Are ebikes worth having?

Makingtrax

Makingtrax

Joined
May 17, 2017
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Shropshire
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Knaus Coachbuilt
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Since 2009
Got an ordinary pair of Giant hybrids, 12 years old with puncture proof Kevlar tyres, a bit battered but I can easily service them. Light enough for our Fiamma rear bike rack and I can lift them up and off fairly easily. Not worth a whole lot so just have one bike chain with a combination lock that goes through the pair. We leave them chained in city centres, on the beach when body boarding, outside the supermarket . . and if they get nicked they owe us nothing. When parked we leave them outside the van without a care. Good exercise too.

So are ebikes really worth it . . . extra weight on the bike rack or getting a van with bigger garage or mounting tow bar rack, epensive to buy, extra insurance, taking off the battery in cities or shopping in a supermarket and carting them around, more expensive security devices needed, the worry of leaving them about when sleeping.

Struggling to get my head round it.
 
The Wino said:
I'm the same fancy the idea of e-bikes but we could really both do with the exercise!
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Want somebody to come and say, ‘Yes, they’re really not worth all that extra hassle just so you can peddle up a hill you’d normally have to get off and walk.’ Then I can stop all this research. :LOL:
 
You still get the exercise with an e-bike, with the advantage of a bit of help when you need it - it's up to you how much.

Getting an e-bike has made a big difference to my mobility when touring and at home, where I live on a ridge and you can't avoid a climb whichever way you go. Having been a keen hillwalker in earlier years, chemo three years ago left me with a side effect which means walking distances is more difficult for me now and the e-bike has saved the day.

Issues such as locking, charging and carriage etc can all be overcome(y)
 
E-Bikes means getting further range whatever your level of fitness.
All that 'hassle' in your OP is only incurred if you want to incur it.

Also, depends on your definition of "ordinary Giant Hybrids"... just looked on their website and my cheapie Chinese e-bike cost me less than 90% of those...

Also depends on whether you're considering replacing your 12 year old bike anyway because most of the hassles you mention will still be a factor.

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We carry my bike & hubbys ordinary bike on our bike rack - just take the battery off when travelling. The battery locks on, and we leave them all over with just a chain. The bike is fairly old now, so we don’t worry. The benefits are that I can still exercise and get out and about for fair distances even tho I have dodgy knees - I would never be able to keep up with Paul otherwise. I think a look at second hand ebikes may be your solution - unless you’re happy cycling 20 miles or so on your present bikes?
 
Hardly used our ordinary bikes since getting e-bikes 4 years ago, had thought about taking both with us but would be a bit tight in the garage & would have to leave the washing machine behind. :D
Great for decent rides and don't have to worry too much about hills, still quite hard getting up steep hills as with peddelecs you don't get power assist unless you put power in.
We don't like them in towns to heavy to manoeuvre at very slow speeds and when pushing.

Do end up carrying about 5 kg of locks but never bother to take the batteries off. Always keep them in the garage only takes a couple of minutes to put them in then don't have to worry about them. Have noticed 8 out of 10 bikes in the bike racks are e-bikes these days.

Charging not a problem as I have 300 watts of solar, 3 batteries and an inverter.

Do find we come back knackered after a ride as we go twice as far, up much steeper hills and faster than if we were on normal bikes.
 
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I like our ebikes and they do take us to places we probably wouldn’t bother to go to without them but security is a major worry and we don’t go to some places we would like to for fear of having them stolen ,they are a lot of money just leave in some city relatively unprotected . So if you need them get them if you can manage ordinary cheap bikes stay with them less stress lol
 
Use it or lose it, stay with the exercise ordinary bikes give you unless for medical/age reasons that you can’t do what you normally want to do on an ordinary bike.....

But e-bikes could expand your horizons....

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I'm reasonably bike fit, but my wife... not so much. So my bike is a standard Brompton and she's got the electric version. It means she has no problems keeping up with me and is very keen to jump on her little Brommie to get places.
 
Richard and Ann said:
Nobody has mentioned a scooter. Half the price, quadruple the range, unlikely to be stolen, faster and you only need 1 for 2 people.

Disadvantages. Weight and £17 road tax.
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And you get fatter as you lose out on the exercise.:rofl:
 
Lenny HB said:
Hardly used our ordinary bikes since getting e-bikes 4 years ago, had thought about taking both with us but would be a bit tight in the garage & would have to leave the washing machine behind. :D
Great for decent rides and don't have to worry too much about hills, still quite hard getting up steep hills as with peddelecs you don't get power assist unless you put power in.
We don't like them in towns to heavy to manoeuvre at very slow speeds and when pushing.

Do end up carrying about 5 kg of locks but never bother to take the batteries off. Always keep them in the garage only takes a couple of minutes to put them in then don't have to worry about them. Have noticed 8 out of 10 bikes in the bike racks are e-bikes these days.

Charging not a problem as I have 300 watts of solar, 3 batteries and an inverter.

Do find we come back knackered after a ride as we go twice as far, up much steeper hills and faster than if we were on normal bikes.
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This is the trouble Lenny, her indoors is talking about changing the motorhome for one with a big garage to put them in. Yes, that takes away the hassle of the overloaded bike rack and security around the van but I’m looking at her and my wallet and thinking is this a sledgehammer to crack a nut. :LOL:
 
Guigsy said:
I'm reasonably bike fit, but my wife... not so much. So my bike is a standard Brompton and she's got the electric version. It means she has no problems keeping up with me and is very keen to jump on her little Brommie to get places.
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Think this is a great solution.

E-Brommie gives you all the advantages of the fold up bike (I.e we always take ours into cafes, supermarkets etc so never left unattended) plus the “E-ness” of ease of use/ distance you might cover etc.

We don’t have E bikes yet - but think changing or converting our Brommies into E Brommies would be what we’d do.

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Richard and Ann said:
Nobody has mentioned a scooter. Half the price, quadruple the range, unlikely to be stolen, faster and you only need 1 for 2 people.

Disadvantages. Weight and £17 road tax.
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Never thought of that. More exercise as well. :LOL:
317906
 
Langtoftlad said:
E-Bikes means getting further range whatever your level of fitness.
All that 'hassle' in your OP is only incurred if you want to incur it.

Also, depends on your definition of "ordinary Giant Hybrids"... just looked on their website and my cheapie Chinese e-bike cost me less than 90% of those...

Also depends on whether you're considering replacing your 12 year old bike anyway because most of the hassles you mention will still be a factor.
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No, wasn’t thinking of replacing them. Have you got a link to you Chinese e bike and how heavy is it? Seems to be hundreds of different brands on the market.
 
Makingtrax said:
This is the trouble Lenny, her indoors is talking about changing the motorhome for one with a big garage to put them in. Yes, that takes away the hassle of the overloaded bike rack and security around the van but I’m looking at her and my wallet and thinking is this a sledgehammer to crack a nut. :LOL:
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Sounds good to me, just need to fit full air suspension then you can lower the van to make getting the bikes in the garage a doddle.:D
 
Are ebikes worth having?
Absolutely! Wouldn't be without ours.
 
Howard H said:
I like our ebikes and they do take us to places we probably wouldn’t bother to go to without them but security is a major worry and we don’t go to some places we would like to for fear of having them stolen ,they are a lot of money just leave in some city relatively unprotected . So if you need them get them if you can manage ordinary cheap bikes stay with them less stress lol
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There’s the snag. Never keen on a crowded supermarket car park. We left the van in one in Croatia two years ago and came out to find a small amount of damage on the M/H without a note.

Always prefer to bike to one if poss and happy to leave them outside. Would be a problem if we couldn’t use them as such.

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Lenny HB said:
Sounds good to me, just need to fit full air suspension then you can lower the van to make getting the bikes in the garage a doddle.:D
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Thanks for that, but suspect continuing my gym membership would be cheaper. :cool:
 
Apart from the physical weight of the motor and battery combo, I don't know why Ebikes are so heavy ? Our Kalkhofs are not light by any means, my old Marin hybrid is as light as a light thing and could easily handle the 250w output of an ebike motor. On the whole though, the ebikes have been a Godsend with my dodgy lung and Val's knackered knees and I would recommend them to anyone with fitness/medical issues.
 
Makingtrax said:
No, wasn’t thinking of replacing them. Have you got a link to you Chinese e bike and how heavy is it? Seems to be hundreds of different brands on the market.
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Mine is a Pro Rider - no longer stocked [I suspect when the container-full from China is empty, that's it]
In fact, they don't seem to have many 'in stock' at the moment...
However, they are still in business, mine is still going strong after 4 years.

It is heavy, about 20kg without battery - a solid & sturdy construction - but as it's got an electric motor, the overall weight wasn't an issue pedalling... but it was a struggle to lift onto shoulder height bike rack.
 
jockaneezer said:
Apart from the physical weight of the motor and battery combo, I don't know why Ebikes are so heavy ? Our Kalkhofs are not light by any means, my old Marin hybrid is as light as a light thing and could easily handle the 250w output of an ebike motor. On the whole though, the ebikes have been a Godsend with my dodgy lung and Val's knackered knees and I would recommend them to anyone with fitness/medical issues.
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The motor is heavy!

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So about three years ago I got myself a good quality hardtail mountain bike. Not for finding the impossibly windy tactical mountain trails, more for something that would be very comfortable cross country on tow paths, gravel forest trails and such like. But it was frustrating, 20 miles or so was more than enough even over a few hours. The slightest bit of a gradient and the sat nav computer would keep turning off with messages "no movement detected".

So I upgraded. Similar standard mountain bike, but this time with the Bosch motor. What a revelation. I could stay out all afternoon (apart from numb bum syndrome - but 18st on a tiny wedge of a saddle isn't going to be nice), gradient's were no longer a frustration and chore. I'd cover 50 miles or more, almost circumnavigating the New Forest trails. I'd still expend a lot of energy. If you use max power the battery would be dead within 15 miles, so the basic eco mode is preferred which just takes the edge off. If you get to 15 mph you are pedalling without the motor as that has to cut out, and arguably that then makes it worse than a standard bike as you now have all that extra dead weight.

From a value perspective, I wouldn't leave the non electric bike anywhere vulnerable. And that's with a decent gold standard heavy lock. The e mountain bike added another grand to value for the same bike standard so I'm just as wary. You're concerned even on a campsite when you've left it locked to your car's bike rack.

Weight is an issue. Standard mtb was around 13Kg. E-bike MTB is some 23Kg. Battery detaches, it does lock to the bike, so I usually transport it detached. Even so lifting the bike, due to size and weight means the roof rack on car was not practical. I'd be wary of two bikes even on a door mounted carrier, so towball carrier is needed. MH garage may be OK, but again think how you can lift it in. Good e-bikes while a similar spec to the standard will be heavier, not only for battery and motor, but also that other components may be uprated to take additional torque and stresses the power can induce. It might take a bit of effort to push, but there is a "walk assist" function.

Despite the weight, and security concerns, I wouldn't go back to a standard bike.
 
I love my ebike and can’t see me getting rid of it but we bought a couple of cheap mountain bikes for touring purely because they are lighter and won’t worry if they get nicked
The big difference for me is a normal bike will do to get to shops, town, pub etc from a site, the ebike gets taken out for 10/20 miles just for fun and it’s an absolute pleasure. My mid 50 year old building trade knees don’t enjoy work they don’t have to do
 
Makingtrax said:
Want somebody to come and say, ‘Yes, they’re really not worth all that extra hassle just so you can peddle up a hill you’d normally have to get off and walk.’ Then I can stop all this research. :LOL:
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I think that covers the main issue. :) if you don't feel restricted by your current bikes, why change? On the other hand if you feel you want to travel further each day than you can now then ebikes are worth considering. :)
 

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