# Electric bike - do you regret buying one?



## Steamairy (Mar 7, 2007)

I am seriously considering buying an electric bike to use on our travels. I already have an ordinary pushbike but never seem to use it!!  

There's always an excuse:
- too hilly
- too far
- too tired!

For those of you who have taken the plunge, are you pleased with your purchase, do you use it regularly, or do you regret paying out for too little use?

So many questions!! Hope you can help me decide :?


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Regret*

Regret, no. Regret buying the one I did for Mrs. TM, Maybe

A case of shopping around I guess.

TM


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## randonneur (Jan 25, 2007)

*Electric Bikes*

We bought two secondhand this past Summer and have no regrets whatsoever. They are brilliant. I wouldn't hesitate.


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## savannah (May 1, 2005)

NO REGRETS
Best thing I have ever bought (nearly )  

Make sure you do a lot of research and go to a reputable dealer also look on the electric bike forums for reviews....AtoB also Pedelecs co uk they are really helpful

I have a Powacycle Windsor which is great and now I am so hooked on assisted cycling, which gives me the confidence to tackle distances I would never have previously dreamed of.....I am even looking in to an even better model in the future when I can afford the extra dosh  
Lynda


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## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

TM - please could you expand on why the bike you bought Mrs TM.
I too am thinking of an electric bike or lightweight folding bike.
I look forward to replies to Steamairy's post.


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

I bought two electric bikes - a bike is a bike - right. No. A complete and utter disaster. Worst purchase we ever did in a long long time.

Why? Well we bought a pair off Fleabay and when they arrived they looked great, everything as described. Unfortunately they were extremely heavy (over 34kgs each), they didn't have gears and had small wheels so peddaling was a nightmare. Legs going fifty to the dozen and getting nowhere fast. Great on the flat but with a 180W motor it was useless up hill. I managed to sell them back on fleabay but lost a fair chunk of cash.

Would I buy another? Actually yes. BUT I would check around and make sure the bike was light in weight, had large wheels, had gears and most of all have a motor that was at least 250W power.

You get what you pay for and electric bikes are no exception

Hope this helps in your decision process.


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## PhilK (Jul 1, 2005)

Steamairy said:


> I am seriously considering buying an electric bike to use on our travels. I already have an ordinary pushbike but never seem to use it!!
> 
> There's always an excuse:
> - too hilly
> ...


Steamairy, buy a panasonic powered bike, the battery quality is brilliant. We have two Kalkhoff and with twin batteries we do 70 to 80 miles in a day. Also, look at onbike.co.uk, they have EMotion which are good value.

Phil


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## savannah (May 1, 2005)

Phil.....thats interesting because 2 of the brands I am looking at are Kalkhoff and the e-motion by BH of spain......what is confusing me is that there is also the schwinn Talisman using the very latest scib battery which seems to be VERY good, although the bike itself has mixed reviews.
Not having tried any of these yet I am waiting till I get over to trhe UK....... but would be interested to hear any further comments you might have ?
Lynda


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

How much does a decent electric bike cost?
Are they easy to pick up second hand?


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## aguilas389 (May 18, 2008)

*Electric Bikes*

We started with 2 Powacycles which had lead acid batteries and boy were they a pain when you ran out of battery power. Then we purchased 2 Spanish Emotions (we actually live in Spain) which were pretty good and we had great service from them but.......................then we tried a Kalkhoff that a German couple we met had. We were hooked, and as we were not too far from Stugartt where they are manufactured we made enquiries, but, we evntually purchased them cheaper (£500 cheaper) from Power Cycles in UK, due to bulk buying I guess. They are soooooo light a lot of the time you don't even need the power on and had I known, I needn't have forked out for a lift up/down bike rack, could have kept my original ! There are several different sizes so you can get one that is just right for your height. As an afterthought I would add that no way would I have considered a fold up jobbie with those small wheels, okay for a little trip to the supermarket but not for enjoying cycling you need a proper sit up and see bike to enjoy the countryside.
Mike & Marion


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## savannah (May 1, 2005)

Which Kalkhoff models do you have ? I think the Agattu is heavier than my Powacycle Windsor,with the Lithium battery, which actually does a good 30k+ if used carefully......the K. pro connect seems to be the one but over 2k...ouch, I guess I need to try them ...... 

I will only think about changing if I can substantially improve on battery range/longevity and the weight of the bike so these good Kalkhoff reports are very interesting.......but does anyone know anything about this new SCiB battery ??

Lynda


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## aguilas389 (May 18, 2008)

Evening Lynda,
Yes they are the Pro Connect and we paid £1695 but these are the 2009 models with the 6 speed hub rather than the 8 speed but they do have the newer lights. The spec states up to 85kilometres on a full charge but, as yet we have never had to test them to that extent. You may already know, but, these are "pedal assist" ie you have to make an attempt to pedal abeit as feeble as you like providing the motor actually turns over rather than like some twist throttle where you can move off without pedaling at all. We were told that the twist throttle would become illegal within Europe within a couple of years but then they would say that wouldn't they.
Marion & Mike


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

savannah said:


> Which Kalkhoff models do you have ? I think the Agattu is heavier than my Powacycle Windsor,with the Lithium battery, which actually does a good 30k+ if used carefully......the K. pro connect seems to be the one but over 2k...ouch, I guess I need to try them ......
> 
> I will only think about changing if I can substantially improve on battery range/longevity and the weight of the bike so these good Kalkhoff reports are very interesting.......but does anyone know anything about this new SCiB battery ??
> 
> Lynda


SCiB batteries are a Toshiba product and is a trademarked descriptor. SCiB is an abbreviation of Super Charge ion Battery.
The battery charges 90 percent full in 5 minutes, can last 10 years and loses less than 10 percent efficiency after 3,000 recharges.

See HERE


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## savannah (May 1, 2005)

Thanks marion and Mike for the info.......I will have to try them when I get over there and see if I could get used to the different system, although in actual fact I never use the throttle on mine and often switch the battery off......but that is when you need a better lighter bike like yours.......am really looking forward to trying them.

Thanks Jean-Luc.......I know....dont they sound fantastic ? but do you know if this new battery is on other bikes other than the Schwinn Talisman ? Or likely to be ? I would rather wait if I thought it might be.
I am trawling the internet at the moment but cant find any others.......

Lynda


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## Gavel (Jan 22, 2009)

*TGA electric cycle*

We have a TGA 3 gear nearly new electric cycle for sale £250 with charger and lights. Reason for sale is that my wife s disabled.


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Tried one but limited range and gradeability made us get ones with small engines. No regrets.
c.


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## Steamairy (Mar 7, 2007)

wow! thanks everyone....................loads of useful information.

I posed the query earlier then disappeared to the theatre for the evening..........only just returned (great play!).

Will read all comments properly in the morning and reply then. 

My other real worry is the fact they must be very tempting to steal.....anyone had this problem? 8O


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

sorry to hijack this post, but am interested in electric bikes, need a lightweight one that does not need me to have to pedal, what did you mean Clive by a small engines, a scooter.or one of the old Cyclomasters.how old.
Unfortunately I am not able to pedal a bike, so a twist throttle sounds good to me.if electric with those new batts can charge off HU.

cabby


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## savannah (May 1, 2005)

Cabby, if you cant pedal at all then a moped would be better as the battery wouldnt last long just using the throttle on a bike as they are made to be pedal assisted .
Steamairie......theft is always a consideration with any bike , just take normal precautions and remove the battery when not in use.
Good luck with your search
Lynda


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

cabby said:


> sorry to hijack this post, but am interested in electric bikes, need a lightweight one that does not need me to have to pedal, what did you mean Clive by a small engines, a scooter.or one of the old Cyclomasters.how old.
> Unfortunately I am not able to pedal a bike, so a twist throttle sounds good to me.if electric with those new batts can charge off HU.
> 
> cabby


Be careful about getting an electric bike that will work without pedalling at all. AFAIK such bikes can be classified as 'mechanically propelled' as opposed to 'assisted' and could require insurance, licence and road tax, in fact all the same requirements as a petrol moped.


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## fordnutz (Dec 18, 2008)

I bought an Ezee Torq for just over £1k. Its great, BUT, you cannot say how far you can go before the battery is flat (sometimes 25 miles, sometime 12 miles). When it is flat, the bike is very difficult to pedal. 

They seem great if you only want to go about 2-3 miles, but as for a 'bike ride' - forget it. A small scooter is a much better proposition (and cheaper than a leccy bike)


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

[/quote]Be careful about getting an electric bike that will work without pedalling at all. AFAIK such bikes can be classified as 'mechanically propelled' as opposed to 'assisted' and could require insurance, licence and road tax, in fact all the same requirements as a petrol moped.[/quote]

This is not the case in the UK, although it may be in other parts of Europe. The UK Road Traffic Act has a special section, The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983. (EAPCs) This allows "Twist & Go" cycles to be used, providing certain regulatory requirements (power, weight, speed, etc.) are met. They are, in effect, treated as "non-motor vehicles" & as such are exempt from registration, licensing, rider testing or insurance & the minimum age is 14 years.
The fly in the ointment here is that the EU is unhappy with this UK law as it conflicts with EU law, which classes such "Twist & Go" EAPCs as motorcycles.


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Hmmm, Nuke's new system is not working too well as it wouldn't allow me to finish my post :x :x :x 
Due to the legal conflict the EU has put pressure on the UK to change our law (now there's a surprise!) to align it with EU law. The DfT have a consultation out at the moment on this proposed change. If the UK does not change it is possible that there will be a legal challenge from the EU & we all know how that would end up!
One other point, the proposed changes, if they come into law, will allow the maximum power of EAPCs to be 250 watts. At present, the limit is 200 watts for a cycle & 250 watts for a tricycle.
I have a copy of the consultation documents if anyone is that interested. :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Dukeham (Feb 3, 2009)

Hi.
emmbeedee is correct in what he says. In the near future the only electric bike that will be available for sale will be pedal assist only.
So if you want a twist & go you had better hurry up.

With regards to theft. In the 6 years I was selling electric bikes I never heard of one being stolen. Due to there styling they are not high on the wish list with the scumbags.
Most battery's are locked on to the bike but as with everything these days if it not nailed down it will walk so certainly lock them.
GC.


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## PhilK (Jul 1, 2005)

savannah said:


> Phil.....thats interesting because 2 of the brands I am looking at are Kalkhoff and the e-motion by BH of spain......what is confusing me is that there is also the schwinn Talisman using the very latest scib battery which seems to be VERY good, although the bike itself has mixed reviews.
> Not having tried any of these yet I am waiting till I get over to trhe UK....... but would be interested to hear any further comments you might have ?
> Lynda


Savannah, my screen name on Pedelecs is Schwinnfan. We have had two and sometimes I miss them because they had the throttle option. But we bought two Raleigh labelled Kalkhoffs and am very happy with them. The Emotion uses the same Panasonic system but for less money.

Phil


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## PhilK (Jul 1, 2005)

Hezbez said:


> How much does a decent electric bike cost?
> Are they easy to pick up second hand?


hey Hezbez, you should have looked in our garage, we have 2 Kalkoffs, 
50 Cycles
We have Tasmans.

Phil&K


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## tony50 (Oct 16, 2007)

Steamairy said:


> I am seriously considering buying an electric bike to use on our travels. I already have an ordinary pushbike but never seem to use it
> 
> For those of you who have taken the plunge, are you pleased with your purchase, do you use it regularly, or do you regret paying out for too little use?
> 
> So many questions!! Hope you can help me decide :?


Hi ,We went to the Electric Transport Shop , they are in (cycle city )
Cambridge , It's in Hope street ,Cambridge . small business ,seemto have a range of good bikes, we think we got good advice .Haven't decided to buy yet .Look for their website ,lots of advice there .

Tony A.


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## savannah (May 1, 2005)

''Savannah, my screen name on Pedelecs is Schwinnfan. We have had two and sometimes I miss them because they had the throttle option. But we bought two Raleigh labelled Kalkhoffs and am very happy with them. The Emotion uses the same Panasonic system but for less money. ''

Phil......what do you mean by ''raleigh labelled kalkhoff's'' ??


Lynda


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## Steamairy (Mar 7, 2007)

Thanks everyone for more extremely useful replies.

I have been trying out the various websites recommended and am learning fast!!
I also feel a bit happier about the "theft" problem.

I live in Southampton and have been investigating a new supplier 2wheel electric who have their own factory in China and sell FREEGO bikes. Anyone used them?

www.2wheelelectric.co.uk


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## quiraing (Feb 12, 2007)

Bought "She who has to be obeyed" an electric bike over two years ago. She has had great use out of it both in this country and in France. I have been a cyclist all my life and find it's great that the two of us can leave the van and cycle to the beach/shops/beauty spots. Only drawback is I am embarassed when climbing a long hill to be passed by wife and left behind. Her bike is an Urban Mover shopper.


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## Steamairy (Mar 7, 2007)

Now that sounds like a good plan! My husband likes to cycle but I can never keep up............this could be the way to go.........he keeps his bike and I have a lovely electric one to try


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## PhilK (Jul 1, 2005)

*bikes*

Lynda,

Kalkhoff is a brand of Derbi, as are lots of other famous brands including Raleigh. I bought two Raleigh labelled that Raleigh UK supplied as an experiment to the guy I had my Schwinns from. They have been fantastic . They are a Kalkhoff Tasmin and are loaded with extras. Have actually considered selling them recently, just not sure what to buy.

Phil


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## savannah (May 1, 2005)

Phil....you have a PM
Lynda


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## Steamairy (Mar 7, 2007)

*Electric bike - do you regret buying one? - update!*

Update - never let it be said that we rush into a decision!! 8O

We have just ordered two Freego Hawk electric bikes and I can't wait for them to arrive.

Thanks for everyone's advice - we researched in detail what would suit us, both for the motorhome and for everyday use. We had lots of test rides as well.

We're now checking insurance and choosing heavy duty locks.


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## Perseus (Apr 10, 2009)

I am amazed that no-one on here has mentioned the super electric bikes sold by AS Bikes of Coventry.

Peter, wjho owns AS with his brother, goes to all the mh shows and does a roaring trade in electric bikes. Which is not surprising as they are all excellent value for money.

I have seen the exact one that he sell for £540 in a shop at £999.

No wonder they talk about Rip-Off Britain.


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## ob1 (Sep 25, 2007)

As previously suggested the two most important things about electric bikes, apart from quality of course, is weight and battery range. Weight because if your battery should run out you wouldn't want to pedal far on most of the electric bikes on the market to say nothing of having to hump it up and down from the back of a van. Battery range because you don't want to be forever worrying whether a short range battery is going to run out or not, or forever having to keep recharging them.

We bought a couple of Schwinn Streamlines three years ago and have never regretted it. They are all alloy framed and weigh in at just 20kg including the battery and have a range of at least 50 miles on flatish going. Personally I would not recommend anything heavier or with less of a range.


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## impala666 (Oct 26, 2007)

*Kalkoff Agattu*

We have 2 and they are wonderful to use especially in France .They can cover a 25 ml distance on one charge, and can be recharged through the inverter.

By coincidence I bought a new slightly smaller electric bike for my wife today

I have a Kalkoff Agattu for sale £600 in excellent condition.
This is a top of the market model with a Panasonic motor.
It is 3 years old with a step through frame
They are sold by 50Cycles in Loughborough. RRP over £1700
I am based near Leicester and it can be tried anytime
If you are interested please phone me on 01455 822973

Regards
Brian


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## Hymer1942 (Oct 13, 2009)

Morning all, from reading all the info on here it would seem Kalkoff

might be the way to go. Barrie


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hymer1942 said:


> Morning all, from reading all the info on here it would seem Kalkoff might be the way to go. Barrie


Not sure about that Barrie.

If what Impala and others have said is correct, their range is not that impressive. :?

We can get 50 or 60 miles out of our AS Bikes with a bit of gentle pedalling as well, and they have both pedal-assist and a throttle control.

I would be worried about having £3400 worth of bikes on the carrier, or leaving them chained to a lamp post, since you can bet the scrotes of this world will recognise them for what they are. As someone said already, the AS Bikes are not exactly the height of "cool", so less likely to be targetted.

It's all down to personal choice (as always) but I would rather pay enough to get a decent bike, but not so much that I would be terrified of getting it pinched, or reluctant to dump it and get a new one in a few years time when battery technology has taken another quantum leap.

Just some thoughts to add to the list. 

Dave


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

Good point Dave,

I think because of the way the average motorhomer uses a bike security is an issue.

I don't like chaining our 2 old ordinary bikes to railings in the middle of a town so would baulk at doing the same with expensive electric bikes which would be scrote magnets. :x


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## impala666 (Oct 26, 2007)

*Kalkoff Agattu Range*

With our Kalkhoff Agattus we have covered 40 mls on a full charge but this includes peddling and free wheeling down hills...In practice a 20ml trip in a day is enough for us at over 65.

The bikes have a built in lock and we have left them for hours in many European cities locked and also chained together to lamposts.
We have had many people look at them and ask questions. 
At about 22 kg each and chained together they would be hard to steal . We carry them on a Thule towbar rack again locked and chained. They are probably harder to steal than a scooter or car.

After a lot of research and testing we bought the best we could afford. There are a loty of cheap bikes on the market so beware

Brian


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Kalkoff Agattu Range*



impala666 said:


> In practice a 20ml trip in a day is enough for us at over 65.


Agreed. Also at "over 65", the ancient bum protests at more than about that distance - not to mention the knees!! 8O



impala666 said:


> After a lot of research and testing we bought the best we could afford. There are a loty of cheap bikes on the market so beware.


Agree again with your warning. Some of them look like bikes, but there the resemblance ends. :roll:

It's the rapid development of battery technology that made me go for less expensive, but still pretty good bikes. (_I did consider putting a Kalkoff wheel in our expensive, lightweight hybrid bikes_.)

Don't know if it was a sensible decision, but so far the ones we have seem OK for our needs.

Time will tell. :wink:

Dave


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