Need Help Choosing An Electric Bike

shuffles03 · 04-03-2020 4:10pm #1

Hey Everyone,

I know nothing about bikes and need a little help.

I live in Spain.
There's a small mountain between where I live and where I work.
It would be a soul destroyer to cycle it everyday without a little bit of an assist.
I want to try and cycle over everyday so I'm think of the electric bike route.

My budget would be max €3K (don't want a racer).

I'd be most grateful for a bit of steerage - no idea what to look for / what to avoid etc.

Many thanks in advance.

John Hutton · 04-03-2020 4:14pm

shuffles03 wrote: »

Hey Everyone,

I know nothing about bikes and need a little help.

I live in Spain.
There's a small mountain between where I live and where I work.
It would be a soul destroyer to cycle it everyday without a little bit of an assist.
I want to try and cycle over everyday so I'm think of the electric bike route.

My budget would be max €3K (don't want a racer).

I'd be most grateful for a bit of steerage - no idea what to look for / what to avoid etc.

Many thanks in advance.

I built my own by putting a bafang mid drive motor and a large battery on my old touring bike. Total cost 600 quid. I would recommend this route, look in the electric vehicles forum there's a big thread there

JMcL · 05-03-2020 10:23am

If you're based in Spain, check out Orbea's range[/URL and these ones (neither are road e-bikes but they have those too if you have a change of heart). I'm not personally familiar with them, but they're a decent manufacturer and should be easily available in Spain. Give some consideration as to your distance in terms of comfort - the bars on the Gain bikes in the first link are quite slammed, so you'll end up with quite a low position akin to being on a road bike, which I've found in the past can lead to being uncomfortable on straight bars though YMMV.

If you're a bit at sea with all the tech, I'd say find a reputable local dealer where you can try them and get a bit of advice. Good luck!

Ferris · 06-03-2020 11:18am

What kind of distance are we talking?
Whats the weather like (summer / winter)?
Road / track?
Physically are you tall / heavy or shorter / lighter.
Sounds like you want to cycle with a bit of assist rather than a fixed assist level with supplementary pedalling?

Duckjob · 06-03-2020 12:05pm

If there some steep hills involved I recommend you go for a mid-drive motor (Bosch or Yahama motors are both very good) rather than a wheel hub motor.
A mid drive drives the chain so can leverage the torque of the bikes low gears on steeper slopes, as opposed to hub motors which just spin the wheel.

shuffles03 · 06-03-2020 3:47pm

Ferris wrote: »

What kind of distance are we talking?
Whats the weather like (summer / winter)?
Road / track?
Physically are you tall / heavy or shorter / lighter.
Sounds like you want to cycle with a bit of assist rather than a fixed assist level with supplementary pedalling?

Hey Ferris,

To answer you questions;

Weather = summer
Road
I'm 6 ft 1", 14 stone

Yeh maybe a bit of assist is correct alright.

I'm primarily buying a bike for fitness but if there was no assist there's no way I'd go over this mountain twice a day, everyday.

KevRossi · 06-03-2020 3:56pm

Depends on the road surface if you're getting road, touring or MTB.

I've this Cube Touring One Hybrid 400. Have it 18 months, excellent bike, very comfy, very reliable so far. Strong motor as well. I was in the Basque country touring on it and it had no issues with those hills.

Very good front suspension forks which are excellent on rough roads and some rough off road tracks such as the San Sebastian - Pamplona greenway if you know it.

I've changed the brake discs to better ones for €45 as it had some fade on very long, very steep descents. I'm 105 Kg, panniers and water 15 Kg, bike is 23 Kg, so that's forgiveable. I think the 2020 version of the bike has uprated discs over my 2018 model. Also changed the tyres to Schwalbe Marathon Plus for cycling on Dublins roads and I've no puncture after 5000 Km, but this is a personal choice.

Mine is the touring version, same set up also available in road bike and MTB.

velo.2010 · 06-03-2020 4:02pm

shuffles03 wrote: »

My budget would be max €3K (don't want a racer).

A roadbike is a 'racer' and vice-versa. They're interchangeable terms.

From what you've described to Ferris, you would be best served by a peddle assisted roadbike. There are plenty to choose from at your budget.
This one from Boardman looks very good... suits both road and gravel riding.

https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2327-adv-8.9e.html

Ferris · 06-03-2020 9:29pm

I wouldn’t worry about the bike manufacturer, they’re all made in Taiwan anyway. It’s the drive system that’s important, and there is no reason not to go with a Bosch active line plus motor as suggested. I put 15000km on a Bosch bike in 18 months and it’s been faultless, despite the fact that I trashed it.

Once you decide on a drive system then you can choose a bike based on comfort, spec and price. If I was buying a new ebike I’d make sure I got one with lights and mudguards fitted already (the light integration is great on ebikes) but that’s in Ireland, not sunny Spain. Any mid drive ebike will climb like a mountain goat btw.

Personally I wouldn’t get a orbea gain or a fazua powered bike, despite their claims I’ve heard they don’t compare to Bosch et al. Also I’d be concerned about reliability if used daily. Also they’re expensive.

Fann Linn · 06-03-2020 10:19pm

velo.2010 wrote: »

A roadbike is a 'racer' and vice-versa. They're interchangeable terms.

From what you've described to Ferris, you would be best served by a peddle assisted roadbike. There are plenty to choose from at your budget.
This one from Boardman looks very good... suits both road and gravel riding.

https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2327-adv-8.9e.html

Some deals on Boardman and other electric bikes on Halfords site right now.

DaveyDave · 07-03-2020 2:51pm

Sorry to hijack the thread, I'm just in a similar position...

I've heard good things about the Orbea Gain but not much as they don't seem to be very popular. I've seen people saying they've got good range and have decent assistance despite the smaller motor and battery.

I'm thinking about getting an electric road bike but most of the cheaper stuff is geared towards hybrid which are just heavy and inefficient. I'd like to try an Orbea but GreenAer didn't get back to me. Half tempted to buy a budget Canyon road bike and strap a motor to it but I'm also local to Staggs in Lucan who supply Orbea and could probably get a bit of a discount, along with the bike to work.

Ferris · 07-03-2020 3:04pm

Have a look at the cannondale synapse neo, it has a Bosch ALP motor and a proper battery. Not as stealth as the Orbeas but way better assistance for climbs etc.

Look at www.pedelecs.com by the way, there is a lot of experience, owner reviews etc. on there.

eclipsechaser · 07-03-2020 10:56pm

DaveyDave wrote: »

Sorry to hijack the thread, I'm just in a similar position...

I've heard good things about the Orbea Gain but not much as they don't seem to be very popular. I've seen people saying they've got good range and have decent assistance despite the smaller motor and battery.

I'm thinking about getting an electric road bike but most of the cheaper stuff is geared towards hybrid which are just heavy and inefficient. I'd like to try an Orbea but GreenAer didn't get back to me. Half tempted to buy a budget Canyon road bike and strap a motor to it but I'm also local to Staggs in Lucan who supply Orbea and could probably get a bit of a discount, along with the bike to work.

Call Greenaer again. They're really excellent. You can try out the bike with them too so you'll get a proper feel for whether it's right for you.

DaveyDave · 11-03-2020 11:22pm

Just thought I'd update after renting an Orbea Gain F10 earlier today. Long post incoming...

For reference I have a carbon Canyon Endurace, Zonda wheels and Michelin Pro4 Endurance tyres they're all fairly light. Although in recent years I've gotten lazy and recently developed asthma.

A 10km test ride went grand. I started with Eco mode to get a baseline, it did the job well considering I'm 110kg, the bike is fairly heavy and was on large 32c tyres.

A 45km commute spin didn't go so well. The first half went grand. Normal mode from Lucan to Phoenix Park and max power up through Castleknock into Blanch. The motor isn't powerful enough to get a large person like myself up hills, a short 10% hill barely broke 10kph. That said you'll save tons of energy from the assist without realising so when you do need to put in the power it's a fraction of a normal effort and you're capable of doing so.

The way back, not good. Max power the whole way. Down through Chesterfield Ave cruising just below 30kph was no hassle. Heading back to Lucan facing strong headwinds I struggled to get the bike up to 20kph with max power. This is really when you'll want that assist. I could do that on my regular road bike.

The battery died after about 50km, although 20km was on max power so not bad and the rest was Normal. Not terrible considering my weight and a handful of inclines.

I didn't have any issues with the eBikemotion system losing control in turns despite heavy rain and the motor is very quick to stop and start based on your pedalling. No need to learn extra stopping distance, no issue following slow moving traffic etc. It's also one of the lightest motors on the market so the added weight isn't massive.

Random notes:
-The 32c Kenda tyres are overkill, a 25-28c would make the bike quicker and possibly add range. Although...
-You feel EVERY bump on the road. I guess I'm spoiled as carbon is more comfortable but even my previous aluminium road bike on 23c high PSI tyres is more comfortable than the Orbea. It's seriously rough.
-A legal ebike may not be faster if you have a longer commute but you'll feel fresh as a daisy when you arrive
-A DIY kit is cheaper. You can get a decent road bike for €1,000 and I believe kits are €500 with bigger motor and battery.
-The spec on these bikes are awful for the money. These Orbeas are €2,000. That's a €1,000 premium over a regular bike with similar spec.

KevRossi · 12-03-2020 8:54pm

Something else I forgot to add in the post above; I'd highly recommend getting a bike with a removable battery, especially if you intend doing any overnights or touring with it.

I did from Ireland to Burgos in Spain on my own Cube ebike and it was no issue charging it at night as you take the battery off (with a key) and charge it anywhere you want.

We rented ebikes to finish the route from Burgos to Santiago, it was a Focus with an internal battery that cannot be removed and was a PITA to charge it anywhere at night.

The removable option also means the pack can be upgraded/replaced and makes it a bit easier to fix for any repairs (none so far).

Ferris · 12-03-2020 10:21pm

Also the battery is probably the single most valuable component on an ebike so removing it makes the bike less of a theft risk. I have a 2nd charger and charge my battery under my desk.

fixXxer · 09-04-2020 11:38am

Asking here in case anyone has recommendations:

I've been cycling to work recently during the lockdown, borrowed an ebike for the trip as its about 7km. Mostly flat with a couple of steep enough hills, which was where I felt the benefit as the motor was only kicking in when I was struggling. I have no interest in cycling as a lifestyle choice to be honest but it was nice to try something that was more reliable than the bus and I felt pretty good afterwards. I tried i on a regular bike after and it was pretty unpleasant, I wouldn't do it again to be honest. Would ye have any recommendations for a bike for that kind of trip? Purely a Monday to Friday usage, I don't have the time or inclination to go for long cycles at the weekend or in the evenings.

Ferris · 09-04-2020 12:56pm

I only have (extremly posiitive) experience of the Bosch Gen2 ebike system. They've a newer (gen3) system which is called the active line plus which is supposed to be even better. I did mon-fri on my ebike for 18 months and did over 15k km and the bike was superb. In saying that the Bosch bikes can be expensive. When I say Bosch, they are all 'mid-drive' motors that are part of a system that bike maunfacturers (Cube / Cannondale / Haibike etc.) fit to their bikes. Similar are available from shimano and yamaha. Cheaper are 'hub motors' where the motor is in the wheel. Some of these are very good and perhaps more suitable to commuting in terms of wear and tear but some are crap (avoid Halfords hub motor bikes). Some people on here also build their own ebikes by fitting a kit to their existing bikes, with some exceptional results.

More of an issue is dealing with safety and weather. Safety wise, most ebikes can power wired in lights which is good. I supplemented these with extra lighting. I also carried a camera which was useful in dealing with dangerous driving / agression.
Weather wise you would need to look at your clothing. A major boon of ebikes would be that you can largely wear your street clothes as the assistance can limit sweating. The issue is when the weather is bad - you may need sprayproof clothing and even then the likelihood is you will still get wet. Good mudguards can make a difference - my advise would be to buy a bike with them already fitted. Often the lights are integrated. You could just get the bus when the weather is bad, I said the same, but a) invariably the weather turns when you are already in work and b) cycling is generally so much better than using public transport you just grin and bear the bad weather. I went out in all sorts - storms , snow, deluges never stopped me.

Need Help Choosing An Electric Bike

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