Electric bike for not-too-keen wife

[james01]

We're getting on a bit and looking for a bike for my wife who likes cycling but is finding hills more and more off-putting, any advice most welcome. Requirements:
1. Not small-wheel, pref 26".
2. Fully street-legal.
3. Rideable within reason when battery is flat (Can motor be physically disengaged to avoid drag when "off" ?).
4. Straightforward non-specialised componentry, eg brakes, wheels etc interchangeable with conventional bikes.
5. Ideally from a supplier with multiple local branches for easy after-sales service.

Any thoughts?

[EddieJ]

The best place to ask is on here. They are very friendly bunch, and will quickly be able to find/suggest something suitable,

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/forums/ ... -i-buy.40/

To make life easier for those trying to advise, you will really need to be more specific by detailing the following.

Your budget
Your wife's weight.
Your location. This will help in respect of suggesting a dealer to recommend and also in respect of test rides.
The riding terrain, Is it hilly or flat.
The expected range
The preferred style of bike.
You have just limited yourself to a crank drive system by wanting interchangeability of wheels. Disc brakes are also generally considered better on a EAPC than rim.

[[XAP]Bob]

Having just got myself a conversion kit I have to suggest at least looking at that as an option...

Drop in front wheel replacement, battery on the seat post or the bottle brackets...
Throttle and/or pedal assist.

[EddieJ]

[XAP]Bob, which kit did you opt for?

[james01]

Having just got myself a conversion kit I have to suggest at least looking at that as an option...

Drop in front wheel replacement, battery on the seat post or the bottle brackets...
Throttle and/or pedal assist.

Could be an option, I'm pretty handy with bikes and could easily pick up an old MTB on Gumtree to convert. Any advice/ links etc?

[Ruadh495]

I'd second the conversion kit idea. Particularly if she already has a bike she likes (assuming it's not a carbon road bike). Kits are easy enough to fit on most bikes and a considerable saving over the cost of a production e-bike.

I'm using the 250W front wheel kit from here: http://www.electricbikeconversions.co.uk/ It's a low cost kit, but mine has done 6000miles over the last year without problems.

[Mick F]

[XAP]Bob, which kit did you opt for?

He went for this one:
http://www.electric-bike-conversions.co.uk

Link lifted from this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=110526

[Boyd]

I am afraid my advice is simple SPEND! No point buying [inappropriate word removed], the better the quality the more likely she is to use it. There is a bloke on eBay who sells new Kalkoff. Roughly every 3 months. Some are rebadged kalkoff. Because he puts 4 or 5 on at the same time he doesn't get that good a price. If I can find him I will let you know. I didn't buy from him but had been bidding on them for years but couldn't bring myself to bid a realistic price. In the end I needed one and had to pay out big £881. I need it for pulling trailers. Firewood compost and more importantly a working dog. Who after a days work is absolutly shagged out.
The bike (Kalkhoff Pro Connect Impulse Alfine 8G Electric) will definitely do 36 miles pulling 14.5 kilo trailer and 18kg (guessing) dog. Sometimes two dogs. Without trailer and dog I bet 50 + miles. Note I don't find it necessary to use assistance on the flat with a trailer and dog.
You could do what I normally do and should have done in this case. Find a bike on eBay decided how much you want to pay, then use a bid snipper site to bid for you. I presently use a free site called Gixen which is proving excellent.

[[XAP]Bob]

Having just got myself a conversion kit I have to suggest at least looking at that as an option...

Drop in front wheel replacement, battery on the seat post or the bottle brackets...
Throttle and/or pedal assist.

Could be an option, I'm pretty handy with bikes and could easily pick up an old MTB on Gumtree to convert. Any advice/ links etc?

I assumed that 'likes cycling' implies already owning a bike...

[Cyril Haearn]

A tandem could be a good alternative to an e-bike if you are strong. You can't leave her behind. Or maybe an e-tandem ? One problem with e-bikes that is not mentioned so often is the extra weight for example when taking the train.

[[XAP]Bob]

Yes - Tandems are significant amounts of fun as well... Not so easy to store though.
(Although if you can drop the wheels they often end up short enough for a standard 'back of the car' rack if you need to take them somewhere

[EddieJ]

You might want to read this thread before opting for an Impulse motor. http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads ... ors.24290/

If you take the Kalkhoff route, it would be better to go for either the Panasonic, or Bosch motor system.

Also ignore the range claims that manufacturers put up. By not doing so, you could well be heading for disappointment.



.

[Annoying Twit]

I had a test ride from a electric bike shop in Leicester. I found the bike quite rideable without power, and the power just added to what I could do myself. The bike I rode was a costly one, but I appreciated the ability to choose between different power modes - driving the bike directly, or providing 'pedal assist'. Personally I'd be worried that a conversion wouldn't provide all the mod cons that the dedicated bike would provide, such as the pedal assist, particularly if your wife is not keen.

Or, has this been resolved already?

[Cyril Haearn]

Strongly advise hiring before buying, that way she can try several different e-bikes or Tandems. You can choose weather and route to convince her. Spending thousands on an e-bike could be an expensive mistake.

What about buying used? Or even waiting a couple of years - are e-bikes getting better?

[[XAP]Bob]

I had a test ride from a electric bike shop in Leicester. I found the bike quite rideable without power, and the power just added to what I could do myself. The bike I rode was a costly one, but I appreciated the ability to choose between different power modes - driving the bike directly, or providing 'pedal assist'. Personally I'd be worried that a conversion wouldn't provide all the mod cons that the dedicated bike would provide, such as the pedal assist, particularly if your wife is not keen.

Or, has this been resolved already?

You can choose to have pedal assist on a conversion - I didn't because I know what my requirements are in terms of assistance...