Recommendations please for ebike?

[youngoldbloke]

The one in the shop looked ali, I couldn't lift it properly because of security and the assistant wasn't for releasing it .

I lifted it as far as I could without setting off the alarm and it seemed heavy compared to my current bike which weighs 13.5kg. No weight info on the Orbea website.

This is a ridiculous state of affairs - the assistant should know the weight. I was in Certini in Bristol the other day looking at a rather nice Cube Agree c62 eroad bike. As I started to pick it up to check the weight the assistant hovering nearby leapt in and rather brusquely told me I should ask him if I wanted a bike lifted from it's stand. I asked him how heavy it was and he gave me an 'around' so many kilos - he had no idea. Why won't manufacturers tell us, and why can't dealers weigh the bikes in stock? I'm not going to spend £3.5K without that information. It's also rather naughty to quote the lightest (most expensive) build in your advertising thus giving a false idea of the weight of the more affordable ones in the range.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I’m approaching my 72nd birthday and starting to struggle on climbs, so I’ve been thinking of an electric assist road bike.

Yesterday I had a look at an Orbea Gain and was surprised at how heavy it was. 17 kgs according to the assistant.

According to him for the money an e bike costs I could buy a carbon bike at half the weight and have no problem with climbing!

I have a carbon bike exactly half the weight of my Orbea Gain - I still had big problems climbing hills - that's why I bought the Orbea

 

[Smudge]

Hi

I'm seriously considering making the switch from conventional bikes to an ebike but don't really know where to start. I'm 56, overweight but I still hit the turbo trainer almost every day and get the road bike out from time to time so I'm reasonably fit and a pretty experienced cyclist. I live in rural Perthshire however and although it's very pretty, it's almost impossible to go anywhere without encountering a bloody big hill! I reckon that if I had an ebike I would actually go further/stay out longer and enjoy it more.
It would be purely for leisure (no commuting as I was lucky enough to retire at 55) and mainly roads or occasional gravel/sandy trails so no need for heavy suspension. The plan would be that I would only switch the power on for significant hills/headwinds but would want to cycle normally as much as possible. I would also ideally like it to look as much like a 'normal' bike as possible if that makes any sense.

Flexible on budget but I'm inherently tight so might well wait until the sales come round (probably £2.5K tops) Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!

If you encounter a lot of hills, then torque is everything.
Cranks drives use their torque better than hub motors because the power is going through different gears. But CD motors also have varying torque for different models, generally from 50nm to 90nm.
For hub motors, dont bother with anything less than 45nm, and preferably look for something with 50nm +.

 

[lucklesspedestrian]

If you encounter a lot of hills, then torque is everything.
Cranks drives use their torque better than hub motors because the power is going through different gears. But CD motors also have varying torque for different models, generally from 50nm to 90nm.
For hub motors, dont bother with anything less than 45nm, and preferably look for something with 50nm +.

Think I'm going to have to start to look carefully at technical specs, thanks, that is really helpful.

 

[Smudge]

Think I'm going to have to start to look carefully at technical specs, thanks, that is really helpful.

Its easy to find the torque specs for crank drive motors, Yamaha, Bosch and others list all the specs on their sites.
Its not so easy with hub motors, the torque specs are often not revealed and you have to do a lot of online searching sometimes to find these figures.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Hi

I'm seriously considering making the switch from conventional bikes to an ebike but don't really know where to start. I'm 56, overweight but I still hit the turbo trainer almost every day and get the road bike out from time to time so I'm reasonably fit and a pretty experienced cyclist. I live in rural Perthshire however and although it's very pretty, it's almost impossible to go anywhere without encountering a bloody big hill! I reckon that if I had an ebike I would actually go further/stay out longer and enjoy it more.
It would be purely for leisure (no commuting as I was lucky enough to retire at 55) and mainly roads or occasional gravel/sandy trails so no need for heavy suspension. The plan would be that I would only switch the power on for significant hills/headwinds but would want to cycle normally as much as possible. I would also ideally like it to look as much like a 'normal' bike as possible if that makes any sense.

Flexible on budget but I'm inherently tight so might well wait until the sales come round (probably £2.5K tops) Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!

"The plan would be that I would only switch the power on for significant hills/headwinds but would want to cycle normally as much as possible. I would also ideally like it to look as much like a 'normal' bike as possible if that makes any sense".
IMO - the new generation of sportier drop bar and hybrid eroad/egravel bikes from Orbea and Ribble would appear to meet your needs more than the heavy higher-powered mtb style/town ebikes., most of which are very heavy. So I'd be looking at bikes using the Ebikemotion X35 and (more expensive) Fazua sytems.

 

[butomus]

I had the orbea gain d30 and changed to a giant road e+2 pro and what a difference the mid drive is the way to go

 

[CXRAndy]

Hi

I'm seriously considering making the switch from conventional bikes to an ebike but don't really know where to start. I'm 56, overweight but I still hit the turbo trainer almost every day and get the road bike out from time to time so I'm reasonably fit and a pretty experienced cyclist. I live in rural Perthshire however and although it's very pretty, it's almost impossible to go anywhere without encountering a bloody big hill! I reckon that if I had an ebike I would actually go further/stay out longer and enjoy it more.
It would be purely for leisure (no commuting as I was lucky enough to retire at 55) and mainly roads or occasional gravel/sandy trails so no need for heavy suspension. The plan would be that I would only switch the power on for significant hills/headwinds but would want to cycle normally as much as possible. I would also ideally like it to look as much like a 'normal' bike as possible if that makes any sense.

Flexible on budget but I'm inherently tight so might well wait until the sales come round (probably £2.5K tops) Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!

You could retrofit a Bafang or TSDZ2 crank drive if you have the right frame, also brake/ derailleur routing.

 

[AussieTed]

Hi

I'm seriously considering making the switch from conventional bikes to an ebike but don't really know where to start. I'm 56, overweight but I still hit the turbo trainer almost every day and get the road bike out from time to time so I'm reasonably fit and a pretty experienced cyclist. I live in rural Perthshire however and although it's very pretty, it's almost impossible to go anywhere without encountering a bloody big hill! I reckon that if I had an ebike I would actually go further/stay out longer and enjoy it more.
It would be purely for leisure (no commuting as I was lucky enough to retire at 55) and mainly roads or occasional gravel/sandy trails so no need for heavy suspension. The plan would be that I would only switch the power on for significant hills/headwinds but would want to cycle normally as much as possible. I would also ideally like it to look as much like a 'normal' bike as possible if that makes any sense.

Flexible on budget but I'm inherently tight so might well wait until the sales come round (probably £2.5K tops) Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!

I'm also a bit overweight and approaching 72 so this discussion is right up my alley. I have had my Orbea Gain D30 for a month and have never enjoyed riding so much. I ride with a group of 60-70 year olds who are all faster than me (even the 80 year olds). They keep saying it's not a problem but I hate being the one they have to wait for all the time. Since joining the e-bike brigade I am comfortably up the front on hills and head winds. The biggest problem I now have is judging the right speed when taking a turn at the front. So far haven't managed it as I end up 30-50metres ahead and have to slow down. Never been known before this! Looking forward to extending my ride life for at least another five years, maybe ten.

 

[Scaleyback]

I’m approaching my 72nd birthday and starting to struggle on climbs, so I’ve been thinking of an electric assist road bike.

Yesterday I had a look at an Orbea Gain and was surprised at how heavy it was. 17 kgs according to the assistant.

According to him for the money an e bike costs I could buy a carbon bike at half the weight and have no problem with climbing!

17 kgs is either wrong or very wrong, depending on the model weighed.

I have a Gain D30 (Shimano 105) with gravel tyres with tubes, 35mm front 38mm rear. Full mudguards. Under seat pack with spare tube/pump/pressure gauge/tyre levers. Garmin 130 + Garmin Varia rear (radar) light. 16 kg on the road. Weighed with a Park Tool DS1 digital scale.
I could probably lose getting on for 2 kg of that 16kg with narrower tyres/tubeless, no mudguards.
Incidentally I am 72 and this bike is great for me.

 

[kapelmuur]

17 kgs is either wrong or very wrong, depending on the model weighed.

I have a Gain D30 (Shimano 105) with gravel tyres with tubes, 35mm front 38mm rear. Full mudguards. Under seat pack with spare tube/pump/pressure gauge/tyre levers. Garmin 130 + Garmin Varia rear (radar) light. !6 kg on the road. Weighed with a Park Tool DS1 digital scale.
I could probably lose getting on for 2 kg of that 16kg with narrower tyres/tubeless, no mudguards.
Incidentally I am 72 and this bike is great for me.

Thanks for the interesting information, it's a pity that shops make it hard to examine bikes thoroughly - almost as though they don't want to sell anything.

 

[CXRAndy]

The Orbea Gain is advertised at 11.3kg for 2019 carbon.

 

[youngoldbloke]

The Orbea Gain is advertised at 11.3kg for 2019 carbon.

Yes, BUT that is the top of the range model with the lightest equipment fitted, much like the top of the range Ribble Endurance SLe, claimed to be the worlds lightest eroad bike at 11kg. The more affordable versions are heavier, of course.

 

[kapelmuur]

Yes, BUT that is the top of the range model with the lightest equipment fitted, much like the top of the range Ribble Endurance SLe, claimed to be the worlds lightest eroad bike at 11kg. The more affordable versions are heavier, of course.

I have asked Ribble for details of the build and cost of their 11kg bike. No reply!

 

[youngoldbloke]

I have asked Ribble for details of the build and cost of their 11kg bike. No reply!

Fair question - I had assumed it was the £5199 SLe ETAP.
- from their web page: "The SLe ETAP with its wireless SRAM Red ETAP shifting, fully integrated Carbon cockpit and optional Vision Metron 40 Carbon clincher wheels is the ultimate stealth ebike and is the world’s lightest production e-road bike."