# Electric Bikes, had a go on one.



## J4CKO (7 Feb 2010)

A guy I know is tinkering with Electric bikes as a new business venture and I had a go on the prototype 500 watt front wheel model, a Decathlon cheapo rigid MTB and it was massive fun, I know that 500 watt is above the limit in the UK for electric bikes but he will produce a legal version, also he has the kit for a rear wheel motor and being a bit mad he is fitting that to the same one as I tried, so 1000 watts  which I would imagine will be interesting as the 500 watt one acheived a speed that made my eyes water with a little pedal assistance, I think it must have been knocking on the door of 30 mph.

I am thinking that these may be a superb solution for our transport and energy problems, not everyone wants to pedal and expend energy but the efficiency of an electric bike is astounding compared to even the smallest most pathetic car or even moped and if it runs out of juice you can still pedal it.

Do you think that they will coax people out of cars for short journeys ? are they going to be a growth industry in the UK or ignored by none cyclists like normal bikes are, and shunned by cyclists as being for wimps ?


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## thomas (7 Feb 2010)

I quite fancy trying one of those high powered ones. I'd love to see people's faces getting overtaken by a cyclist, on the flat at 30-50mph 

(even if not strictly legal)


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## hackbike 666 (7 Feb 2010)

I rode a Kalkhoff in Thailand and it was good.....bit chunky though.It worked on the chain mechanism thingy.

Saw a bike in Evans today and meant to take a look at it...looks like it had no chain....1500 squids.


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## 2Loose (7 Feb 2010)

These things are getting very popular at the moment. I am sure it won't be long before they take off even more over here.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1904334,00.html


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## hackbike 666 (7 Feb 2010)

*http://tinyurl.com/bentmikey

*This site has electric bikes on it...and the bloke I hired one from in Karon Beach,Thailand.


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## threefingerjoe (7 Feb 2010)

I took a ride on one and was really impressed! If an electric assisted bike would get more people out of cars, I'm all for it. It's depressing to see cars lined up bumper-to bumber on 6-lane roads, with ONE PERSON in each car! Each car takes up a LOT of space. Imagine the money to be saved if we didn't have to pay for 6-lane roads and huge car parks!

The one I rode was driven by a motorised front wheel hub. I wish I'd examined it closer, to see what has to be done to change a tyre on the road. As with everything, though, the price has to come down.


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## Campfire (7 Feb 2010)

A couple of friends have them, both of them are long time cyclists, one has knee problems and the other uses one for getting around from one work place to another faster in a hilly area. 

I tried one, just like riding a heavyish bike on the flat but when I turned the corner and went up this very hilly street, it was magic! However, where I live is flattish and although I'm nowhere near as strong a rider as I was 5 years ago, don't feel it's the time yet to buy one & can't justify it.


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## hackbike 666 (7 Feb 2010)

Look what you've started...I want to go back and hire an electric bike again.


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## al78 (7 Feb 2010)

J4CKO said:


> A guy I know is tinkering with Electric bikes as a new business venture and I had a go on the prototype 500 watt front wheel model, a Decathlon cheapo rigid MTB and it was massive fun, I know that 500 watt is above the limit in the UK for electric bikes but he will produce a legal version, also he has the kit for a rear wheel motor and being a bit mad he is fitting that to the same one as I tried, so 1000 watts  which I would imagine will be interesting as the 500 watt one acheived a speed that made my eyes water with a little pedal assistance, I think it must have been knocking on the door of 30 mph.



How big/heavy does the battery need to be to power both those 500W motors, and what is the range?

Not sure I'd want to try pedalling one if the battery died on me, must weigh a ton.


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## hackbike 666 (7 Feb 2010)

Nah you'd get a free extension lead.


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## numbnuts (7 Feb 2010)

These electric bike are OK, but were is all this electricity coming from.....
oh yeah wind turbines


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## trickletreat (7 Feb 2010)

Mine is a Montague Swissbike LX with a steel geared high torque heinzmann rear hub. With one battery it weighs in at about 20kg, which is light for this type of bike. The small battery is 1.9kg, the big one is 3.6kg.
The kit can be fitted onto quite a lot of bikes, but I had mine built by Steve Punchard of Electricmountainbikes.com

http://electricmountainbikes.blogspot.com/2008/04/electricmountainbikescom-newest.html

The power and assistance from this 200watt motor is unbelievable once off road on steep tree rooted paths. So much so, Steve fits the battery with a brakeaway cable!


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## ufkacbln (7 Feb 2010)

I have three of various types on loan to elderly relatives and they are a fantastic extension to the cycling life.


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## Jezston (7 Feb 2010)

numbnuts said:


> These electric bike are OK, but were is all this electricity coming from.....



Power stations generate energy at a level of efficiency many orders of magnitude greater than an internal combustion engine.


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## marinyork (7 Feb 2010)

Jezston said:


> Power stations generate energy at a level of efficiency many orders of magnitude greater than an internal combustion engine.



Some generation is more efficient, but even one fully order of magnitude is an exaggeration!

I'd love to have a go on an electric assisted bike to see though.


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## potsy (7 Feb 2010)

Did anyone see the one they tested on The Gadget Show a few months back,proper looking drop bar racing bike with a small pedal assist for the hills,think the whole bike was less than 13kg too.
My only problem would be I know I would rely on the power too much and it would not help me get muuch fitter.Colleague of mine has one and does the whole commute (1.5 miles) on the power.


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## 2Loose (7 Feb 2010)

Therefore removing a moton from his box and onto two wheels - success!
If anything it has helped congestion, even if in a small way.


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## chap (8 Feb 2010)

The test of an electric bike is if one can happily peddle it without electrical assistance. If it is bulky and heavy - as they normally appear to be - then there is an issue when the batteries run out.

Interestingly, the Economist had an article about how we're all going to have to chip in for these electric cars since they certainly shall be power hungry.

Running out of juice


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## fossyant (8 Feb 2010)

Forget electric powerer...you want one of those jet equipped ones !! Even Clarkson tried one......


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## jonny jeez (8 Feb 2010)

J4CKO,

I really think the best application for electric bikes (and the best route for their short term expansion) is to attract those who would not "normally" consider riding (especially to work...for which these bikes seem perfect)

By that I mean those who feel they either live "too far" from their offices to cycle in or those with some pre-existing health or physical issue.

For these, an elec-assist bike is a perfect way to get over both obstacles and gain lots of exercise that would not normally have been achieved.

I am guessing that if you commute, say 40- 50 miles a day (20-25 each way) on one of these, you would get as much exercise a person riding 7-10 miles on an unassisted bike.

And at 20+mph you would make the journey in very quick time compared to getting to stations, using trains and tubes...or busses, or god forbid even driving!

does anyone know the facts on this


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## RedBike (8 Feb 2010)

Electric mopeds have been around for a while
Here's a link to a 2000w one. 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-scoo...ewItemQQptZUK_Motorcycles?hash=item2a04726822

The problem with a 1000w bike is it will need to be "road worthy" and the owner would need to have insurance on it and wear a crash helmet while riding it. 

I suspect they might take off in the conjested cities; but most of us are just going to feel like a right burk riding an electric scooter at 20mph wearing a crash helmet.

Now if someone produced one capable of the sort of performance a 125cc bike can achieve then I would seriously start to look at one.


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## trickletreat (8 Feb 2010)

chap said:


> The test of an electric bike is if one can happily peddle it without electrical assistance. If it is bulky and heavy - as they normally appear to be - then there is an issue when the batteries run out.
> 
> Interestingly, the Economist had an article about how we're all going to have to chip in for these electric cars since they certainly shall be power hungry.
> 
> Running out of juice


Check this one out, and the site

http://www.cytronex.com/models/capo.html


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## RedBike (8 Feb 2010)

OMG. There is an electric scooter capable of the performance of a 125cc
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRICYCLE-...ewItemQQptZUK_Motorcycles?hash=item2a042cb03f

Still not tempted at that price though.


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## BrumJim (8 Feb 2010)

chap said:


> Interestingly, the Economist had an article about how we're all going to have to chip in for these electric cars since they certainly shall be power hungry.
> 
> Running out of juice



Would be nice to know how that translates to the UK, since:
a) we DO have 240v domestic power supply
 Power is gridded across the country, meaning that off-peak electricity generated in Nottinghamshire IS being fed direct to London/SE.


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## J4CKO (9 Feb 2010)

There used to be petrol mopeds with pedals, cant imagine that was much fun or any quicker than pushing it.

I think the electric bike has a long way to go yet in terms of acceptance and technology , or at least getting it down to an acceptable price as currently a decent one is more than a reasonable car.

I wonder what the equivalence in MPG is for an electric bike, anyone good at maths ?


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## RedBike (9 Feb 2010)

For the bike above its a 40kw battery. To charge that up will cost you about £3
Petrol is very roughly £1 / litre or £5 per gallon.

So charging the bike is the equivalent of putting 3/5 of a gallon of petrol in.

It has a range of 50miles. 
So it would do a maximum 'equivalent' of about 85mpg. 

That would be good for a car but it's not that impressive for a 125cc 
scooter.

(All very rough figures and probably highly inaccurate)


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## J4CKO (9 Feb 2010)

Redbike, cheers for the effort but it seems a bit on the low side compared to this,


1512 MPG !

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...cycle-efficiency-1512-mpg-equivalent-604.html


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## MacB (9 Feb 2010)

J4CKO said:


> Redbike, cheers for the effort but it seems a bit on the low side compared to this,
> 
> 
> 1512 MPG !
> ...



that made my head hurt


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## XmisterIS (10 Feb 2010)

I looked into buying one of those electrified bad-boys, but the thing that put me off was that the ones I looked at have no dynamo - so you can't re-charge the battery by pedalling while going downhill. That seems like a huge waste of energy!

I would consider getting one if it did indeed have a dynamo with a switch on the handlebar so you could engage it when going downhill.


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