Would an e-bike work for this commute? (Please help avoid 2nd car!)

[Denis99]

Bit of a vested interest here, I have my 10 month old Trek Super Commuter 9+ for sale.

This is the version with the NuVinci hub, pretty much as stock, even with a spare Bosch 500w battery.

Rang depends on your terrain, but I can typically get at least 40 miles living in hilly South Wales on a single battery charge.

Doubt if the range per day would be a problem, even with just one battery.

Let me know if you are interested, bike has been ridden about 1,700 miles.

[horizon]

Doubt if the range per day would be a problem, even with just one battery.

I'm wondering if it isn't the range per se that is the problem but a 20 mile commute, as others have said. It's the commute in "20 mile commute".

[Denis99]

Possibly, but even in hilly South Wales , my riding, reasonably fit(ish) 63 year old, averages around 13 mph for 40 miles.

Not too worn out after this either.

Could work, if the poster took a measured approach and slowly increased his usage over a few weeks.

I used to commute about the same mileage when I was a little younger, but arthritis and some back pain have got the better of me now.

[DaveE128]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this. I've managed to end up with a 12.5 mile commute (off road bits) or 16.5 miles all on road. I'm now looking into ebikes for this, as I struggled a bit with the first effort. The off-road bit seems to make finding a good e-commuter a little complicated for me, or at least require some compromises on comfort/mudguards - see new thread: viewtopic.php?f=55&t=128683

[Cyril Haearn]

I would try to avoid an e-bike, could one get a train or bus part of the way?

[landsurfer]

125 Honda motorbike or one of the Chinese clones .... and a good excuse to wear those leather jeans you have hidden in the wardrobe ...

[DaveE128]

Just by way of follow up, I've now been using a Trek Powerfly Sport e-bike for the vast majority of my commuting for 18 months, and it is certainly enough to avoid the need for a second car. Except I'm currently off the bike due to an injury I'd certainly recommend an ebike to anyone struggling with a cycling commute. It's awesome

[Jdsk]

I would try to avoid an e-bike, could one get a train or bus part of the way?

Good question, but you'd have to factor in the shame...

Ashamed to report that I took a bus trip yesterday
(https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=129722&p=1564308)

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Just by way of follow up, I've now been using a Trek Powerfly Sport e-bike for the vast majority of my commuting for 18 months, and it is certainly enough to avoid the need for a second car.

Thanks for the update. Any more advice on what to buy and on living with it, please?

Jonathan

[DaveE128]

Depends what sort of commute you're doing I suppose. Panniers, a kick stand and proper mudguards have been very useful.

Having integrated lights is great on an ebike as it means you only have to charge one thing and you can leave them on the bike all the time.

Chain wear has been a learning experience on the ebike i have with the Bosch motor with the small internally geared chairing. With hindsight I'd ignore the conventional wisdom of replacing the chain at a certain wear percentage and just wear them right down and change chainring cassette and chain in one go. It's also very hard to clean the chainring with this design. The latest generation of Bosch is easier to live with in this respect.

The range is noticeably less in winter temperatures, and I take a charger to work when doing the longer, cooler winter commute. I can eke it out in tour mode but prefer not to have to every day.

[Jdsk]

Thank you

Jonathan

[stodd]

The range is noticeably less in winter temperatures.

The difference is about 20% according to the Bosch range assistant (https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/range-assistant/).

However, if you do the charging in cold temperatures the difference may be much greater (I have heard even 50%). Unless you can bring the bike itself inside, for commuting you almost certainly want a bike with an easily removable battery so you can charge inside. Most do have, but there is a trend towards much more integrated batteries that are not easily removed.

[hamish]

Chain wear has been a learning experience on the ebike i have with the Bosch motor with the small internally geared chairing. With hindsight I'd ignore the conventional wisdom of replacing the chain at a certain wear percentage and just wear them right down and change chainring cassette and chain in one go. It's also very hard to clean the chainring with this design. The latest generation of Bosch is easier to live with in this respect.

I have a similar motor on a cargo bike thing. My first chain lasted just 500 miles before hitting the wear limit. I was worried that I'd be changing the chain every month or so. I then switched to a KMC chain which has been worn more slowly and now use squirt lube to prevent it getting covered in muddy grindy slime. You have to use the lube almost every wet ride but it doesn't take long and the chain stays clean so you save time on cleaning. Squirt isn't cheap though.

I have wondered about belt drive ebikes and whether the belt would reduce maintenance and waste.

Thanks for reporting back by the way. I have a long commute (when in the office) and figuring out the best way to do it is always on my mind.