Don't buy that electric bike just yet!

[Dave7]

Assuming my health improves by Spring.....which I believe it wiil.....I will, I think, be getting an ebike for then.
I favour the Ribble hybrid.
One thing that worries me is reports of problems. In general, not just for Ribble. Any problem would entail a 100 mile round trip......then again to collect it.

 

[Drago]

You gotta take the plunge Dave. If it turns out to be a dog get a refund. Ive done near on a thousand miles on mine since August.

 

[gavroche]

@Drago you will be pleased to hear that my stepson ( 50 years old) is getting possession on his new Orbea 5.0 ebike tomorrow, so I will probably have a look at it on Saturday but no plans to get one myself yet .

 

[Blue Hills]

Assuming my health improves by Spring.....which I believe it wiil.....I will, I think, be getting an ebike for then.
I favour the Ribble hybrid.
One thing that worries me is reports of problems. In general, not just for Ribble. Any problem would entail a 100 mile round trip......then again to collect it.

what sort of problems?

 

[Drago]

He'll be referreding to the explosions that some have suffered.

 

[Dave7]

what sort of problems?

Long boring story.
Covid in Feb leading to Long Covid. Left with extreme fatigue, no appetite, losing balance.
Not been able to ride since May.
I feel I am slowly recovering.

 

[Blue Hills]

Long boring story.
Covid in Feb leading to Long Covid. Left with extreme fatigue, no appetite, losing balance.
Not been able to ride since May.
I feel I am slowly recovering.

hope things continue to get better for you Dave.
But I was referring to bike problems - I thought you were - do you run off batteries?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Assuming my health improves by Spring.....which I believe it wiil.....I will, I think, be getting an ebike for then.
I favour the Ribble hybrid.
One thing that worries me is reports of problems. In general, not just for Ribble. Any problem would entail a 100 mile round trip......then again to collect it.

I have done 3000 miles in the last 12 months
most problems have been due to punctures - plus one where I bent the gears when the bike blew over becaseu I left it on its stand in a hight wind - a while after I went into 1st gear and the spokes and derailleur decided to occupy the same space - which ended badly

only problems that was the bike's fault was a broken saddle bolt - easily fixed by the LBS in Widnes (John Geddes if you want to know - tell him Mike sent you - the annoying one with the Raleigh Motus) -- I think he does other makes of ebike as well as Raleigh - although everyone seems to be having supply problems at the moment

 

[gzoom]

Surely all this depends on what you bought the eBike for?

I drove into work yesterday as I had to pick up my daughter after school for a GP appointment than do some shopping. Haven't actually driven into work for ages, was surprised to find despite not much traffic it took me almost as long to drive as to cycle in on my eBike.

Am pretty sure I could go at the same speed if not quicker on my road bike for the same trip, but that would see me arrive at work covered in sweaty and stinking out the office.

The eBike allows me to do the commute at a reasonable pace, and get to work in a semi presentable state. I would say these things should be considered as car replacements rather than bike replacements.

 

[Pale Rider]

I would say these things should be considered as car replacements rather than bike replacements.

In your case, but we are all different.

I do very few utility miles, but have done thousands of leisure miles on my ebike.

In my case, the ebike is a bike replacement.

 

[Drago]

Im with Paley. I prefer my regular bikes for utulity riding because over any real distance theyre so much quicker. I keep the ebike for leisure riding, where the way to go quicker is to actually ride a bike slower.

 

[Dave7]

In your case, but we are all different.

I do very few utility miles, but have done thousands of leisure miles on my ebike.

In my case, the ebike is a bike replacement.

I gave my lovely shiny Whyte Stirling to my son (for several reasons).
Aged 73 now, closer to 74**.
Assuming, as I said, I am fit enough come Spring the decision is standard bike Vs ebike.........at my age ebike seems to be the way to go.
**up till Spring I had no trouble doing 30+ miles but accept that can't last forever.

 

[theloafer]

had mine since April 2019 just over 2079 miles all trouble free .. and sad to say it`s the only one i have ridden the others are up in the spare box room..best thing since sliced bread
reise and muller supercharger rholoff gx... costly but why not

 

[confusedcyclist]

^^^ Wot he said. Thatere hasn't been a singnifcant advance in commercially available battery technology in over 15 years.

Hydrogen is where its at, and i look forward to hudrogen ebikes

Better hope that fuel cell between your legs doesn't go poof.

From my own reading around the subject, some experts in the battery field are very skeptical of significant gains in energy density of batteries which is what we need to see for improved range. When you factor in resource depletion, as more and more pile on what remains of the rare earth metals needed for the manufacture of batteries with increasing competition for their use in EVs and other hand held gadgets, we may well see the price of ebikes climbing. Musk has been harping on about his ability to eliminate cobalt for instance, but the date when batteries which don't need it keeps getting pushed back, a bit like the fusion reactor. I'm not saying it can't happen, but it may not be commercial viable. And this is before we've even mentioned that ebike makers like to make their machines more and more complex as time passes, so that people feel the need to buy the latest and greatest, adding doo-dads and whistles, just like cars, which increases manufacturing and material costs. Of course, there will always be the budget conscious brands.

 

[Pale Rider]

The glacial pace at which battery technology advances is indicated by a new factory to be built in Northumberland.

Great news for a deprived part of the country, but the factory will produce lithium ion cells of the type we've had for the last 15 years or so.

No doubt they will use the best available technology when the plant starts production in 2023.

But it means another three years and more slips by with no significant advances.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-55263255