Ebikes

Wickerman1

Anyone use an ebike for his or her daily commute?
I’m thinking of buying one for my 30km round trip each day and would be interested to hear comments from anyone who has already got one for a while.

I would consider a normal bike but as somebody who is overweight and in their mid forties, 30km seems too much!
Thanks.

macnab

I am nearly 43, I started cycling last October. 7km trips at first, then 10km, then 15km......I now do regular 40km spins, I have cycled to and from work 3 times which is a 97km round trip, I did a 70km cycle spin yesterday and then drove into work and did a 16 hour shift. Now if you had told me last October that I was capable of that I would have laughed at you.

Dont underestimate yourself!

Lumen

Mid forties is not old in cycling terms. You'd barely qualify as old enough for the vets, and some of them are placing in bunch races in their seventies.

I pass people on ebikes quite a lot, the top speed seems a bit crap although they do go up hills handily.

You don't have to start out doing the commute by bike every day.

Keep_Her_Lit

Wickerman1, I guess you've thought this through and have made your mind up. So maybe you don't really want loads of advice you never asked for.

But .... the guys above are right. C'mon, you can do it! Make a small start, report back here with your progress and you'll get nothing but encouragement.

To answer your question, I haven't used an ebike. Sorry!

Tetanus

I bought one under the Cycle-to-Work scheme - about 1.5 years ago.
I'm somewhat younger - but was fairly overweight and pretty unfit... I was looking to do a commute slightly longer than the OP.

Ebikes are a decent idea - but here are some observations....

Negatives:
1) Very expensive!!!
2) If you buy the moderately priced ones (under a grand) - the 'bike' part is pretty poor (cheap and heavy frame, cheap gears etc., poor wheels) - due to the cost of the electronics & battery. [I had issues with wheels going out of true and spoke failure - it was a folder, but I'm not that heavy!]
3) They're heavy.....very heavy. You won't notice this at first --- but if the battery ever fails you will....
4) Their 'top speed' is pretty low - compared to average-person-on-a-bike (think limited to 25km/hr - legally).
5) Service --- the 'bike' part can be serviced by any good mechanic. The electrics are pretty obscure --- support depends on where you buy it from... [The electronics / motor in mine is gone - mostly my fault but still disappointing.]
6) 'Coasting' fun is severly limited....
7) Limited life ---- batteries are good for only a certain number of 'cycles' - new ones are expensive.

On the plus:
1) The motor-assist is great if you're unfit & inexperienced on the road -- the reduced effort (compared to wheezing and puffing!) means you can pay better attention to positioning & moving safely in traffic. Pulling off from junctions is great....just that bit easier... The increased safety compared to unfit-guy-on-a-bike is massive!!!
2) Hills and *headwinds* are just not a problem.... *Off days* are just not a problem....
3) On nasty days -- its nice to just wrap up warm & in raingear --- and let the motor do most of the work...
4) The motor-assist means they can fit very heavy tires & 'slime' filled tubes ---- I *never* got a puncture on mine in ~8 months daily use... For someone new to commuting - this is nice...

While mine was working --- it got me a lot fitter & slimmer, got me to buy a regular hybrid, confident in city traffic and 'bitten-by-the-bug'. I can now do 70km rides -- and enjoy them....commute in faster than driving and arrive with a smile...
So still a worthwhile investment....even though I'd count the ebike as a bit of a 'dud' & am disappointed with breakage.

To The OP:
Before you get one --- check out a nice, lightweight hybrid from a proper bike store. A new, good quality bike is likely to be so much better than anything you've ever used before.....the difference between a good bike and a 'cheapo' is amazing....
A good hybrid - combined with good quality, smooth & puncture resistant tires -- makes a commute the distance you mention very easy. All this can be gotten for ~€400, vs. €1000 or so.
(You'll still be knackered the first few times --- but your body will adapt quicker than you can imagine....).

Paul Kiernan

The EBike is a major investment. Why not try normal cycling for 6 months over the summer and see how you get on? You could buy a good quality bike secondhand and sell it in 6 months time for close to what you paid for it.

Overweight is not an issue. IMO, heavier people have stronger leg muscles and have an advantage over lighter people once cycling (climbing hills excepted!). Just make sure the wheels can take the weight - if you're very heavy don't get superlight race wheels.

BTW, a friend of mine is the agent for an electric bike dealership and may be organising a day long EBike trial spin soon. Cost is about €25 for the day. Plan, I think, is bus to Trim to pick up bikes and then travel via numerous tourist spots to Drogheda, then bus back to Dublin.

Lumen

Tetanus wrote: »

I had issues with wheels going out of true and spoke failure...The electronics / motor in mine is gone...batteries are good for only a certain number of 'cycles' - new ones are expensive...So still a worthwhile investment....even though I'd count the ebike as a bit of a 'dud' & am disappointed with breakage.

I don't understand what definition of "investment" covers spending almost a thousand euro on a bike and being left with a pile of largely inoperable junk after 18 months.

Would you like to buy my house?

Jawgap

Get a proper bike and you won't regret it.

This place is rotten with people who started off in a similar condition to yourself and are now flying around the place.

Of course if you buy a bike today and try your full commute tomorrow, you'll fail miserably, but you'd be surprised what you can achieve by starting off with short distances and incrementally upping the distance.

Buy a secondhand bike or borrow one (a flat bar hybrid if possible) and give it 3 months - you will surprise yourself.

07Lapierre

Ebikes....a bit like non-alcoholic beer, whats the point?

Oldlegs

Ebike - a bit of a bike and a bit of a moped - but not enough of either.

If you end up enjoying the cycle part - the ebike will not be enough for you. If you do not enjoy the cycle part, the ebike will not be enough for you.

As other posters have mentioned - start off slowly and build up. Your commute is not a 30km spin. It is 15km twice a day. Very different and very doable - even starting from scratch.

Use the BtW scheme to include the additional accessories that you will need for colder/wetter weather commuting and you may even "enjoy" some of the crap weather days.

Tetanus

Lumen wrote: »

I don't understand what definition of "investment" covers spending almost a thousand euro on a bike and being left with a pile of largely inoperable junk after 18 months.

Would you like to buy my house?

Ok --- I'll bite....

My use of the word 'investment' refers to the health benefits, quick commute & pleasure I now get from cycling --- rather than the 'tangible' physical ebike. €1000 is quite good value to *start* changing a lifestyle - tackle weight, general fitness & greater freetime (faster, more consistent commute). See the original paragraph for context. People spend a lot more on both science-backed and snake-oil solutions to all of the above.
IMHO, it doesn't matter if the bike is junk in 18 months (apart from environmental) --- if the user is feeling healthier & fitter....
[There is still quite a bit of exercise from an ebike vs. car/bus]

RE: My bike
The issues I had with wheels were fixed by seller --- just a nuisance...
Issue with motor --- my fault & not typical usage --- fixable but not covered by warranty - I just don't feel like the cost, since I'm now *fit enough* not to need an ebike...
Batteries --- this was added to make sure OP was aware of limited life. I'd expect they'd last 2-3 years of regular use...

RE: Your house
Too few details! Price?? Location?? Specs?? You can't make an 'investment' without some cost / positives / negatives analysis.....what my post was attempting to provide for the OP =:)