E Bikes, which type to go for?

[Take2]

Just wanted to get the thoughts of you fungi’s on the subject of choosing an
e bike to take in the MH?
I’ve got a 5 Year old 20” wheeled folding rear hub job with the 10A brick battery down behind the seat. Weighs 23kg with battery and gives around 25 miles.
The likes:
Reasonable weight, easily stored in garage, not very appealing to thieves.
Dislikes:
The motor feels quite noisy in populated areas, seem to get overtaken by everyone.
Has anyone had the small 20” and a full sized 26”e bike that could shed some light on their pros and cons?
I’m thinking, possibly in error, that the larger e bike is more efficient than the smaller one. Giving better cruising speed and better range for the same effort??

 

[Coolcats]

I believe in the UK you can get electric mopeds that are the equivalent of 50cc motorbikes with the same rules applying. Perhaps the Italian 30mph jobies were their equivalent of this?
I just did a bit of googling to confirm this.

View attachment 691750

Source: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowT...or_driving_a_scooter_in_italy-Rome_Lazio.html

E-bikes are limited in Europe, just like here some people will chip the bike and yes they can do 30 mph but it’s illegal

An Ultimate Guide to E-Bike Laws in Europe - FuturaRide

Here’s the ultimate guide to e-bike laws in Europe. Learn national requirements, safety standards, and everything else you need to know!

futuraride.com

 

[Jo662]

Yes but there are a lot of places your E-mtb will go that the GSXR won’t

Very true

 

[Gromett]

E-bikes are limited in Europe, just like here some people will chip the bike and yes they can do 30 mph but it’s illegal

An Ultimate Guide to E-Bike Laws in Europe - FuturaRide

Here’s the ultimate guide to e-bike laws in Europe. Learn national requirements, safety standards, and everything else you need to know!

futuraride.com

E Bicycles are limited yes.

Scooters can go 30mph and have a power limit.

The same is true in the UK.

This is available in the UK. It is electric and does 30mph and is legal.

There is no law that states that the scooter has to be a step through like this, it can look like a normal bicycle.

You link even explains this class

Next up we have L1e-B vehicles. The maximum power rating for these electric cycles is 4000 watts, whereas their maximum allowable speed is 45 km/h. L1e-B cycles, or mopeds, only have pedal assist and at most 2 wheels.

 

[IRHP]

Do people pay this sort of money for ebikes ?
If you both had one that’s a small fortune!
I didn’t pay that for my GSXR1000.

I believe so but I think you get what he bought for a good bit cheaper now.

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[Silver-Fox]

You can get a decent hard tail MTB for around £3500 Whyte (e- 505)also do a good trail bike ( e-506). Full suspension MTB bikes cost a few £k more

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I was guessing with the price being quoted at £5500 that it was a full suspension bike.

Unfortunately the type of riding I do I need a full suspension

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Unfortunately the type of riding I do I need a full suspension

Ditto,
Have Ohlins on my bike and it just soaks up the terrain when screaming down a run
My son has a very nice carbon e bike with good spec but you can definitely tell the difference in suspension between the 2.

 

[Rob Turner]

We’ve always bought Cube with the odd exception.
Pulls the dog trailer a treat.

 

[Stonemags76]

I had a Kalkoff Aguttu with 26” wheels for several years, & it was quite steady, but unwieldy & heavy - my husband said it was made of girders! I’m only 5’ 1” & I also found even a small frame too big for me. I’ve recently bought this

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and I’m really pleased with it! It has rear suspension, & adjust for 5’ to over 6’ tall, & weighs only 17kg with the battery, & 15kgs without. I find it fairly stable, although I only do road & tracks now, & it fold up to fit between the seats in our pvc.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Ditto,
Have Ohlins on my bike and it just soaks up the terrain when screaming down a run
My son has a very nice carbon e bike with good spec but you can definitely tell the difference in suspension between the 2.

Don’t think I’m a good enough rider to tell the difference in the shocks

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Don’t think I’m a good enough rider to tell the difference in the shocks

I don’t think you have to be that good to tell, one bike you get shook to death going down a bumpy run the other you near on glide over, a well set up suspension makes so much difference to an enjoyable ride.

 

[Coolcats]

E Bicycles are limited yes.

Scooters can go 30mph and have a power limit.

The same is true in the UK.

This is available in the UK. It is electric and does 30mph and is legal.

There is no law that states that the scooter has to be a step through like this, it can look like a normal bicycle.
View attachment 691791


You link even explains this class

Of course but it’s not an e bike which is restricted to 15 mph which doesn’t need a licence and you cannot just chip a bike to go faster as it is illegal

You are correct in that there is another category so as always it’s horses for corses

First things first – electric motorcycles and mopeds are perfectly legal in the UK. But they do require a license and insurance.

 

[ED O'DARAC]

We have 2 Whispers. Mine is the folding one with 16” wheels, the Wife’s non folding with 20” wheels, both weigh within 1kgs of each other (21kgs with out the batteries). The Wife’s on with the larger 20” wheels is far far steadier and the more comfortable to ride. Hope this info is of assistance to you.

Is the collective noun for theses a 'Quiet conversation' of Whispers??

 

[Gromett]

Of course but it’s not an e bike which is restricted to 15 mph which doesn’t need a licence and you cannot just chip a bike to go faster as it is illegal

You are correct in that there is another category so as always it’s horses for corses

First things first – electric motorcycles and mopeds are perfectly legal in the UK. But they do require a license and insurance.

I have ZERO idea what point you are trying to make.

I was responding to the post about Italy where there are people going round at 30mph on ebikes.
I am simply saying they may be legal in the class that over here we call mopeds.

NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS. I am not looking for an argument or a debate.

 

[Coolcats]

I have ZERO idea what point you are trying to make.

I was responding to the post about Italy where there are people going round at 30mph on ebikes.
I am simply saying they may be legal in the class that over here we call mopeds.

NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS. I am not looking for an argument or a debate.

Kind greetings to you to Gromett

if you pair back the comment I made I was agreeing with you, and whilst some bikes are chipped in many countries including the UK, it is illegal to do so, to go after than 15 mph it has to be a legalised vehicle which is the L1e-B class and there are various classes of electric bike most bike blogs explain this as well as the .Gov website which is helpful.

A debate always happens on a thread such as this

Have a good evening

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[lorger]

RIBBLE cycles weighs about 16 to 17 k with battery .! Nice looking bikes and not a bad price.

colyboy

I have a Ribble non EBike and love it so tried the Ribble EBike and didn’t like it, it’s not like a normal EBike as the assistance is minimal. Another downside is the battery isn’t removable, and if you read some reviews you’ll be lucky to get anywhere near mileage quoted. I would say if you want a bike where you can ride as normal but need help on hills it’s ideal for you.

 

[VXman]

Do people pay this sort of money for ebikes ?
If you both had one that’s a small fortune!
I didn’t pay that for my GSXR1000.

My mate spent £10,000 on his. It's a carbon fibre racing bike with electric assistance. Incredibly light, battery hidden in the France along with all cables. Brakes, gears all electronically controlled.

 

[jumar]

Whatever eBike the OP decides to buy an issue of charging in a motorhome remains an issue...for off grid Motorhoming a great challenge , which I can claim to have now achieved....which is very satisfying indeed..

 

[VXman]

E Bicycles are limited yes.

Scooters can go 30mph and have a power limit.

The same is true in the UK.

This is available in the UK. It is electric and does 30mph and is legal.

There is no law that states that the scooter has to be a step through like this, it can look like a normal bicycle.
View attachment 691791


You link even explains this class

There was a common bike in Italy that looked like the above scooter but has pedals too. A bit like the old mopeds from the 70's - so I guess there is a class which have to have pedals. Quite young kids riding them but no pedalling happening.

 

[TheAleMan]

My Specialized e bike has Bluetooth so you download the app then tell the bike it has different wheels on
Go 1 tooth up on the chainring and your good for 36mph
View attachment 691783

You need to use it though Mark. That was parked there the last time I saw it.

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[Lusky]

Whatever eBike the OP decides to buy an issue of charging in a motorhome remains an issue...for off grid Motorhoming a great challenge , which I can claim to have now achieved....which is very satisfying indeed..

How did you achieve it ?

 

[LesW]

How did you achieve it ?

I use one of these.

12V Car Motorhome Cigarette lighter invert 42V Li-ion Charger 36V e-Bike Scooter | eBay

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

You need to use it though Mark. That was parked there the last time I saw it.

It’s done over 10’000 miles Steve

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

battery hidden in the France along with all cables. Brakes, gears all electronically controlled.

Long way to go get them bits every time you want to go out for a ride though

 

[Arnside037]

Going back to the OP question, there are factors he should consider such as age, needs and budget. Much has been discussed on budget already, but needs haven't been addressed. Are we needing a touring bike, a mountain bike or a folding / small shopper? From the sound of it, a small shopper would be light but suffer from the small wheels which he said he didn't like, and not good for touring, hard on the bum, and rubbish off-road.
But consider age. An older and wiser biking friend of mine advised me that if it's going to be your last big spend on a bike, 'cos they are expensive, then think about it when you are getting into your 70s and have just had the hip replacements .... would you be wanting to cock your leg over a crossbar? In which case a step through frame may be the option to go for.
If you are touring with it, a bike rack and panniers may be needed, and they are very useful for carrying the shopping back from the off licence. With these factors in mind, we opted for two Scott Sub-Tour step throughs some four years ago. We did the Coast to Coast on them and will do the longer Way of the Roses in summer. He also said hub motors were a pain cos the power cables got in the way when changing tyres and mending punctures. So fill the tubes with gunge.
Battery charging off grid is done using the power bank (another expensive option of course) .

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[Gromett]

There was a common bike in Italy that looked like the above scooter but has pedals too. A bit like the old mopeds from the 70's - so I guess there is a class which have to have pedals. Quite young kids riding them but no pedalling happening.

That is the difference between a scooter and a moped as I remember it.
moped is motorised pedal bike. ie it has pedals the ped bit.

 

[Gromett]

There was a common bike in Italy that looked like the above scooter but has pedals too. A bit like the old mopeds from the 70's - so I guess there is a class which have to have pedals. Quite young kids riding them but no pedalling happening.

Yup, My very first bike was one of these with pedals.

I upgraded to an MZ Simpson

 

[jumar]

How did you achieve it ?

Well, glad you asked....it's quite simple, expensive if you haven't got what I've changed in my van.
I've change my leisure battery for Lithium, my solar array is 350w...I have a Pure sine wave inverter, also a DC2DC charger...
Whilst static..Lithium charges batteries via inverter...the Lithium recharged the next day with Solar whilst out riding again..I harvest as much solar using tilting panels..as early as pre-breakfast low sun.
If driving between locations...the DC2DC pumps 30 amp into the Lithium with the eBikes connected to the inverter....very effective but not really efficient can be made better with a 12v charger...but there isn't one for our YT Decoys...
For our Canyon eBikes using the Fazua system 12v chargers are sold...well that's it...not exactly Rocket Science...but it works..this enables us the park up and not needing to go looking for EHU...

 

[Ridgeway]

We’ve had both Cube and now Scott for my wife’s daily ride and happy with both although she prefers a full size wheel. Her first e-bike was a 20” wheel bike that she wasn’t too keen on although it did get used a lot and did conveniently fold.

I’ve also just gone electric for my commuter bike:

Started using it at the beginning of September and have to say it’s a great experience and makes commuting a pleasure and even fun. Still adapting to it, especially in this changing weather period but have managed an average of 36kmh over the first 1500km covered in the last 11wks.

I used to be an e-bike naysayer, not any more

 

[TheAleMan]

It’s done over 10’000 miles Steve

Frequent rider then mark..nice one mate.

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Frequent rider then mark..nice one mate.

Thats me Steve, 10’000+miles to Croatia, Germany, Austria etc…and back