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!

I got a Forme Morley btw, which is British made. Is fine EXCEPT the rear mudguard is too short and my jacket and helmet get destroyed if the road is wet or even damp. Is really annoying and not something I’d have even noticed buying it.

I worked for an engineering company with keen cyclists. To a man/woman they all said make sure it is a Bosch motor. Advice I intend to follow.

I didn’t say they were specialists, I said they have all the available information - like bike specialists. The info is all provided for them. But also it varies loads by store obviously, we have 2 locally and the bigger one has bike specialists, the smaller one doesn’t really that I’ve seen.

Go and hire one for a day...try diff models...did so on a break snd one gaVe no oomph up hills while the other one did

As others have said, definitely do your research and try different places, it's quite a big purchase and you don't want to end up with something that ends up not meeting your needs.

I bought one from a electric bike specialist small chain, but also found the local bike shops really helpful. The advantage they have over halfords is that you aren't just tied to halfords own brand bikes. Some of the components on these are quite poor and you'd get better value elsewhere. It's worth trying different styles of bike too, as the different riding positions with different frames do make a big difference.

Most ride to work schemes, even if they appear linked to halfords or another provider, allow you to purchase from any local shop and being able to spread the cost and gain a tax benefit was a huge plus to me.

I agree with the previous poster who said about hiring one first. This will help you get an idea of the sort of distances you want to cover and whether you enjoy it.

The range is important, because what sounds like a lot of miles really isn't when you have the pedal assist so while you think having a 20 mile range is plenty, that's only 10 miles each way in perfect flat conditions and can be quite limiting. Probably under 2 hours riding time. Fine for using it to pop to the shops or commute places but not necessarily for a relaxed longer day out.

My bike has a 90 mile range which means I don't have to think about whether I'm going to run out of battery too much. Last year I went on holiday to the lake district and happily spent all day riding about and going to different places which was so lovely.

The weight of the bike is worth considering I ended up getting something from the Specialized SL range, SL meaning super light and would really recommend, though it was about £2500 I couldn't be happier with it.

When you are buying an ebike you need to do double the research as you need to make sure you are getting both the E and the bike right. There are so many options now and therr is no one "best" motor any more than there is one "best" bike. It depends very much what kind of riding you are doing eg if you are going to be doing longer rides on mainly flattish terrain you want to look for a bike with fairly long range but you don't need a motor with a lot of torque. Someone who is into serious E mountain biking however will want a really high torque motor to get up very steep climbs but probably will be less concerned about range. There are also options regarding position of the motor - your 2 main choices are in the rear hub or adjacent to the bottom bracket and there are pros and cons of each system. Then of course there's weight. Bigger batteries will give you longer range but add considerably to the weight of the bike, and a high torque motor will use your battery up more quickly meaning that more "powerful" E bikes are often heavier E bikes too. Although the technology is improving rapidly you still have to sacrifice something as there isn't really a bike that is light, with a long range and a high torque motor. You also need to think about practicalities such as where you are going to charge it and if you need to be able to remove the battery or not. So there is a lot to consider, plus of course everything you need to consider about buying a regular bike too, so don't rush into it. Personally I would look for a bike shop that sells a range of different Ebikes and try to ride a few to get the feel of the different systems, as even relatively inexpensive ones are not cheap.

I’m on my second ebike due to the first one being an impulse buy with no research! The second one (which I love) I got from Rutland Cycles, they were great and I test rode a few after narrowing it down due to power/battery life etc. I hated cycling before but we now go for miles and I love it. We’ve even done Coast to coast rides staying in B&Bs etc en route.

Do you have a local bike shop? Have found the ones local to me have given me great advice over the years rather than selling me something that's not quite right for me.

By local I meant independent.

We both have ebikes which we bought from a small local independent bike shop. He had a wealth of knowledge and could give us advice based on our needs. We bought relatively expensive bikes, but are very happy with them. They have at least 70km range on full charge (which is more than we need), built in lights and back pannier. I love mine, definitely get out more than on my non electric one. I bought one second hand before but the motor was basically rubbish. It burnt out and wasn’t worth repairing, so buyer beware!

Agree with what others have said about going to a specialist bike shop. The staff at independent shops are generally more likely to cycle themselves so will be much more knowledgeable than at Halfords. If you happen to live in Yorkshire, Cycle Heaven in York are fantastic.

Some councils also team up with local bike shops to run hire schemes - my mum borrowed one from her local council for a week for free. It made her realise how easy it made riding and she felt she could justify the cost of a higher end ebike

Halfords are definitely over priced as their advice is pretty basic too. We bought ours from Amazon for £600 each and they are brilliant apart from being a slightly heavier frame if you need to lift very high onto bike racks!

also you may need a specialist bike each for e bikes due to their higher weight!

I have a Cowboy and it's amazing.

I bought it after reading a lot of reviews, not cheap and I ordered without trying so I did take a risk!

My mum has an older Raleigh one, it is lighter but she has to do gears whereas mine does that automatically to optimise the battery.

That was a big plus for me, between the motor and no gears riding is phenomenally easy!

Weight is a killer though, even without the battery it's a damn heavy bike! Obviously that doesn't matter while you are riding.

I ruled out some similar thing he's as the battery was inside the frame and I need to bring the battery in to charge (plus batteries don't last as well if you keep them too cold and my bike lives in a bike shed).

I would have liked to try a range in person but struggled to find many places with a range of brands in stock.

Do some research and get onto ebay, I got one which was basically brand new for under £300.

I'd never buy one from Halfords. We've bought a few childrens' bikes over the years for our son, and every time, the Halfords "specialist" fouled up the assembly, once was a loose front wheel (he forgot to tighten the bolts) and another time they didn't use long enough bolts for stabilisers so one fell off causing DS to fall off. If they're incapable of assembling simple children's bikes, I don't want their "experts" anywhere near an electric one!

I would shop around and make sure you do some test rides. And I would also buy from a proper specialist bike retailer with trained knowledgeable staff. All e-bikes are definitely not equal and you need to be comfortable with what you are getting and where you are willing to compromise if you have a limited budget

Ive got a Dawes one. Very similar to the Halfords Carrera. It's really easy to chuck in the back of the car. I love it. My friend has the nine electric version of the Halfords folding one. It's fab.

YANBU at all, do your research and don't buy from Halfords. There are plenty of great places to buy ebikes. Decathlon has decent ones and your local bike shops - independents or quality chains like Evans, Rutland etc - should have others to try.

I have a Gazelle which is fantastic but they're probably not ideal for your height. I quite like the look of the Islabikes eJanis as it's so light. (My current bike is heavy but it has to be for carrying a child.)

I am smaller than the OP and agree with other posters about doing research. My DH is really into cycling and did loads when looking for my e bike. I can highly recommend the Liv range, specifically designed for the female body. I have their XS Thrive E+ Pro. Bought from a small specialist cycle shop and tried it out first.

We bought an electric bike for pottering around, which we got from a bicycle shop. It was much heavier than a push bike, more like a small moped, and about as difficult to pedal when unpowered. The thing that was most disappointing was the rapidity with which the battery deteriorated. Occasionally, in the summer months, I rode it to school, a round trip of about eleven miles. Initially, I could get there and back on one charge. After a while, I had to put it o**n charge in the staffroom, so I stopped using it.

My Ebike is a Colnago, with a 46cm frame and I am only 5ft0. To be honest, I would have liked it a teeny bit smaller but it was the smallest I could find that met my other requirements and it's perfectly rideable. Someone 2 inches taller than me would fit it well I'd say.
Orbea do a good range of ebikes that go down to 46cm frames and are nice looking good quality bikes. Supply can be a bit hit and miss at present unfortunately though, but that's still a bit of an issue with a lot of manufacturers, especially if you are buying from European manufacturers. Ribble also do something very similar and are British based so might not have such long waits, I'm not sure.
Choice is a bit more limited for shorter riders but there are some very good bikes out there in small sizes, you just have to hunt around and might have to wait a bit longer for delivery unfortunately.

Great thread OP, I have a £1000 cycle to work voucher and am 5ft1 so watching closely for recommendations!

Wow lots of replies and so much useful information!!

I’m just telling DH now that I need a 3k lightweight super e-bike and he can make do with a 300 quid 10 stone bike 🤣

@TiaraBoo - I was just looking up DH’s cycle to work scheme and it looks like it’s more a “hire” scheme with a big payment at the end (like with cars) if you want to actually own the bike outright - so check out the Ts&Cs

On paper you don't own the bike but in reality you own it. When you get to the end of the "hire" period you can extend it for a small cost and then at the end of the extended period you can legally buy the bike for what is usually a small fee. The different schemes vary slightly and it depends on the value of the bike you buy, but overall it is usually well worth buying it that way, as you save so much in tax. The main factor to consider is whether your employer sets a limit on the amount you can spend (and if so how much) because a good ebike usually costs a fair bit.

www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/cycle-to-work-scheme-everything-you-need-to-know/