# Electric bikes and pedelecs forum



## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

Good Morning.

I was wondering what you guys think about electric bikes?

The best out there seem very expensive (£1700) but not too heavy (20kg) and able to go almost 50 miles on one charge without too much pedaling.

Do any of you frequent the pedelecs forum?
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/

I'm wondering where all this is going. To me electric bikes seem like the future of public transport. I think many people would use an electric bike for their daily commute if they were reasonably priced, light and able to go far on a single charge.

Alas, that set of circumstances seems quite far off. It astounds me to be honest that electric bikes are so expensive.

For example most only have 7 gears! Surely for us experienced cyclists, many of which can go quite fast for a long duration, it's very important for us to have a large range of gears if we're going to have assistance in pedaling!


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## fossyant (20 Nov 2009)

Riverman said:


> To me electric bikes seem like the future of public transport.



No........ones you pedal are the future.... that electric has to come from somewhere....


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## Dan B (20 Nov 2009)

20kg is "not too heavy"? Wouldn't wnt to haev to carry that up the stairs to the flat every evening


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## Hilldodger (20 Nov 2009)

We've got one of these at Cyclemagic at the moment http://www.waltersnextgenerationbicycles.com/specifications.aspx

It's actually longer than my 1000cc Yamaha


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## rogermerriman (20 Nov 2009)

Riverman said:


> Good Morning.
> 
> I was wondering what you guys think about electric bikes?
> 
> ...



they are more of a modern moped like they used to be, with pedals etc rather than low powered motorbikes like they tend to be now.

I think their problems is they are neither truly one thing or another neither quite a motorbike or a bike.

i do see the odd one around and I suspect if they can drive the price down there will be more around but I strongly suspect that the idea may have really had it's day so will not break out from it's niche.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

It could get thousands of people to leave their cars at home. It's quite an eco friendly way to travel. We'd all want people cycling to work but I think we have to face the reality that the majority of people do not want a major workout on their way to work.



> 20kg is "not too heavy"? Wouldn't wnt to haev to carry that up the stairs to the flat every evening



20kg is not heavy for an electric bike. At least I think.


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## rogermerriman (20 Nov 2009)

Riverman said:


> It could get thousands of people to leave their cars at home. It's quite an eco friendly way to travel. We'd all want people cycling to work but I think we have to face the reality that the majority of people do not want a major workout on their way to work.
> 
> 
> 
> 20kg is not heavy for an electric bike. At least I think.



20KG is a fair weight, to lift, and bikes are awkward shapes to carry.

your still out in the open, carrying passengers and stuff is still a issue and it's not a car. people like cars they really do.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

> your still out in the open, carrying passengers and stuff is still a issue and it's not a car. people like cars they really do.


People may like cars but some people are on a tight budget. An electric bike of the highest calibre for a couple of hundred quid, maybe 5kg lighter than above I think many people would go for. 

The amount of money you would save by not running your car would make the electric bike worth its weight in gold. Sadly I doubt the prices will go down anytime soon.


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## WeeE (20 Nov 2009)

I would like an electric bike (a) for better acceleration when stopped at lights or getting through roundabouts - I'd be considerably more confident, and it'd probably let me cycle longer as I age ( it would extend my range - I'm still pretty unfit - and I'd use my bike every day for journeys I can't do now and (c) I'd love to be able to get one for my brother who's more or less given up cycling because of a progressive condition (or maybe an electric cargo-bike/trike would be better for him).

But it has to cost under £1,000 and it has to weigh 15 kg or under, because I have to carry it up several flights of stairs (5 foot weakling). And downstairs, which is trickier.


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## marinyork (20 Nov 2009)

Riverman said:


> People may like cars but some people are on a tight budget. An electric bike of the highest calibre for a couple of hundred quid, maybe 5kg lighter than above I think many people would go for.
> 
> The amount of money you would save by not running your car would make the electric bike worth its weight in gold. Sadly I doubt the prices will go down anytime soon.



I think this is fairly unrealistic. It is in my mind a bit like saying that cycling would take off if the £300-500 became the £80 so called BSO that people get so upset about on this forum.

Living in a hilly city some of the cycling charities and council toy with the idea of electric bicycles. Hills aren't a problem in all bits of the city. If one wanted to encourage cycling there are other less expensive ways of doing it...

There is of course a niche for them and quite a few cyclists and wannabe cyclists might find them useful.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

The battery technology is definitely starting to improve a little but it pains me that a lot of research is going into how to charge batteries as fast as possible rather than increase their capacity. This is almost solely because the motor industry require batteries to charge quickly in order for the electric car to become a more viable mode of transport.


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## potsy (20 Nov 2009)

A friend of mine has one and he loves it,comes to work every day on it 1.5 mile each-way.
Cost £370ish and of that I would say £250 of it is the cost of the motor + battery,bike itself looks like an Asda special.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

heh I'm not surprised for that money. That really is a bit wimpish to be honest unless he's disabled.

If you're reasonably fit, sometimes you barely break a sweat on a 1.5 mile commuting route with minimal inclines using a regular bike.

I don't think there's any need to use an electric bike.

Don't get me wrong though, if your friend is enjoying it, then good for him.


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## Downward (20 Nov 2009)

Don't they do a Trek model ?
It's just a Trek Hybrid with all the Electric stuff.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

Indeed they do.

http://fwd.five.tv/gadget-show/blog/episode-16-gadget-show-vs

You need to skip forward abit.

ah no it's cannondale.


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## marinyork (20 Nov 2009)

Riverman said:


> The battery technology is definitely starting to improve a little but it pains me that a lot of research is going into how to charge batteries as fast as possible rather than increase their capacity. This is almost solely because the motor industry require batteries to charge quickly in order for the electric car to become a more viable mode of transport.



I'm not particularly bothered about the concept of an electric bicycle, the issue is cost. In the long term I think that people are probably a bit optimistic about the costs of what goes into current batteries in electric and hybrid cars, let alone for anything else that might use the same materials.

I didn't go to the bike show in London but I gather there were a great deal of electric bikes there. On the eco and money saving thing someone once told me their electric bike cost about 50p to charge, which is a major disadvantage.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

2p per mile unassisted with no insurance or road tax? That doesn't sound bad to me.


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## jimboalee (20 Nov 2009)

Riverman said:


> heh I'm not surprised for that money. That really is a bit wimpish to be honest unless he's *disabled*.
> 
> If you're reasonably fit, sometimes you barely break a sweat on a 1.5 mile commuting route with minimal inclines using a regular bike.
> 
> ...



That is how the motor industy see electric bikes.

Believe me. Ten years ago I was testing them. I got laughed at.


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## potsy (20 Nov 2009)

Riverman said:


> heh I'm not surprised for that money. That really is a bit wimpish to be honest unless he's disabled.
> 
> If you're reasonably fit, sometimes you barely break a sweat on a 1.5 mile commuting route with minimal inclines using a regular bike.
> 
> ...


No he's just lazy
Similar size to me 5foot 8inches tall 13.5-14stone just not interested enough to use a bike for fitness.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

But evenso. cycling 3 miles a day isn't going to make you very fit unless there's loads of hills. Maybe I'm wrong, I guess keeping active everyday is the key to keeping fit but unless you do some big rides your level of fitness will surely remain poor especially if you're on the borderline between obese and overweight which I'm afraid to say your friend is.

Therefore I don't think the excuse "I'm not interested in keeping fit" really applies.


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## Hilldodger (20 Nov 2009)

They need to make them more reliable. We get no end of calls from people with electric bikes just out of warranty that don't go. And not just the cheap ones either. We've stopped fixing them.


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

Ah yes, batteries definitely lose their charge after a while. Probably lose about 30-40% of their charge after a year. Again this just reinforces the need to invest in research into battery technology, technology that preferably doesn't favour cars.


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## Hilldodger (20 Nov 2009)

It's not just batteries but switchgear and wiring connections that seem to be generally crap


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## Riverman (20 Nov 2009)

Even the ones that cost almost £2k?


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## Hilldodger (20 Nov 2009)

Yep.


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