General e-bike questions, comments, reviews and interesting stories.

[carpiste]

I have opened this thread in the hope that it can resolve the problem of questions being asked and threads created for every single e-bike, piece of kit, route planner and general info.
I am happy if a mod, or in fact anyone objects to this solution. I have created it in the hope of bringing some calm back to this section.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I think it is a grand idea.

 

[CXRAndy]

 

[carpiste]

Thinking about your ebike and its plus points, limitations, pros and cons what would you score it?
No need to go into everything just a score out of 10 I think.
Raleigh Motus 2021 : 9/10

 

[jowwy]

i have 2 ebikes - but both are the exact same model, but different battery sizes

Cube Acid 500 -
Pro's, cheap, big battery, good motor, good for commuting, can fit rack and guards
Con's, cheap, Heavy, not the best offroad, low on torque, poor forks

Cube Acid 400 - as above with smaller battery

Reason for buying the same model, was having two batteries, just in case i fancy going further affield and making sure i have enough juice by putting the 2nd battery in a rack bag.

I have one set-up purely for road use, the 500 has carbon MTB forks and 2" slick tyres and the 400 is set-up as a rough more of a canal, rough road sort of use, with better forks, as the canals here in wales have to be kept as rural as possible, so not all tarmac'd or red gravelled.

score i would say 7.5/10

 

[Drago]

Carrera Subway E - 'Mk1' version.

An anniversay gift from Mrs D, so I didn't get a say in it.

Pros:

Reasonably light for a cheapo, around 18kg ready to ride. Thats not a featherweight, but very competitive for that end of the market.

Rides well, rolls well, and a very sure footed.

Tektro hydro brakes. Not sexy, but work very well.

Probably the 'best' ebike for a grand, or £1100 for the slightly updated version 2.

Most of the reliability gremlins of earlier Carrera models has been sorted.

Looks reasonably tidy and understated. Some similarly priced rivals go OTT in their efforts to look eye catching and end up looking a bit nafftacky.

Excellent torque. Claimed to be 60NM (I take the with a pinch of salt - thats verging on small car territory) through the geared gub motor. Whatever the real number it it handles my 19 stone bulk very well.

Cons:

Fairly basic spec - something has to give for the price. No mudguards, integral lights, squidge forks, etc. On the plus side thar does keep the price down, and what is there is well thought out.

Battery capacity isn't huge. If you're doing serious miles in one hit its not for you, although ive personally not found it limiting,

The torque sensor is in a vulnerable position and easily damaged. Once youre aware of it its not a problem, but a lot of people are ham fisted and somehow manage to get through them in quick order.

 

[fossyant]

The torque sensor is in a vulnerable position and easily damaged. Once youre aware of it its not a problem, but a lot of people are ham fisted and somehow manage to get through them in quick order.

Where is it located, as my 'old man' is considering one 'still'. I'll be chief mechanic though, so I'll make him aware.

 

[Drago]

Under the bottom bracket, rear of the chanset. I think people tend to mash them dragging the bikes over doorsteps or high kerbs., because in sensible, normal use thats pretty tucked out the way.

 

[carpiste]

When I bought my Raleigh Motus it said it could go up to 60 miles on a single charge. I have to say I was dubious, to say the least and decided it could do that if the rider was an athlete and around the 10 stone mark.... not some 61 year old fatty!
So, since 1st May I`ve been out most days and started out doing around 15-20 miles and in the process lost 3 stone in weight! I rarely use anything other than the eco setting whereas I was using tour or even sports mode previously.
Today I did 32 miles on a relatively flat route and only used 2 of the 5 bars. So it appears that the figures for mileage are much nearer to reality than I ever imagined!
One happy old geezer here

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When I bought my Raleigh Motus it said it could go up to 60 miles on a single charge. I have to say I was dubious, to say the least and decided it could do that if the rider was an athlete and around the 10 stone mark.... not some 61 year old fatty!
So, since 1st May I`ve been out most days and started out doing around 15-20 miles and in the process lost 3 stone in weight! I rarely use anything other than the eco setting whereas I was using tour or even sports mode previously.
Today I did 32 miles on a relatively flat route and only used 2 of the 5 bars. So it appears that the figures for mileage are much nearer to reality than I ever imagined!
One happy old geezer here

My Motus has the smallest battery - has done 6000 miles in the last 2 years but can just about do 50 miles on one charge
but that is mostly on canal paths so a lot of slowing down and accelerating - it'll do more on roads where the speed is constant and close to the cutoff limit
Also does less in winter - presumably due to the battery getting cold

 

[Biker man]

My ebike has three power settings the echo was quoted at 201 km roughly the what are the other two are I don't know think full power has given me 38 miles with a lot of hills so what the middle settings would give me I have no idea.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I think the range depends a lot on how you pedal.
My wife's folder has a totally different system to my Raleigh with its Bosch
The folder has a Bafang motor and the control system seems a lot simpler
Top assist seems to give full power all the time
middle assist and lower differ in that they start of with a lot of assist at low speed but then reduce the assist power as the speed increases - the lowest level just starts reducing sooner and quicker
the 'torque' sensor is also quite basic - not as simplistic as my old Powacycle where you could just slowly spin the pedals and it would take you up to 15mph - but, especially at max assist - you can allow the motor to do mostr of the work by turning the pedals with just a small amount of power from you.

The Bosch system appears far closer to true assist - i.e. it looks at the power you are supplying through the pedals and adds a bit to it - the higher the assist level the more it helps

 

[theboxers]

Cube Agree Hybrid C:62 SL disc 2018

Is a pedal assist e-bike. No pedal, no assist.

It's a road race bike, drop bars and geometry. Based artound the Fazua Sytem with a Bottom Bracket gearbox driving the cranks and detatchable motor/battery (250Wh) unit (weighing about 3.5kg). Relatively light, @ the time for e-bikes, @14kg or so. Mine, size 56, with pedals, cages, pump, saddle bag, top-tube bag and spares comes in @15kg (weighed for trip to Spain by air). Can be ridden as a 'normal' road bike without the motor/battery unit, a cover is available.

3 levels of assist, Off; Breeze; River; Rocket accessed by the bar monted controller (a walk assist mode is also available). You can feel them kick in below the limit and cut out @25kmh relatively softly. If you can ride @ around the cutoff you will feel it coming in and out softly. Max torque is around 50-55Nm

For a road bike it feels quite sluggish when climbing, you feel the added weight even with assist, my GT Grade AL X (11kg) feels quicker up hills but isn't. But on flattish terain it just rides like a normal bike, to me, above or below the cutoff.

It is deceptively quiet at low power levels, I tend to ride at the lowest setting I can possibly get away with for the terrain I'm riding (usually off up to 6 or 7%). Sometimes I forget to turn it off and don't realise.

The range, for me @113kg, is about 50km for the Breeze level (lowest assistance setting) with about 525m of climbing for about 50% battery usage, I can ride above the cutoff on flattish roads so don't get assist.

Being based on a Road Race bike there is no provision for mudguards or racks.

The only issue I had is the price. It was expensive, to me, even with the end of year sale price. But it has been worth the money I feel. It has got me out more often and further than I probably would have had I been riding a non e-bike, my brothers will not allow me to use it on our rides .

It just works. Thats what I like about it, no issues, that weren't self inflicted .

ETA

Forgot my score.

9/10. For me it is perfect for what I do. If I was commuting I'd be looking at a more Hybrid/Touring/Mountain bike type e-bike.

 

[Stul]

Raleigh Centros....9/10. Mainly used in ECO mode and achieves around 90 miles max range. Love the belt drive and hub gears, rolls well but is "heavy", (I guess they all are!). Just wish I could find a comfy saddle!

 

[welsh dragon]

I have a whisper 806 torque folder. It's 6 years old now and I am still using the original battery. I bought a second battery for it but its died a terrible death. I get about 30 miles from my battery. I'd like to buy a bigger capacity battery for it. Maybe next year. 8/10 for mine.

I would love to have a Van Moof Ebike. I do like the looks of them.