e bike good or bad (1 Viewer)

May 1, 2009
1,005
2,177
SOUTH WOODHAM FERRERS
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6,530
MH
A Class
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2002
Looking at what to use for getting about when camped for a length of time.Tow a car or tow a motorbike.But then a article on electric bikes got me thinking.We would not venture further than approx 10/15 miles from base or camp closer.So these bikes help with longer distances that we would not contemplate on pedals only.
No insurance,servicing,mot,petrol,helmets,leathers,A frames,trailers,etc.
I thought these would be for when we get older and need more help but it seems a practical solution for shopping & tourist stuff.
Not sure how others get around charging the battery when not on hook up.Would be interested in your experiences before taking the plunge. Two decent bikes would be approx £2500.00 !
 

hilldweller

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Dec 5, 2008
605
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Macclesfield
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Zilch Mk1
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Very difficult off hook-up, the capacity of two good bike batteries is most of a single leisure battery.

Always take range, speed with a pinch of salt. It's always very best case, you pedalling, dead flat no wind. Hills are, obviously, a killer, in one direction.

But they are worth it.
 
Apr 28, 2013
3,682
80,388
Alentejo,Portugal
Funster No
25,750
MH
Hymer A Class
Exp
Since the '80,s
A French friend has asked me to sell his collection of bikes,he is 73 and now lives in Paris and has left them here with me as he only has an apartment now.
His electric bike is a bit special,made of Aluminium,best described as in the Dutch style,no crossbar,drawn back handlebars,panniers,8 speed hub gears,front hub regenerates electricity,dynamo lighting.The battery is in a top box on the rear carrier and switches on by car key.
He paid €1500 for it new,it has 40kms charge + regeneration,I tried it for fun,the battery took three hours to charge.You have to pedal but very light and easy compared with my mountain bike,comfortable riding position.I easily made 40kph with no effort required,hills no problem.Lithium-ion battery.
I was in Decathlon and found new ones for €700 but not as good quality,
I could be tempted but still crave power.Very light and would be ideal for short rides from the camper with the bonus of no pollution!!

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Carol

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Oct 2, 2007
14,044
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North Wales.
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18 years s Motorhome (33years caravans)
A lot of motorhomers go for the folding electric bikes and they are very good, but we prefer the bikes made by the likes of giant or raligh, we can cycle all day on them in comfort, and yes they will cost around £2500 for a pair but to us well worth it.
 
Feb 26, 2013
1,647
9,051
Pinar de Campoverde, Spain
Funster No
24,871
MH
Giottiline T60
Exp
Since March 2013
Looking at what to use for getting about when camped for a length of time.Tow a car or tow a motorbike.But then a article on electric bikes got me thinking.We would not venture further than approx 10/15 miles from base or camp closer.So these bikes help with longer distances that we would not contemplate on pedals only.
No insurance,servicing,mot,petrol,[HI]helmets[/HI],leathers,A frames,trailers,etc.
I thought these would be for when we get older and need more help but it seems a practical solution for shopping & tourist stuff.
Not sure how others get around charging the battery when not on hook up.Would be interested in your experiences before taking the plunge. Two decent bikes would be approx £2500.00 !

Please don't consider riding outside a campsite without a helmet as it would be madness :whatthe::whatthe:

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MikeandCarolyn

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Mar 18, 2008
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A lot of motorhomers go for the folding electric bikes and they are very good, but we prefer the bikes made by the likes of giant or raligh, we can cycle all day on them in comfort, and yes they will cost around £2500 for a pair but to us well worth it.

Giant bikes for us as well ::bigsmile: Using 'pedal assist' I only have power switched on for hills or in strong winds.
At Marjal in March we did notice that the Dutch have models of Giant bikes and accessories which aren't readily available in UK.

Mike
 

Mel

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Oct 6, 2012
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De Haan Belgium
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:Smile:

Why? Currently in Amsterdam and not a single cyclist or scooter rider is wearing one.

Hardly "madness".

Tim

Scooter/Moped restricted to under 25kmh or so they say.
And they even have small cars on the cycle tracks.

Do a boat trip best way to see Amsterdam.

Mel

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Aug 5, 2012
125
99
Southampton
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22,281
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van conversion
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since 1981 on and off
Has anyone tried the kit to convert a cycle to electric, cost about £150 so worth a try?
 
Aug 18, 2011
12,090
17,892
derbys
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AUTOSLEEPER SYMBOL
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since 2007.Tugger before since 1970
What on earth is wrong with a push bike. Exercise is good for you as you get older, its green and good fun. Buy a decent road bike though. Mountain bikes are hard work. BUSBY.:thumb:
 

Mel

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Oct 6, 2012
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Test done in the Netherlands.

Prove that an e bike is good for your health.

The exercise is gentle and you tend to cycle more with the e bike.

This was a test on people over 55.

Mel

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jollyrodger

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 1, 2012
6,264
26,386
Devon/Cornwall
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23,107
MH
'Obby
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Since 1968'ish
A French friend has asked me to sell his collection of bikes,he is 73 and now lives in Paris and has left them here with me as he only has an apartment now.
His electric bike is a bit special,made of Aluminium,best described as in the Dutch style,no crossbar,drawn back handlebars,panniers,8 speed hub gears,front hub regenerates electricity,dynamo lighting.The battery is in a top box on the rear carrier and switches on by car key.
He paid €1500 for it new,it has 40kms charge + regeneration,I tried it for fun,the battery took three hours to charge.You have to pedal but very light and easy compared with my mountain bike,comfortable riding position.I easily made 40kph with no effort required,hills no problem.Lithium-ion battery.
I was in Decathlon and found new ones for €700 but not as good quality,
I could be tempted but still crave power.Very light and would be ideal for short rides from the camper with the bonus of no pollution!!


Stayed at campsite at "Arc de Bera" last year we were top of the hill and a good walk up to pitch!
A elderly couple from the Netherland had a set of bikes similar to what you describe and made it look so easy when returning up the hill to an adjacent pitch with all the shopping etc .
Us...we were Knackered......... :Sad:
 

MikeandCarolyn

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Mar 18, 2008
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Worle,North Somerset
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What on earth is wrong with a push bike. Exercise is good for you as you get older, its green and good fun. Buy a decent road bike though. Mountain bikes are hard work. BUSBY.:thumb:

Nothing wrong with a road bike-on roads ::bigsmile: But,around campsites there are often unmade cycle paths which play havoc with thin tyres.Also a road bike is quite difficult to fit panniers on for the shopping.
I had been thinking about a cyclo cross bike with uprated tyres but in the end we sold our Mountain bikes and my Trek road bike in favour of the Giant electrics.
If I had a 3 bike rack I'd probably get myself another road bike just for fun-and cos I liked getting all Lycra'd up :ROFLMAO:

Mike.
 
Last edited:

injebreck99

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Dec 5, 2011
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We would not be without ours now, we carry them on a towbar mounted bike carrier and they have opened up our horizons, we love walking and still do it a lot, but if the site we are on is too far from an attraction/destination that we would like to visit, we use our e bikes, you dont have to use the leccy assist all the time if you don't want to, just on hill or into head winds, your choiceWe tried several typea of bikes before buying the ones we have, full size dutch style bikes suit us, we did try folding small wheeled bikes but found them to be "nervous" on the road, bigger bikes sem more stable and comfortable, they suit our needs at present. :thumb:

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Apr 24, 2012
698
1,332
Worcester
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20,716
MH
RMB Concorde
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Since 2010
just got two Kalkhoff Pedelec bikes - managed one second hand which dropped the price a bit. VAST amount but love them. Did many miles on them over Easter in Normandy. Still a bit concerned about long time wilding and recharging but so far its not been a problem. Would recommend this mode of transport with MH
 

Mel

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Oct 6, 2012
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De Haan Belgium
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Here in Belgium and The Netherlands.

There are many bars & tearooms where you can charge your e bike while you have a drink.

There is a shop near us where you can buy a car charger but i dont know if they work that well


I think this will come more and more

An e bike should be limited to 25kmh.
 

bluemog

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Feb 11, 2012
27
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Aberdeen
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19,782
MH
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3 years
AS bikes

I bought two 36v bikes from AS and can't fault them. They are powerful enough to get you up hills with a little pedal assist and aren't too heavy to pedal as a 'normal' bike. I carry mine on a towbar carrier simply because the manufacturers didn't allow strengthening bars on the rear of the MH.

I've used them at weekends only up till now and find that there's still a considerable charge left (two LED's out of three) and that can mean I've cycled perhaps 15-20 miles usually on quite hillly roads.

When they arrived I noticed the chain guard on one was split however a phone call to a very helpful girl resulted in a new one arriving in 48 hours. This kind of service is not to be sneezed at as speaking to buyers from Ebay they have related all manner of horror stories obtaining spares.

All in all I'm delighted with them and all for £1500 (for two!). They attend most of the MH shows and will always offer you a test ride which is what sold them to me at the Glasgow Show.

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Deckard

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Mar 26, 2013
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:Smile:

Why? Currently in Amsterdam and not a single cyclist or scooter rider is wearing one.

Hardly "madness".

Tim

Well as a former biker with several broken bones under his belt - even if it were not law I would where one....and the best i could afford too, dont wait till you follow off to discover how fragile your head is when headbutting the road at 30mph....:cry:
 

Bohenny

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Aug 27, 2012
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I am thinking of investing in e-bikes but aware that most of them weigh just over 20kg. Getting two of them up onto a two bike rack on the back of the MH is going to require some careful handling and then how does it feel to have that weight right at the back ?
 

injebreck99

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I am thinking of investing in e-bikes but aware that most of them weigh just over 20kg. Getting two of them up onto a two bike rack on the back of the MH is going to require some careful handling and then how does it feel to have that weight right at the back ?

If you have a towbar, it's better to get a towbar mounted carrier, much lower to lift the bikes on, no strain on the rear wall of the M/H, just the rear suspension to consider for the extra weight.

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Bohenny

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Aug 27, 2012
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Unfortunately ( in one way ) the Fiamma rack is dealer fitted and is set quite high to take advantage of the recessed rear of the Sundance above the line of the lights etc., and I guess to fit it onto the best support. The top fittings can be seen inside the upper locker ( over the sinks and cooker ). I can manage two mountain bikes on my own but might need my partner's help with e bikes.
 
Feb 26, 2013
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:Smile:

Why? Currently in Amsterdam and not a single cyclist or scooter rider is wearing one.

Hardly "madness".

Tim

That doesn't make it right! I guess it's a bit like when seatbelts became law and lots of people objected but probably because none of them had been thrown through a windscreen. I am guessing from your post you have never seen someone clipped by a car and hit their head on the kerb. Some things are better prevented than cured :winky:
 

injebreck99

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Dec 5, 2011
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Unfortunately ( in one way ) the Fiamma rack is dealer fitted and is set quite high to take advantage of the recessed rear of the Sundance above the line of the lights etc., and I guess to fit it onto the best support. The top fittings can be seen inside the upper locker ( over the sinks and cooker ). I can manage two mountain bikes on my own but might need my partner's help with e bikes.

I had a Fiamma rack already fitted to my Bolero,and due to the rear kitchen layout I could not see if extra stengthening would be possible so after trying other methods I opted for the towbar rack, I also made up a homemade bracket from the carrier to the existing Fiamma rack lower mounting to stop it moving slightly with the bikes on, works a treat.

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cbrookson

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May 5, 2011
389
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Unfortunately ( in one way ) the Fiamma rack is dealer fitted and is set quite high ....

We had that trouble with lifting EBikes. We bought a replacement crank up rack, bit expensive but certainly helps. You can see an example here.

Cheers
 

Rob e Lee

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Apr 16, 2012
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Us Too

just got two Kalkhoff Pedelec bikes - managed one second hand which dropped the price a bit. VAST amount but love them. Did many miles on them over Easter in Normandy. Still a bit concerned about long time wilding and recharging but so far its not been a problem. Would recommend this mode of transport with MH

My wife and I both have Kalkhoff's and can vouch for the build quality - expensive but very good.

We managed to cycle up from Woolacombe to Mortehoe - still got knackered doing it but without Electric Assist we wouldn't have even attempted it. They are great fun:thumb:

Rob

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Aug 25, 2009
383
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Newhey
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8,153
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Carthago
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My wife and I both have Kalkhoff's and can vouch for the build quality - expensive but very good.

We managed to cycle up from Woolacombe to Mortehoe - still got knackered doing it but without Electric Assist we wouldn't have even attempted it. They are great fun:thumb:

Rob

Kalkhoff is the way to go. Having owned a Wisper and now a Trek, both hub drives, a crank drive is needed for the hills around here. My Trek Valencia is going on EBay and am going to buy a Kalkhoff
 

1948

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Dec 3, 2009
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Test done in the Netherlands.

Prove that an e bike is good for your health.

The exercise is gentle and you tend to cycle more with the e bike.

This was a test on people over 55.

Mel

Any gental exercise is good for your health I say
 
Apr 9, 2013
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Any gental exercise is good for your health I say

Careful with the spelling! I misread that "gental" as a very similar word with an 'I' in the middle of it. ::bigsmile: Still made sense but perhaps not what you were thinking.

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