Anyone know anything about electric bikes?

[Jimmy Doug]

Thanks for the explanation. My car has regen (Prius) and it definetely works there. I was very sceptical of it before I'd seen for myself how efficent it is. Bicycles are a totally different matter, I guess. For one thing, the Prius has a hell of a lot of momentum and can freewheel for a heck of a distance, recharging the battery as it goes. Also, car brakes generate a huge amount of heat.

 

[RichardB]

As Pale Rider says, regen on an ebike is a bit of a pointless idea. If you can ride along and regenerate as you go, why not dispense with all the gubbins and just have a normal bike? You can't compare it to a car. My Wisper is a heavy old bus, and the one time the battery ran out on mine (error on my part, failed to fully charge it) I had to push it up a steep hill near my home as I simply could not pedal it. 20% hill, 37" bottom gear and 26 kg of bike and battery (not to mention the rider) were an impossible combination. I was very unfit then; I might do better now.

Although it's heavy, it flies along when it is in the mood. The benefit for me is on the hills. On the flat, I am pedalling at over the 15 mph cut-off, so I'm not getting any assistance. On the hills, it's like a giant hand on the back of your saddle, just helping you along. I would estimate that a hill that I can climb at 4-5 mph unassisted, I ascend at 8-9 mph on the ebike. It's still work, but for me it made the difference between cycling and not cycling. Commuting was going to be my route back to health and fitness, but with a hilly 13 miles each way, it was not possible for me on a normal bike. After a year on the ebike, I had lost weight and gained fitness, and now I am planning on switching to my normal bike full-time. I have rediscovered the pure joy of getting out on a bike and covering the miles. I don't think it's exaggerating to say that the ebike saved my life. Without it, I would still be sitting on the sofa, 5 stone overweight, pre-diabetic, wondering if I would ever be able to bike to work ever again. It's not a pushbike, but it certainly isn't cheating either. Horses for courses.

 

[Transporterman]

We love our electric bikes. We started off with an 'Ecoped' about 15 years ago which was really just a professionally converted road bike with a front hub motor. Since then we have quite a few Giant Lafree's. I used to buy up bit's (motors batteries or wrecks and do them up for family and friends. My wife still has a Lafree which she won't part with but although we are often up on Bodmin and Dartmoor it probably is more suited to more sedate riding. But it has never caused any problems.

Now I have a Kalkhoff which is great and goes like a bomb. It has a Shimano Nexus 7 speed rear hub. I know some people change the front sprocket to gear it a little higher. If you want to do very big hills you still have to put effort in but it's just like being 30 years fitter.

This was on the High Peak trail.

A brace of Lafree's on Dartmoor.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

We love our electric bikes. We started off with an 'Ecoped' about 15 years ago which was really just a professionally converted road bike with a front hub motor. Since then we have quite a few Giant Lafree's. I used to buy up bit's (motors batteries or wrecks and do them up for family and friends. My wife still has a Lafree which she won't part with but although we are often up on Bodmin and Dartmoor it probably is more suited to more sedate riding. But it has never caused any problems.

Now I have a Kalkhoff which is great and goes like a bomb. It has a Shimano Nexus 7 speed rear hub. I know some people change the front sprocket to gear it a little higher. If you want to do very big hills you still have to put effort in but it's just like being 30 years fitter.

They look very good - starting to look like real bikes How much do they weigh? Are they hard work when there's no charge left?

 

[Transporterman]

Both the Lafree (now sadly obsolete but available second hand) and the Kalkhoff weigh about 21kg. If you go for the larger amp hour battery on the Kalkhoff it weighs an extra kilo or so. You can pedal them pretty easily with a flat battery although it wouldn't be great fun up very steep long hills but you wouldn't be stuck unlike some of the really heavy e bikes.

I did have a cheapo (£399) Cyclomatic for a while but the quality was fairly poor. Also it was throttle-only which is nowhere near as nice to ride as a pedalec bike with a crank motor. I probably wouldn't have an e bike if I was a fit twenty year old with perfect knees but we go everywhere including moors, dales, canal tow paths. You still puff up the biggest hills but cycling is fun again so you can't wait to plan the next ride.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Both the Lafree (now sadly obsolete but available second hand) and the Kalkhoff weigh about 21kg. If you go for the larger amp hour battery on the Kalkhoff it weighs an extra kilo or so. You can pedal them pretty easily with a flat battery although it wouldn't be great fun up very steep long hills but you wouldn't be stuck unlike some of the really heavy e bikes.

I did have a cheapo (£399) Cyclomatic for a while but the quality was fairly poor. Also it was throttle-only which is nowhere near as nice to ride as a pedalec bike with a crank motor. I probably wouldn't have an e bike if I was a fit twenty year old with perfect knees but we go everywhere including moors, dales, canal tow paths. You still puff up the biggest hills but cycling is fun again so you can't wait to plan the next ride.

This is very interesting. I've been thinking about getting an ebike for a while so that I can cycle to work more often. I might also be able to persuade my wife to cycle more if she had one of these. Definitely worth looking into one of these models. There's a dealer not too far from here.

 

[raleighnut]

Still think that the conversion kits are better value as you can fit them to pretty much any level/type of bike for around £500, plus you can convert back or move the kit onto another bike easily.
This is a kit fitted to my trike but it can be swapped to any 26" wheel bike

trike 4

• raleighnut
• 19 Jan 2016

The rack battery was fitted to a couple of brackets I made to avoid 'butchering' it as I intend fitting the kit to an MTB once I'm well/recovered enough to not need the trike.

 

[Transporterman]

It's definitely worth try quite a few bikes to see what suits you. I prefer the feel of the pedalec drive but each to his own. I think everyone who isn't getting as much pleasure out of their rides as they used to should try an e bike. As long as they are confident on a normal bike they will be amazed at how much fun they are.

 

[Helenbells]

When I returned to cycling, I had to have an electric bike, because my illness prevented me from using my Claud Butler Claudette.
I looked for, and bought, an electric bike that looks like a bike.
Although I can only ride it when I am well enough, it has given me back my freedom. In addition I can ride off road, which I could not do with my Claudette.
I look at our racers and think, what shall I do with these.

 

[jonny jeez]

Yeah - them's the fellers. I just did a wee bit o' googling & Kalkhoff seems to be one name that comes up. Like bikes, but with batteries.

Indeed. Kalkhoff seem to be the forerunner in elec bikes from my experience.

Trek do a couple of options but id steer clear as their drive system transfers power in a relatively unsubtle way.

My experience, from testing them all a few years back.;

A centrally mounted battery (like on the seat tube) generates a better centre of gravity and better feel. Rack mounted batteries feel a little heavier. Drive system is extremely important or rather drive transfer...testing is the only way to experience what this means but a trek I rode felt like it wanted to "explode" as the power came on and created a sense of wheelspin in the wet. A friend had an off in a bend that he put down to this.

Recharge times and range are all obvious considerations, halve the range quoted on any bike to get a realistic range.

Bigger sprockets can break the 15moh limit but will halve the range.

Brushless motors (is that the phrase) that don't create friction when not running on power are also important.

Kalkhoff ticks all of these boxes.

My overall personal opinion was that I felt happier riding slower on a non assist bike and getting fitter than being able to ride faster (particularly uphill) on an assist. Also I had a feeling that newer , inexperienced riders might be tempted to ride faster than their skill has had a chance to develop and could cause issues. Again, my mate that had an off is my "evidence" for this, I suspect he was just riding too fast around a wet bend but he may be right, the power may have engaged and thrown out the rear wheel.

 

[Transporterman]

Helen - I think a lot of people as they get older or have joint problems think 'oh well, that's it, my cycling days are over, but I hope they will see your post and realise that they don't have to give up, take to the armchair and wait for their first heart attack! I reckon cycling (even assisted cycling) is much better exercise than jogging or gym.

Re the Kalkhoff - Although I enjoyed riding the Giant Lafrees I love my Kalkhoff! It's a quality bike.

 

[jonny jeez]

You can retrofit some systems to a bike you already have, with a rebuilt wheel. I know a few older cyclists who have kept going on their treasured bikes by doing this.

If the person is at all disabled, beware of systems that require you to pedal off before the motor kicks in. It means you can't get going if you stop on a hill. I have a friend who made that mistake with his first electric bike and it was no help to him really.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S10GMfG2NMY

 

[Transporterman]

On my Kalkhoff the power is very smooth there is no likelihood of it throwing you off. I think the crank motors are a nicer ride in that respect. I remember when I had my cheapo Cyclomatic we struggled to ride together because it was an all or nothing kind of power compared to my wife's Lafree.

 

[Cubist]

When I returned to cycling, I had to have an electric bike, because my illness prevented me from using my Claud Butler Claudette.
I looked for, and bought, an electric bike that looks like a bike.
Although I can only ride it when I am well enough, it has given me back my freedom. In addition I can ride off road, which I could not do with my Claudette.
I look at our racers and think, what shall I do with these.

Welcome to the forum Helenbells by the way!

 

[jonny jeez]

Thanks for the explanation. My car has regen (Prius) and it definetely works there. I was very sceptical of it before I'd seen for myself how efficent it is. Bicycles are a totally different matter, I guess. For one thing, the Prius has a hell of a lot of momentum and can freewheel for a heck of a distance, recharging the battery as it goes. Also, car brakes generate a huge amount of heat.

Keep in mind as well that your Prius also has a huge and powerful petrol generator (engine) that can push the car to speeds where regen can have an effect when the freewheeling or braking occurs.

Cycle regen is, as @Pale Rider says, is a gimmick on bikes right now.