PowerSwitch

I know this has been discussed before, but it would be useful to get an update. I am getting the feeling that the time is right to purchase an electric bike.

Anybody got good/bad experiences?

If you want to discuss ordinary bikes, you are more than welcome as I would consider a good sturdy one as well, but please start a separate thread.

Hope you don't mind me plugging my own site:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk
and our forum:
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum

Good site rs.

OH will no doubt want a look!

Thanks Sally!

What I would say to anyone considering a purchase of an electric bike is to really think hard about how you would use it i.e. how often, how far, how hilly and how much effort you are prepared to put in while riding.

There is a quite a discussion going on at the moment regarding the longevity of Li-Ion batteries which are an expensive component of an electric bike purchase.

I can recommend that site too!

After looking at a range of bikes, I decided the ezee ones are probably best all round at the moment. I've not tried one though, mush less bought one.

I guess Mike will fill you in on all the technical details, but we got our bikes! They ae fantastic, they go so fast, and hills have become much easier!
I highly recommend them!

I've got a Wisper 905se which I got to replace my car.

Great fun to cycle, gives you aroound 40 miles on pedelec mode (for less than 2p) and almost erases hills.

Well worth it, has rekindled my enthusiasm for cycling.

Question from the ignorant to RS - do any electric bicycles use regenerative braking? If so is it worth the extra cost on a bicycle - how much extra range do you typically get?

We got two of these:
http://www.50cycles.com/pro-connect-details.shtml
They're great! The things I like most is that they drive through the gears, and that you control the speed simply by how hard you pedal (just like a normal bike).

Tracy's already ridden twice to a place she works one day a week, 31 miles round trip.

Looks good Mike, but are they worth £1500? Seems to be the most expensive one I have seen yet. I think I would be prepared to spend £500 or £600 but I would want a motorbike for £1500!

Why do electric bikes seem to have such a gross price premium?

They're a lot, but you get what you pay for. The Panasonic drive-through-the-gears system is one of the best around, especially for hilly terrain, and has been in use for some time - this is the second version now. After you try riding one with the Panasonic system you won't want to go back to a traditional e-bike with a throttle and hub motor.

Because it drives through the gears, you *have* to pedal it, and that's how it gets good range. We're getting about 32-33 miles on high power mode, including some hills. Standard power should get this above 40 miles, and low power even more. Plus, when the battery runs out it's a bike that rolls very easily anyway, unlike some other e-bikes which are a pig to pedal when the battery dies.

In addition to that the rest of the bike is top-notch, with the best shimano 8-speed hub gears, deore XT brakes and front hub, Busch & Muller lights wired in to the main battery, solid rear rack, lightweight stand, strong powder-coated frame, lightweight rims, puncture-resistant tyres.... you get the idea? It's quite a bit lighter than many other e-bikes.

Basically, if it was a normal bike it would probably be £500+ (at a guess), the battery adds something like £3-400, and the motor system adds some more. Plus, it's made in Germany (rather than China), and I expect the volumes are still lower than a normal bike.

But you're right, it's a lot of money, so it really does have to be seen as a car replacement, not just something to help when you're too lazy to pedal!

We've still got the car, but are working on replacing many car journeys with the bikes. Tracy would not have attempted the trip to work I mentioned above on a normal bike, as it would have taken too long to be practical and there's no showers at the other end. With the e-bike you still put some effort in, but get there much quicker and don't get hot and sweaty.

mikepepler wrote:With the e-bike you still put some effort in, but get there much quicker and don't get hot and sweaty.

What kind of speeds do you get from it?


Peter.

Along the flat, an easy 15- 18 miles per hour, downhill just as fast as the hill allows!

Up hills, it is pretty easy to maintain 10 - 15 miles an hour for a while on a not toooo steep hill, if it is steep - more like 8 - 10.

and this from someone who is not fit!

But as Mike says it really helps with the long journeys - my trip to work which is 15 and a half miles of lots of up hill takes me 1 hour and 10 mins, and I am not dead beat at the end of it!

And because it's driving through the gears, you can trade off range for speed by putting a smaller sprocket on the back. As standard the motor will only assist to about 15.5mph, but you could easily push this towards 20 at the expense of range and more wear&tear on the battery.