycra!

[Ianc2 in reply to BobD]

After digging around I have discovered that in Denmark in 2017 there were more fatalities amongst ebike riders (204) than car drivers (201). Interesting.

[Hidden in reply to Ianc2]

Are there not about ten cycles on the road for every car in Denmark?

[Ianc2 in reply to Hidden]

Good point - and loads more cycle lanes.

[Ianc2 in reply to Hidden]

I have had a further dig into the statistics instead of believing press reports. The figure reported was for all bikes , not just e-bikes, and they don't break it down further.

[lovetogarden in reply to Hidden]

Not really ina answer to the original question, but we were just in Denmark and it was mesmerizing watching the bikes in the city. Their own lanes, their own traffic lights. Their own rules of courtesy for how to behave in the bike lanes. And I was impressed with how well everyone followed the rules, for the most part. Didn’t see too many electric bikes.

[Kevin51]

bought two from Evans - great for hills - makes one feel young again! They are in France now - empty roads and beautiful scenery. Take care in the UK as drivers not considerate but IMHO they are safer than normal bikes as you move smoothly and never crawl plus lower centre of gravity.

[Kevin51 in reply to Kevin51]

plus no worries getting home quickly if necessary - just up the power

[Vonnieruth]

What price range are they

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Vonnieruth]

The one I rode was £4k + but a bit like comparing a BMW M2 to a Kia Rio. I guess.

[IanMK in reply to BobD]

I don’t think I could justify £4K to the OH. 😟

[Vonnieruth]

Better the price better the bike then 😀

[Ianc2 in reply to Vonnieruth]

If you have a bike you can get a conversion kit for about £300, most popular e bike model is currently about £750 (ebikesdirect I think), and after that you can spend anything up to £3-4,000. All shapes and sizes including folding bikes now available from places like Halfords, Evans and online. As far as I understand max speed is limited to 15 mph and the range is currently 30 -50 miles depending on the size of the battery

They are very popular in China and the Netherlands and becoming very popular for getting to work. Consequently prices are dropping. Sainsburys have recently launched an ebike grocery delivery service in London inside the pollution zone. I wish I had one when I was 14.

Bob's mate's bike is over the top in terms of performance and is not street legal as a bicycle but would be classed as a motor bike and would require number plate, insurance tax, etc. From what I can gather there are some cracking electric motor bikes under development. Interesting times

[10gingercats]

Oh, right! I am thinking of a tricycle! and, remember to give your son a smack from me....cheeky boy!

[Ianc2 in reply to 10gingercats]

Trouble is I've got 3 of them and nowadays they move faster than I can

[Smokie2D in reply to Ianc2]

Get a tandem and put one of them on the front. Sit on the back and leave it to them!

[solarjdo69]

Lanc2,

I have been riding an 2008 EGO 2 which is more of a sit on scooter. egovehicles.com/

Works well and I've added a front basket and rear collapsable baskets. I go to the store and it passes EVERY bike. Fun to ride. Stock max speed 24mph. I changed the front motor gear adding 3 more teeth - top speed now 29Mph. I've also test ridden several of the more expensive bikes with the Pedelec assist. These are very nice. Issues - Most regular and electric bikes have narrow tires which make for a bone rattling experience on many roads since one is forced to stay to the side in the "debris" field. There are some newer ones I've seen and read about that have fat tires and the reviews are good, saying that the wider tires soak up the road irregularities and make it a better riding experience. Check this out indiegogo.com/projects/capa...

$1400.00 Having AFIB it sure is nice to have the electric boost. On my ego2 there are no pedals so one has to be sure of the range . I've had to push it back a few times - ugh! Otherwise I love it! I go to the store and many other trips. My wife says "Back already?" It's easier to go there on the e-bike, I put it up right near the store entrance, shop, get bck on and wham! I'm home. I say go for it, but test ride if possible.

[SongPlayer68]

Hello lanc2. I am aged 71 and cannot carry heavy shopping home uphill because of the effects of AF, AF medication and damage caused by long-term gout. 22 months ago I paid £1,300 for an electric bike from a British company with headquarters in Southampton, and it has massively improved my mobility. With rear panniers fitted I can ride home from the shops almost effortlessly whilst carrying heavy items such as several bottles of milk and 2.5 kilograms of potatoes.

The motor is built into the hub of the rear wheel and is activated when the pedals detect just the weight of my legs on the pedals - there is no need to pedal hard. The motor power is divided into 5 different levels which the rider selects and can adjust at any time, and although the bike is limited by law to 15 miles per hour it will reach and maintain that speed even up the steepest of hills if tyou put just a little pressure on the pedals.

A battery charger is provided which plugs into any normal mains socket.

The wheel size is a common 26 inch with strengthened spokes and standard readily-available tyres.

If you are used to riding a normal bike I can thoroughly recommend an electric version from a recognised manufacturer but beware of being tempted by the cheap price of some imported e-bikes. Hope this information helps you. From SongPlayer 68.

[Ianc2]

Thanks for the information. I will have to do a good bit of research. Cheers. Ianc2.