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Which electric bike shall I buy?

Trevor Brown said:
I bought a Kalkhoff 9 years ago. Very pleased with the bike itself, though disappointed at the discontinuation of the availability of parts.
I have ridden an electric Brompton, and was very impressed, though wouldn't have thought it would be particularly effective for off road use, assuming that means dirt tracks. Obviously superb for transporting.
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That is my worry with the Carerra, the battery is about £250 for a new one, and the fact mine was dead upon receipt didnt give me confidence of longevity. Will they even be available when I come to need a new one? Probably not.
 
There is a huge choice out there, best to try. The choice isnt just what bike manufacturer and the normal mountain vs hybrid vs urban vs road but what motor & electronics supplier (Bosch, Yamaha etc) as the systems are quite different.
We bought a pair of Giant Quick-E urban bikes that work well on the road and forest trails, No suspension but wide tyres that help with grip and comfort levels. We love them and they have completely changed how we use the van - park up & cycle everywhere. They are heavy at 25kg each but no problems on a tow bar mounted rack. I can recommend Rutland cycles who have a number of stores, knowledgeable staff and a very wide choice of bikes including ’last years models’ at discounted prices. Importantly they will let you try the bikes. Many of thier stores are on the edges of cycle trails as they are also a bike hire shop. Get yourself across to Ferry Meadows at Peterborough and set up camp for a night or two (there is a CMC at Ferry Meadows) and visit the Rutland shop there where you can take the bikes out and cycle around the area.
 
Im getting one of these - can carry two thats a big advantage - no tax or insurance ...... and fun whizzing into town ..... bit pricy but you get two for price of one -
 
MattBW said:
That is my worry with the Carerra, the battery is about £250 for a new one, and the fact mine was dead upon receipt didnt give me confidence of longevity. Will they even be available when I come to need a new one? Probably not.
Click to expand...
I'm sure most battery packs are made up from 18650 cells - you can either break it open yourself if keen or send it to many re-builders for a fresh set of cells...
 
Which reviewed e-bikes this year and rather than settling on brands assessed the drivetrain/battery/controllers etc. Bosch came out with good scores - maybe worth a look at their review.
 
One observation I should make is that on a couple of occasions when on vacation - in Germany and Holland, I visited a couple of large bike shops, and was impressed (especially in Holland) at the expertise and willingness to advise demonstrated by knowledgeable staff.
Obviously the electric bike market is much bigger there, and presumably this is the spin off!
 
You could try something from Trek, like the Verve+1 or the District+1.

They are within budget and have everything sorted, like mud guards, stand and even a ‘walk assist’ feature if you need to push it out of a steep drive or something.

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bikes/electric-bikes/c/B507/

Trek are a huge US firm and their prices tend to be a bit higher, but they are quality and I won’t buy anything else (think I’ve had 10 of them now). Of course, other manufacturers also produce quality bikes, but you know what it’s like once you find a brand you like! :)

There could well be some good deals on at this time of year, and would recommend using a decent local bike shop rather than a large chain. Typically they look after you much better and will often do a bike fit included in the price (highly recommended, helps prevent injuries developing).
 
Sharing our experience - after enjoying hiring eMTB's in Austria earlier this year, we decided to buy electric bikes. We opted for Cube Touring Hybrid 400. My wife has the same bike but the step-through frame design. Each cost around £1699 in a late summer sale, and weigh in around 23kg. We carry them on a tow bar carrier with the batteries stored inside the Cali. With the Bosch Active Line Plus motor assisting the crank, they perform really well on steep hills and have a good range. This motor is slightly less powerful than the eMTB performance CX line motor we hired in Austria, but is also quieter in use. It has four power modes using the Bosch intuvia controller (Eco is 40% pedal assistance, Tour is 100% assistance, Sport is 180% assistance, and Turbo is 270% assistance) Other features inc hydraulic disk brakes, full mudguards, wide tyres for comfort, front suspension, suspension seatpost, full carrier for panniers (needed for shopping, or beach gear). On holiday in Guernsey for 9 nights during August the van only moved once.... and the rue de tranquille (quiet roads) proved an excellent way of getting around the island. We've since used the bikes in Wales - the Mawddach trail was a good route. We are really enjoying the freedom; the ebikes compliment the Cali well.
 
I have replaced my Kalkhoff ebike for a step through Raleigh / bosch mid drive. Lovely bike, lighter, getting 40 miles plus on mid assist. Bike cost just under £2,000, shop unable to give any discount, the following week I get 10% discount voucher and free helmet from Motorhome & Caravan, not at all pleased missing out on £200 saving.
 
Have a look at 50Cycles they have ex display & pre owned high quality as well
 
Yes, as others have hinted above, if you’re concerned about weight on the carrier, make sure you get something with an easily-removable battery...
 
G Tech e bike (<£!,000). Adequate for riding on bridle paths and of course country lanes.
 
Billy said:
I know this question has been asked before but since then technology has improved, new brands are on the market and prices have come down.

I have £1,500-£2,000 to spend on a E Bike , ideally looking for something that I can use on both the road and tracks, there looks to be some good deals around on 2019 models at moment but I have no idea where to start
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We have here and in Spain, Wayscral e-bikes (ladies Dutch and fold bendy) and are very pleased. I hasten to add, we are not mountain bikers on these bikes, but they pull doggy buggy and have them in front and rear baskets. The ladies bike was €399 and bendy foldy €450 on sale, then battries on top. VERY pleased AND they ride on the T5 VW bike rack. The ladies weighs 30 kilos and bendy foldy 23 kilos so under the 60 kilo max wright. Wayscral also does the type of bike you are looking for too. Buy in early Jan for after Christmas price reductions in Spain. These bikes are also available in France at Norauto too.
 
Slightly off-topic, but the bike I really want an excuse to buy, but haven’t quite found one yet, is the Tern GSD.

Bikes | Tern Bicycles

www.ternbicycles.com www.ternbicycles.com

At about 4 grand, these are expensive, but enormously flexible - see the little animated GIF on their page - and very nice to ride. Slower, but otherwise more capable, than many motorbikes, which makes the price seem a bit less extreme! And you can ride them over pedestrian bridges, and, of course, without a license. :)

Since you can put six paniers on these things, and, with two batteries, have a range of over 100 miles, my dream is to do a camping tour of the Lakes and Scotland on one...
 
Billy said:
I know this question has been asked before but since then technology has improved, new brands are on the market and prices have come down.

I have £1,500-£2,000 to spend on a E Bike , ideally looking for something that I can use on both the road and tracks, there looks to be some good deals around on 2019 models at moment but I have no idea where to start
Click to expand...
Hi
Have a look at Wisper bikes, we have 2 of the folding models. They are well put together and the customer service is very good.
Well priced,too.
 
Trevor Brown said:
I bought a Kalkhoff 9 years ago. Very pleased with the bike itself, though disappointed at the discontinuation of the availability of parts.
I have ridden an electric Brompton, and was very impressed, though wouldn't have thought it would be particularly effective for off road use, assuming that means dirt tracks. Obviously superb for transporting.
Click to expand...

We took our Bromptons along the canal path at Slimbridge when we were there last May. In some places the path is quite narrow and channel like with sides that are quite a bit higher. The Brompton's pedals are closer to the ground than many bikes and these were catching on the high bits. Just something to watch out for when you use a Brompton on an unsurfaced track.
 
We have just bought two Cube e mountain bikes. £1700 each. Amazing and great fun. Had to install a towbar and a decent rack with 60kg rating but worth every penny.
Looking forward to taking them with us in the future.
 
SimonB said:
We took our Bromptons along the canal path at Slimbridge when we were there last May. In some places the path is quite narrow and channel like with sides that are quite a bit higher. The Brompton's pedals are closer to the ground than many bikes and these were catching on the high bits. Just something to watch out for when you use a Brompton on an unsurfaced track.
Click to expand...
I cycled down Flåm mountain on my Brompton towing two small boys in a Burley trailer. Apart from the rear rims getting seriously hot, I cannot recall any problems. The boys fell asleep.
 
I can highly recommend the Specialized VADO range. Using a Brose motor, and the best ebike I have tried...now bought one and very happy.
 
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