andrewk wrote:3 things to concentrate on when selecting an ebike:
1. Drive system, crank motor or hub motor. Bosch, Panasonic and Impulse crank motors are good with Bosch probably being the best. Hub motors mounted in the back wheel are preferable to those mounted in the front wheel as they provide better traction uphill.
2. Battery size in Watt hours and recharge lifecycle (ie how many recharge cycles it can go through before its capacity is significantly degraded). Avoid no name or unknown name batteries, they will be Chinese generic products with a short service life. Battery size dictates range...if the bike is to be only used for short trips to the shops this isn't an issue but if you envisage day rides then clearly battery size will be important.
3. Quality of bike frame and components...some can be shocking (mainly the "British" brands which merely put their name on generic Chinese Tat). Others can be well made with good components. The Germans, Dutch and French make good ebikes, prices generally ranging from £2k to £3.5k.
I've had my Juicy for 5 years plus getting me around the Peaks quite happily. It's a "British" brand but with a workshop up the road from me. I looked at "upgrading" to a european bike, but have to say the complexity and cost simply puts me off. i did have a few parts need replacing over time - a pedal sensor and brke lever - along with the usual, non electric bits and pieces, but otherwise the Juicy has been brilliant and I can't see any reason for me to spend twice as much as their latest bikes on a complex bike thats not easy to maintain. I have ridden Bosch and the torque sensor is intuitive and nice but god forbid it ever need replacing out of warranty. Mine cost a fiver from memory and my battery is still going well after 5 years! I love simple cycling and loathe complexity.