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The eBike thread

unkel

A quick look seems that this doesn't really seem to fit in the cycling forum. So starting a thread here about all things eBike

I'll get the ball rolling. I have zero experience with eBikes. But I was going to build myself a battery anyway, for various reasons (like in bringing with me in my EV as a "petrol can")

I'm going to buy a solderless kit to make the battery (with 18650 cells I have removed from dead / old laptop batteries). This kit cah handle 20A max, and I would like the battery pack to produce 1kW constant. P=V*I so 1000W = 50V * 20A

This dictates that my battery needs to be nominal 48V (was thinking of making a 24V battery pack, but that won't be able to charge my car)

A quick browse on eBay and Amazon shows that you could buy a powerful 1000W bike conversion kit with everything needed except the battery for about GBP120 (a bit more from Amazon but peace of mind)

What to buy though, front wheel or rear wheel kit? Pros and cons? Any other advice?

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unkel

Get an eBike with a throttle?

[Deleted User]

BarryM wrote: »

I don't have great knees, but where I live there are several hills with bends on them and I always have to walk, some of them. Anybody any advice on how to manage a hill with a bend?

unkel wrote: »

Get an eBike with a throttle?

Yes, Enike with throttle which of course, in Europe is illegal but it's the only way.

You'd think an ebike was designed for assistance, they are but they're not designed for People with bad knees or legs unfortunately because torque sensors only work when power to the pedals is applied and power to the crank then is determined by pedal cadence and torque on the pedals from the rider.

It would be sensible if those with medical certs could avail of throttle ebikes, maybe someday.

On the legal bikes you will be greatly disappointed if your knee suddenly gets sharp pain or you get tired because the more you slow down, the less power the motor will apply, it seems ridiculous but that's the way it is, going up a steep hill and your dodgy knees effect you then you will either have to endure the pain or walk or go at a snails pace in low gear peddling really fast.

DIY ebike with throttle and you're sorted

John Hutton

With a bafang mid drive would work for you, basically pedalling acts as an "on switch" they don't use a torque sensor. No need for a throttle.

unkel

Bafang mid drives come with a throttle as standard. Not required for the system to work, but you could fit it and hide it somewhere if you don't want anyone to see it

Mind, not much point in that as all the Bafang mid drive motors are >250W anyway, so not road legal in the EU

I'd just use the throttle and, good idea from Mad_Lad, bring a letter from your GP with you. I very much doubt there's a guard in the country that will get you in trouble over the throttle then if you're not taking the p1ss on the bike.

conor_mc

BarryM wrote: »

I don't have great knees, but where I live there are several hills with bends on them and I always have to walk, some of them. Anybody any advice on how to manage a hill with a bend?

VanMoof S3 with boost button, you’ll still need to peddle lightly.

[Deleted User]

Most Ebikes are well above 250 watts anyway even the legal ones, they get around this because they are tested based on acceleration and cut off speed which is a good thing.

IF you do like to pedal a lot with maximum pedal efficiency then the bafang kits will create some drag when the motor is off and the geared hubs are the best for pedal efficiency without motor power.

BarryM

Thanks for all the advice re throttles, etc. I forgot to mention that the hilly bits are on non made up roads ..... so, is a throttle any use in that case? I live in deepest rural Ireland and have a Yorvik trike, non-offroad style.

I have tried increasing the power as I reach the hills but it isn't enough because of the bends.

championc

BarryM wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice re throttles, etc. I forgot to mention that the hilly bits are on non made up roads ..... so, is a throttle any use in that case? I live in deepest rural Ireland and have a Yorvik trike, non-offroad style.

I have tried increasing the power as I reach the hills but it isn't enough because of the bends.

A throttle simply turns on the motor, up to the max ability of the motor. So it will be perfect if the motor is adequate

[Deleted User]

BarryM wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice re throttles, etc. I forgot to mention that the hilly bits are on non made up roads ..... so, is a throttle any use in that case? I live in deepest rural Ireland and have a Yorvik trike, non-offroad style.

I have tried increasing the power as I reach the hills but it isn't enough because of the bends.

Throttle is good in any case.

So if I read the above correctly you ride mostly on trails ?

G-Man

Anyone spot a good price for a bosch 500wh frame battery. I see 620 eur on ebay.co.uk.

My 2nd hand 400wh battery was full at 32k on turbo 72k on eco and is now full at 22k on turbo 60k . This fall too just two weeks.... ... So am npw charging it every day.

unkel

€1,240 per kWh? That's ridiculously expensive. I'd aim at about €100 per kWh, not many multiples of it. Bosch don't make batteries BTW, they buy them cheap from China like everyone else and then they stick a fancy "Bosch" sticker on it

imitation

Hey Lads, great thread here. I'm keen on getting an ebike for the weekend and the occasional work related trip to the post office

. I live on top of a hill, so aside from cycling around in circles, a regular bike will result in a very sweaty, exhausting bike trip.

Given the insane rush on bikes over the last few months its not going to well. As far as I can tell these are my options:

Get a Cube or similar e-bike through the bike to work scheme. These seem decent bikes with a pedalmotor but its a bit pricy, about 2k or 1300 with the Bike to work discount. The biggest challenge is ebikes below €2.5k are basically gone from ost shops and it seems like in a lot of cases I would be waiting for a bike from the factory which would be next year.

Get a Rad Power bike which was linked in this thread previously, looks like a decent option, can't use the Bike2work but it works out about the same. Not sure how the hub motor will cope with the hills around me. Halfords is a similar option with a hub bike at €1.3k that I can't get bike to work for either. Under normal circumstances I would try a loaner but with Covid it seems a nightmare

Go with an aliexpress mad choice and get a samebike or similar, which looks really fun, and bonus points for being foldable, unfortuantely though it seems the world has copped onto this and they are up to $1.3k which is a lot of money to spend on Aliexpress.

Any thoughts ?

fuse

imitation wrote: »

Hey Lads, great thread here. I'm keen on getting an ebike for the weekend and the occasional work related trip to the post office . I live on top of a hill, so aside from cycling around in circles, a regular bike will result in a very sweaty, exhausting bike trip.

Given the insane rush on bikes over the last few months its not going to well. As far as I can tell these are my options:

Get a Cube or similar e-bike through the bike to work scheme. These seem decent bikes with a pedalmotor but its a bit pricy, about 2k or 1300 with the Bike to work discount. The biggest challenge is ebikes below €2.5k are basically gone from ost shops and it seems like in a lot of cases I would be waiting for a bike from the factory which would be next year.

Get a Rad Power bike which was linked in this thread previously, looks like a decent option, can't use the Bike2work but it works out about the same. Not sure how the hub motor will cope with the hills around me. Halfords is a similar option with a hub bike at €1.3k that I can't get bike to work for either. Under normal circumstances I would try a loaner but with Covid it seems a nightmare

Go with an aliexpress mad choice and get a samebike or similar, which looks really fun, and bonus points for being foldable, unfortuantely though it seems the world has copped onto this and they are up to $1.3k which is a lot of money to spend on Aliexpress.

Any thoughts ?

Radpower customer service confirmed they can do the bike2work scheme in Ireland.

Have you considered a couple of other options that seem to be more easily available in Ireland
VanMoof - https://www.vanmoof.com/en-IE

and Irish made Kuma bike.
Saw one in a shop a few weeks ago it looked great
https://www.kumabikes.com/

k123456

imitation wrote: »

Hey Lads, great thread here. I'm keen on getting an ebike for the weekend and the occasional work related trip to the post office . I live on top of a hill, so aside from cycling around in circles, a regular bike will result in a very sweaty, exhausting bike trip.

Given the insane rush on bikes over the last few months its not going to well. As far as I can tell these are my options:

Get a Cube or similar e-bike through the bike to work scheme. These seem decent bikes with a pedalmotor but its a bit pricy, about 2k or 1300 with the Bike to work discount. The biggest challenge is ebikes below €2.5k are basically gone from ost shops and it seems like in a lot of cases I would be waiting for a bike from the factory which would be next year.

Get a Rad Power bike which was linked in this thread previously, looks like a decent option, can't use the Bike2work but it works out about the same. Not sure how the hub motor will cope with the hills around me. Halfords is a similar option with a hub bike at €1.3k that I can't get bike to work for either. Under normal circumstances I would try a loaner but with Covid it seems a nightmare

Go with an aliexpress mad choice and get a samebike or similar, which looks really fun, and bonus points for being foldable, unfortuantely though it seems the world has copped onto this and they are up to $1.3k which is a lot of money to spend on Aliexpress.

Any thoughts ?

Fiido D4s

imitation

Thanks lads, the Kuma bikes look pretty nice as well, would be good to support an irish company as well. Seems they are sold out of the mid step until early next year alas, but I will see if I can try one out.

The Flido D4 looks cool too, but I think a hybrid/mtb would be a bit more comfy for me. Would be ideal for an urban commute.

imitation

Went with radmission, they seem to be the only ones with any sort of stock of ebikes, all the local shops have no supply til March and the manufacturers have hiked all the prices by 200-300 euros. They have a good accessories deal on at the moment too. The only concern is its a single gear bike, reviews of the EU version say it can handle them though so we shall see.

unkel

You don't need any gears if your motor is strong enough and if your battery lasts long enough

imitation

The Americans know how to do ebikes, the US version has 500w, and its got a 500wh battery which is big by EU standards. I saw some scally wags got other rad power bikes going at 500w by swapping controllers, but im not sure if the mission has an actual 250w motor for cost savings.

John Hutton

Just an update on the range I am getting with my BBS02 and 17.5 battery. 130km of mixed hill and flat since last charge with 20 something percent left, only charged cause I had a long trip yesterday otherwise I would have kept going to see how much I can get out of it. Would be confident of getting 150 easily enough.

Worth noting I have mine set to a limit of 25km/hr and re programmed as I mentioned previously so that there is no speed limit (by this I mean it assists to the general cut off on 25km/hr, on default settings level one cuts off on like 8km/hr) on each of the 9 levels. I do pedal which means a fair bit of the time on the flat there is little or no assist as I pedal faster than 25 km/hr. It kicks in on hills and when starting off from a stop mainly. You would be surprised, on the flat once you are up to speed and pedalling even a little it takes very little power to keep you at 25/km/hr. Most of the time I am in level 1 to 4 except if there is a big hill.

It makes long trips with hills basically feel like going for a long brisk walk. Pleasant and still some exercise. One of my best purchases tbh and I can't wait until the summer when I am going do some cycle touring (will stay in airbnbs though most of the time, not a massive fan of tents!)

imitation

I just wanted to post a follow up on the radmission. It came very quickly to Ireland, although it was a with a certain notorius courier so getting it from them added a week sadly as they basically lost the bike itself.

Assembly was really easy, they do all the hard work, all you have to do is stick on the handle bars, pedals and front wheel, although I opted for extras like the mudguards and rear rack that meant a little more work disassembling the rear wheel, but it was all still perfectly fine. They do go on about torqueing bolts, but naturally I dont have a torque spanner, I was able to do it manually with a little care anyway. Theres plenty of warnings about safety when assembling, which after your first ride you will probably go back and read more carefully because this thing goes fast, you do not want some part to fall off it !

The bike looks similar to european bikes, but when you see it up close you can see the wheels are a good bit bigger and its of a sturdy construction, it also means its not particularly lightweight, but at 22kg its still way lighter than many of radpowers other bikes.

Unfortunately its crap time of year for bike rides, but I got some nice test rides in so far, about 7-8km's worth a go. On the flat its a dream, it up to 25 kph in no time, its really smooth to ride, the assist comes in at the right time and cuts perfectly. The biggest concern for me was that its a single speed fixie, and most ebike users admit they are usually in gear most of the time anyway, but of course when you hit the hills they are vital. They state it can take up to a 10% grade, which rings true for me, as one hill near me is about that, and both the bike and rider were struggling to get up, but we did it. Lesser hills are fine though, I think less than 8% and the bike needs next to no assistance at the top level. I'm happy enough thought, my usualy routes are below this threshold and I can now cover far more distance that I could ever do with these hills and my spagetti legs. I can't really speak to range, so far I'm finding I get like 25km running up and down hills at max assist, but the battery is not fully balanced. On paper its bigger than the competition from Cube or Halfords, with a 500Wh battery, so I think it will hit the stated range, on reasonably flat terrian with lower assist levels

If you need an ebike and don't have any steep hills about, I think it is a decent choice, as your getting a sturdily built bike from a respected supplier so you can actually get spare parts and support from. The price is also a big benefit, and if your employer is obliging enough to do a bike to work with them it would be an absolute steal. As it stands its cheaper than getting another ebike on bike to work anyway, apart from halfords. Hopefully a few bike shops in Ireland take them up, as I think they are invested in getting ebikes out there even now, trying to get a ebike from a european supplier is expensive and difficult at the moment.

Mousewar

Anyone ridden a Kuma?

I had practically pressed buy on a VanMoof S3 but got a bit turned off by it being a smart bike. I just want an electric bike and don't want to be fiddling with my phone to use it.

I like Kuma because they're Irish but can't find any reviews except for the Times piece which is a bit puffy.

johndbee66

Mousewar wrote: »

Anyone ridden a Kuma?

I had practically pressed buy on a VanMoof S3 but got a bit turned off by it being a smart bike. I just want an electric bike and don't want to be fiddling with my phone to use it.

I like Kuma because they're Irish but can't find any reviews except for the Times piece which is a bit puffy.

I tried the kuma R1. It was fine. Tried it out in bycyle solutions cork. Liked that it looks like a normal bike. The display is also well positioned in the handlebar. The only thing I did not like was it had no throttle. Would definitely test one yourself before forking out 1750. They also are in the cycle to work scheme which is a bonus. I too was about to buy a vanmoof, but all the bad reviews on trustpilot, & just about every other forum stopped me. I bought a babymaker electric bike in d end.

Mousewar

johndbee66 wrote: »

I tried the kuma R1. It was fine. Tried it out in bycyle solutions cork. Liked that it looks like a normal bike. The display is also well positioned in the handlebar. The only thing I did not like was it had no throttle. Would definitely test one yourself before forking out 1750. They also are in the cycle to work scheme which is a bonus. I too was about to buy a vanmoof, but all the bad reviews on trustpilot, & just about every other forum stopped me. I bought a babymaker electric bike in d end.

There's bad reviews of the Vanmoof? I thought it was some beloved thing.
I can see this is going to take me a while to decide.
What's the babymaker like? Presume that wasn't cycle to work?

Thargor

Why in the name of feck did they choose a horrific name like Babymaker?

Mousewar

imitation wrote: »

I just wanted to post a follow up on the radmission. It came very quickly to Ireland, although it was a with a certain notorius courier so getting it from them added a week sadly as they basically lost the bike itself.

Assembly was really easy, they do all the hard work, all you have to do is stick on the handle bars, pedals and front wheel, although I opted for extras like the mudguards and rear rack that meant a little more work disassembling the rear wheel, but it was all still perfectly fine. They do go on about torqueing bolts, but naturally I dont have a torque spanner, I was able to do it manually with a little care anyway. Theres plenty of warnings about safety when assembling, which after your first ride you will probably go back and read more carefully because this thing goes fast, you do not want some part to fall off it !

The bike looks similar to european bikes, but when you see it up close you can see the wheels are a good bit bigger and its of a sturdy construction, it also means its not particularly lightweight, but at 22kg its still way lighter than many of radpowers other bikes.

Unfortunately its crap time of year for bike rides, but I got some nice test rides in so far, about 7-8km's worth a go. On the flat its a dream, it up to 25 kph in no time, its really smooth to ride, the assist comes in at the right time and cuts perfectly. The biggest concern for me was that its a single speed fixie, and most ebike users admit they are usually in gear most of the time anyway, but of course when you hit the hills they are vital. They state it can take up to a 10% grade, which rings true for me, as one hill near me is about that, and both the bike and rider were struggling to get up, but we did it. Lesser hills are fine though, I think less than 8% and the bike needs next to no assistance at the top level. I'm happy enough thought, my usualy routes are below this threshold and I can now cover far more distance that I could ever do with these hills and my spagetti legs. I can't really speak to range, so far I'm finding I get like 25km running up and down hills at max assist, but the battery is not fully balanced. On paper its bigger than the competition from Cube or Halfords, with a 500Wh battery, so I think it will hit the stated range, on reasonably flat terrian with lower assist levels

If you need an ebike and don't have any steep hills about, I think it is a decent choice, as your getting a sturdily built bike from a respected supplier so you can actually get spare parts and support from. The price is also a big benefit, and if your employer is obliging enough to do a bike to work with them it would be an absolute steal. As it stands its cheaper than getting another ebike on bike to work anyway, apart from halfords. Hopefully a few bike shops in Ireland take them up, as I think they are invested in getting ebikes out there even now, trying to get a ebike from a european supplier is expensive and difficult at the moment.

Be interested in an update as to how you're going. This bike seems ideal but like you, I'm unsure about the single speed.
I'm be looking at using it for a 20k commute.
And then back again...

johndbee66

Im still waiting on my babymaker to arrive. Those who have received their bikes seem very happy with them. I hope this helps you but if ur going to be commuting to work each day i would not recommend a fixie. Its really down to the terrain ur travelling on. If its hilly in places a single speed bike is not great. I have a dutch batavus mambo with 8 speed & throttle. Which i find great. Hope thats some help to you

[Deleted User]

Link to the babymaker ? Jesus, why such a name ?

Ricey3509

I've had this one, Cube Nature, for the last few months (cost 2K) , rock solid build quality and a very natural assistance , its like getting a small shove in the small of your back at take off. Its got a 400Wh battery and Bosch motor and I get about 100Km range on eco setting. I looked at the vanmoof but the major thing which put me off was local support if something went wrong and also the battery can't be removed for charging.

imitation

Mousewar wrote: »

Be interested in an update as to how you're going. This bike seems ideal but like you, I'm unsure about the single speed.
I'm be looking at using it for a 20k commute.
And then back again...

Its still going great, I've been doing pleasure rides only given all the lockdowns, of about 8km a go, up and down fairly hilly terrain. Its got a slightly larger battery than most ebikes, I think 40km on low/nedium assist on gentle roads would be fine.

The single gear is only really a limitation on steep hills, over the 10% grade. Theres not too much of that in Dublin, but its hilly around where I am and theres 1 particular hill that I can get up but it needs a fair whack of effort from me. In contrast if I was on a pushbike with gears I would also be on the verge of dismounting on that hill as a casual cyclist. If you were hitting that every day I think a pedal motor bike with gears would be the best shout as you will get the assistance you need.

If your not in a rush theres a few places you can rent the bikes in Ireland and test them out, I'm sure they might let you test ride in fairness
https://radpowerbikes.eu/pages/where-to-ride -

Mousewar

Another Irish company. Some 23 year old whippersnapper from Cabinteely is the CEO. Seems in the style of a VanMoof but battery is removable. Too new for there to be much in the way of reviews.
https://modmo.io/products/saigon