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Cycling

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Electric bike on a budget

19 replies

bikeylikey · 16/06/2024 18:04

I'm looking to cycle to work locally and also enjoys some leisure riding -by myself at fat 50yo speed.

I live up quite a steep hill so electric is the way forward for me - have trialled one and liked it - but I'm not sure what to buy.

I can do the Cycle2Work scheme but at means the bike has to be from Halfords! I like the look of a Pendleton but realistically it's probably not the best one for the money?

Can anyone help me pick?

www.halfords.com/bikes/electric-bikes/?prefn1=gender&prefv1=Unisex%7CWomens&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgol-VbCB7SsnoW9pqjYDHCiwK4rByhYmvaRKKBSIBqBtG5OU-oFO6wBoCr3cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

OP posts:
modgepodge · 16/06/2024 18:08

Hello, sorry to say I really wouldn’t recommend the Pendleton. I got it (swayed by how pretty it is!) about 2 years ago and it’s been back in to Halfords about 8 times for repairs since then. Possibly I got a dud one, and about 18 months after I got it my husband worked out what the issue was and they resolved it and I’ve not had any trouble since. But the engineers did not seem very knowledgable and it was just trip after trip. Sorry 😕 it is very pretty though…and when it works it is great! Would definitely recommend an electric bike generally, just not that one.

greenglasswise · 16/06/2024 18:13

How is it on hills - when it's working?

modgepodge · 16/06/2024 20:06

greenglasswise · 16/06/2024 18:13

How is it on hills - when it's working?

Brilliant! Especially when fully charged / when charge goes below 50% it isn’t as speedy but still helps. I’m quite heavy and used to manage to get up a long steel hill home with my 4 year old on the back!

CircleofWillis · 16/06/2024 20:13

I love my electric Pendleton. I've had it for 5 years and have only had to change the charger cable so far. I've had it serviced yearly. The only bad point is that I t is very heavy to maneuver when not using the battery.

CormorantStrikesBack · 16/06/2024 20:15

The Liv Rove e has just been reduced to £1750. Was 2.5k. Great price and very well made bikes.

https://www.doddingtonhallonline.uk/bikes/electric-bikes/2022-liv-rove-e-electric-hybrid-bike-in-blue-ashes__6765?currency=GBP&chosenAttribute=2223704103&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgol3l-QVn1R0OQsa_riB59d21cED-XxuQSDvDgjdau-AdFLbM97aMrRoC5ToQAvD_BwE

id snap it up so fast if i was after a new ebike.

bikeylikey · 16/06/2024 20:49

That does look good @CormorantStrikesBack but Halfords don't stock it. Has to be from them for the scheme.

I'm confused by the options, will see if can get a test drive!

OP posts:
TeresaCrowd · 16/06/2024 21:13

Not the point of the thread, but you defo used to be able to use Halfords vouchers with other retailers. Worth asking in your local bike shop.

modgepodge · 16/06/2024 21:15

bikeylikey · 16/06/2024 20:49

That does look good @CormorantStrikesBack but Halfords don't stock it. Has to be from them for the scheme.

I'm confused by the options, will see if can get a test drive!

When I bought from Halfords 2 years ago, you could borrow an electric bike for free for 5 hours to test. I have to say I loved the Pendleton when I test rode it. I think I was really unlucky and got a dud, since a specific tiny part was replaced it has been fine. Unfortunately the tiny part caused an intermittent fault which made it hard to diagnose, and I have to say the technicians in store aren’t particularly knowledgeable. It was my husband who worked out the issue in the end.

Universalrehearsal · 16/06/2024 21:19

Double check that it's only Halfords as our scheme tries to make you think it's just Halfords, but it's not!

MrsAvocet · 16/06/2024 21:20

Quite a lot of the online bike shops will take the various cycle to work schemes vouchers too including specialist retailers like E-bikes Direct. Obviously you don't have the advantages of being able to try the bikes but it vastly increases your options.

bikeylikey · 16/06/2024 21:54

Thanks that is good to know. I will make enquiries tomorrow!

OP posts:
MrsAvocet · 16/06/2024 22:59

I've had a look at the Pendleton and to be honest I wouldn't rush to buy it. As a bike it's got pretty low quality components and the electric side of things is a bit lacklustre too - not terrible but not brilliant either. It's not got a great deal of torque and the range isn't spectacular. A few years ago it would probably have looked quite good but the technology has improved significantly. It's not awful but you can get a lot better these days.
You need to think about what you need from the bike depending on what kind of riding you'll be doing. If your journeys are going to be fairly short and your hills are steep I would sacrifice range for more torque and less weight. If you aren't ever going to ride more than, say 20 miles in one go there's no point in looking for a bike with a huge range because it will have a bigger, heavier battery which you'll be carrying around for no real benefit. But if you have steep hills you want a good amount of torque to help you up them. On the other hand, if you'll be doing long journeys range will be your priority but you might have to accept less assistance, as in simple terms, the more assistance the motor gives you the more battery it uses up.
There's quite a lot of different options available these days in terms of types of motors and batteries and there's a lot to be said for talking to a specialist retailer either in real life or online. Standards do vary from branch to branch at Halfords but as a general rule they are less likely to have mechanics or sales people with the same level of expertise as at a specialist shop. Even at the lower end of the price range an Ebike is a lot of money and it's worth taking your time and shopping around so you don't make an expensive mistake.

bikeylikey · 17/06/2024 06:45

@MrsAvocet great advice thank you. I'll give some thought to usage. I did couch to 50k a few years ago on a normal bike but haven't been that far since! 20k should be plenty as work is only a couple of miles away.

OP posts:
WoodsTreesWhere · 17/06/2024 07:10

I found it very hard to choose an ebike too OP, seemed to be loads in the few thousands range that I couldn’t afford, but found it difficult to work out the differences in the lower range ones.

I did get a Pendleton from Halfords, but on their second hand scheme so it was significantly cheaper.

I was also looking for a stop gap bike as I’m pregnant and will look at one of the more expensive ones with extra seats on the back in a couple of years.

It’s been fine. Some weird clicking to do with the chain cover that I took it back to Halfords a couple of times about and they just looked at it for free which was good.

Im pretty heavy at the moment and it gets me up significant hills.

Not sure it’ll last forever as it doesn’t feel super high quality, but fine for a few years and to see if an e-bike suited me.

GOODCAT · 17/06/2024 09:30

I used cycle to work to buy a liv bike. Try checking whether your work will work with another scheme if you are otherwise forced to do Halfords and they don't have the bike you want.

What I would strongly recommend is getting one from a bike shop that you can get to as they need more servicing than a normal bike and if they have issues you want to sort under warranty it will be you getting the bike to them and they are seriously heavy. That would determine for me how hard to push to get a bike from an alternative supplier.

I absolutely love my e bike it is brilliant and has saved me a fortune as I have replaced so many car journeys with that and the £2 bus fares.

shrodingersvaccine · 17/06/2024 11:57

If it's a Halfords Cycle to Work Scheme voucher, you can definitely use it with other retailers - you just need to have the code to type in at checkout. I got mine from Tredz - The Specialized Turbo Como 3.0. I LOVE IT - got it in the sale as well so was cheaper. I get an excellent range (and live in Edinburgh so it's really hilly here), charges fast (4hrs from zero to full). One thing I will say is it weighs a f*cking tonne - my partner has a Trek electric and I was shocked by how much lighter his is BUT he has crap range, has to charge it every day even though he cycles much less than me, and he had to get mudguards and everything as his came as literally frame and wheels. Mine has everything - built in lights, mudguards, pannier racks etc as standard, she's a big chunky dutch bike and I love her. I used to live in the Netherlands and so very much use my bike as a workhorse - I need to be able to hop on and off in any outfit, carry shopping, kids, possibly a dog etc! His is more sporty looking because he rarely stops at the shop and is never transporting anything other than himself.

Think about whether you want a mid drive or a rear hub drive. Mid = more spendy, needs a chunky frame to accommodate it, uses torque to guide assistance which feels much more natural (and doesn't have lag). Rear hub = cheaper, not as efficient (drains battery faster), gives assistance based on cadence rather than torque which can do weird things on hills.

Don't forget to add the cost of your accessories as well, I got absolutely everything - helmet, bags etc as you get it all cheaper!

CormorantStrikesBack · 17/06/2024 13:05

Was just going to say Tredz take Halfords. Giant don’t though for Liv bikes.

bikeylikey · 17/06/2024 20:00

I'm off to trial a Liv and the Como tomorrow!

OP posts:
GOODCAT · 18/06/2024 21:37

bikeylikey · 17/06/2024 20:00

I'm off to trial a Liv and the Como tomorrow!

How did you get on with them?

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