Electric bicycles

mike wilson

mike wilson

I bought a new bike.


Bought on the ride to work scheme, although I won't be using it for that directly. More for swift shopping trips in the locale and travels between centres to those that do not have parking.. Folding to save space and has really scary hydraulic disc brakes.

Anyone else?
 
W

Womble

I've rode ebikes from several brands and think they are great! Was even lucky enough to visit a bike manufacturer last year and try out one of their new full suspension mountain bikes up the mountain next to the factory. I generally ride to work on a normal bike anyhow, but can certainly see why people who are less confident, worried about cycling to greater a distance etc.

Some of the teachers here have talked to me about try them out as they'd like to cycle in, but they feel they live a little to far or they're too slow to ride a normal bike in.

I'm hoping that more people will take up cycling and bin their cars off due to the current situation.
 
Paul

Paul

Womble said:
I've rode ebikes from several brands and think they are great! Was even lucky enough to visit a bike manufacturer last year and try out one of their new full suspension mountain bikes up the mountain next to the factory. I generally ride to work on a normal bike anyhow, but can certainly see why people who are less confident, worried about cycling to greater a distance etc.

Some of the teachers here have talked to me about try them out as they'd like to cycle in, but they feel they live a little to far or they're too slow to ride a normal bike in.

I'm hoping that more people will take up cycling and bin their cars off due to the current situation.
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Zero people drive here we are in the congestion charge zone and there is no parking at school so they would be on a meter.
 
karen b

karen b

COMMITTEE
My dad bought one last year. He was finding it increasingly difficult to walk any distance but found he could cycle to the supermarket.

I think there are two different types? Like, one is an electric bike and the other is electrically assisted.
 
Paul

Paul

karen b said:
My dad bought one last year. He was finding it increasingly difficult to walk any distance but found he could cycle to the supermarket.

I think there are two different types? Like, one is an electric bike and the other is electrically assisted.
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they are all electrically assisted (have to pedal) unless you hack them unless there are mobility exemptions.
 
mike wilson

mike wilson

It's a Tern Vektron. Pure electric bikes are verboten here. Or, rather, they need to be registered, licenced and insured. I assume that also means the riders will be required to wear motorcycle type crash helmets and be at the mercy of all the other bureaucracy that covers other motor vehicles.
 
Paul

Paul

mike wilson said:
It's a Tern Vektron. Pure electric bikes are verboten here. Or, rather, they need to be registered, licenced and insured. I assume that also means the riders will be required to wear motorcycle type crash helmets and be at the mercy of all the other bureaucracy that covers other motor vehicles.
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I would keep an eye on the welds near the fold bracket, been a few terns snapping over the years due to shoddy welds..
 
Igor

Igor

I've got both a folding e-bike (Batribike Breeze), and since becoming wheelchair bound after dislocation #5 and finding it's irrepairable, I've bogut an E-Trike.

Love both of them. Means I can still cycle with my kids (8 and 10), and the trike has a large basket over the rear axle for lots of drinks, a toolkit, coats, we even did a 12 mile ride with a picnic the other day..their first experience of main roads and busy junctions.

Cars REALLY don't know what to make of a trike though...:D
 
W

Womble

Igor said:
I've got both a folding e-bike (Batribike Breeze), and since becoming wheelchair bound after dislocation #5 and finding it's irrepairable, I've bogut an E-Trike.

Love both of them. Means I can still cycle with my kids (8 and 10), and the trike has a large basket over the rear axle for lots of drinks, a toolkit, coats, we even did a 12 mile ride with a picnic the other day..their first experience of main roads and busy junctions.

Cars REALLY don't know what to make of a trike though...:D
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What sort of etrike have you got out of interest? I know Batribike will built them on occasion, but they're pretty rare.
 
Igor

Igor

It's an...oh, let me think...ah, yes. a "Scout". They do non folders and folders, standard and Electric, on eBay. Mine is a folder (NOT that it makes much difference, the thing is quite long!), and has the e-assist, and the optional "twist grip" throttle for pure electric as well. Which is what I currently use mostly, as I've got zero power in the knee.

Came as a flat pack, so I built it from the wheelchair during my last forced 6 week "house arrest" convalescence, whilst doped up on painkillers. Which might explain why I need to adjust the mudguards today, as they've come a bit loose. :rolleyes: But, for £700..yes, it's a lot, but being able to teach the kids to cycle and do picnics and fresh air..well..that's worth FAR more.
 
mike wilson

mike wilson

Seems exceptionally cheap for an ebike. Most of the bicycles I have been looking at are around 4-5 times that price and my local dealer doesn't stock anything below twice what you paid. The cargo trikes they stock start at £2000 and go up to £7000. Those are if you want to carry your kids in a wooden box, with chiller at the high end; family trikes seem to go from £3600 to £4850.

_Still_ don't have mine, due to foulups in my employer's scheme management. We are currently (hopefully) migrating to the Green Commute Initiative which, as far as I can discover, is the only scheme that has a financed option. For those who don't know, ride to work schemes use what is technically known as financial jiggery-pokery to reduce the cost of the machine to you and allow the employer to make a saving on its salary bill. This is because it does not have to pay employer contributions on the sacrificed salary. The downside is that the employer has to pay for the bike up front. Difficult for many places in the best of times (Give up my pet project for a staff benefit? Never!!) and will undoubtedly become worse from now on. The benefit is about 16% of the person's financial commitment. Financed versions reduce this to 8% - but the employer does not have to pay up front. Basically, it's income for merely filling in the application form to the financed part of the scheme. I suspect there may be a "what if..." clause to do with institutions going bust or having to lay off staff who are already in the scheme, which is why there has been such a delay on us joining. Or our finance people may be incompetent/idle/your term of abuse here. I will hopefully find out later this week.

For anyone contemplating this, I heartily recommend the Green Commute Initiative. It's a non-profit, unlike all the other schemes that I have found, and its staff are invariably helpful and knowledgeable.
 
W

Womble

mike wilson said:
Seems exceptionally cheap for an ebike. Most of the bicycles I have been looking at are around 4-5 times that price and my local dealer doesn't stock anything below twice what you paid. The cargo trikes they stock start at £2000 and go up to £7000. Those are if you want to carry your kids in a wooden box, with chiller at the high end; family trikes seem to go from £3600 to £4850.
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I was quite shocked at the price also, would leave me questioning the quality having seen offerings from other companies.
 
W

Womble

mike wilson said:
P.S. Trikes - one wheel at the front = misery.
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Chap who owns my local bike shop has a couple of Ken Rogers racing trikes, although he's finally decided to sell them due to being a pain to store. You have to hang off the side of them to get them round a corner at any sort of speed.
 
Igor

Igor

Womble said:
I was quite shocked at the price also, would leave me questioning the quality having seen offerings from other companies.
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I'll be happy to take some pictures..it's VERY solid, well finished, front suspension, sprung seat, big rear basket (but can be whatever I wish, thinking a lidded box.) Got 3 mudguards, lights, bike lock, choice of 2 saddles (one with backrest, one without), bottle, cover. Front Cantilever brake, rear disk on one wheel. Chain drive to other wheel, front hub motor, 11.something ah Li-Ion battery and charger. Paintwork, excellent quality, chrome also.

The quality is easily as good as any other bike, powered or not that I've ever had. I really cannot fault it.

My take on it is that powered bikes, and ESPECIALLY trikes are seen as "over a barrel, charge what we want." I looked at Viking, pashley, many more...and I was horrified at the cost. Saw this, thought "I'll take a punt", and I'm loving it. The guy is sending me a second battery at cost, so I can do LONG rides with the kids, power only, and know I'm not going to get stranded. Bear in mind I can't pedal it well as yet.
 
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Igor

Igor

mike wilson said:
P.S. Trikes - one wheel at the front = misery.


One wheel at the rear = ecstasy

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Fun! I built a robin with a friend, high comp 850 engine, standard 4 speed box, high ratio back axle, 12inch WIDE minilites, flared arches, towbar, LED lighting upgrade and upgraded electrics from a Metro...they can't half shift. Yes, we did roll it a few times, but getting out and rolling it back on the wheels, off it went again..it's only GRP, repairs aren't hard. I miss that thing..people would laugh at the lights, you just knock it into gear, the back sat down, the front raised up and they were left standing.

And, I can't say as my trike would do that tip...it's not shown any inclination so far, and the rear is quite a wide track..
 
Igor

Igor

trike.jpg

That's mine. Admittedly mine's red, I've left off the front mudguard, and I can't see the folding mech on that one, but that's it. 10.5ah battery, my mistake. 6 speed derailleur, 5 power levels on the motor. options for both pedal assist, and "twist and go" - I have both, both work well.
 
H

Hands Solo

Slightly different question here.
Is it possible to adapt a non-electric bike to electric please? I have a step-through that looks like Igor's but with only one rear wheel!
 
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