Buying An Electric Bike

[welsh dragon]

Hi, I to have been looking at e-bikes for a while now and finally took the plunge and ordered a KTM macina cross 9 http://e-motionevc.co.uk/store/product-info.php?pid372.html
I`m expecting to get it after the weekend(tue or wed), will come back and tell what i think of it after iv`e tested/put it through it`s paces

That looks like a very nice bike.

 

[kimb0321]

That looks like a very nice bike.

Hi welsh dragon, yes I can`t wait to get it :-0
I wonder if you can help/point me in the right direction, the battery on the bike has a USB port and I would like to run a light set front/rear from it but not sure what to get of if you can do this.

 

[welsh dragon]

Hi welsh dragon, yes I can`t wait to get it :-0
I wonder if you can help/point me in the right direction, the battery on the bike has a USB port and I would like to run a light set front/rear from it but not sure what to get of if you can do this.

I love the idea of an ebike, but to be honest, i have no idea about the various extras like USB ports. Dont worry though, someone like the posters above will be able to give you all the help you will need. Sorry I cant be of more assistance.

 

[Pale Rider]

Hi welsh dragon, yes I can`t wait to get it :-0
I wonder if you can help/point me in the right direction, the battery on the bike has a USB port and I would like to run a light set front/rear from it but not sure what to get of if you can do this.

There are a few difficulties with running lights from the Bosch usb port.

I don't think it will provide enough power for front and back.

Some rechargeable lights don't like to be on - shining - when they are recharging.

Then there's the cables to consider, the front would be short, but you would have quite a long and fiddly run to the rear.

Waterproofing is another consideration.

How much light do you want and, almost as important, for how long?

Reasonable quality clip on rechargeables or simple replaceable battery lights may be the best solution.

 

[kimb0321]

Thank you
In the specs for the bike it says `a useful USB that can be used to charge your phone on the go`?
no mention of lights or anything else. Can`t really see the point of it, I charge my phone once every 3 days.

I think i`ll go for clip on rechargeable ones, can you/anyone recommend decent set £30-60 or do I need to spend more.
I`ll be riding in the dark for about 1 hour at most a couple of time a week.
A couple of 4 mile stretches of cycle cycle path that runs alongside a busy unlit B road, so it`s pretty dark, then into town.
Thank you for your advice

 

[Pale Rider]

Thank you
In the specs for the bike it says `a useful USB that can be used to charge your phone on the go`?
no mention of lights or anything else. Can`t really see the point of it, I charge my phone once every 3 days.

I think i`ll go for clip on rechargeable ones, can you/anyone recommend decent set £30-60 or do I need to spend more.
I`ll be riding in the dark for about 1 hour at most a couple of time a week.
A couple of 4 mile stretches of cycle cycle path that runs alongside a busy unlit B road, so it`s pretty dark, then into town.
Thank you for your advice

The usb can be of use to riders with smart phones which eat their batteries quickly when used as a gps navigation device.

Your lights budget is sufficient for your needs.

I like Lezyne, but the other well-known makes are probably just as good.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lezyne-hecto-drive-300xl-with-strip-drive-light-set/

 

[mickle]

Pedego.

 

[kimb0321]

Thanks palerider, they look nice lights, i think I`ll get those.

 

[steveindenmark]

I dont know what its like in the UK for Electric bikes now. But I cant go into town without seeing a few of them.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I dont know what its like in the UK for Electric bikes now. But I cant go into town without seeing a few of them.

I see about 10 regular cyclists on my commute, none use e-bikes. I've never seen one in the city where i live (250,000 people). A couple of years ago there were funky e-bikes cropping up on the gadget show and other TV shows, but it seems their popularity has waned. It might be a different story in London though, I wouldn't know. If anything there are now many more L plater motorbikes (50 and 125cc) than 2 years ago. I think the price tag puts people off; if you just want a bike for commuting, few people like the idea of forking out £1k plus on a good e-bike when they can get a Halfords special for £250

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I tested a Moustache recently for curiosity - someone's thinking of distributing them so had test bikes to play with. Seemed to work well - only did a mile or two though!

 

[summerdays]

I see about 10 regular cyclists on my commute, none use e-bikes. I've never seen one in the city where i live (250,000 people).

The maximum number I've ever seen on one commute is 4, (could be more that I hadn't noticed), I regularly see them. You can normally notice because of a different style of riding though it depends on why they bought them. Some you see barely pedalling at all! But I usually think well it's one less car on the road.

 

[mjr]

e-bikes are pretty common around here, both the sort that look like ordinary safety bikes and the ones that look more like mopeds. The freakiest ones are when they accelerate away from a sharp corner out of all proportion to the pedalling effort.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have seen a few of these TREKS out recently.

They are coming out for Winter.

https://www.electricbike.com/trek-bosch/

 

[martinclive]

Why not save up for one of those Sky Pinarellos - they allegedly have motors in them?