# Ebike vs Bikes



## KatherineTate (28 Jan 2021)

Is it worth it to have both? Or is it best to invest in one that covers the perks of both? Thoughts and ideal models?? 

Thanks!


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## CXRAndy (28 Jan 2021)

If budget and storage space is an issue then just choose one.

But there are benefits to having one of each, well to start with 

Ebike, allows rides where you can set effort regardless of wind and hills. You could travel a bit faster for less effort. Or if just tired have the knowledge that the motor will help.

Having a non ebike, good as backup, for feeling free of distance restrictions (subject to fitness). Nimble handling. If you go out know that weather and hills can make a ride tough.

Im getting my own ebike having seen and experienced the benefits of what it has neen able to do for my wife who is a extremely casual cycle rider.

Edit. What are your current biking capabilities, experience?


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## sleuthey (28 Jan 2021)

KatherineTate said:


> Is it worth it to have both?


Depends on your objectives. Tell us. 



KatherineTate said:


> Or is it best to invest in one that covers the perks of both


 your only choice is thus an ebike if that’s were the case. Depends How much room, money and stamina do you want to use. 



KatherineTate said:


> Thoughts and ideal models??



For what? Light weight / long warranty/ range?


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## Phil B (28 Jan 2021)

Depends on how much you want to spend.

I have a Orbea gain hybrid that I use 90% of the time as a bike but know I have that extra help when I need it especially handy when windy or just want a little help. If you go down that road look for something that has a 50/34 cassette rather than the single cassette


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## ebikeerwidnes (28 Jan 2021)

You can always take the ebike out without the battery - but then you still have a bike with a heavy motor - and some motors add some resistance - but if you want the 'normal' bike for fitness then this is an option

Personally I love my ebike because it allows be to go further than I would otherwise without worrying
but if I had the storage space I would get a cheap hybrid as well and you it for shorter rides to try to build up my fitness (a bit - I'm lazy)

but the ebike has a variety of assist levels and I normally use the bottom 2 only - so I often get home after 20 miles and I can feel that my legs have some some work - as have my lungs


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## si_c (28 Jan 2021)

My Dad has both - a regular bike and an eMTB, he finds utility in both.

Whether it's worth it for you really depends on your use case, for me as a commuter/utility/leisure rider having an ebike isn't worth it for me, I have two road bikes instead, so I'm able to keep riding if I need to service one or the other.

For most people on a commuting/utility use case, an ebike is probably the best option - assuming you have no issues with keeping it charged. Easier to get around, hills are less issue and so on. For fitness riders an ebike can also be a good option but would ultimately I think be a bit limiting.


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## TyrannosaurusTreks (28 Jan 2021)

As a casual rider 30-40 mile rides I have my electric trek domane + & brought a hybrid bike as back up but switching from electric to pedal was hard work in the wind & boy did I miss the electric on the hills😁.
Any way turned out the hybrid broke & I got a refund so I had a think about it & brought an electric hybrid as well..
I love both bikes, hope you find what your looking for.


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## richtea (28 Jan 2021)

Phil B said:


> I have a Orbea gain hybrid that I use 90% of the time as a bike but know I have that extra help when I need it especially handy when windy or just want a little help.


Ditto.

Or consider a Fazua (example) where you can remove about 2/3rds of the extra weight by pulling out the battery + motor, and replacing it with with an empty tube. About £70 for the tube. The best of both worlds. (actually, I bet you just use it as an eBike, but it's nice to have the choice!)


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## cougie uk (28 Jan 2021)

Just the two bikes ? I'm not even counting how many I have. 

What have you got now ? What do you do on the bike ? What do you want to do ?


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## gavroche (28 Jan 2021)

I have only ridden an ebike for litterally 5 minutes so not long enough to be able to comment on its advantages but I guess that having one of each sounds like the best solution. That's probably what I will do when the time comes. 
I wonder how often @Drago uses his normal bike now as he seems to be very keen on the ebike.


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## Drago (28 Jan 2021)

I have both. Unless youre unfit a regular bike is faster in most situations. 

That said the ebike is a different type of riding and it is fun in a relaxed kind of way, but it took me a bit of mental recalibration to learn to slow down a bit and let the bike do some of the work.


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## gavroche (28 Jan 2021)

Drago said:


> I have both. Unless youre unfit a regular bike is faster in most situations.


Yes , I saw a test on Youtube when both bikes were ridden on a 16 kms course and I was surprised to see that the normal bike was faster than the ebike, due to the extra weight when the motor cuts out at 15.5mph.


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## Drago (28 Jan 2021)

Even in my 50's my road bike average speed is invariably highter than the 15.5mph ebike cut out, so really had to learn to slow down to be able to use one properly. I still try and pay a game where I set the motor to standard assist, and then try not to dip below 15.5 and have the motor engage - kind of defeats the object, but its a good workout.


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## Ming the Merciless (28 Jan 2021)

Unless you have someone to keep up with, just get the bike?


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## sheddy (28 Jan 2021)

How many hills do you have ?


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## richtea (29 Jan 2021)

It's not about speed. If it was, then you'd get an Energica.
It's about enabling people to do a little more than they can on their own - for whatever reason.


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## CanucksTraveller (29 Jan 2021)

I'll get an eBike one day, but at 48 it isn't time yet. I've got three bikes that I love riding manually so that's good enough for me, at this moment. 
Don't get me wrong, I've rented eBikes in Copenhagen a good few times and had a blast, they're labour saving, they're loads of fun, they're relaxed, but as far as owning one goes they're a bit more of an investment and that tiny bit more faff compared with just slinging your leg over a pedal bike whenever you want. One day I'll definitely own one for sure, just not yet. 

What prompts your question, are you older, less fit, what makes you want or need to consider an eBike? I think that's key, you've not given people much to go on.


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## gzoom (30 Jan 2021)

I've been riding my eBike exclusively since October, mud/ice/pot holes means my sub 8kg road bike isn't going to see the roads for another month at least.

I'm actually loving my eBike winter experience. On commuter days I let the bike do the work, but when I feel like smashing it, the bike is very quick.

Thanks to my eBike am riding more than ever, this is the power numbers from unassisted sections on a ride yesterday....so am around 3watts/kg, not bad considering I don't do any kind of exercise apart from riding the eBike







My eBike means am riding further, longer and harder than I ever did on my road bike in winter. Yesterday I ended up having a fuel stop next to this, my road bike wouldn't have got 1 meter past the gate leading to the track, and a non assisted hybrid bike would have been painful to ride over 10 miles of rolling countryside I had to cover to get to the track.

The answer I think is easy, its not bike vs eBike, its get both......The real question is if you have both what is next bike to get??

I flip between getting a new eBike or normal bike almost daily, need to decide at somepoint though, might just flip a coin


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## CXRAndy (30 Jan 2021)

gzoom said:


> I've been riding my eBike exclusively since October, mud/ice/pot holes means my sub 8kg road bike isn't going to see the roads for another month at least.
> 
> I'm actually loving my eBike winter experience. On commuter days I let the bike do the work, but when I feel like smashing it, the bike is very quick.
> 
> ...



@gzoom Is that Welland Valley Viaduct, near Harringworth?


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## Stul (30 Jan 2021)

Before going electric I had 3 bikes, a cheapie which was my original bike, but then I wanted something a bit "faster" so I got a "proper" road bike, but then i wanted something better for "touring", (I use the term loosely as my average ride was only ever around 20 miles). Before going electric I sold the road and touring bike as they were hardly being used and i needed the space.

I spent a few quid on "upgrading" my old cheapie and I still use that if I am only popping out to the shops a mile away, or if we need to take a bike in the car to cycle further afield, (getting the electric bike in the car would be a non starter), but the main ride is now the electric, and I love it. 

I consider electric bikes to be their own thing and a completely different mode of transport to a standard bike. They allow me to be able to travel a greater distance for the same effort and provide greater scope of routes as hills are no longer a constraint. I am not bothered about speed as for me that's not what it's about and 15mph is plenty, (..and if they offered a greater top speed then I assume the range would suffer). 

If I were younger / fitter I would probably not bother with an electric bike.

When restricted to pedal power I would now struggle to cover 15 miles, but with electric I find the only real constraint is the saddle to backside interface!


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## gzoom (30 Jan 2021)

CXRAndy said:


> @gzoom Is that Welland Valley Viaduct, near Harringworth?



Its one in NE Leicestershire, not noticed till recently but only found time yesterday to get to it. It was 'slightly' muddy on the Bridleway running up to it


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## CXRAndy (31 Jan 2021)

gzoom said:


> Its one in NE Leicestershire, not noticed till recently but only found time yesterday to get to it. It was 'slightly' muddy on the Bridleway running up to it



Harringworth is just on the edge of Leicestershire, so maybe it was


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## gbb (31 Jan 2021)

CXRAndy said:


> @gzoom Is that Welland Valley Viaduct, near Harringworth?


I thought the same, I probably have a photo of my bike in exactly the same place.


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## jags (1 Feb 2021)

KatherineTate said:


> Is it worth it to have both? Or is it best to invest in one that covers the perks of both? Thoughts and ideal models??
> 
> Thanks!


If your a fit strong rider then a quality road bike will cover any thing you throw at it.im buying an ebike in the next few months only because I have bad back overweight and senior citizen.so I well qualify for an ebike.


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## theboxers (26 Apr 2021)

If you are an newish or average rider considering the choice. I'd say find a good, lighter weight, E-bike, unfortunately usually more expensive. They have most of the advantages of a normal bike with an added boost should you choose to use it (that's the important bit,* if you choose to use it,* you don't have to use it). The only downside really is added weight.

>95% of the riding I do on my Cube Agree ebike is unassisted either through choice or ability. It's the way I use it. I can ride flat and level-ish ground above the cut-out point, not much flat around where I live though. I can go up almost anything up to about 6%. Over that and I start to struggle. 8% and above, over 250m long and I need assistance, due to the Cubes current gearing (My GT Grade has lower gearing and I can ride unassisted up 9 or 10% grades all be it not for long).

It's all about choice. Use or don't use the the assistance most of the time you'll enjoy being out on the bike. I do.


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## ebikeerwidnes (26 Apr 2021)

I got my first ebike over 10 years ago because there was no way I could get up the hills to my house on a normal bike due to health issues - and lack of fitness
I Got my current one about 18 months ago and this has proper pedal assist levels. I have found that over the last 18 months I have gone from having the assist in mostly Tour mode (Turbo, Sport, Tour, Eco) with occasional use of Sport to get up hills or into a bad head wind - and now I have moved to trying to remain in Eco the whole time unless on a steep hill.
So - it appears to have increased my level of fitness - and at the same time my average ride has gone from 12-16 miles up to 20+ most days - plus shopping trips etc
If I had got myself a normal bike I would never have done that mileage and would not have gone out anyway near as often.
Having said which I have started wondering about getting a non assist bike now I seem to be able to pedal more easily.


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## Dave7 (26 Apr 2021)

Until recent years I had a road bike and a hard tail.
As I got a bit older I dropped to one hybrid.
After the last 18 months health I gave my hybrid to my son.
Now, at 74 and feeling better healthwise I have decided on an ebike.
Over the next week I will decide on which one to go for.


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## ebikeerwidnes (26 Apr 2021)

Dave7 said:


> Until recent years I had a road bike and a hard tail.
> As I got a bit older I dropped to one hybrid.
> After the last 18 months health I gave my hybrid to my son.
> Now, at 74 and feeling better healthwise I have decided on an ebike.
> Over the next week I will decide on which one to go for.


I have 2 - if you want a go on them let me know - might give you an idea


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## Legomutton (27 Apr 2021)

It's about fitness and simple capability for me - I literally haven't the heart for the high work rate needed for hills at any speed. Without assistance I can only ascend in a crawler gear, with a struggle, and at a speed that pedestrians can beat so as a means of transport an ordinary bike isn't practical for me.

This month I got my first e-bike, now up to 87 miles and the difference is that I can use it enjoyably. But I can't bring myself to sell my Brompton, even though I can only use it in levellish terrain. I like its portability, my ebike is 25Kg which doesn't matter when riding but it's a lump to move, store and transport. So I'm going to convert the Brompton with a Swytch kit to make it more useful, but I expect I'll still leave the battery at home when I only want to go a mile and a half to the village shop and it isn't worth dragging the "big bike" out.


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