How useful is an ebike really?

[Kannon Fodda]

I tip the scales at 18 stone. I reckon on a little over 40 miles in eco from a 500Wh Bosch battery on a mix of gravelled forest tracks and some tarmac on a plus width tyred mountain bike. For my longer days out I'll carry a spare battery strapped to the bike's crossbar to swap over.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

I am 94 kgs used to get about 35 miles out of a 13amp battery on the low to medium assistance setting, we changed to a couple of Cube Kathmandu Bosch crank drive bikes with the 625 amp battery the longest ride so far is 38 miles and still had another 35 miles estimated range on the tour setting.

 

[jonasw19]

We get a reliable 55 miles out of our 500wh bosch systems. Up hill and on alot of by ways. Me 84kg (was 94kg) her not so heavy.
We arent cyclists, but we enjoy going for a 20 mile ride on bridleways. Ebikes for us are enablers, they help us get a bit fitter, help us see life at a slower pace and getting off the sofa is a pleasure.

Yes I can pedal faster than 15mph, indeed for the first few weeks of ownership I used to pedal in smug mode most of the time. I have got over that now and use min assist generally.
They have enabled us to do 1000miles of cycling, much of it on bridleways around Dorchester that we havent explored in the 30 years we have lived here.
I am not well hard or even highly motivated, but we are both fitter, and our steam bikes have gone to an appreciative home.
Jon

 

[carolyn]

We have gepida reptila ebikes from nationwide in Taunton as they are step through and upright position. We are pleased with them. I am a real wimp about cycling and am happiest on cycle paths. I am fit but don’t particularly enjoy cycling, Nicks knees are worn from years of football and he enjoys the cycling so it’s a good compromise for us. If it’s really hilly now I won’t be put off and whinge! It’s all very well people saying they are unnecessary and you can get fit enough to ride a normal bike but I really can’t be arsed, I will save that for my spin class where no muppet in a car is trying to kill me. Ebikes are for relaxing.

 

[Landy Andy]

Was buying some used ebikes but got let down by seller, so popped along to the bike shop yesterday to have a go. Soon left when I was told “you need to be spending £2300 (per bike), to get something decent to start on”. Ehhh £5000 for a pair of bikes. I don’t think so. I’m out.

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[Chez Stevens]

We have a 7m that tows a Yoremorque wind down CC4 trailer, wind down rail for the scooter and comes with room for 2 bikes at the front( since modified, see below). I had a spinal cord tumour removed 6 years ago that has greatly reduced my leg strength. Being a keen cyclist I carried on, but my wife was getting bored behind me. We bought 2 x eBikes (mine is a Rosebike Watt Evo with Rohloff), I rarely take it out of tour but it allows me not to worry about routing (we normally cover 200km per week). We also have a Vespa Primavera 125 that gets winched onto the trailer.
I have recently modified the trailer to carry 2 eBikes on the back (either side of scooter), put a large aluminium box where the normal bikes lived at the front. Just in the process of fitting a Fiat Ducato wind down carrier under the scooter rail for the camping car. Reducing the camping car weight by 36kg (price of kit €159 delivered).

 

[John Barrett]

Was buying some used ebikes but got let down by seller, so popped along to the bike shop yesterday to have a go. Soon left when I was told “you need to be spending £2300 (per bike), to get something decent to start on”. Ehhh £5000 for a pair of bikes. I don’t think so. I’m out.

Facebook marketplace, two separate adverts. Folding eco_bikes as new £250 each. £800 new. Not as clever as the wonders described above, but good enough for shopping!

 

[Kiwijubie]

I bought mine last year for our trip around Norway, Sweden and Denmark, a lot of the area was flat but with the ebike I didnt spend each bike ride staring at my husbands back end... I was able to keep up and even pass him on the longer uphills ( he is on a normal bike) . I bought the evobike off the tv channel (on sale) and it has been excellent. Without the ebike we wouldn't go biking because the the gap in our cycling abilities.

 

[Peter Goadby]

E-bikes YES. We are happy to go anywhere now and not worry about the steep hill round the next bend (happens a lot where we love) and peddle unless we need the power to get up hills. We have cycled 50 miles only using about 20% of the battery and, even on a very hilly ride, we have covered 30 miles and used no more than 60% of the battery. We have always enjoyed cycling but I am no longer fit enough, or prepared to put the effort in to get that fit, for steep hills so getting the e-bikes has transformed things so we are happy to cycle anywhere.

 

[Lenny HB]

Was buying some used ebikes but got let down by seller, so popped along to the bike shop yesterday to have a go. Soon left when I was told “you need to be spending £2300 (per bike), to get something decent to start on”. Ehhh £5000 for a pair of bikes. I don’t think so. I’m out.

Ours were £2,200 in the UK I bought them from Germany for £1,700.

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[Landy Andy]

Ours were £2,200 in the UK I bought them from Germany for £1,700.

Yes. Part of our France holiday to come will ebike shopping/research.

 

[Bustup15]

Just bought an ebike from a Funster for Mrs B. Thinking I will have to get one as well for longer trips so ordered a mid drive motor and kit from China (with good reviews for a long time and excellent support reviews!) to convert my old and trusty pedal bike. Under £1000 complete and will be able to move to a new frame in the future if required.

 

[Padders]

Another thing about ebikes, they are very desirable by thieves. My bike is peddle power only but it's quite a nice one and I don't leave that anywhere so certainly wouldn't leave an electric one anywhere. They even get nicked of the back of vans

Best way to deter ebike thieves is take the battery off it when leaving it chained up somewhere, and if you can remove the controller from the handlebars do that too - the bike won’t work without them and the cost of replacing them would make a stolen bike unsellable.

 

[Padders]

The best way to answer the question “how useful is a ebike anyway?” Is to go and hire / test ride a decent one, you will come back with a smile on your face having thought of a long list of uses to justify buying one

 

[Compactliner]

We have gepida reptila ebikes from nationwide in Taunton as they are step through and upright position. We are pleased with them. I am a real wimp about cycling and am happiest on cycle paths. I am fit but don’t particularly enjoy cycling, Nicks knees are worn from years of football and he enjoys the cycling so it’s a good compromise for us. If it’s really hilly now I won’t be put off and whinge! It’s all very well people saying they are unnecessary and you can get fit enough to ride a normal bike but I really can’t be arsed, I will save that for my spin class where no muppet in a car is trying to kill me. Ebikes are for relaxing.

i got my Gepida Alboin there 8 years ago....its been terrific, 16,000 km and still going like a good 'un...
i guess the time to change is a balance between having some decent residual left in the bike before it starts to need more attention....i may have a close look at the market later this year as things have moved a bit since i got mine.
it was just over £2k back then but ive had tremendous value put of it and its still worth good money if i change.
a good investment i reckon.

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[Georgyn]

We have tried towing a Ford ka for a couple of years until I got fed up of uncoupling it to turn around after the satnav gave us a wrong one. Then got a Honda lead scooter for another few years, my wife didn't really like that so we bought a couple of e/bikes in France at a feuvert store. They will do approx 50 km round trip and are pedal assist with three nexus gears, we have found these bikes to be really good and will keep them until they need to be replaced. E/bikes for us are definitely the best choice we made.

 

[Abacist]

Slightly off topic my son has a mate in the Royal Navy based at Culdrose. He has to commute to work. He has a small motorised platform scooter (looks like a kiddies scooter but with a 2 stroke engine) to get from home to his garage. He is the source of great amusement to the neighbours in full race leathers with his helmet on his little scooter on the way to the garage where he keeps his latest super bike!

He has the last laugh though as he is one of the few remaining Navy divers and was on air sea rescue helicopters for some years. He left the helicopter in raging seas to swim to the lifeboat of the MSC Napoli and rescued all the crew for which he was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

 

[buntyb]

I’ve noticed a number of people on ebikes on the site we are staying at and in the local vacinity. Looks like they are becoming more popular.

 

[Landy Andy]

I’m not allowed to buy them. Wife says no

 

[The Coops]

We bought Dc;'s electric bike a dutch style from Decathlon in Dieppe 5 years ago in their sale at E650 ( about £400 at the time) I subsequently bought a chinese 250 Watt kit of e bay for £250 and converted a hybrid town bike I had( dead easy if you have the tools) and have done over 11,000 miles on it since! Its a no brainer as you get older, we all do, you lose the ability to *perform* ahem as well as you did 25 years previously, we get a range of 40 miles on the bikes just make sure on down hill or flat bits to switch off, save the battery for headwinds and uphills Best thing we did . if we need to go further use public transport or a cheap hire car, sorry no credit card cash only oh £9 a day thank you very much!

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[Tony V]

Was buying some used ebikes but got let down by seller, so popped along to the bike shop yesterday to have a go. Soon left when I was told “you need to be spending £2300 (per bike), to get something decent to start on”. Ehhh £5000 for a pair of bikes. I don’t think so. I’m out.

bought a s/h Ancheer 'mtb'. 250w 13AH battery. A cheapo chinese jobbie - a mountain bike it's not. but for £400 [around £800 new] I'm not complaining. Done 100's of miles on it locally during lockdown and it has'nt let me down once- as long as you look after it you don't need to spen £2K and upwards - especially if just starting out.

 

[Landy Andy]

bought a s/h Ancheer 'mtb'. 250w 13AH battery. A cheapo chinese jobbie - a mountain bike it's not. but for £400 [around £800 new] I'm not complaining. Done 100's of miles on it locally during lockdown and it has'nt let me down once- as long as you look after it you don't need to spen £2K and upwards - especially if just starting out.

Anniversary just happened, and I’m now much much poorer, and apparently it’s my fault as I’ve mentioned Ebikes

 

[ianp]

Just bought an ebike from a Funster for Mrs B. Thinking I will have to get one as well for longer trips so ordered a mid drive motor and kit from China (with good reviews for a long time and excellent support reviews!) to convert my old and trusty pedal bike. Under £1000 complete and will be able to move to a new frame in the future if required.

Bustup15
Do you have the details of the conversion please?

 

[Boris7]

Love mine