Goodbye van, hello e-bike

[iandg]

Nice bike, with the same Mahle X35+ system as my Orbea. If I'd been looking for a hybrid rather than a drop bar e-road bike it would have been a contender. I reckon the Mahle hub system is about the sweet spot for all round road use, unless you're very heavy and going up very steep hills.

For me (91kg) range is about 40-45 miles if very hilly and probably approaching double that if flat. I did a 60 mile flat ride and only used about 20% due to keeping the assist off most of the way. As it's a fairly light ebike, using the motor only when you need it is a practical proposition

That's how I plan to use it. I'm fit but need to balance effort/rest due to polymyalgia. I'll ride it as bike most of the time but use the assist for climbs and head winds to reduce effort and PMR associated fatigue.

 

[Gwylan]

Plan is to use it as a utility bike (Dumfries and back, 40km - Annan and back 30km) so battery should be ok. I'll use my Surlys for leisure rides.

Range is very objective. I have a bike with an upto 70km range. The literature claims.
But my best ever was 60 and the average over 12 months is 50.
Now I see the range is quoted in miles and your journeys in km.
Enjoy.

 

[oldwheels]

Plan is to use it as a utility bike (Dumfries and back, 40km - Annan and back 30km) so battery should be ok. I'll use my Surlys for leisure rides.

It seems to me that the manufacturers figures are based on ideal conditions ie downhill with the wind behind you. A strong headwind can soon put paid to those figures. Only experience will tell but it will be interesting to find out your experience once you get a few runs in.

 

[Drago]

Range is very objective. I have a bike with an upto 70km range. The literature claims.
But my best ever was 60 and the average over 12 months is 50.
Now I see the range is quoted in miles and your journeys in km.
Enjoy.

It is indeed objective. I can better the range on both of mine by 20 miles or more - I've not actually emptied either so could possibly manage more - because once on the go I tend to keep it above 15.5. The cheap Carrera in particular 'rolls' very well above cut-off speed.

It's all in the eye of the beholder, or the legs and lungs of the rider.

 

[icowden]

It's a nice looking ride though. You wouldn't know it was an ebike to look at it!

 

[mjr]

Didn't look at belt or hub. I'm a bit of a luddite - this will be my first bike with disc brakes (and an "engine")

I know what you mean. I still don't really trust these newfangled "derailleur" things, so mostly stick with the more tried-and-tested hub gears. 😉

Nice looking bike. I hope you get good use from it.

 

[pclay]

@iandg I'm looking at an ebike and the Raleigh Trace looks good. Im 100kg and plan to use it to commute 2 miles each way to a train staiton (wearing office trousers and a shirt).

How are you finding the bike? Can you share your thoughts please, and possibly any photos? thanks

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Looks like a nice ebike
However, the cheapest Raleigh Motus is only £49 more and has been around for ages
and it has FAR more range

now you might not need the range for a 2 mile commute - but that also means that it needs charging far less often and this means that the battery will last much longer
The Motus also has the Bosch ACtiveLine drive system which is well know and one of the best around

Bosch seem to be very good - but are locked down - which means that if it goes wrong - which is unlikely - then you generally have to replace the whole part
Having said which I am currently coming up to 9000 miles with no problems with the Bosch bits and it is far better than the 4 hub drive systems I have had

I would go for the Motus for the extra £49 - and a Local Bike Shop might even give you a discount off that - maybe!

 

[Dadam]

@pclay
To be honest if I was buying an ebike right now for commuting, it would be this one
https://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/brand/whyte/coniston-electric-hybrid-bike-930625#colcode=93062502
And another 20% off with a code making it £1039.20 (expires Monday)
(from hotukdeals.com)

Whyte are a good brand and the spec of that is phenomenal for the price. Shimano Steps motor and Deore XT rear mech

 

[pclay]

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping to use a cycle to work scheme, and as a roadie, I'm not too keen on suspension forks. But I do recognise that the Whyte Coniston from House of Fraiser is a good deal - it was posted in hotukdeals too. in fact its avalable from Evans too - who accept a cycle scheme voucher.

 

[Dadam]

Yes I added the hotukdeals link, I hadn't realised you'd seen it on there.
I'm not that fussed about forks either except for proper off road but you won't feel the weight of them with a 55nm mid motor

 

[pclay]

in fact scratch what I said above, my cycle scheme provider is Cycle solutions, and Evans don't accept that provider. the cheapest ebike on the cycle solutions scheme that looks half good is the Raleigh Trace. Go any cheaper and its either a shopper style, step through frame or a 'no brand' bike. hence my query with the OP.

 

[iandg]

@iandg I'm looking at an ebike and the Raleigh Trace looks good. Im 100kg and plan to use it to commute 2 miles each way to a train staiton (wearing office trousers and a shirt).

How are you finding the bike? Can you share your thoughts please, and possibly any photos? thanks

Getting the loan approved took a long time (3 week delay on my part not realising I had to send a confirmation email when the loan was approved). All sorted now I received the funds this week and have paid the dealer and should have the bike next week.

 

[iandg]

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping to use a cycle to work scheme, and as a roadie, I'm not too keen on suspension forks. But I do recognise that the Whyte Coniston from House of Fraiser is a good deal - it was posted in hotukdeals too. in fact its avalable from Evans too - who accept a cycle scheme voucher.

An ex-roadie myself I was looking for a more "sporty" look too. Likewise I'm not keen on suspension forks for road riding and prefer a traditional diamond frame to a step through.

 

[iandg]

It's arrived, rode the 20km home from Dumfries and (as expected) didn't get out of breath and not fatigued by the ride. I've played with saddle adjustment, flipped the stem, adjusted my pannier fixings to suit the rack, changed the pedals and grips, added bottle cage, pump and front "pizza" rack. Will give better feedback at a later date, first impressions great and the only big thing I want to change is bar height. I'm 6'2" and suffer with PMR so I need to get the bars a bit higher. Eyeing up some Jones Loop Risers - but will need to change all the brake hoses to fit them.