Electric bike for a novice to them

HeidiHeidi · 13-03-2021 2:37pm #1

I've been thinking for a while about getting myself an electric bike, it'll be for around town mostly, journeys of a few miles mainly.

I know absolutely nothing about them, so I'm wondering if anyone could recommend somewhere I could make enquiries about types that might be suitable/desirable, and maybe try them out?

I've just made a quick call to my local shop and they say supply is a big problem lately, they don't have any at all in stock, and to call back in a couple of months - is this a general thing these days? (I can well imagine that it might be!)

I'm hoping to get it through the bike to work scheme, so any recommendations of a shop/dealer who might be good for advice and pointing me in the right direction would be appreciated.

I live in D8.

insert name here 123 · 13-03-2021 5:52pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I've been thinking for a while about getting myself an electric bike, it'll be for around town mostly, journeys of a few miles mainly.

I know absolutely nothing about them, so I'm wondering if anyone could recommend somewhere I could make enquiries about types that might be suitable/desirable, and maybe try them out?

I've just made a quick call to my local shop and they say supply is a big problem lately, they don't have any at all in stock, and to call back in a couple of months - is this a general thing these days? (I can well imagine that it might be!)

I'm hoping to get it through the bike to work scheme, so any recommendations of a shop/dealer who might be good for advice and pointing me in the right direction would be appreciated.

I live in D8.

You can try decathlon, they are open for purchasing cycle equipment. They do have bikes in store, not 100% if they have ebikes. Worth going in and asking them.

They are helpful enough, depending on your employer it can take few weeks to get the ebike, supply is an issue.

The ebike itself varies depending on price etc...

They have one for I think 1,220e with good reviews.

Best to go in and ask them, maybe you can try one in the carpark?

Best of luck

BabysCoffee · 13-03-2021 8:47pm

Contact Greener they should be able to help

https://www.greenaer.ie/

They service and repair electric bikes as well as selling them

I LOVE my electric bike!!

HeidiHeidi · 13-03-2021 9:27pm

BabysCoffee wrote: »

Contact Greener they should be able to help

https://www.greenaer.ie/

They service and repair electric bikes as well as selling them

I LOVE my electric bike!!

Care to tell me what make you've got?

Yeah, Greenaer was a name that was mentioned to me alright.

I'd sooner go to a "speciality" dealer than the likes of Decathlon, tbh, in the hope that they wouldn't just sell me what gets them the highest commission on the day (without wishing to diss the Decathlon staff, I've never even set foot in the store!)

Anyone have experience of folding ebikes? That's a combination that would particularly interest me, but I have no idea how comfortable one of those would be to ride, or how much of a compromise it would be.....

loyatemu · 13-03-2021 10:11pm

rothar.ie as well

for just cycling around Dublin city centre, I'm not sure you'll see that much benefit from the motor.

HeidiHeidi · 13-03-2021 10:17pm

loyatemu wrote: »

rothar.ie as well

for just cycling around Dublin city centre, I'm not sure you'll see that much benefit from the motor.

My cycle home from the usual spots invariably involves slogging up the canal against the prevailing westerly wind, which I'm so sick of that the normal bike has been known to get abandoned for weeks until I work up the energy to cycle it back home!

I'm hoping that a bit of artificial assistance would encourage me to use the bike more in general.

Sheep Shagger · 13-03-2021 10:18pm

Halfords is open and has e bikes, check out their website first.

Re folding bikes, i had one but it was a bitch to get on the luas with (too jammed) so sold it, other than that very good. Got it in Halfords too via bike to work scheme.

HeidiHeidi · 13-03-2021 10:26pm

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

Halfords is open and has e bikes, check out their website first.

Re folding bikes, i had one but it was a bitch to get on the luas with (too jammed) so sold it, other than that very good. Got it in Halfords too via bike to work scheme.

Great, thanks, I'll check out Halfords as well.

Folding for me would be to throw into the boot of my (very small) car to bring away to a holiday house in the NW.

TheW1zard · 13-03-2021 10:27pm

Electric Avenue ;-)

Sheep Shagger · 13-03-2021 10:48pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Folding for me would be to throw into the boot of my (very small) car to bring away to a holiday house in the NW.

Perfect for that.

Halfords even have fold up electric bikes but they are pricey.

https://www.halfords.ie/bikes/electric-bikes/

BabysCoffee · 13-03-2021 10:48pm

I hear Brompton has a foldable ebike these days.....

I have a kalkhoff aggatu

HeidiHeidi · 13-03-2021 10:59pm

BabysCoffee wrote: »

I hear Brompton has a foldable ebike these days.....

I have a kalkhoff aggatu

Yeah, I was given the price for a Brompton today. I had to go home and have a little sit-down after :eek:

However, if I thought it was worth it, I might consider paying it..... just trying to gauge what "value" is in these things! I have a feeling that "cheap" would be a false economy.

Ease of folding and weight would also come into it.

BabysCoffee · 14-03-2021 2:34pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Yeah, I was given the price for a Brompton today. I had to go home and have a little sit-down after :eek:

However, if I thought it was worth it, I might consider paying it..... just trying to gauge what "value" is in these things! I have a feeling that "cheap" would be a false economy.

Ease of folding and weight would also come into it.

In fairness Bromptons are an amazing bike. My husband has a non-electric version and it is phenomenal.

Agree re. value. I would not recommend buying cheap on an electric bike

HeidiHeidi · 16-07-2021 1:15pm

While feeling my way around this new version of boards, I stumbled across this thread that I'd started, so thought I'd update it in case it's of use to anyone else.

I contacted a few local bike shops I've dealt with in the past (as in, bought a few bits from, not actual bikes) - they were supremely unhelpful.

Got on to Greenaer, who had been recommended here and by friends who had got bikes from them - and they couldn't have been more helpful! A pleasure to deal with - I made an appointment (it was still during lockdown so no walk-ins), got loads of advice, sent off around the local streets on as many bikes to try as I liked - I stuck to folding and it was fairly clear from the start what suited me.

In the end I got a Hercules RobFold 7 - and it's absolutely brilliant!!! I'm out on it most days, which is a vast difference from the last ordinary bike I had. The poor car is feeling a bit neglected!

I'll never beat any land-speed records on it as it only has hub gears, and only 7 of them - but that's fine, I'm happy trundling along, being overtaken by electric scooters!

It's a LOT heavier than I'd expected - the battery and the humdinger of a lock I got for it only add to that - so it's not exactly handy for slinging into the boot of the car (haven't even tried yet) - but it's nice and neat for storing out the back of my tiny garden. The fact that the handlebars fold down to sideways means it's very handy for locking to lampposts or bike racks, it has a very narrow profile, less likely to get knocked around the place.

And most importantly, for a lot of journeys I make, it's waaaaay handier and more enticing that using the car.

So, result all round!!

Electric bike for a novice to them

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