Electric bike - see mode note post #298

cdaly_ · 07-03-2019 4:26pm

There's also the case that, at 25kph, you're already going faster than many bike commuters. Bring that up to 30kph and there's a significant difference so you'll either be held up or be a menace to ordinary cyclists.

site_owner · 07-03-2019 6:35pm

i cycle the s2s most days per week. there is no way most cyclists are doing anything above 22-24kph. and thats on the flat with no obstacles.
into town and that drops a lot (IMO)

the average cycle speed within the M50 (according to census 2016) is 14kmh and car speed is 18kmh.

theres a few edge cases for fast ebikes but i they are really just light motorbikes and the type approval treats them that way.
a bike capable of sustained 45kmh needs serious components to keep on the road and stop it from rattling to pieces.

Mec-a-nic · 07-03-2019 8:27pm

ED E wrote: »

Thats a commute (not mine) across the city this morning. Very strong cyclist. Avg 19. With a 250w assist you can cruise at 25kph nearly all the time. Probably average 22kph. More than enough.

You're made an old boardsie happy. I'm outta shape but 26kph was my tailwind assisted average home, which is why I'm resisting getting an ebike for a couple of decades, it'll be too easy and fast in traffic.

Edit: between 5 and 12km is between Dublin's canals at rush hour

site_owner · 14-03-2019 12:11pm

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/electric-bikes/free-48-hour-electric-bike-trial

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rubadub · 14-03-2019 1:56pm

ED E wrote: »

If you're doing 30kph on a "traditional"(I'll abstain from saying real here) bike you're putting at least some effort in. Probably pumping 130bpm+ depending on fitness. Hopefully somewhat alert.

If you're just thumbing a throttle and thinking about what pastry you're gonna get in Centra before work you may well be full zombie.

Interesting, as I thought the opposite. I have a cross country MTB with front suspension and large tyres, it glides over any dodgy surfaces etc. I see lads on road bikes darting about avoiding stuff all the time, so eyes are fixed more on the road under them, while also putting a lot of effort in. While I find myself able to look further ahead etc than when on a road bike or hybrid.

ED E wrote: »

Thats a commute (not mine) across the city this morning. Very strong cyclist. Avg 19. With a 250w assist you can cruise at 25kph nearly all the time. Probably average 22kph. More than enough.

To find the average on a heavy ebike you would be getting those figures and pretty much converting any figure over 25 down to 25 and then getting the average -unless you are going downhill it would take a lot of effort to sustain anything over 25 once the power cuts out.

This is why I said it would be best to get a proper spin, that halfords 48hr trial would be ideal. A spin around a carpark is not enough.

Compared to the ebike I am faster commuting on a clapped out hybrid with front commuter suspension and 35mm marathon plus tyres, with only 1 gear working on it, so a single speed but still has a derailleur.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 08-04-2019 7:40pm

Sorry if this has been done already , if has maybe I can be pointed into right direction

Have a bicycle at the moment, normal frame (male bike mtb)

I'm looking to turn it electric, I've seen before where a friend bought a kit online, but I'm unsure what he bought and where but essentially he ended up with a battery and button on the handle bar. He pressed the button and the wheel spinned itself.

Has anybody done this found it difficult or easy to set up ?

Also can anybody recommend a good place to buy this kit either online or store in Dublin.

Many thanks !

ED E · 08-04-2019 8:06pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I'm looking to turn it electric, I've seen before where a friend bought a kit online, but I'm unsure what he bought and where but essentially he ended up with a battery and button on the handle bar. He pressed the button and the wheel spinned itself.

Thats a motorbike, we cannot help you make something illegal.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 08-04-2019 8:20pm

ED E wrote: »

Thats a motorbike, we cannot help you make something illegal.

I thought that was just petrol engine attached to bikes that were illegal

I'm not looking to do high speeds , just a simple conversion to travel along safely

homer911 · 09-04-2019 9:50am

A bicycle with a throttle is illegal, as is any power assist > 25Kmh on public roads
It doesn't matter if the power comes from a battery or a petrol engine

magicbastarder · 09-04-2019 10:01am

to clarify, it's not illegal to ride a bike with a push button throttle; it's illegal to do so without a licence, tax and insurance as the bike legally becomes a moped if you convert it in that manner.

Ferris · 09-04-2019 10:29am

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I thought that was just petrol engine attached to bikes that were illegal

I'm not looking to do high speeds , just a simple conversion to travel along safely

A good site to research is www.pedelecs.co.uk. A supplier on there http://wooshbikes.co.uk/ seems to give good advice and support and has a lot of satisfied customers on the pedelec site.

blackbox · 09-04-2019 10:31am

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I thought that was just petrol engine attached to bikes that were illegal

I'm not looking to do high speeds , just a simple conversion to travel along safely

You can get a switch operated by pedal rotation instead of a hand throttle. This will make it legal as long as assistance stops over 25 km/hr.

Utter Consternation · 17-09-2019 2:35pm

I've been looking at getting an ebike and saw this. I'm looking at this or trying to get something similar because i want a bike that is step through and has a forked kick stand which would hold it upright as i'm loading a child into a child seat. I've dodgy knees and poor balance so i'm thinking of supplementing my daily commute with an electric some days to take the pressure off. It seems very reasonably proced.

I've a question about the power of this. It has a 250W brushless Bafang geared hub motor with 80 Nm of torque and 5:1 planetary gear reduction. Is it adequate to give you enough power to assist you going up a hill?

The weight of the bike itself is 29.5kg and i weigh just under 12 stone.

If you're going 25kmph do you have to be pedaling that quick also? There's only the one gear on this bike.

I don't want to be stuck with a pig of a bike.

n1st · 07-01-2020 11:04pm

30km commute, national road for first 20km.
Looking for an ebike to commute. 2500euro.

I'm presuming I'll make it in around 1hr 15min.

Any recommendations or experience?

John Hutton · 08-01-2020 12:36am

n1st wrote: »

30km commute, national road for first 20km.
Looking for an ebike to commute. 2500euro.

I'm presuming I'll make it in around 1hr 15min.

Any recommendations or experience?

Build your own. Bafang kit and battery from psw power cost me less than 700 quid. Can be installed on most bikes. See the thread in the EV forum

magicbastarder · 08-01-2020 9:00am

n1st wrote: »

I'm presuming I'll make it in around 1hr 15min.

at a constant 25km/h (which is the max an e-bike can legally assist to), it's 1h12m.
if it's on an N route for much of the way, i'm guessing it's got large stretches unlit, so make sure you get decent lights too.

KevRossi · 08-01-2020 5:14pm

n1st wrote: »

30km commute, national road for first 20km.
Looking for an ebike to commute. 2500euro.

I'm presuming I'll make it in around 1hr 15min.

Any recommendations or experience?

I have a Cube One Hybrid 400. Purchased 10/2018, have 4,000 Km on it, commuting and toruing on the continent. I love it; very comfy, fast, easy to use and has the very reliable Bosch system.

I changed the tyres to Schwalbe Marathon Plus as I always use these, even on the road bike and I upgraded the brake discs as they overheated once or twice on long descents in the Alps (me, bike and panniers = 140Kg)

I was commuting 28 Km a day round trip, from the city centre to Leopardstown, which has a 100m climb over the last 4Km. Wouldn't be the fittest person and it meant I could cycle in to work in office clothes, no showering or changing required. Battery would last 5 days, just about, also easy to cycle when battery is dead.

Mine was priced at €2100, got it for €1750 before discounts as it was a display/test model.

Now cheaper, the 400 is €1900
The 500 is €2100 and has a 20% bigger battery. This is the one I'd go for.

rubadub · 08-01-2020 5:26pm

n1st wrote: »

I'm presuming I'll make it in around 1hr 15min.

due to the 25km/h limit I am faster commuting on a knackered old single speed hybrid with suspension than on my ebike.

With my bosch system the power drops off as you approach 25km/h, this means it does take more effort to be cycling at 25km/h.

The limitation is not just annoying but can be dangerous at first if you are not used to it. As the bike is a total hog to get around with no power you are effectively limited to just over 25km/h on the flat. e.g. if you are entering a roundabout or overtaking somebody you would be used to being able to ramp up your speed under your own power on a regular bike, but on the ebike it is like somebody has put the brakes on you just when you might need it most.

Utter Consternation · 08-01-2020 5:39pm

rubadub wrote: »

due to the 25km/h limit I am faster commuting on a knackered old single speed hybrid with suspension than on my ebike.

With my bosch system the power drops off as you approach 25km/h, this means it does take more effort to be cycling at 25km/h.

The limitation is not just annoying but can be dangerous at first if you are not used to it. As the bike is a total hog to get around with no power you are effectively limited to just over 25km/h on the flat. e.g. if you are entering a roundabout or overtaking somebody you would be used to being able to ramp up your speed under your own power on a regular bike, but on the ebike it is like somebody has put the brakes on you just when you might need it most.

That is exactly what happens to me too. I fly it on my hybrid, but when i'm on the electric the sweet spot for passing people seems to be just over 25kmph. It's a massive pain in the hole, because my ebike is a big cheap lump of thing.

CramCycle · 08-01-2020 5:41pm

Having lost rubadubs wheel on the N11 on a few occasions, I like to think it is not as big an issue as he makes out :pac:

KevRossi · 08-01-2020 9:58pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The Brits are so lucky to be getting out !

Well I’m sure that means you can pick up an unrestricted E-Bike in Newry on February 1sf if the Tories and Rupert Murdoch are to be believed.

rubadub · 08-01-2020 10:09pm

NI requires a licence for a regular ebike.

Electric bikes (electrically-assisted pedal cycles)
Electric bikes are known as ‘electrically-assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs). You need a motorcycle licence to ride any electric bike in Northern Ireland, and the bike must be registered, taxed and insured. You must wear a crash helmet when riding one.

Jump to table of contents
What counts as an electric bike (EAPC)
An electric bike (EAPC) must be fitted with pedals that can be used to drive it forward.

It must display one item from each of the following:

the power output or manufacturer of the motor
the battery’s voltage or maximum speed of the bike
Its electric motor:

must have a maximum power output of 250 watts
should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5 mph
An electric bike (EAPC) can have more than two wheels (for example, a tricycle).

Licensing, tax and insurance
You need a moped licence to ride an electric bike (EAPC) in Northern Ireland.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/electric-bikes-electrically-assisted-pedal-cycles

Thargor · 08-01-2020 10:23pm

rubadub wrote: »

NI requires a licence for a regular ebike.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/electric-bikes-electrically-assisted-pedal-cycles

Jesus thats as backwards as their attitude to gay marriage. Does anyone ever get prosecuted for illegal E-bike use up there though? I saw tourists on Segways near the Titanic centre a few years back.

1bryan · 09-01-2020 9:18am

Thargor wrote: »

Jesus thats as backwards as their attitude to gay marriage. Does anyone ever get prosecuted for illegal E-bike use up there though? I saw tourists on Segways near the Titanic centre a few years back.

absolutely horrible comment. Shame on you.

Thargor · 09-01-2020 10:30am

1bryan wrote: »

absolutely horrible comment. Shame on you.

rubadub · 09-01-2020 10:34am

Thargor wrote: »

Does anyone ever get prosecuted for illegal E-bike use up there though?

I don't think so, not much anyway. I think it was sort of unknown and maybe one case highlighted that it was illegal. I think chainreactioncycles (based in the north) had lots of discounts on ebikes at one stage and I think some said it was due to the law.

Halfords suspends sale of e-bikes in Northern Ireland due to 'confusing' legislation

https://www.halfords.ie/advice/cycling/expert-advice/e-bikes-faqs

E-bikes and the law
Under the law in England, Wales, Scotland and the ROI, e-bikes are classified as Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPC). To be classed as an EPAC, the bikes must meet the following criteria:

The motor has a power rating of 250 watts or less
Assistance is only provided when the rider is pedalling and assistance is only provided up to a speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph)
The law also permits a 'walk assistance' mode, where the bike moves with you when walking alongside it. This is limited to 6 km/h (3.7 mph).

Being free to ride an e-bike wherever a regular bike can be ridden is an enormous benefit to cyclists, but could be jeopardised by people using higher power or faster e-bikes - particularly if there's an accident. Because of this, we'll never sell or advocate the use of electronic speed de-restriction devices or techniques, and we've made sure that it's impossible to use these with the e-bikes we sell.

If you're in Northern Ireland, the law is different and you'll need the following to legally ride an e-bike:

tax
insurance
motorcycle helmet
DVLA registration
AM category moped licence.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-40861110

Anyone riding an electric bicycle in Northern Ireland without a proper licence could face a fine of up to £1,000, it has been revealed.

SteM · 09-01-2020 10:51am

Thargor wrote: »

They would NEVER allow segways near the titanic centre!

Utter Consternation · 09-01-2020 5:43pm

SteM wrote: »

They would NEVER allow segways near the titanic centre!

How about a Segway cake?

Duckjob · 09-01-2020 6:03pm

rubadub wrote: »

due to the 25km/h limit I am faster commuting on a knackered old single speed hybrid with suspension than on my ebike.

With my bosch system the power drops off as you approach 25km/h, this means it does take more effort to be cycling at 25km/h.

The limitation is not just annoying but can be dangerous at first if you are not used to it. As the bike is a total hog to get around with no power you are effectively limited to just over 25km/h on the flat. e.g. if you are entering a roundabout or overtaking somebody you would be used to being able to ramp up your speed under your own power on a regular bike, but on the ebike it is like somebody has put the brakes on you just when you might need it most.

My Haibike is the same - extremely severe in its cut off, even cutting off below the limit.

My first eBike was a BH Easy Motion, and it would only just start to ease off the assistance when you hit the limit, and with a bit of a downhill you could generally get another couple of kph out of it without too much effort.

n1st · 15-01-2020 11:30am

rubadub wrote: »

due to the 25km/h limit I am faster commuting on a knackered old single speed hybrid with suspension than on my ebike.

With my bosch system the power drops off as you approach 25km/h, this means it does take more effort to be cycling at 25km/h.

The limitation is not just annoying but can be dangerous at first if you are not used to it. As the bike is a total hog to get around with no power you are effectively limited to just over 25km/h on the flat. e.g. if you are entering a roundabout or overtaking somebody you would be used to being able to ramp up your speed under your own power on a regular bike, but on the ebike it is like somebody has put the brakes on you just when you might need it most.

What speed are you cycling you push bike at? I wouldn't have thought much over 25kmph.
I never thought that the 25kmph limit would be an issue, is it for some?

Electric bike - see mode note post #298

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