AIBU electric bikes

[2023forme]

AIBU asking this about electric bikes? We (DH) and have decided to buy two and take some U.K. breaks where we can see a bit more of areas without driving.

DH thinks we should just pop down to Halfords and get a couple as apparently Halfords can do no wrong!

AIBU to suggest we do a bit more research about what we will need WRT battery life, quality of the bike, expense of parts/tyres etc.

UABU - Halfords is fine and their electric bikes will suit your needs
YANBU and should consult a bike specialist

and if anyone uses an eBike and has any tips, I would welcome them!

Surely it’s just personal preference? Halfords have all the available information on their bikes just like any other bike specialist. You can research online and compare to Halfords online too.

Generally unless you're planning on spending £5000+ on an e-bike or have specific non-standard requirements (eg extreme offroad bike) you won't get much better than going to a standard bike retailer like Halfords. It's probably better to go to a physical store than just buying online, e-bikes tend to be heavier so if you're used to traditional bikes you might be surprised by the extra bulk.

If you want to spend a lot, look at getting a bike online with more features, for example the ability to load custom firmware to circumvent restrictions on power output (for example). Generally the reputable manufacturers won't allow you to do this so you'd have to take a risk and get a generic brand from China.

Remember though that e-bikes that go above a certain power output are treated like traditional motorbikes in some places so you might need tax/insurance/MoT.

Mine is from Halfords. I didn't want to spend a fortune as I didn't know how much I would use it. As it is, I use it in the warmer months but not much the rest of the year so I'm happy with what I paid. However, there is little to no suspension and i can only use it for pottering around the streets and lanes locally. I wouldn't go off road as it just wouldn't be a comfortable or enjoyable experience. I would suggest a trial with both Halfords and a more specialist place near you if possible and feel the difference for yourself.

Forgot to say that the battery is good for what I need it for. About 20 miles on a charge.

I think I am going to hire some a few times first, maybe on holiday, so I can see what I need and features I prefer. SIL says be aware of range because her friends battery runs out before hers on rides.

I would shop around for an electric bike I have just bought one and it had to tick several boxes for me before I bought one. Some of the shops let us try them out for several hours and we paid a deposit which they took off the price of the bike if we bought from them.
Do your research before buying it could end up a costly mistake.

E bikes are expensive, you should definitely do some research. Key things (usually offsetting one against the other, unless you go up in price) are the power of the motor - which affects the distance you can go - compared to the weight of the bike. E bikes are heavy, unless you're willing to pay ££££!

Also I don't know what size you are, but ebikes don't come in a great range of sizes, particularly at the smaller end. I'm 5ft 2 and many brands don't even do an ebike that fits me. You won't get good bike fitting advice at Halfords usually - the sales staff just aren't specialist enough - so bear that in mind. Apparently the reason for this is most bikes have the battery hidden in the downtube (in the frame) most of the batteries are a standard size, and they don't fit into the frames of the smaller bikes. Very annoying!

Look to see if either of you can get the Cycle to Work scheme. If your employer does it you can get the bike tax free which depending on your tax bracket can be a big saving!

And yes I’d do some research first, although that doesn’t mean you can’t ultimately buy it from Halfords.

If you’re looking at the cheaper end of things, also consider Decathlon. I find on the whole they are better quality than your typical Halfords offerings. Don’t underestimate the weight, they really are a lot heavier than a non powered bike, and if the battery isn’t the best, they’re dog awful to pedal when they’ve run out due to the weight. But good luck and hope you have fun. I’ve only been on an E-bike a couple of times but the pedal assist is superb fun.

Look at stuff like weight of the bike, range. Look at reviews. My main ebike is a Liv and I love it but it was quite a bit more expensive than anything in Halfords. I do proper mountain biking on it though.

I’d do some research first and read reviews but Halfords have good reputation. Also see if you could both get one on the Cycle to Work scheme as it saves you with tax relief. Just bear in the mind they can be quite heavy - in mind of getting them to your destination! Could be better to just hire them when you get there if will be the odd use

I have one from Halfords on the bike to work scheme. Love it, and they service it.

Look at EMU, I bought a second hand one a few years ago, no issues, and easy to get it serviced in my area - not sure about other areas, but here, I just ring and guy comes to my home and does a full annual service for £30

Look at the ones with the Bosch motors. They are the better option. We did our research before buying ours. Good luck.

Its orth checking if either of your employers offer the cycle-to-work scheme, where you can get a bike (and helmet etc if wanted)from a variety of retailers and pay it up monthly via Salary Sacrifice. Quite a few people I my work took advantage of it and got electric bikes. Oh, and no-one is checking that they're actually cycling to work, that's not a stipulation of the deal!

worth*

I got mine from Halfords without doing very much research! It was just under £1k this time last year and is fine for what I use it for (pottering around locally). I hadn’t owned a bike since I was 10 though so not an enthusiast!! I did have an issue when I first got it as it hadn’t been set up properly but they sorted that free of charge fairly quickly.

Bikes in general you need to do your research for and get the right size and shape. Ebikes too. You're talking thousands of pounds per bike.
Who will service and repair it? How would you go about getting new batteries?
I got my e-bike in the mid noughties and I still use it - have had to replace the batteries several times, and there's a gear issue that I haven't found anyone to fix (it's buried in the motor unit so a bit different from a regular bike issue).

Make sure you know what type of cycling you plan on doing. Halfords are well known for selling people poor quality full suspension bikes when they would be better off with a higher quality hybrid or front suspension mountain bike.

Both DP and I have Giant full suspension mountain bikes, but we do proper downhill mountain biking, we bought them from proper bike shops.

If you're only going to do towpath rides or similar, you don't need anything like this.

Thanks for all the replies - most helpful!

• will check out cycle to work scheme
• I’m 5’2” too!
• we are not hard core so it would be cycle paths and streets
• good shout re decathalon - there’s one quite near us

I got an electric folding bike from halfords on bike to work scheme. I loved it for 2 years until I was knocked off by a truck and broke several bones! Back on it now and loving it again! But be careful - if you have a bike that looks like a slow bike, and you look like a slower cycle rider, cars may not realise how fast you are in fact travelling!

It is a big purchase so you need to do some research, not just buy what a salesperson wants to sell you. You need to try several with different motors and you will see the difference. Torque is very important, the higher the Nm the better for getting you up hills.

Agree with what someone else said and hire some first to find out what you are looking for in a bike.

I became obsessed during lockdown as I really wanted one but they were so hard to get hold of. I did so much research so knew exactly what I wanted in a bike.

Most employers are on the Cycle to Work scheme. Check that before you do anything else (as some schemes are linked to specific retailers). If you can use that, you really should- it means you make a huge saving and also pay straight from your salary in installments, so there's no up front outlay.

You don't need to actually cycle to work to buy on the scheme.

But definitely do some research. If you do end up in Halfords (and one cycle to work scheme I came across only used them), you can have a 6hr trial of an ebike, which is a great initiative.

Second the Bosch motor/battery and be really clear on the distances you intend to go each day vs the battery range. You could end up limiting yourself because of this. You can’t really pedal them without the battery - way too heavy.

I would never describe Halford's as a bike specialist. If you are lucky one of their staff may now something about their own range.