With an E bike are the batteries too expensive to carry a spare thereby doubling your travelling distance. Could be carried in a rucksack or make a lockable box to fit the luggage rack on the bike?
How useful is an ebike really?
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Kannon Fodda
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Second batteries cost, a lot. It's a major part of the base e-bike cost. If you buy the official Bosch type you could be looking at £500.
I did get a second, 500Wh Bosch to increase range when I was feeling really adventurous and wanted to be out for the best part of a day. I know others have said they haven't drained their e-bike battery. I'm very capable of doing so, even on the eco mode. If you are plodding around for 3-4 hours, on forest type gravel paths (I can spend all day crisscrossing the New Forest area), 50 miles will have done the battery.
Also as an alternative to needing a recharge a second battery is useful on a longer weekend. My MH has a paltry leisure battery, so attempting to recharge a drained e-bike battery, even with solar, would leave me with little else. Whilst I am happy with paying for some campsites, it limits the location you can stay and adds a lot of cost.
Batteries weigh quite a bit - a good reason for storage in your MH when you are driving even if the bike remains outside on a rear rack. If you are riding the bike, the weight in a rucksack won't be comfortable, if you can do better. In theory some of the Bosch setups allow you to mount the second battery somewhere and cables would use both together. But that is a pain. Bike frame size will be critical but I can just carry the spare battery in a frame bag that squeezes under the top tube. But that means no space for a water bottle so I end up with a camelback type rucksack thing as well.
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Sorry, but I feel the same about e-bikes. Unless your are infirm, disabled, or long term injured, then ride a traditional bike and get yourself fitter.
There is absolutely no reason why you can't
Apologies....."I wasn't asking for your permission" was a bit harsh and unnecessary....however can I ask what the top speed of your car is...100, 110, 120....should you really drive and own a vehicle capable of that speed when the legal limit in this country is 70...… see what I mean...… and as I said elsewhere even though derestricted I can still ride my full on road bike at higher speeds than my ebike… I am not advocating zooming around flat out everywhere all i am saying is 15mph is too low in my opinion which obviously the rest of the world agrees with....not Europe though... all the best...
Steve N Tracy
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The 625 w bosch batteries on our E bikes are nearly £900.00 each, and weigh about 3 kilos, way to heavy and expensive to carry a spare, but the range is in excess of 70 miles so should not need to.
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And USA, NZ, AU but not Canada has the 32 kph limit set so not just Europe. That’s my point exactly as the assistance cuts out when going faster than 25 why would you still need power assist going faster Than that as you would need to pedal on your own to go much faster like a normal bike.
Compactliner
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i agree with Mel, it really does depend on how you tour...
if we are long staying at a site, this might be the time to have a cheap hire care for some or all of the time, for those longer excursions.
however, we also 'tour' by stopping for a few days (anything between one night and four) here and there as we follow some wandering route....this changes the 'exploration range' to something far more local....say, 25 miles....as further expeditions become part of the larger route by moving the van to the next stop on the tour...
if there is somewhere 'interesting enough' to warrant a visit and its further than the above 25 mile out and back, we would take the van there and explore 'locally' on the bikes.
Sort of half agree with you. I started out on an ebike - my Cube CLS that I converted myself. Got fit and realised all the power was doing was taking away the extra weight of the battery and motor. Hopped on a Kuota and now ride everywhere without electric assistance. My wife has done the same and is now on a Merida framed bike.
However some people are not going to get fit enough to ride where they want for many reasons - lack of time to get fit, physical limitations etc. So for them just ride the ebike and enjoy.
As long as we are out and turning pedals does it matter what you are on?
I have a Giant Explore E+2 with the Yamaha system and on ECO it will give me 90 miles, on Normal I can get 60miles, I use it on ECO+ which after a 40 mile bike ride around Northamptonshire which is not totally flat I have around 50% battery left. Its a mountain bike hybrid by the way
I'm also 18st which makes a big difference to your useage, my wife is half my weight and has a Bosch system which is a smaller battery and has similar ranges. Her bike is a City bike
Well the only thing I can say to that is like I said originally...we (both myself and wife) find the 15mph limit too low....we like to cruise along at between 18-20 mph...which in itself is not excessive...so when out riding without the chip we would spend the vast majority of the trip not actually getting any assistance at all....great for fitness but pretty much negates any benefits of having an ebike in the first place....I imagine many others would find 15mph perfectly adequate.... I wish I was near to you so you could go for a spin on mine to see the vast improvement ...
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We had two e-bikes and they were very useful in England and also on a grand tour of France a few years back. But, after 4 years I sold both bikes and replaced them with two Trek hybrid bikes. The e-bikes weighed approx. 20 kilos each excluding the batteries and it was a two-person (but manageable) job to but them on the rear cycle rack (check the load rating!). A cycle cover was essential for security as were two decent locks costing about £45 each. Also we added them to our home insurance policy. Charging the batteries was no problem and we enjoyed 20-30 mile trips on many a day out. They were great fun but pedalling without any battery-assist at all was hard work! So too were puncture repairs on the rear wheel! A replacement battery was expensive!!. They don't last forever!
When we sold our Dethleffs we discovered that our Autotrail could not cope with 2 x 20 kilo bikes slung on the back and certainly we couldn't get a tow-ball rack fitted which would have added another 30 kilos on the overhang. So - think about load capacity and staying legal. (despite this I did see an Autotrail Tracker with a motor scooter on a rear rack - chatting to the owner he seemed unconcerned about safety or illegality!!).
Our two Trek bikes are fitted with puncture-resist tyres and we fitted Brooks saddles. We find that cycling is much more leisurely, keeps us fitter and we can easily pack a picnic in the panniers or do a small supermarket shop. Our range maybe be limited but a relaxing 20 mile round trip on the flat with lunch and a beer half-way is very pleasant! We tend to cycle mostly in France, Belgium or Holland where there is less traffic and more decent cycle paths. E-bikes could be a good investment but it depends on the terrain you intend to cycle, the load capacity of your MH and the cash in the bank!!
When we sold our Dethleffs we discovered that our Autotrail could not cope with 2 x 20 kilo bikes slung on the back and certainly we couldn't get a tow-ball rack fitted which would have added another 30 kilos on the overhang. So - think about load capacity and staying legal. (despite this I did see an Autotrail Tracker with a motor scooter on a rear rack - chatting to the owner he seemed unconcerned about safety or illegality!!).
Our two Trek bikes are fitted with puncture-resist tyres and we fitted Brooks saddles. We find that cycling is much more leisurely, keeps us fitter and we can easily pack a picnic in the panniers or do a small supermarket shop. Our range maybe be limited but a relaxing 20 mile round trip on the flat with lunch and a beer half-way is very pleasant! We tend to cycle mostly in France, Belgium or Holland where there is less traffic and more decent cycle paths. E-bikes could be a good investment but it depends on the terrain you intend to cycle, the load capacity of your MH and the cash in the bank!!
I know it has been mentioned already numerous times on here but the security aspect cannot be stressed enough. Electric bikes are very desirable commodities to thieves, even without their batteries it seems. We do not have them but speaking from experience of others on our normal winter Spanish site. We see every year they are stolen from site even when thought to be well protected. One Dutch couple had there's stolen twice, not sure what their insurance made of that.
So do not take it lightly, make sure they are secure even on sites.
So do not take it lightly, make sure they are secure even on sites.
Minxy
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Security was one concern we had with e-bikes so they got little use in the end and were sold. Eventually we got 2 Bromptons which were brilliant but again, due to concerns over theft etc they were also little used so were sold too ... yes even my lovely pink one!
Now I've got a nice Compact Explorer folding bike with rear suspension, it still has 16" wheels but fatter tyres and cost me less than £100 (second hand) locally from an ex-boat owner in virtually new condition. I don't need to worry about it being nicked and its actually very easy and nice to ride, I don't do massive mileages so it suits me fine and takes up very little space in the MH, hubby wasn't bothered about not having a bike to go out on as he just like pottering in the MH.
Now I've got a nice Compact Explorer folding bike with rear suspension, it still has 16" wheels but fatter tyres and cost me less than £100 (second hand) locally from an ex-boat owner in virtually new condition. I don't need to worry about it being nicked and its actually very easy and nice to ride, I don't do massive mileages so it suits me fine and takes up very little space in the MH, hubby wasn't bothered about not having a bike to go out on as he just like pottering in the MH.
Compactliner
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although closer to 80 than 50 (now thats a sobering thought) i assure ypu i am well able to be up out of the saddle on a lightweight bike taking hills as i used to...but thsts not how my OH rides and our cycling is more sociable these days...
which means i maintain a different pace now...that in turn means no long runups at inclines, maintaining momentum in a higer gear etc...
its now a sit back and let the ebike do some of the work of getting w heavy bike up there...
i know all about how the character of an ebike changs at 15.5 mph....how it goes from eing easy to heavy as you try to go that bit faster...
to that end, i did look at dongles...there some smart clip on ones that need no wiring...and registering and taxing (zero rated) the bike...
the fors look a bit complicated on first reading so i put it to one side, but i can see how much more fun my bike would be if it 'became' a moped....after all, there are many 'moped' things about that p*ss past us when out and about...
my brilliand Bosh bike is nr 8 yrs old so i may come back to checking this again in the future...i may look harder at the Orbea lightweight i mentioned upthered, with the Just Enough technology of very light motor and battery....
having said all that, id still recommend one to anyone who isnt wuite as mobile or as svelt as they used to be.....I'm still a trim 60kg so not much to lug about...
This arrived this morning. As soon as it is fully charged and the rain stops I will try it out.
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Ebike (tandem) for us. Nice to be able to stop for a glass of wine without worrying and then a cycle back on cycle tracks.
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I'm certainly aware of the Ribble bikes, and I even showed it to my partner as a possible bike for. I'm not against e-bikes (although some might think that I am), but they have their place. My partner had a bad cycling accident 8 years ago in which she broke her pelvis and smashed her hip socket, eventually resulting in a full hip replacement. She now struggles on a normal bike and this would be ideal for her. The one thing that I do like about the Ribble, is that it actually looks like a bike
Compactliner
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Phil, i checkd out their website but couldnt fond any weight details...what does ypur bike weighh? cheers.
Wellington
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Love mine. I am under five foot and get on well with my Rayleigh Motus, if that’s any help to your wife.
Wellington
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No reason at all why I can’t. But there reasons why I don’t want to! if I want to go out ‘on a bike ride’ and that is my aim, I would use a traditional bike. But that’s not how I use my ebike. I use it to go to places that it would be a pain to take the motor home and are too far for my daughter to walk. It is then a vehicle to get us somewhere conveniently, rather than our main activity for the day. I use the ebike to visit places that are too far to walk, but when I still want to have the energy (Or time) to do something else when I get there (or if we want to carry stuff home). I could certainly have ridden into Sienna, but would not been up for much exploring when we got there! I could maybe have managed the four miles into Falmouth, but I‘ll be damned if I was going to take the Girlchild swimming when we arrived (and I was absolutely not up to that bloody hill again afterwards!) or have to lug our swimming stuff around town afterwards. It changes the energy use from the journey to the destination, carries the luggage, makes parking really easy and means there are fewer complaints about tired legs (from both parties!).
When we first had the MH, we used a combination of buses and taxis to get about. This worked, but was not very flexible, and sometimes difficult to manage with a small child in tow and in a foreign language. I still use taxis if we are going out for dinner and will be back after dark, and buses if we are going somewhere convenient for them, but the ebikes give us flexibility for moving around a town and when to go and come back. I had them on an ebike towbar rack, which was a horrible faff, and I found I was driving places rather than get them off, because I found them hard to secure and they kept falling off and landing on my foot. Now we have a garage, we use them a lot more, because its so easy to get them on and out. Also, they are more secure and cleaner, and can live in the MH all the time, even at home, freeing up space for bikes in the garage.
In the interests of completely transparency, I can’t use a scooter, because my child is under 12 and can’t ride on one. In a couple of years, I will either get her her own ebike (She currently rides her regular bike or I can tow her in the back of mine with a FollowMe tandem when she gets tired) or upgrade to carrying her on the back of one. I’m leaning toward to ebike atm, as its more flexible. If I were a lone adult or a couple, I might prefer the scooter option) Plenty of reasons why you might choose an ebike, not dependent on fitness or ability to ride a regular one, just as there are plenty of reasons why you might drI’ve somewhere, even if you are completely capable of walking there.
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The only requirement, as far as I know, in relation to taking a ‘child’ on the back of a motorcycle/scooter is that they must be able to place their feet on the footrests. There is no age restriction.
Ian
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I stand corrected. I thought you had to be 12. I think you have to be 12 to ride an ebike (as I keep saying to my nephew, who’s 11 and dying to get on mine! If it isn’t I’m not telling him, he's a maniac!)
Kannon Fodda
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To ride (operate) an e-bike you must be 14.
Of course if there is an adapted carrier seat a young child can be carried on the bike, or put in one of those ride along trailer bike things.
Of course if there is an adapted carrier seat a young child can be carried on the bike, or put in one of those ride along trailer bike things.
Aerialmark
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Thankyou but she has gone for the Corratec AP 4. We got a fantastic deal on-line from a bike shop in Exeter. The RRP was £2295 but they had one left that had been a demonstrator in white and blue (Same as the one in the pic with my wife in Clitheroe) It had 35 miles on it but in as new condition and sold with a 2year g/tee on motor and battery. We got it for £1750 delivered up to Lancashire. Not often we get a good deal but i think we have this time. Now begins the fun of my wife learning to ride again after 40 years ! They do say you don't forget as its like riding a bike
Wellington
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Hmmmm. Good news for the nephew. Not so good for the GirlChild. At the moment I tow her along, can’t see that working when she’s 13 and taller than me (nor fitting her into a ‘seat‘
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Ridgeway
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Yes indeed it is. I always take them off.
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Something no-one has mentioned on this topic. It may be obvious to many but the distance one can travel on these e-bikes will be affected by the size of the rider. Basically, the smaller and lighter you are - the further you will be abler to travel on an e-bike. Those who claim high mileages on e-bikes probably weighs less than 10 stone (65kg). I'm about 15 stone (100kg) and have never got anywhere near the mileages stated on some of these posts.
So what is / are your experiences then please Steve? What kind of bike / age etc and what environment please? I ask as I am in the middle 90's weight wise, and so would fair much the same as yourself!
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My Freego folding bike (16 Ah....not the 10Ah) gets me around 25 miles (including hills). I'm happy with that. The price is mid-range - £1300 ish for mine. I'm sure there are more powerful bikes out there but you get what you pay for I guess.
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