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Electric Bicycles

  • 26-03-2009 9:41pm
    #1
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭


    Has anyone bought one of these yet?
    Was hoping for a bit of feedback from someone who has one before I commit to spending several hundred quid.

    btw mods, if you think this is the wrong category, feel free to move this


Comments

  • #2
    stiofanD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 325 ✭✭stiofanD


    I bought a Joe-Fly electric bike from Green Machines in Terenure about 4 years ago (not sure the bike is still available, but its still on the manufacturers website - http://www.powerbikes.com).

    I used it to travel to and from work for about a year and a half. Eventually I gave up on it for a number of reasons listed below:
    • The bike components were of poor quality. I had a LOT of punctures in that year and a half and had to replace the tyres a couple of times
    • The chain snapped at least three times
    • The bike was too heavy - a large part of the power from the motor went in compensating for the extra weight
    • The battery (a lead acid one) only lasted 6 months, so I went through 3 of them in the year and a half at about e250 a go for a replacement
    • On a number of occasions, the electric motor simply stopped working when cycling home in heavy rain with a lot of surface water. Needless to say, this was extrememly annoying
    • Once the battery was a few months old, the charge it held wasn't enough to get me to/from work so I'd end up cycling without the motor, which was close to impossible due to the weight of the bike.

    In the end, I simply couldn't rely on it. I got rid of it and bought a 50cc scooter which never lets me down...

    In reading this, bear in mind that just because the bike I bought was sh!te, doesn't mean all of them are. However, I would be very sceptical of the claims that ebike manufacturers make about the maximum distance you get on a full charge and the life of the battery.

    My bike was meant to be able to do up to 35km on a full charge. I'd imagine thats on an indoor conveyer belt. In real world conditions it never did much more than 20km before needing a recharge, and after a few months usage, it did much less than that.

    All in all, I've become very sceptical of electric powered vehicles, which is a shame, cos I'd really like them to be the future of transport - but only if they can match the reliability of current modes of transport, which was the major failing in my eyes.


  • #3
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    okay, I'll bear that in mind
    the one I was looking at is one of GreenAer's ones
    hopefully they might have made a few advances within the last 4 years


  • #4
    Davidth88
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    If you ever go to China ( which I have been a number of times ) , then the place has tons of e-bikes. They are really popular

    A friend of mine who lives in Hangzhou ( large city ) has one and uses it on a day-day basis to commute about 3-4 miles , and also to go to the pub in the evenings. Most of the modern blocks of flats have plug in points for e-bikes.

    They cost the equivilent ( or did in 2006 , my last visit ) about 350 euro new.

    I always wondered why they were not more popular here , or say in Amsterdam , but I always assumed that in effect motorbike rules would apply, ie you would have to have insurance/helmet/licence etc.

    Is that the case ?


  • #5
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    because they are "electrically assisted" and not electric only, you don't seem to need licence, insurance, etc

    they're also part fo the cycle to work scheme where the cost of it becomes tax deductible, hence my interest


  • #6
    Davidth88
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    cool thanks


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  • #7
    stiofanD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 325 ✭✭stiofanD


    the groutch wrote: »
    okay, I'll bear that in mind
    the one I was looking at is one of GreenAer's ones
    hopefully they might have made a few advances within the last 4 years

    I have no doubt that advances have been made and the current crop of bikes are lighter with better batteries. I just paid the price of being an early adopter!


  • #8
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Theres a Trek 7.3 that looks decent.
    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/electric-bikes-start-to-come-of-age--18203
    http://www.moderntimesltd.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=19&P_ID=98&numlanguageid=2
    http://www.moderntimesltd.com/prodtype.asp?s=cmffqy102999&strPageHistory=category&numSearchStartRecord=0&CAT_ID=19
    http://www.cytronex.com/


  • #9
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Davidth88 wrote: »
    ....I always wondered why they were not more popular here , or say in Amsterdam , but I always assumed that in effect motorbike rules would apply, ie you would have to have insurance/helmet/licence etc.

    Is that the case ?

    http://www.scooteringusa.com/2009/01/e-bike-sales-increase-35-on-netherlands/


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