Why are ugly chunky E Bikes so popular?

That's the one .They are amazing and Personally I don't think it's ugly at all.

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Don Quixote said:
Chris, yes I think you can, but it is funny on a 20in wheel bike passing the odd "pooped" lycra chap here and saying "hello" and he can't reply as he has no breath left............
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There must be something wrong down your way as up here you can hear them coming a km away from the conversations they are having. That doesn't include those talking on a mobile. Hands free of course :)...........of the handle bars.
 
I have the one the chap is riding, not as hardcore as @Flinty but R&M build beautiful bikes that don't go wrong. As for waiting till your to old to enjoy it...... they are mainly ridden by the young in Germany:)



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Can't be that ugly surely as we get asked questions about it wherever we go and despite me having a fairly decent hybrid I still enjoy the odd belt about on this, especially if there's any hills about!

About as cheap as you can get, not iron but all alloy frame like most of the small ebikes I see, almost 3 years old and still going strong with a rider who wouldn't part with it.

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daveandginny said:
a rider who wouldn't part with it.
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Thats' my bike you sold it to me for a tenner and you still haven't delivered it ! I'll still have it even though I know it has been thrashed !

I've had the Spanish police on to me looking for a wee woman who has a twisty grip and only just escaped prosecution. They heard that I now owned it and want me to divulge your address so they can post the summons. ;)
 
Moodybrook said:
Thats' my bike you sold it to me for a tenner and you still haven't delivered it ! I'll still have it even though I know it has been thrashed !

I've had the Spanish police on to me looking for a wee woman who has a twisty grip and only just escaped prosecution. They heard that I now owned it and want me to divulge your address so they can post the summons. ;)
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a tenner? you have been ripped off!:D
 
daveandginny said:
Can't be that ugly surely as we get asked questions about it wherever we go and despite me having a fairly decent hybrid I still enjoy the odd belt about on this, especially if there's any hills about!

About as cheap as you can get, not iron but all alloy frame like most of the small ebikes I see, almost 3 years old and still going strong with a rider who wouldn't part with it.

View attachment 88947
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That is almost my bike!! Loud and proud all you scoffers!:LOL:
 
Jim said:
Most I see are cheap heavy hunks of iron, much like the £100 Halfords special but with a motor attached. If all you've ever cycled is a heavy cheap hard to ride bike I suppose the motor must be much appreciated. But eBikes are sooo expensive. For the money you could buy a proper strong lightweight bike that will last a lifetime. Ride a piece of pig iron and you'll want a motor, but spend the money on a proper bike and you'll find how much easier they are to ride and most of you won't want or need a motor. :)
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Good wind up Jim, it worked, I got into eBikes because I did my knee on a good lightweight bike and reluctantly had to stop riding it so much.

Have a look at the FreeGo Raptor, probably the lightest, mass produced eBike out there, very nice looking and it weighs in at 14.5kg including the battery, costs £799 so it's cheap, I get about 22 miles out of the battery on undulating country roads with a couple of really steep climbs but that's enough for me and it is just like riding an ordinary bike without the assist on - and it is lovely to look at. I never ride it if my knee is playing up though.

Here is the BUT, it has a 200w motor, three levels of assist and it is single speed, reminds me of an old Sturmey Archer 3 speed bike I used to ride in terms of effort but it is so fast and so nimble, best of all it's got a motor.

So the Raptor (like a conventional bike) isn't suitable for most people who want an eBike, they want a safe and easy ride and a comfy saddle at a reasonable price and I take my hat off to them, the (almost) silent majority.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if a bit of battery assistance gets you to the top of the hill that you couldn't get up on a conventional bike you can position yourself with your ugly, eBike safely out of sight behind you and enjoy the beauty in front of you (the view I mean - as well as your other half).

On the other hand, if you paid a small fortune for your bike you may wish to position your purchase in front of you and admire it - b****r the view (and my significant other), look at my bike!

For those of you that haven't read what I write (all rubbish I know) before - I sell eBikes so treat it all with a pinch of salt.
 
ebikejohn said:
Good wind up Jim, it worked, I got into eBikes because I did my knee on a good lightweight bike and reluctantly had to stop riding it so much.

Have a look at the FreeGo Raptor, probably the lightest, mass produced eBike out there, very nice looking and it weighs in at 14.5kg including the battery, costs £799 so it's cheap, I get about 22 miles out of the battery on undulating country roads with a couple of really steep climbs but that's enough for me and it is just like riding an ordinary bike without the assist on - and it is lovely to look at. I never ride it if my knee is playing up though.

Here is the BUT, it has a 200w motor, three levels of assist and it is single speed, reminds me of an old Sturmey Archer 3 speed bike I used to ride in terms of effort but it is so fast and so nimble, best of all it's got a motor.

So the Raptor (like a conventional bike) isn't suitable for most people who want an eBike, they want a safe and easy ride and a comfy saddle at a reasonable price and I take my hat off to them, the (almost) silent majority.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if a bit of battery assistance gets you to the top of the hill that you couldn't get up on a conventional bike you can position yourself with your ugly, eBike safely out of sight behind you and enjoy the beauty in front of you (the view I mean - as well as your other half).

On the other hand, if you paid a small fortune for your bike you may wish to position your purchase in front of you and admire it - b****r the view (and my significant other), look at my bike!

For those of you that haven't read what I write (all rubbish I know) before - I sell eBikes so treat it all with a pinch of salt.
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Just getting to the top of the hill is more difficult these days than it used to be for me, age and bad lungs!
I really like the look of this bike, could be just what I'm looking for, some assistance when required but not completely taking the benefits I currently feel I get from my current bike.
 
daveandginny said:
Just getting to the top of the hill is more difficult these days than it used to be for me, age and bad lungs!
I really like the look of this bike, could be just what I'm looking for, some assistance when required but not completely taking the benefits I currently feel I get from my current bike.
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I can say hand on heart getting the eBike will take you back to the days when a push bike was fun. Enough said. Buy one.
 
Moodybrook said:
Thats' my bike you sold it to me for a tenner and you still haven't delivered it ! I'll still have it even though I know it has been thrashed !

I've had the Spanish police on to me looking for a wee woman who has a twisty grip and only just escaped prosecution. They heard that I now owned it and want me to divulge your address so they can post the summons. ;)
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Sorry, price has gone up now as you won't be able to buy a new twist and go in the uk any longer, making them rare and highly desirable ;).
 
If you want to arrive in style I think a Francis Barnett cuts the mustard.
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If you've got a dog then Ebikes are a brilliant way of getting around when towing a Tail Wagon.

When we first bought our MH we were wondering whether to tow a small car to get around as we had our dog to consider. We've found the combination of Ebikes and Tail Wagon works brilliantly. Wherever we go we get smiles from passers by........ regarder le chien!!

On one of our first outings I was towing our hound up a long and steep hill when I was passed by a 'proper' cyclist - expensive road bike and lycra... he couldn't believe it as I was towing easily 45kg without breaking into a sweat (don't think he realised I was power assisted) - my bum wasn't even out of the saddle!... Respect! :LOL:
 
Hi
Interested in what bike 'parknride' has as I suffer the same things, had to very reluctantly sell my racing bike due to not being to hold brakes tight enough, bought a good quality ordinary bike but still have trouble doing the miles and hills, can't keep up with hubby at all. So may electric bikes around so not sure what to go for. They all seem so big too, being only 5.3 they all seem to big a frame.
 
Those ugly expensive German bikes with wet arse no mudguard design may be fine for youngsters who dont mind mud up their back.
I guess on this forum there are many less young funsters who prefer a step through folding bike for convenience and comfort at a sub £1k price.
We have cruised , pedalling mostly , on our unfashionable AS bikes in UK France Belgium since we bought them five years ago and still like new. Love em
(y)(y)
 
I'm looking to get an ordinary 21 gear step though and adding an electric motor with a conversion kit.
That way if the battery runs out it will still be light to pedal.
The 5 ebikes I have owned have all been heavy work to pedal when the battery runs put.
 
Gone through this before, but here goes.

My wife has two artificial knees. Prior to the arthritis that required their replacement she rode a "proper" bike throughout Europe, including some steep Alpine passes.

After her op she could no longer cycle as she wished so we bought an Ebike, based on a Raleigh frame for a little under £1k. It lasted her about six years before the motor failed.

She doesn't do vast distances anymore. She just likes to ride along the Voie Verte to our two nearest villages 8 kilometres and 12 kilometres away. We have a coffee, do a little shopping utilising her panniers to carry it, and then return.

We replaced the original bike with a chunky e bike that will never pass a beauty contest. It is heavy at 22 kilos but, once on the move, the weight disappears owing to the pedal assist. A well built, lightweight road bike would be of no use to her anymore.

She can now do all she wants at a cost of £160, yes £160, from Norauto in France, and has renewed interest in cycling. I still use my road bike and do extended runs, 60 to 80 kilometres a time but her physical condition means she cannot accompany me any more.

Are there better bikes on the road? Of course there are.

Those who want to, and can afford to, buy the best bike you can. For us mere mortals buy what does the job you need done. It still gets you put n the fresh air and allows you to enjoy life again.

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The electric bikes we got aren't as heavy as most - they're Evora Explorer models sold by the below:

http://bicycles4u.com/products/evora-electric-explorer

One thing that was VERY important to us was weight due to the limit for the PVC rear door mounted bike rack which is 35kg max. With the batteries the bike each weigh 19kg, but without they're about 17kg which meets our bike rack criteria!

As the battery is inside the frame it means that the overall length of the bike hasn't had to be extended to include a carrier for it behind the seat post mount, this keeps the weight down so they weight less than most folding e-bikes. Benefits of this lighter weight are noticed when putting them on/taking them off the rack, and when we're out if we have to carry them for some reason (eg up some steps), a big advantage, however, is that they are also lighter to pedal in 'non-assist' mode - in fact they are better than any non-electric folding bikes we've ever had and I often use mine without any assistance unless I really need it!
 

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