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Recommend Electric Bicycle for commute

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,356 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    Fat tyres are a waste. They're heavy, have increased rolling resistance and your local bike shop probably won't have a good selection of tyres for them. They're made for sand and snow. If you want comfort on a bike you can just run wider tyres such as 32c and up.

    Halfords and Decathlon have reasonable ebikes for that money along with the Rad Power RadCity 5.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,150 ✭✭✭homer911


    DaveyDave is correct, I do an 11Km commute on an ebike with 38c tyres and I'd say thats about right, but I pump them up hard as it makes a huge impact on rolling resistance even if it makes the ride a little uncomfortable.

    Make sure to buy from a B&M shop to ensure you can get it maintained and have a chance of getting any unique spare parts.

    Suspension is also unnecessary - he would only end up locking it off.

    When I was buying my own bike the LBS had two in my frame size - one commuter, one ATB. The ATB looked fantastic but it was head over heart and I definitely made the right decision going for the commuter

    At that budget, you will be limited to Decathlon and Halfords. Anywhere else would be 3k+



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭slegs


    What about an eBike conversion kit...Swytch looks good - the new version with Max battery covers 35k




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,028 ✭✭✭...Ghost...


    The fat tyres are for greater traction. I know this increases rolling resistance and uses up more battery as well as adds to the cost. There's a trade off either way I think. I had a look at the Rad Power. Looking at 500w motor rather than 250 for greater torque and hill ascent. Thanks for the suggestion though.

    B&M is the preference, or atleast a registered Irish business like POGO. The BIL is availing of the Bike to Work Scheme, so this is a must. Considering the Coswheel T20 which seems to have good reviews and has been around a while.

    He doesn't have a bike, so that would be an extra expense to begin with. 60km range is the aim, as this will get him to work and home comfortably even if it's freezing outside. Also it would ultimately be me doing the conversion as the BIL is not at all technical and I'd rather not get into that.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,356 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    When you say traction, in what sense? Wheelspin from acceleration? My ebike has 60Nm torque which is on the higher end for a road bike and I haven't had a tyre skid on me from acceleration. In terms of handling, I had a back tyre slip on me once when going through a large two lane roundabout at 35kph in the wet using budget Continental tyres that came with the bike. They were promptly replaced with the higher end GP4000 II. When I first got my road bike I was running 23c tyres. That's narrower than my thumb, never had issues with grip.

    As long as you avoid budget €20-25 tyres (or anything that generally comes on a bike) it shouldn't be an issue.

    The tyre above is a knobbly mountain bike style tyre, it's going to have very little contact patch with the road compared to a normal tyre as you're sitting on those little squares, the skinniest road tyre will have more grip than that fat tyre. Those blocks help a tyre dig through mud and loose surfaces but will do nothing on roads. Even a gravel tyre will be better, some of them have a slick tread with knobbly bits on the sides.

    If he insists on a fat bike at the very least he'll need better tyres.

    Also that bike from Pogo is just some Ali Express looking yoke that he's dropshipping to you. Likely he orders from Ali Express to your house, he doesn't even have a shop.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,028 ✭✭✭...Ghost...


    By traction, I mean anti-slip and more stable on the road surface in general. I agree the tyres on the bike pictured in the OP would be cr@p as the road contact would not be sufficient. The standard rubber on the coswheel T20 seems decent for the road. Might be the ticket, as it has the power, range and is within budget. I don't see any B&M shops selling them.




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