Electric Bike

[LadyEloise]

Does anyone have an electric bike?
If so, what type?
What informed your choice ?
Ate you glad you got one ?
Thanks in advance.

Yes. I love mine. It's an Ampler. You can only buy them online. I use it for commuting (pre lockdown!) a hilly 4 mile journey and for short trips to shops, pub, gym etc.

It's massively reduced my car use and it's fun!

My advice, buy the absolute best you can afford. I put mine on a 0% credit card for 20 months and am partly paying it off in what I save in fuel.

After many years of riding regular bikes I bought a Cube ebike two years ago. It's made rides out with my DH much more enjoyable and I love having it.

I still have a regular bike but i'm keeping it just for commutes to the gym.

Does anyone have the Brompton electric. I’m really thinking about e bike for commuting when we can go back but would need a folding bike as I think a normal one would get vandalised outside the office and there’s not space for me to store it inside

Thank you

Raleigh Modus owner here. Worth every penny! Eats hills.

Watch where the battery is located on the bike: they are heavy, so low down or central is best.

@ThanosSavedMe I have the electric brompton. It's great, and I'm really tall. As you say, fold it, bung it under the desk.

It's pretty heavy mind! About 16kg with the battery.

I had an ebco for commuting to work, 6 mile round trip 5 days a week until the battery started to give out after about 2 years use. I could only get a mile or so before needing to recharge again. I wasn't impressed by how quickly it started to fail and sold it to go back to traditional bike. Battery tech may have improved since then but its a big cost to keep having to refurbish them every couple years.

Thanks @DadOnAHotTinRoof I am tempted but it’s a lot of money and the route I’d have to take scares me!

Thank you to all who replied
Does anyone know anything about the Pendleton electric bike?
It's more my price range.

@DadOnAHotTinRoof I went on a test ride on the e Brompton. Omg, I loved it. Was so much fun.

I have a Juicy bike, love it. I’ve had people stop me (when I’m walking with it rather than riding!) to say how lovely my bike is. It also eats hills

This one www.juicybike.co.uk/electric-bikes/classic-click-dutch-style-electric-bicycle

DH bought me one. Tbh I really don't like it. It's incredibly heavy to lug out of the back of the garage and just feels cumbersome. Also there's very little control over the speed. It's either bloody fast or off. I know this is incredibly unhelpful, but I can't remember what make it is, and it's not here at the moment to check. Definitely do a test ride if you can, or read the reviews very carefully. I'm trying to gauge how long I have to keep it for until it can be sold without hurting his feelings.

I got lectro and love it. I have been wfh but took it out for a spin today and it reminded me how much I love it. No effort required to cycle, it is just joyful.

Hi @pineapplemonkey - that bike is VERY cute. The battery looks quite big - I'm wondering how safe it would be to leave locked up outside a shop etc, how do you manage? And would it be good for hills? Thanks.

@trulyconfuseddotcom I don't think the battery seems that big in real life, maybe a bit taller than a cereal box? The saddle flips forward and the battery slots in beneath it in front of the back wheel. The battery has a lock with a key that both turns the battery off and locks it into the frame so can't be nicked, I've left it outside loads of shops no problem (you need to use a bike lock at well obvs but that would be the same for any bike, electric or not). It makes going up hills much much easier. What people often don't get though is ebikes still require effort and don't move the bike for you, they just assist you, you stop peddling, they stop moving. Oh and you can pick the level of assistance (from 1-5 with mine) you feel you need, depending on how steep the hill is. It's even got a comfy saddle!

I'm seriously considering getting myself an ebike to aid my rehabilitation after an injury. Its really getting me down that I can't cycle at the moment but it will be ages before I am strong enough to get out again and we live in a really hilly place so getting going again is going to be hard. I have previously been put off by the fact that most of them have been really ugly and massively heavy until fairly recently, but the technology is coming on leaps and bounds now and some of the latest generation are really lovely.
DH is muttering about me buying "yet another bloody bike" but I bet he will want one for himself once he sees how good they are now.
My current favoured option is this
winstanleysbikes.co.uk/bianchi-aria-e-road-ultegra-compact-2020-electric-bike?gclid=CjwKCAjwh472BRAGEiwAvHVfGlhvydjlEPDB6Ze1ZplzDq2HImaLx2OgX9Srgem7_uleR-NN0VHewhoCuckQAvD_BwE#bianchi-aria-e-road-ultegra-compact-2020-electric-bike-frame-59cm

How much effort is needed to regarding pedal work please?

Would they be appropriate for someone who has restricted spinal movement and couldn’t bend their knees to raise their legs to the bar without pain?

Hello,

I am looking into the Scottish Government interest free loan for one of these at the moment, but wondered please - do you manually switch between electric & manual or does the bike do it for you? Apologies for the stupid question!

I have an eranger bike, and love it. I regularly cycle to work and back on it, about 7 miles each way. I'm the wrong side of 50, and have arthritis in my knees and not exactly fit, but it makes easy work of the journey while still getting exercise. I live in a hilly area and when I get to the top of a hill, I still feel like my heart, lungs and knees have had a workout but without it I wouldn't even have attempted the hill. I would definitely recommend them. The only disadvantage is that it it's heavy.

Thanks for the detailed reply @Pineapplemonkey. Am looking at the Scottish Government loan scheme now, hmmm...

My dp and I both have cube ebikes and love them, we live in a VERY hilly part of the world and I have never yet not managed to get up a hill on it. Mine has 9 conventional gears, and then four power levels. You can switch betweeen them with the touch of a button, so as you start to struggle up a hill just down a gear and up a power level.

It does take a little getting used to, and they act weird if you are in too high power, but it’s easy to correct.

I can easily cycle 20 miles and get up to go again the next day,

They are heavy though, but go on the back of the car easily, we just take the batteries out. A charge lasts us around 3 or 4 trips out, so somewhere between 40 to 70 miles, depending on how much power you have used. Dp uses less than me because he is less of a wuss....the great thing is though we can cycle together and not feel anyone is being held back, he just uses lower power than me and we are both happy and exercised!

I've come late to this OP but don't get the Pendleton ebike.
I had a more expensive one a number of years ago and it was fab until the battery stopped working
I decided to treat myself to the Pendleton last year but ended up selling it on gumtree after a number of weeks. I found the switch on for the electric power to be too jerky and thought I wouldn't be safe in traffic with it . Worth paying more unfortunately.

I’m a proud owner of a trek lift it’s electric assist. So you have to do some pedaling. Shimano gear system, Bosch battery.
I’d not be biking if it wasn’t for this bike, very very hilly where I’m at.
As mentioned they are heavy and theft (of the whole bike) a real concern. The battery is locked in place.