E-bike recommendation please

[Electric_Andy]

Sorry if this is telling granny how to suck eggs. But have you tried an e-assistance bike before? I had one for a year and commuted similar to you - my journey was mostly uphill all the way (4 miles) to work, not a bad ride back though. I thought it would allow me to not arrive at work sweaty. I was wrong. The motor is not powerful enough to get up hills on it's own, so I found myself pedalling almost as hard as usual to make good time. Sitting at 5mph up a hill without pedalling is a bit like putting your favourite cake in front of your nose and not eating it. It's very hard to do, impatience and temptation kick in, you find yourself putting in as much work as a normal bike (perhaps only 70% on the climbs). Downhill the motor is redundant, and on the flat, yeah that's quite handy in a headwind. Just thought I'd mention it, as I probably wouldn't spend £1600 on another if my commute was the same.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I think it depends on how you ride it, when out on the non-E I very rarely get above 9mph, but on the E-bike I'm always above 11mph & have been known to get into the 12's. I come back just as knackered, but I either get back quicker or I have gone further, but if I was going to work then at the same lower speed I would arrive much fresher, if you could resist the urge to go faster.

 

[rualexander]

Boardman ebike hybrid?
Uses the Fazua drive system with removable battery/motor.
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/hybrid-bikes/boardman-hyb-8.9e-mens-hybrid-electric-bike-133934.html

 

[MarkF]

The Whyte would suit.

Similar spec to the Pinnacle, although it might have a later version of the Steps motor.

Hard to justify the extra eight hundred over the Pinnacle.

You probably would get a discount which would reduce the difference a little.

https://whyte.bike/collections/e-bikes/products/highgate

The Pinnacle is too ugly so I wouldn't like to own it, the Whyte looks better, frame and battery are more integrated but it's still no beauty. Both look perfect for my commute but I couldn't imagine choosing either out of my garage for a nice long day ride. I'll have a good look through some sites, Tredz and the like. Many thanks.

 

[Mike_P]

Sorry if this is telling granny how to suck eggs. But have you tried an e-assistance bike before? I had one for a year and commuted similar to you - my journey was mostly uphill all the way (4 miles) to work, not a bad ride back though. I thought it would allow me to not arrive at work sweaty. I was wrong. The motor is not powerful enough to get up hills on it's own, so I found myself pedalling almost as hard as usual to make good time. Sitting at 5mph up a hill without pedalling is a bit like putting your favourite cake in front of your nose and not eating it. It's very hard to do, impatience and temptation kick in, you find yourself putting in as much work as a normal bike (perhaps only 70% on the climbs). Downhill the motor is redundant, and on the flat, yeah that's quite handy in a headwind. Just thought I'd mention it, as I probably wouldn't spend £1600 on another if my commute was the same.

Where was the motor on it? Front wheel absolutely useless, rear wheel not brilliant on hills, bottom bracket far better

 

[Pale Rider]

The Pinnacle is too ugly so I wouldn't like to own it, the Whyte looks better, frame and battery are more integrated but it's still no beauty. Both look perfect for my commute but I couldn't imagine choosing either out of my garage for a nice long day ride. I'll have a good look through some sites, Tredz and the like. Many thanks.

Scoping about is a good idea, but I suspect you will soon get fed up of seeing almost identical ebikes all with a suspension fork.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - I thought the frame coloured mudguards on the Pinnacle was a nice touch.

I shall be interested to see what you find that, in your eye, is substantially better looking than the Pinnacle or the Whyte.

Maybe I lack imagination, but to me all £2k hybrid ebikes look pretty much the same.

 

[MarkF]

Maybe I lack imagination, but to me all £2k hybrid ebikes look pretty much the same.

If that's the case then I'll probably not buy one, because I know that unless I "like" something, I won't look after it.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Where was the motor on it? Front wheel absolutely useless, rear wheel not brilliant on hills, bottom bracket far better

I think it was BB rear wheel drive. It was getting on for 7 years ago now so i can't quite remember!

 

[gzoom]

The Pinnacle is too ugly so I wouldn't like to own it.

Let's be honest we are all vain in some way, and like you the way a bike looks is as important to me as how it performs.

This is partly why I bought a Boardman hybrid with the Fazua system. All the previous eBikes I looked at just didnt seem right with an awful looking brick stuck on the down tube, where as the Boardman looks as clean/nice as bike as my Trek road bike side by side.

Fazua are also about to release a substantial firmware upgrade for the bike to make it perform better, and bare in mind the Fazua system in the Boardman is exactly the same as the one found in a 5 figure Look roadbike, the £2k asking price from Halford almost seem like a steal!!

https://ebike-mtb.com/en/fazua-evation-black-pepper-software-update-review/

Riddle also make some nice eBikes that look normal. For your usage I think you will find these e assistance bikes will work well......and look good at the same time .

 

[MarkF]

Let's be honest we are all vain in some way, and like you the way a bike looks is as important to me as how it performs.

This is partly why I bought a Boardman hybrid with the Fazua system. All the previous eBikes I looked at just didnt seem right with an awful looking brick stuck on the down tube, where as the Boardman looks as clean/nice as bike as my Trek road bike side by side.

View attachment 513638

Fazua are also about to release a substantial firmware upgrade for the bike to make it perform better, and bare in mind the Fazua system in the Boardman is exactly the same as the one found in a 5 figure Look roadbike, the £2k asking price from Halford almost seem like a steal!!

https://ebike-mtb.com/en/fazua-evation-black-pepper-software-update-review/

Riddle also make some nice eBikes that look normal. For your usage I think you will find these e assistance bikes will work well......and look good at the same time .

Absolutely, if something is not aesthetically pleasing to my eyes then l won't like it, no matter how good it is. To me, the Pinnacle looked like a "yesterday" ebike at best and a DIY one at worst!

Yours is more like it & l agree with the power output comments, l will have a closer look at the Boardman.

 

[tom73]

Maybe worth a look Canyon just brought out this.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...oad-bike-market-with-new-enduraceon-al-453562

 

[Pale Rider]

Absolutely, if something is not aesthetically pleasing to my eyes then l won't like it, no matter how good it is. To me, the Pinnacle looked like a "yesterday" ebike at best and a DIY one at worst!

Yours is more like it & l agree with the power output comments, l will have a closer look at the Boardman.

Bear in mind the Fazua equipped and Ribble (ebikemotion) ebikes are 'light assist' which may, or may not, have enough grunt for your purpose.

A short test ride would tell you.

 

[MarkF]

Bear in mind the Fazua equipped and Ribble (ebikemotion) ebikes are 'light assist' which may, or may not, have enough grunt for your purpose.

A short test ride would tell you.

Yes, I've looked at the weights though and if I go out via trails or the towpath for a long day ride day then I take my 10 year old hybrid, that weighs 15kg. Same as the Boardman hybrid and more than the Gain so I am getting the "light assist" without any weight penalty. I think the Gain may suit me more than the HD hybrids would, but it's just that very steep hill to work.............I do need a test ride.

However, I sent multiple emails to Chevin Cycles (Otley), Cycle Republic (Leeds) and All Terrain (Saltaire) last summer saying that I would like a test ride, I didn't get a single reply.

 

[gzoom]

^ The 'light assistance' provided is enough on my Boardman to make it almost as quick as my road bike, but without the aggressive aero, skinny tires, and rock solid frame.

Fazua is apparently updating the firmware of the motor/battery to give more assistance to make the bike perform closer to a Bosch motors bike.

What ever eBike you get make sure there is good manufacture support for the battery/motor/software. Fazua for example is clearly making updates to things as they develop their software, Bosch I suspect similar.

Opting for a cheaper battery/motor setup now may not offer you the same degree of future proofing.

Having also owned EV since 2015, I can tell you from first hand the software side of electric motor/battery management and user interface is as important as stats on Wh and motor peak torque performance.

£2k isn't a small sum to drop on a bike, get one which looks to have decent ongoing manufacture support and it'll last you much longer going into the future.

 

[Mike_P]

I think it was BB rear wheel drive. It was getting on for 7 years ago now so i can't quite remember!

Makes sense if it was a rear wheel drive, leave those for dead on hills when on my ebike.