Electric Bikes - anyone used or modified one?

[DominicJ]

Its getting to that time when my petrol scooter has to be sent to "vehicle heaven" and I'm looking at replacements.

My commute of 30 or so miles a day has turned a brand new scooter into a bucket of rust in Ttwo and half years and cost me a fortune in "servicing", £800-900 on an £1800 scooter, not to mention the new tyre, so I dont want another of them.

Obviously an electric car would be great, but far beyond my finances presently, unless their are much cheaper ones than I have seen.

I would REALLY like any car, but although I could buy and insure an old micro car for under £1000 theres the running costs which would equal that even if petrol doesnt go up.

So, I'm looking at an electric bicycle.
http://www.powacycle.co.uk/Milan-Electr ... -Bike2.asp
Anyone got one, or a similar one, do they reach 15 mph? Do they have the range they say?

It rather handily comes with a panier top box attachment which should enable reasonable easy attachment of some extra batteries.
I think
Has anyone tried anything similar?

[Mainer in Exile]

I just got this one today:
REX E-Bike 26"

My father-in-law has had one just like it for a year now and he really likes it. It's a bit heavy, with lead/gel batteries. It goes good, though. I put a trailer hitch on it, so I can carry tools and what-not to the garden. It should work out pretty good.

[DominicJ]

nice, let me know how it goes

[starchild]

yep, my friend has one and it's excellent. Now I'm saving up for one!

She cycles a LOT and loves this bike. It does indeed reach 15mph; and she charges it up every 5 days or so. She uses it to commute to work and has been all around North Wales on it too :)

Enjoy!

[Turtuga Blanku]

that IS a cool alternative to a scooter!

[george]

I have an electric bike. I don't know about the one you are looking at but the electric bike is an excellent idea. I love mine. Since I bought it I cycle to work pretty much every day (whereas before it was only about once or twice a week).

I bought a kit which was a replacement front wheel with a motor. You fit it to a regular bike to make it electric. Mine goes 30-35km per hour with the motor and peddling. My batteries have a range of about 25-30km but you can keep going without the motor although the batteries do make it heavy compared to a regular bike. Mine has a smart motor so that if you are peddling the motor doesn't work so hard which means that the batteries will last longer if you peddle (I think).

[the.fee.fairy]

I wanted to get exactly that bike.

I just never got round to it.


I am seriously thinking of getting an electric bike now though. I only live about 6 miles from work. Its too far for me to walk it every day, so i get the bus for the first 5 miles and then walk the last one. An electric bike would save me having to walk at all!!

[Silver Ether]

Hows this for an idea ... dunno how much they cost though...

eeek forgot the link ...

http://www.powabike.org/products.html

[the.fee.fairy]

They're the people i had in mind for an electric bike.

I might see what i've got left by the end of the year in my savings acount and see what happens...

[timhippy]

hello! right i build electric bikes or at least i build bikes that use electric mine are not like other bikes in the current marketplace lol and they will probably never get there lol...
but i can tell you at least for the united kingdom all electric bikes are limited by law to 15mph also they can weigh no more than 6 stone in weight (if your considering making one..
and if your considering buying one i would personally recomend shelling out a tad more on a bike with lythium batteries your range will be very much added to , however the current electric bikes on the market really do rely on you cycling as well as the power that is if you want to get any serious range out of them and want the batteries to last more than a year or so ..bear this in mind as the replacement batteries are not cheap at all. oh and another thing get a electric bike with the motor hub on the front wheel that allows you to still use the full range of gears you would normally be able to on a standard cycle where as with a rear wheel hub your usually limited on gearing due to space required by the motor.
hope at least some of this helps.

[mikec]

Hi, how did it go with the electric bikes. im looking at this one


http://www.goshopbikes.co.uk/cyclamatic ... ctric-bike


has anyone ever tried one, or has anyone had a particular other one , that they can recommend, or not , which ever the case