Low step thru E-bike

[Take2]

Anyone had experience of a decent low step thru e-bike with crank motor.
Want to ensure it has decent power for gradients, so, 50Nm+. Don’t want to pay 2k+ only to find it runs out of puff on a steepish hill.
I know bosh motors have 50,60,70Nm and read that the 50’s are a little under powered. Now I realise that a lot depends on the cyclist, well, this is for my wife who finds it difficult on hills and even struggles a little when first setting off, especially if there’s a gradient to overcome.
Feel free to ask questions if it’ll help to get a clear picture on this.

 

[Wanderlust]

Having ridden my mate's 85nm Cube I think my 50nm Scott is very underpowered.

Underpowered for what exactly, going uphill ? there is the power to weight ratio issue so everyones experience will be slightly different, but it is pedal assisted not an electric bike with a throttle.Some input from the rider is required .

 

[Coolcats]

Ok Folks here is some not to do's using Bosch85nm CX performance line

1) Dont Use turbo mode when doing down hill (you will be a passenger to doom)
2) Dont Use Turbo mode and sit there talking to your mate one foot on the peddle and not holding the brake (you may find the bike goes and your sitting on your ass)

Whyte bikes have just launched their new Lyte range 55nm 600w

they have some nice city and leisure bikes too

Love the new website

 

[Coolcats]

Anyone had experience of a decent low step thru e-bike with crank motor.
Want to ensure it has decent power for gradients, so, 50Nm+. Don’t want to pay 2k+ only to find it runs out of puff on a steepish hill.
I know bosh motors have 50,60,70Nm and read that the 50’s are a little under powered. Now I realise that a lot depends on the cyclist, well, this is for my wife who finds it difficult on hills and even struggles a little when first setting off, especially if there’s a gradient to overcome.
Feel free to ask questions if it’ll help to get a clear picture on this.

Best thing to do is go and try a few, bikes are an investment the shops and hire centres at trails won't mind take your time and get the right one for you

 

[tacr2man]

From tests I've seen fat tyre ebikes are better on hill climbing even allowing for their greater weight

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[scotjimland]

Whyte bikes have just launched their new Lyte range 55nm 600w

but not public road legal.. can only be used on private land as I understand

 

[Lenny HB]

but not public road legal.. can only be used on private land as I understand

Why?
Looks fully legal for road use to me but starting at £8k for the cheapest I'll give it a miss.

 

[scotjimland]

Why?
Looks fully legal for road use to me but starting at £8k for the cheapest I'll give it a miss.

600w

max is 250w to be street legal

 

[Lenny HB]

600w

That is the battery, the motor is 250w.

 

[Coolcats]

but not public road legal.. can only be used on private land as I understand

if reflectors are fitted why not? they are just e-bikes designed for trails etc they are limited to 15mph by uk law therefore usable on a road

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[scotjimland]

That is the battery, the motor is 250

batteries are rated in Wh ..

motors are rated in watt

OP said .. "Lyte range 55nm 600w" .. I assumed that was a 600w motor ..

if reflectors are fitted why not? they are just e-bikes designed for trails etc they are limited to 15mph by uk law therefore usable on a road

I thought it was a 600w motor .. hence being not street legal .. it's a 600Wh battery

 

[Coolcats]

That is the battery, the motor is 250w.

It can get a little confusing with all the numbers, its the rated continuous output which is the legal bit, have to say I have tried the Yamaha on a lightweight MTB and although it get you up the hill the Yamaha relies on more cadence (peddling speed rpm) where as the bit I like about the full fat Bosch is that you can really feel it kick in. Its the SX that's in the Whyte Lyte range

 

[Coolcats]

Why?
Looks fully legal for road use to me but starting at £8k for the cheapest I'll give it a miss.

Dont worry it will be in the 2024 black friday sale next year

 

[kingmid]

Just catching up with this thread. I’m Mrs Kingmid and have a Raleigh Motus with a Bosch Active Line motor. It’s my third e-bike and by far the best. I have hub gears too that are easy to manage and can be changed when stationary. So, if stopped at lights I can change gear down, increase the power level and set off easily. It climbs well for what I need, but I’m a fairly tame cyclist, so nothing very steep.

Try before you buy is key to getting what you want.

 

[IRHP]

Me and my wife have Haibike Trekking 4 , hers is the low step version. They come in 4 different frame sizes so important to get the right one. Ours have Yamaha motors. Brilliant bits of kit. They are heavy but I don't think they are any heavier than other comparable bikes. We carry them on a rack with the batteries removed. There are some good deals online from reputable companies. Cheaper than we paid a year ago but they might be last years models.

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[Take2]

The most important thing is that your wife likes the bike. And that is even more important than it being the best or correct bike.
After years of my wife having mountain bikes, and various other types she wanted a “Mary poppins“ type bike. A sit up and pedal one. Lots of ladies don’t want a massive, chunky, heavy mountain bike, they want lite, low, and with a more upright sitting position so they can enjoy the ride and views.

She picked a very reasonable priced Raleigh Motus, from the entire selection in the shop. She absolutely loves it’s, so wants to use it, and because of her confidence in it, will take it anywhere, even places it shouldn’t really be going.
There are some listed in the classifieds

Raleigh motus tour electric bike low step

Raleigh Motus Tour Electric Bike low step. Bought new 2020 has only done 18 miles and is in as new condition. Battery and charger in perfect condition. Max range 75-80 miles.

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Good point, thanks

 

[Manic]

What about this on in classifieds
Classified ad 'Estarli E20.7 folding e-bike'
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/classifieds/estarli-e20-7-folding-e-bike.6888/

 

[Take2]

Just catching up with this thread. I’m Mrs Kingmid and have a Raleigh Motus with a Bosch Active Line motor. It’s my third e-bike and by far the best. I have hub gears too that are easy to manage and can be changed when stationary. So, if stopped at lights I can change gear down, increase the power level and set off easily. It climbs well for what I need, but I’m a fairly tame cyclist, so nothing very steep.

Try before you buy is key to getting what you want.

Thanks for the info. First hand feedback, really helpful. Did they tell you how often you need to have the hub gears serviced. Do they give you the necessary gears for up/down hill?
Ray

 

[Dutch 68]

Thanks for the info. First hand feedback, really helpful. Did they tell you how often you need to have the hub gears serviced. Do they give you the necessary gears for up/down hill?
Ray

Very rare for hub gears to need any attention

 

[Take2]

Very rare for hub gears to need any attention

That’s what I understood from years back (60’s)when my dad had a 3 speed. But heard they needed the oil changing every 2 years and to be done by specialists?? But in reality perhaps people who actually have one may have real life experience of them

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[Take2]

That’s what I understood from years back (60’s)when my dad had a 3 speed. But heard they needed the oil changing every 2 years and to be done by specialists?? But in reality perhaps people who actually have one may have real life experience of them

Another question from researching hub gears i heard was their range. ie; not so low low or high high gears for inclines and declines

 

[Dutch 68]

That’s what I understood from years back (60’s)when my dad had a 3 speed. But heard they needed the oil changing every 2 years and to be done by specialists?? But in reality perhaps people who actually have one may have real life experience of them

I have had many bikes with hub gears , never done any maintenance whatsoever, my current bike is a Gazelle ( I had a fair few of those , about 6 years old now, out of six years it stood outside for four years without protection all year around, there is not even any rust on it, everything is made from stainless and aluminium, painted bits are powder coated , awesome quality, in those six years the only thing ever done to it is topping up air in the tyres

 

[Take2]

I have had many bikes with hub gears , never done any maintenance whatsoever, my current bike is a Gazelle ( I had a fair few of those , about 6 years old now, out of six years it stood outside for four years without protection all year around, there is not even any rust on it, everything is made from stainless and aluminium, painted bits are powder coated , awesome quality, in those six years the only thing ever done to it is topping up air in the tyres

Great info, thanks

 

[Dutch 68]

Another question from researching hub gears i heard was their range. ie; not so low low or high high gears for inclines and declines

Is fine on electric bikes but Gazelle now also manufacture bikes with a step less gear system which can be adjusted both whilst cycling or when at standstill

 

[Dutch 68]

Is fine on electric bikes but Gazelle now also manufacture bikes with a step less gear system which can be adjusted both whilst cycling or when at standstill

They are called the Stepless Enviolo gear system

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[GAUDIE]

Anyone had experience of a decent low step thru e-bike with crank motor.
Want to ensure it has decent power for gradients, so, 50Nm+. Don’t want to pay 2k+ only to find it runs out of puff on a steepish hill.
I know bosh motors have 50,60,70Nm and read that the 50’s are a little under powered. Now I realise that a lot depends on the cyclist, well, this is for my wife who finds it difficult on hills and even struggles a little when first setting off, especially if there’s a gradient to overcome.
Feel free to ask questions if it’ll help to get a clear picture on this.

Hi
I have a Raleight Motus Grand Tour E bike, pretty expensive, but excellent for me. Just a suggestion for your wife, with the battery on board and the computer on the handlebars, I set the computer to the lowest setting which makes setting off really easy. My bike also has a walk assist mode for steep hills.
Hope this is helpful.
Gaudi

 

[DaveHobson]

Another vote for Gazelle - really well made bikes, and they do extra large bikes with a step-through frame. I’d really recommend the hub gears - much lower maintenance.

 

[Chuggerlover]

We’ve had a pair of Raleigh Motus’ for the last 8 years and have generally been very pleased with them (although a couple of problems with the battery turning into a brick for no obvious reason). We have been looking at options for replacing them for a while now and yesterday settled on the ones I think we will go for - Victoria 5.7 SE E-Trecking. It’s a step thru with Bosch system and hub gears (7). Battery on this one is 400Wh, but you can get 500Wh for about £200 more.

Would also thoroughly recommend visiting Sway Cycles in Lymington who we are probably going to buy them from. They have a great range of quality e-bikes, Shelley is extremely knowledgeable on all things e-bike and will let you test them out. Great to get real insight into he options rather than just being pointed to the labels - our experience at other shops.

 

[DaveHobson]

Raleigh are rebadged Gazelle.

Are you sure about that? I don’t think Gazelle make bikes for other brands.

 

[kingmid]

The hub gears have been maintenance free, although I have them checked when getting the bike serviced. It’s over 5 years old now and the gears are fine. The gearing is closer than a derailleur- there are 7 gears- but perfectly adequate for my use. I seldom use the lowest ones, mostly 3-6 is fine. They stay nice and clean too.

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[Knausers]

Anyone had experience of a decent low step thru e-bike with crank motor.
Want to ensure it has decent power for gradients, so, 50Nm+. Don’t want to pay 2k+ only to find it runs out of puff on a steepish hill.
I know bosh motors have 50,60,70Nm and read that the 50’s are a little under powered. Now I realise that a lot depends on the cyclist, well, this is for my wife who finds it difficult on hills and even struggles a little when first setting off, especially if there’s a gradient to overcome.
Feel free to ask questions if it’ll help to get a clear picture on this.

We have purchased a couple of GinX electric bikes and are very pleased with them.They have just introduced a step through
Extremely well equipped for the price.Great company to deal with and great communication from Raoul. Have a look at their website.They are having a Black Friday offer and please let him know we recommended them as they love
recommendations from satisfied customers !
Owen and Sue