Electric bike

[Shtsandgiggles]

Thinking about getting an electric pish bike for £1000 pounds to commute to work

It is about 3 miles away but I live on the top of a big hill

My car seems to need constant maintenance so Thinking of getting rid of it, as can use public transport for further afield

Anyone got an electric bike

Are they a lot easier to commute on verses a normal bike

As on how much effort?

I have one and it was well worth the spend. It tackles steep hills with minimal effort.

Do you find you have to out effort into your peddling or does the electric moto activate and do it all for you?

Depends. The motor can do it but the bike is heavier. Pedal assist is better. You need to try one of each. You don't need a heavy electric mtn bike. A hybrid type is fine

Assuming you are in the UK (the laws do vary from country to country) you have to do some pedalling to activate the motor. Bikes where the motor will run without you pedalling are classed as electric motorbikes and are covered by different legislation - you need a licence etc.
Most Ebikes will have a variety of power settlings that will determine how much assistance they provide - typically 3 levels. Obviously if you pick the highest level of assistance it's less work but the battery will drain more quickly whereas you can ride much further on the lowest setting. But for a short commute you could use the highest setting all the way without too much to worry about.
Nobody can really tell you how much effort it will be though as that's going to depend on lots of things - the bike's weight (Ebikes are a lot heavier than normal bikes, especially the less expensive ones), the type of motor your bike has, what you weigh, how fit you are, the length and gradient of the hill etc but as a general rule, yes, it's a lot easier than a regular bike up hill.
I tend to use mine on the lowest setting most of the time and I still get breathless on hills - I live in a very hilly area. But I'm doing that deliberately as I'm trying to regain fitness after a period of serious ill health, so I want to be working quite hard. But I like the safety net of knowing that if I start struggling I can up the assistance to the next level and am never going to get stuck. There's a big range of ebikes now in different styles to suit different purposes so hopefully you can find something that suits your needs. Just bear in mind though that the motor will stop assisting you at 25kph (about 15.5mph) and that's a legal requirement. So whilst they are fabulous going up hills, once you're on the flat you can find yourself pedalling a heavy bike without any assistance so I'd recommend you try to get the lightest that you can afford.

Thanks for that, given me some things to think about 👍

They are awesome but very heavy. Get the biggest capacity battery you can afford (15ah/17ah for preference.) In the winter months however they will really not be an option which is something to consider.

There is a forum called Pedelecs which is very helpful.

In the winter months however they will really mot be an option
Why not?

I used one every day to commute to work for about 4 miles each way 5 days a week. After 2 years the battery life depleted so much it had to be recharged after every journey. I got rid of it and went back to traditional bike because replacing the battery would just be too expensive.

@MrsAvocet The wind chill factor at 0° is -11°, for a start! But seriously, wind and rain makes cycling miserable, and ice and snow makes it incredibly dangerous, especially on hills like the OP is planning to tackle.

Do you live somewhere with very severe winters Cailleach? The British winter really isn't too bad most of the time. Loads of people cycle all year round. Given the OP mentions public transport I'm guessing she doesn't live too far off the beaten track so roads are quite likely to be gritted when necessary and it's only a 3 mile journey. I live in the back of beyond in an area that is famed for both its hills and its poor weather and even here there are relatively few days of the year when I wouldn't cycle. In some ways I prefer it to riding in the summer.
There will almost certainly be some winter days when the OP would need alternative transport but unless she lives somewhere with really extreme weather, it's not going to be the whole of the winter months.