Where is the best place to buy an Electric Bike

[al_yrpal]

After a couple of thousand miles on an EBike that weighs 23kg I dont believe that 5kg of extra weight is any issue at all. My bike has the more powerful Bosch Performance Line motor and I can only think of one hill around here where it gets challenged. The Guderite Youtube videos show the highly evolved German style Trekking bike which looks exactly like my Ortler, a real workhorse. They say these bikes are suitable for flat places like London Oxford or Cambridge but that is nonsense because IME a bike like mine is perfect for extremely hilly Devon back lanes where you never see a single roadie, its too hilly! The reason these bikes all look the same with practically the same components bolted on is because the design has been perfected for use everywhere by anyone.

Al

[Littgull]

After a couple of thousand miles on an EBike that weighs 23kg I dont believe that 5kg of extra weight is any issue at all. My bike has the more powerful Bosch Performance Line motor and I can only think of one hill around here where it gets challenged. The Guderite Youtube videos show the highly evolved German style Trekking bike which looks exactly like my Ortler, a real workhorse. They say these bikes are suitable for flat places like London Oxford or Cambridge but that is nonsense because IME a bike like mine is perfect for extremely hilly Devon back lanes where you never see a single roadie, its too hilly! The reason these bikes all look the same with practically the same components bolted on is because the design has been perfected for use everywhere by anyone.

Al

I'm not quite sure of the point you are making. My point was that if an e bike was required just to have assist up steep or long hills and to ride unassisted for flat or mild gradients then a 20kg+ e bike would be too heavy. If, like many e bike owners, the assist mode is used continuously then the heavy weight of a 20kg+ e bike is not an issue.

[al_yrpal]

I'm not quite sure of the point you are making. My point was that if an e bike was required just to have assist up steep or long hills and to ride unassisted for flat or mild gradients then a 20kg+ e bike would be too heavy. If, like many e bike owners, the assist mode is used continuously then the heavy weight of a 20kg+ e bike is not an issue.

Not sure what point you are making either? One rider could be 5kg heavier than another rider, so what? Most e bikes are 20kg+ and most are ridden by folk who use assistance continuously. I often ride my e bike on the flat and small slopes without any assistance, good for fitness and range.
On my unassisted tourer which weighs 14kg I often carry more than 16kg of touring kit, not a problem to me. There is no such thing as too heavy.
In my late 70s too many 1 in 4s around here is a problem to me. Thats why I bought an e bike.

Al

[irc]

I somehow missed this thread when it started. One good place to buy an ebike is Woosh (https://wooshbikes.co.uk/).

Is this Woosh bike road legal?

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?camino

"If you don't want to pedal, use the thumb throttle (by simply pushing the throttle lever by your left grip with your thumb gently downward).
The bike will woosh you along nicely.
Please note that the throttle is not twist and go and activated only after you pedal a turn."

I was under the impression that legally power could only be supplied while pedaling?

[PAB855]

If you prefer not to buy online, then go to a retailer who deals in nothing other than electric bikes if you can. It's now a massive market with a vast range of makes and models. Only a specialist would have the answers because they would have been away on courses run by the manufacturer and be constantly up to date with everything that's required.

Cheers

[Jdsk]

Is this Woosh bike road legal?

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?camino

"If you don't want to pedal, use the thumb throttle (by simply pushing the throttle lever by your left grip with your thumb gently downward).
The bike will woosh you along nicely.
Please note that the throttle is not twist and go and activated only after you pedal a turn."

I was under the impression that legally power could only be supplied while pedaling?

AFAIK the relevant definition is:

"Cycles with pedal assistance which are equipped with an auxiliary electric motor having a maximum continuous rated power of 0.25 kW, of which the output is progressively reduced and finally cut off as the vehicle reaches a speed of 25km/h (15.5mph) or if the cyclist stops pedalling."
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32002L0024&from=EN

Jonathan

[hemo]

The UK has additional pedelecs laws that differ a little from the EU, stand alone throttle is not allowed though there is a loop hole that allows bikes to use one if it is operational only after peddling.
Bikes prior to 2016 are allowed them and are fully legal .