Ribble Endurance ALe Sport for commuting - Part 2 - Wow, what a disappointment!

[albion]

Mid drive you only get drag pedalling, so it 'feels' better.
Good front motors seem to have less drag than goid rear ones Mid drives seem more an unknown.
Reliabiluty, I suspect front wins followed by rear followed by mid.

 

[Slick]

Despite myself currently looking at e-bikes Ian has perfectly illustrated why I have so far resisted!!

It seems less like riding a bike and more like a computer course!

I bought my first ebike just before Christmas but Mrs Slick has had one for a few years now. Neither of us have an app, and just use them for a bit of fun. Ian's experience isn't typical in my limited experience.

 

[gzoom]

Mid drive you only get drag pedalling, so it 'feels' better.
Good front motors seem to have less drag than goid rear ones Mid drives seem more an unknown.
Reliabiluty, I suspect front wins followed by rear followed by mid.

Both my eBikes are mid drive, neither freewheel like any other bike I have owned when I spin the rear wheel via the crank. I've not no experience of front or rear hub drive eBikes.

 

[albion]

Both my eBikes are mid drive, neither freewheel like any other bike I have owned when I spin the rear wheel via the crank. I've not no experience of front or rear hub drive eBikes.

Freewheel, mid drives should be indentical to none ebikes.
The advantage of mid drive is that with gear changes, the motor can run in its sweet spot far more resulting in higher mileage.

 

[Slick]

Freewheel, mid drives should be indentical to none ebikes.

Mine and Mrs Slicks certainly aren't.

 

[Chislenko]

I bought my first ebike just before Christmas but Mrs Slick has had one for a few years now. Neither of us have an app, and just use them for a bit of fun. Ian's experience isn't typical in my limited experience.

Slick, one of my biggest reservations about an E-bike is the transition when the motor cuts out.

How do you find it, is it smooth or noticeable?

 

[Slick]

Slick, one of my biggest reservations about an E-bike is the transition when the motor cuts out.

How do you find it, is it smooth or noticeable?

Very very noticeable.

I don't mind it though, I cycle mostly on eco and according to the speedo, it cuts out around 16.5 mph. Riding my own bike I would cruise around 18mph but I'm a big lad and go back the way on the hills. I try and cycle at least some of the flats above the cut off speed which is very doable but I do enjoy hitting a hill and feeling the assist kick in.

Get a trial, plenty would be more than willing for a chance at convincing you.

 

[Mike_P]

I don't normally find it especially noticeable. Suppose it depends on how you use the assist. On max assist its probably quite noticeable but on lower assist levels, my ebike has 5, it's more of a delayed recognition that the assist has ceased. As my ebike spends near half of its time going uphill I am usually quite conservative with the assist levels. It has a mid drive and their are no issues freewheeling which it does largely for other half of its time going downhill.

 

[albion]

Mid drive is interesting in that it sounds perfectly possible that using 5 or 10 watts of power could overcome turn resistance whilst still being legal. In that there is, in a manner, still zero assist.

 

[gzoom]

Mine and Mrs Slicks certainly aren't.

What motors are they running?

 

[Slick]

What motors are they running?

Both Bosch.

 

[Chislenko]

Get a trial, plenty would be more than willing for a chance at convincing you.

Very definitely, not something I am going to throw a load of money at "blind" The "transition" is the bit that unerves me most so real world test ride experience would be invaluable.

Still love my normal bikes but old father time is catching up with me!

 

[Slick]

Very definitely, not something I am going to throw a load of money at "blind" The "transition" is the bit that unerves me most so real world test ride experience would be invaluable.

Still love my normal bikes but old father time is catching up with me!

Yeah, you and me both.

Good luck.

 

[albion]

Bike perceptions vary so ebike perceptions will, but maybe more so.
I was in shock of my 1st ride, amd to be honest,but for the fact that I had already self retired from cycling, my ebike riding would have been very short lived.

I adjusted to it by necessity and appreciate the advantages and put up with the negatives, not that I really have any choice in the matter.

 

[Mike_P]

Mid drives just assist the turning of the chainwheel so are probably the most natural type of ebike. You can tell when the assist is excessive, a classic was going up a pretty steep hill that is one of the places I usually put it on maximum only for one day a car going up it a touch slowly and the realisation that the motor was trying to turn the chainwheel faster than I needed, dropped it down to 2/5th and nicely pedalled along behind the car.