Female friendly buying options for eBike (or not)

[Snowdrop]

Hello cyclists - first time poster here.

I'm looking for advice about:
Buying an eBike - or considerations for not buying one.
And - where to buy a new bike.

I'm a woman cyclist in my early 60s, and planning to do some more cycling touring as I;m just about to retire, and would like to upgrade my bike. For the last few years I've cycled a Pendleton 700C bike which I bought during lockdown online from Halfords (there was not much choice of bikes at the time, and I liked the look of this bike). It has been great, and I've enjoyed local riding here in Liverpool, plus longer day trips using the train, and also multi day trips on Trans Pennine Trail as well as the Bay Cycle Way.

I'm now thinking about planning some longer (several weeks) trips, in the UK along coastal routes. Knowing my own abilities and desire for this to be enjoyable, I am looking at routes that would range between 20 and 50 miles a day. But, if I get an eBike then I could extend my daily range, and also have some assistance - which is certainly very attractive! However, I am aware that an eBike will be heavier, and therefore could be harder to get on and off trains, when loaded with luggage.

There is a helpful 'eBikes for Women' guide on the BikeYard website. But I have to confess I am completely lost by the technical language of torque, Nm and watts, and not sure what I need to be looking for - other than battery range.

So - once I have decided on whether to buy an eBike or a new touring bike, where would you recommend I start my search? I have visited various bike shops for the odd accessory or repair, but have yet to go into a bike shop where - as an older woman - I feel very welcomed or listened to. I live in Liverpool, but happy to travel to visit a friendly female-friendly bike shop.

I would appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

[Jdsk]

Welcome

Don't worry about the technicalities yet. : - )

That's very helpful information about your requirements, and you've got the importance of weight.

How would you feel about a conversion rather than a new eBIke? (I've just converted my wife's steel tourer and am about to do mine.)

And what's your price range?

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

On sources:

Sorry to hear about your experiences with bike shops.

I recommend wandering around Halfords and Decathlon to get familiar with the types and the jargon.

There's some useful introductory stuff and explainers from Cycling UK:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycling-advic ... ng/e-bikes

Someone's going to recommend the Pedelecs forum:
https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/

And you've found us!

Jonathan

[Snowdrop]

Thanks Jonathan - yes I'm glad to have found this forum, and have picked up quite a lot just from reading through posts here already. :)

I have looked in Decathlon and that's given me an idea of what's around and the cost, so that's been helpful.

I'm happy to spend up to £2,000 - it's a retirement gift to myself.

My current bike was not expensive and I've already had replacement spokes, new wheels, tires and chain because of the mileage... so I think it's roadworthy, but I suppose I feel a new, sturdier bike would be the 'obvious' choice for me now. I actually didn't know you could convert a bike to an eBike so had not considered that as an option.

Thanks for your reply. And thanks for the links also - they are great.

[fatmac]

For multi mode travel, a Brompton is King (Queen?).

Folds down really small in about half a minute, front & rear carry capacity, with additional bags.
(Electric assist versions if you want that.)

I used to ride my old 3 speed on 70~90 mile day rides, so capable little bikes; now having retired myself, I bought myself a 12 speed C-Line as my 'final' bike.

Check them out online, & via user group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/LondonBromptonClub

[pal]

If you did want to go down the (e-)brompton route, then Keep Pedalling in Manchester stocks them, and (according to their website) has an electric g-line available to test ride. Info here: https://www.keeppedalling.co.uk/bikes/folding-bikes They're a very female-friendly shop, ime (co-owned by a woman, which helps!). But they don't stock any e-bikes other than the Brompton...

[JohnR]

Perhaps avoid power assistance and the associated range anxiety and get a bike with suitably low gearing. You might want to emulate the lady mentioned in viewtopic.php?p=1811169#p1811169 and consider the Spa Cycles Elan. Search her other posts for the buying experience.

[Snowdrop]

Thanks for your responses.

John R - that’s a really useful thread and the Spa Cycle Elan is definitely the sort of bike I envisioned for myself. Lots of information for me to mull over, thank you.

fatmac and pal - I hadn’t considered Bromptons, but can see certainly see the appeal, especially if I were doing 'multi mode travel’ (although my planned travel is more on the bike than public transport), thank you.

Have also found lots of info in the "Electrically assisted pedal cycles” boards too. There is much for me to consider, it’s great to have a place with so many opinions and information. :)

[slowster]

However, I am aware that an eBike will be heavier, and therefore could be harder to get on and off trains, when loaded with luggage.

The extra weight of an ebike is likely not only to be an issue getting on and off the train itself (incidentally, something for which I would expect to take panniers off the bike), it is also likely to be harder putting the bike into the various hanging storage cupboards used by some train operators. It occurs to me that with your local train operators you might not have much - if any - experience of those hanging storage cupboards, but I would expect you to encounter them if you used the train to get to and from places further away in the UK. Currently there is a thread where a forum member describes their difficulties getting their ebike into the hanging storage cupboard - viewtopic.php?t=167704. They state that they have a Cube ebike with 29" (MTB size wide tyre) wheels, and I think those ebikes weigh something like 27kg, which I would hate to try and manhandle on and off a train and lift up onto a hanging hook. Brompton folding bikes make things much easier in that regard, although the electric models exceed your budget*, as does the G Line non-electric with bigger wheels and wider tyres. Another potential advantage of a Brompton for multi-day touring is that you could bring the bike indoors for more secure storage.

* Although you might occasionally be able to find a discounted model, e.g.here - https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-electric/?sort=594.

Susanna Thornton and Miriam Kennedy both use basic non-electric C Line Bromptons, and their videos are useful to see a) how they make the bike work for them and b) to consider whether what works for them would work for you.

https://www.youtube.com/@susannathornton/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@MiriamKennedy/videos

[Snowdrop]

slowster - thanks for the info - I have not been on a train with the hanging racks, and I definitely would find them a challenge.

You've given me really helpful info and lots more for me to consider, thank you for that. :)

[Slowroad]

Thanks for posting this - I'm a similar age and am slightly reluctantly thinking about getting an e-bike for commuting as 8 miles each way to an active job is getting a bit more wearing... My concern is that I won't then want to use my other bikes! But I'm going to look at some of the suggestions made.
Good luck!

[PT1029]

£2000 should get you a good bike. However, it helps to know what you like/need before you spend a big sum. You may well not KNOW what works for you until you have bought a bike - chicken and egg.
It may well be worth buying something fair to middling (say £500?) to see if what you think you like is what you actually like. If your £500 bike isn't what you like, you could keep it as a spare, or sell it on at a bit of a loss. Your Pendleton probably falls into this category, so may in fact have already done the cheaper test bike.

If you want to look at the electric route, look at electric bikes that you think you might like, and check them out, including lifting, some are very heavy - you will probably have to lug the bike up.through/over something at some point. Some are also increadibly much larger than a standard bike, harder on trains (mentioned above), through gates/doors etc.
Somewhere on this forum there is a recent thread on touring (camping?) with an electric bike.
On the trips you have done so far, have you felt it was so hard you could have done with electric assistance? If not, you probably don't particularly need an electric bike.
We never get younger, so you can always convert a non e bike to electric assist at a later date, that way you'll keep a bike you will have got to know.

For touring, you'll probably need something with: -
Reasonably big tyres for poor tarmac, and the odd bridle way/off road cycle route (gravel tracks and the like). Assuming your Pendleton is a hybrid bike (Somersby model?) the tyres on your Pendleton would be a good size.
A bike frame with space for above mentioned tyres with mud guards.
Rack(s) for luggage - rear, possibly front as well if heavily laden (think camping) to balance out the load. If hotels/B&B, then rear only should suffice.

You say your Pendleton has been "great", so on that basis, a better quality version of what you have could be a good bet.
Go somewhere where you can do a test ride, not all bikes feel handle the same. Some are designed to take a touring load, some are not. Some have steering that you will like the feel of, some you may not like the feel of the steering.
Spa have a selection of demonstrators, I'm told you can do alot more than ride round the block to try them out.

[Snowdrop]

slowroad - glad you are finding the discussion helpful. I can certainly see an eBike would be an attractive option for a regular commute - especially if you do tiring work as well. :)

PT1029 - thank you, that's helpful. Yes my current bike is the Pendleton Somersby, and I put 38mm Marathon tyres on it, and they have been good. And no I didn't ever think I could use 'assistance' and hadn't actually considered an eBike at all a few years ago. I think maybe it's a feeling of being a bit older and that 'it might be good'.... rather than a necessity!
Spa Cycles has come up a few times as a good place to look and do some test rides. I've also been recommended a bike shop in Manchester - Keep Pedalling. So I have options now, many thanks for your considered response. :)

[JohnR]

@Snowdrop if you've ridden that Pendleton over the Pennines then you definitely don't need power assistance. An upright cycling position makes cycling harder work, particularly if there's an unfavourable wind. I used to ride with flat bars which I found very comfortable but got very annoyed when one of my friends left me behind when cycling into the wind so I decided I needed to try drop bars. I quickly accustomed to the different position and it definitely provided a reduction in effort needed although my body is too old to get into a good aerodynamic position. I think a lot of the benefit in my case is provided by the change from 60cm hand width to 40cm width. Flared drop bars combine a narrow position when on the hoods to a wider hand position when on the drops.

Another purchasing decision is the type of brakes. I'm a big fan of disc brakes (preferably hydraulic) which provide reliable stopping in any weather. I've had rim brakes which provided scary moments when going downhill in wet conditions and once I had experienced disc brakes then my rim-braked bike was looking for a new home.

[Snowdrop]

JohnR - Thanks, I'm now looking at touring bikes, and have decided that eBike is not the right choice for me. It has been great to have these conversations and help me make the decision.

As to what touring bike..... still gathering info!

Thanks for your comments on bars - something I had not even thought about. And brakes. I am compiling a huge amount of knowledge in a very short space of time. I'm thinking I might hire a tourer for a couple of days.... would give me an idea of that type of bike.