Electric bike ...advice please

Hotelman

Hotelman

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SWMBO hired an electric bike today, and loved it. So did I, because we were able to go quicker than normal.

Can I please ask for help and advice regarding buying one....
 
There's a forum it would be worth looking at: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/

In broad terms there are two main types. Ones which have the motor built into the wheel and ones which assist the actual pedalling and therefore can use the gears. These normally have a motor driving the cranks. These types are generally better on hills. If money is no object the Brompton Nano is brilliant - big range and folds up very small.
 
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If you go to any shows there is a man there who sells them and who gives excellent after care. I cannot remember his name but will contact GJH who I am sure will come on and tell you asap how to contact him and see if he going near you. A lot of us on here bought ours from him. Back soon.
 
Greetings,

I think the guy who does the shows is AS Cycles out of Coventry.
 
As well as checking out bikes, check replacement battery costs, some are horendous £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££:Eeek:
 
Have a look here

http://www.50cycles.com/

Top quality, depends what you want. I had a 8 speed Agattu from them 3 years ago, would not be without it, Dawn has a 8 speed Raleigh Dover, brill :thumb:
 
Best Electric Bike

KALKHOFF, KALKHOFF, KALKHOFF EVERYTIME. German engineering, top of all the reviews! Certainly not cheap, around £2,000. Bought one second hand for £450 used it for three years and sold it for £900. Check '50 cycles' website they do second-hand ones. Top Panasonic batterie which on the latest bikes do 120 miles based on a 10 stone person. We now have two Kalkhoff's bought two years ago and carry them on the back of the motorhome covering 25 mile round trips with ease and battery power to spare! They have changed our sedentary lifestyle and love riding them. They take the nasties out of cycling and you do what you feel able to. They are NOT twist and go but assist you as you need! The latest models even come with a heart monitor which you strap onto your chest and set the bike to the heart rate you wish to maintain and it's 'intelligent' motor assists accordingly!! That's the high end . . . worth a look! :thumb:
 
[HI][/HI]
Bollard said:
KALKHOFF, KALKHOFF, KALKHOFF EVERYTIME. German engineering, top of all the reviews! Certainly not cheap, around £2,000. Bought one second hand for £450 used it for three years and sold it for £900. Check '50 cycles' website they do second-hand ones. Top Panasonic batterie which on the latest bikes do 120 miles based on a 10 stone person. We now have two Kalkhoff's bought two years ago and carry them on the back of the motorhome covering 25 mile round trips with ease and battery power to spare! They have changed our sedentary lifestyle and love riding them. They take the nasties out of cycling and you do what you feel able to. They are NOT twist and go but assist you as you need! The latest models even come with a heart monitor which you strap onto your chest and set the bike to the heart rate you wish to maintain and it's 'intelligent' motor assists accordingly!! That's the high end . . . worth a look! :thumb:
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£2,000 ???? It would be cheaper to divorce the wife and get a fitter model who would not need the electric bike !!!

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I have to agree with kalkhoff. I bought one from eBay for £750 against £1600 new. But you must check the battery is working and holding charge because they are £350 to renew. I'm happy with the bike, it makes riding a pleasure not a chore.

Another thing to check is weight of bike and load capacity of your bike rack and where fitted. My bike is 24 kilos, rack holds 60 kilos but wouldn't put that weight on it as I think it would rip the back wall of the motorhome off!

We will end up putting a rack on the tow hitch.
 
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I am another one very impressed by AS Bikes - an old fashioned family firm, with both daughters working for them. Wife and I each bought one at last autumn's NEC show. Quality appears to be very good (not used it much over the winter) and the people are very friendly and helpful. I have had to phone them up a couple of times and they have been very helpful indeed.

Whilst we were on the stand buying the bikes (we had to come back a second day because they had sold out of stock when we were first there) several previous customers came over for a chat and they were treated like old friends. And they had nothing but good to say about the firm.
 
we too bought Kalkoff bikes a year ago - love them
We spent quite alot of time trying different bikes and making sure the test included a hill. It was a jolly intersting experience and we rode some lovely bikes
It was love at first ride for the Kalkoff though
 
we tried a fair few different bikes and happily went for the Kalkhoff Aggutus. We carry them both (24 kgs each) on a Fiamma carry bike (60 kg limit) and it hasn't pulled the back end out of the van yet, though you need to be fit enough to lift them on. I know they are expensive but the quality compared to the Chinese imports is superb, the standard kit on the Kalkhoff is brilliant, hydraulic brakes, suspension, mudguards, lights, rack, pump and a side stand . They are fitted with Woods/Dunlop valves ( the ones with the little rubber sleeve on them, remember you used to get a length of it in puncture repair kits ?) which I hadn't seen for 35 years, but they are common on the continent and you get a pump supplied anyway. We easily tow a trailer for our two dogs too. The motor is on the crank so you get the mechanical advantage in every gear, like a car. If you can afford them, you won't be dissapointed.
 
That's interesting that you carry both bikes on your rack, martins only weighs 9 kilos (racing bike) but our dealer said not to put more than 30 kilos on our rear rack. 24 + 9 = 33. So we've been wary.

Have you had any internal strengthening done to yours?

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We have A&S folding electric bikes too ......hubby has larger version and I have smaller version because big one seemed too heavy for me, got them last sept. Its great having two because if I manage to run out of battery we can swap bikes:Rofl1:

Back up from A&S great I broke my pedal ......totally my fault hadn't cycled for years, they replaced it immediately and FOC. The owner told me that if customers are right with him he will be right with them and that he has imported from same company for years so he must get a decent back up from them.

We store ours in MH garage so they are not visible on back .... Out of site out of mind.

Think we paid about £1600 for two some accessories thrown in.:BigGrin:
 
Hi Mousey, I emailed Burstner before I fitted the Fiamma rack and they sent me a drawing of where the bearers were in the back panel, I just adjusted the rack so I could put the fixings directly through the reinforcement and fitted large washers on the inside.
 
Hi Again,

It was reported earlier in the week that "The Range" are now stocking electric bikes. The price quoted was £500

Haven't managed to go in and have a look at one as yet but they were stating in the blurb I read that they have Li-on batteries and a range (pardon the obvious) of 120 miles (or was it kms?)
 
Electric Bikes

It's Bosch electric system for me. Pedal assist available on many different 'makes'. Mine's a CUBE with lights, on board computer etc. 4 assist settings and goes like a rocket. Not cheap £2K'ish but worth every penny. Use Thule electric bike rack on towbar. Electric bikes are quite heavy and lifting them onto racks can be back breaking and then getting the cover on.....well!
 

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