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Ok, anybody on here in the know about electric bicycles?
I am seriously considering buying one to commute on. It usually takes me 20 mins to drive to work from here but Fabian Way can be unpredictable. Lats saturday it took me 45 minutes, queueing from not far past Amazon all the way to the junction by the Cape Horner.
Given the rising cost of petrol and that it's nearly all flat once I get down past Coed Darcy a bike seems a good idea, it could save me £150 per month.
I've seen one called a Z6 zipper that's 800 quid and I wondered if anyone knew if it was good or bad or had any suggestions?
I converted one of mine to an ebike a few years ago , which cost then around £800 including the battery , it took about 2.5 hours to carry out the refit and since then its been great fun to use and dependant on how I ride it I think I've managed around 40 miles before getting twitchy that the battery is running low and having to self propel myself home ( The weight of my bike has now increased by a fair margin) . Shop bought bikes are limited to 15mph , mine is pretty much unrestricted and can reach up to 36mph. Battery life can vary and the best advice is not to run it flat as lithium batteries don't have a "memory" as such but If you are doing short rides on a regular basis, it is slightly better to charge it every few rides rather than every ride .
"In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master."
The only advice I can give is buy from a reputable dealer that you can take it back to if there are issues. Its no good buying online unless the guarantee will cover local repair. I bought mine in halfords and had to return it after 2 weeks and have a replacement. It's been fine ever since and I love it. Unbelievable on any hills or inclines. Often in a car you think the road is flat but it's not. There is quite an incline from Jersey Marine to Coed D'Arcy.
I converted one of mine to an ebike a few years ago , which cost then around £800 including the battery , it took about 2.5 hours to carry out the refit and since then its been great fun to use and dependant on how I ride it I think I've managed around 40 miles before getting twitchy that the battery is running low and having to self propel myself home ( The weight of my bike has now increased by a fair margin) . Shop bought bikes are limited to 15mph , mine is pretty much unrestricted and can reach up to 36mph. Battery life can vary and the best advice is not to run it flat as lithium batteries don't have a "memory" as such but If you are doing short rides on a regular basis, it is slightly better to charge it every few rides rather than every ride .
Although shop bought are restricted it's only the electric motor that cuts out. You can go as fast as you can peddle, I'm often over 30mph.
I converted one of mine to an ebike a few years ago , which cost then around £800 including the battery , it took about 2.5 hours to carry out the refit and since then its been great fun to use and dependant on how I ride it I think I've managed around 40 miles before getting twitchy that the battery is running low and having to self propel myself home ( The weight of my bike has now increased by a fair margin) . Shop bought bikes are limited to 15mph , mine is pretty much unrestricted and can reach up to 36mph. Battery life can vary and the best advice is not to run it flat as lithium batteries don't have a "memory" as such but If you are doing short rides on a regular basis, it is slightly better to charge it every few rides rather than every ride .
Thanks mate. The one I'm looking at says it has an expected range of 21-25 miles depending on weight and my round trip would be approx 15 miles so I'd pretty much have to charge it every day I went to work but, it's downhill for half a mile then practically flat all the way in. it'd only really be needed (battery) coming back up that hill so I could make it last 3-4 days probably before recharge unless I was being really absolutely lazy. Depending on wind direction, how quick I needed to go I guess.
Coming into the warmer months it'd really pay for itself quite quickly with the price of petrol rising so much. It's up to about 1.51 per litre today and my tank is 45 litres so around 68 quid to fill and that's nearly a tenner up on 6 weeks ago and it's still rising.
The only advice I can give is buy from a reputable dealer that you can take it back to if there are issues. Its no good buying online unless the guarantee will cover local repair. I bought mine in halfords and had to return it after 2 weeks and have a replacement. It's been fine ever since and I love it. Unbelievable on any hills or inclines. Often in a car you think the road is flat but it's not. There is quite an incline from Jersey Marine to Coed D'Arcy.
Yes Jersey Marine to Coed Darcy, that's the way I'd be going too, from Skewen all the way into Swansea centre, roughly 7.5 miles.
Is that your trip, how long does it take? Last Saturday, over 40 minds by car but approx 20 mins usually, I reckon 30-35 mins by bike and I can charge it in work too!
Yes Jersey Marine to Coed Darcy, that's the way I'd be going too, from Skewen all the way into Swansea centre, roughly 7.5 miles.
Is that your trip, how long does it take? Last Saturday, over 40 minds by car but approx 20 mins usually, I reckon 30-35 mins by bike and I can charge it in work too!
Are you elligble for the cycle to work scheme?
My only advice would be buy a decent one as it will become addictive, especially on some of the trails in Afan Valley etc. I bought a second hand Vitus which has been superb.
Meant to say some of the cheaper bikes and conversions take a fair bit of maintenance. If you buy a decent one you will always resell so its a better option.
My only advice would be buy a decent one as it will become addictive, especially on some of the trails in Afan Valley etc. I bought a second hand Vitus which has been superb.
Yes my company has a cycle to work scheme which I will look into when I go back in which will hopefully be Saturday now.
Which model Vitus do you have?
I am hoping to use it in time off to get out into the country with my camera. My wife thinks I'm mad but I've had enough of cars, driving is such a bad experience these days, far too many idiots about and having a proper cycle lane I could use all the way into work just makes so much sense for my health and fitness as well as my wallet. We wouldn't get rid of the car but we'd only use it when absolutely necessary!
Although shop bought are restricted it's only the electric motor that cuts out. You can go as fast as you can peddle, I'm often over 30mph.
Yes you can get up to quite fast speeds but I'm mindful the bike itself isn't designed to go faster than the manufacturer recommendation , brakes tyres etc so although fun it can be dangerous .People may think that the purpose of an electric bike is you don't have to pedal which is true but reliant on the battery only and they'll find the journey will be a short one so a good mix of pedalling and use of the motor increases you time out riding . You can remove the speed limit on the motor in a number of ways and there's plenty of information out there if you "feel the need for speed" ,
"In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master."
Meant to say some of the cheaper bikes and conversions take a fair bit of maintenance. If you buy a decent one you will always resell so its a better option.
I must say I bought a bafang 750w mid crank kit and its been an excellent buy , everything is sealed , plentiful spares and should you need help experts out there to assist , its well made and other than the normal cycle maintenance very reliable, I would suggest a mid drive motor as opposed to a front or rear wheel hub motor which tend to . I bought the kit because I had a number of bikes and this one was one with little use ( bought as a winter bike) so it worked out much cheaper at the time to fit the kit rather than buy yet another bike which at the time were really expensive .
"In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master."
Yes you can get up to quite fast speeds but I'm mindful the bike itself isn't designed to go faster than the manufacturer recommendation , brakes tyres etc so although fun it can be dangerous .People may think that the purpose of an electric bike is you don't have to pedal which is true but reliant on the battery only and they'll find the journey will be a short one so a good mix of pedalling and use of the motor increases you time out riding . You can remove the speed limit on the motor in a number of ways and there's plenty of information out there if you "feel the need for speed" ,
I just want to cover 7-8 miles in 30-40 mins. Not interested in being a racer, safety first, I want to get to work and get home. 15 mph is fine but i plan on pedalling a lot and only using the assist on the long upslope past Jersey Marine and the steep hill at Pen Yr Alley
I haven't been on a bike in a long time though, I need a decent seat
I'm looking at Halfords now, I can book a trial ride, roughly 1100 quid at 28 per month, that'd still save me over 50 per month on petrol. My little automatic is a thirsty beast.
My wife isn't convinced mind, she thinks 2 weeks max I'll be back in the car.
Thanks mate. The one I'm looking at says it has an expected range of 21-25 miles depending on weight and my round trip would be approx 15 miles so I'd pretty much have to charge it every day I went to work but, it's downhill for half a mile then practically flat all the way in. it'd only really be needed (battery) coming back up that hill so I could make it last 3-4 days probably before recharge unless I was being really absolutely lazy. Depending on wind direction, how quick I needed to go I guess.
Coming into the warmer months it'd really pay for itself quite quickly with the price of petrol rising so much. It's up to about 1.51 per litre today and my tank is 45 litres so around 68 quid to fill and that's nearly a tenner up on 6 weeks ago and it's still rising.
If you frugel with just using the motor instead of using the pedal assistance you may be pleasantly surprised what ranges you can achieve , plus you're still exerting yourself with the bonus of improving your cardio .I'm biased as I've been cycling for years but as the years have passed and the condition of my knee conditions worsened then this will keep me cheesing off motorists for a few more years
"In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master."
Yes you can get up to quite fast speeds but I'm mindful the bike itself isn't designed to go faster than the manufacturer recommendation , brakes tyres etc so although fun it can be dangerous .People may think that the purpose of an electric bike is you don't have to pedal which is true but reliant on the battery only and they'll find the journey will be a short one so a good mix of pedalling and use of the motor increases you time out riding . You can remove the speed limit on the motor in a number of ways and there's plenty of information out there if you "feel the need for speed" ,
My bike will not work on battery only, unless you peddle you don't go, unless crusing or downhill. The bike is built for speeds above the battery cut off, this is only in place to comply with legislation in this country.
Yes Jersey Marine to Coed Darcy, that's the way I'd be going too, from Skewen all the way into Swansea centre, roughly 7.5 miles.
Is that your trip, how long does it take? Last Saturday, over 40 minds by car but approx 20 mins usually, I reckon 30-35 mins by bike and I can charge it in work too!
No I don't go that route just used to do it when I used to run. 25-35 minutes would be a fair guide I say depending on weather and wind direction. If its behind you go like stink. First thing you need to realise is these bikes are really heavy and it is often the case the more you pay the more you get. There are good cycle tracks from halfords for a try out but you won't get the full benefit until you get used to using the bike and working it. They have a built in torque system so you need to get used to balancing the gears to the mode ( economy/normal/hill/sport this is what mine has) to get the best out of the bike.
Yes my company has a cycle to work scheme which I will look into when I go back in which will hopefully be Saturday now.
Which model Vitus do you have?
I am hoping to use it in time off to get out into the country with my camera. My wife thinks I'm mad but I've had enough of cars, driving is such a bad experience these days, far too many idiots about and having a proper cycle lane I could use all the way into work just makes so much sense for my health and fitness as well as my wallet. We wouldn't get rid of the car but we'd only use it when absolutely necessary!
Vitus esommet vr bought it second hand 2.5k as i wasnt sure about splashing out on new one. All i can say is do not hesitate you will always get youre money back on bikes like this or CUBE Scott or Specialised etc I havent altered my settings which is easy to do on a app as i like using it to go where i couldnt go before. As it happens ive ended up working harder and getting fitter. Some of the trails around the Afan valley are amazing.
You will do youre journey easily at 15mph i guarantee it and as you get fitter drop off the assist or beat time. Just remember nice rucksack FDX clothing on Amazon for padded shorts wet gear etc good to go. You cannot go wrong unless you buy the wrong bike so look at site above for advice.
I get 40 miles out of my battery which is 2 yrs old and i go up hills and i mean Mountains on this but older model. Good luck im sure you will enjoy.
Its just as bad on the Mumbles prom with people walking in the cycle lane.
The thing with Mumbles is it's not wide enough for both especially when you get the fully kitted out lycra wannabees on their roadbikes doing 30mph and moaning that pedestrians are walking in lane to overtake. Its only suitable in IMHO for kids etc. Mind you witnessed a nasty accident a while back dog walker with retractable lead took out an old lady i felt the thud 30yrds back.
The thing with Mumbles is it's not wide enough for both especially when you get the fully kitted out lycra wannabees on their roadbikes doing 30mph and moaning that pedestrians are walking in lane to overtake. Its only suitable in IMHO for kids etc. Mind you witnessed a nasty accident a while back dog walker with retractable lead took out an old lady i felt the thud 30yrds back.
Its good in the winter but a no no in the summer. Plus you have to be insane to go there on a Sunday.
The thing with Mumbles is it's not wide enough for both especially when you get the fully kitted out lycra wannabees on their roadbikes doing 30mph and moaning that pedestrians are walking in lane to overtake. Its only suitable in IMHO for kids etc. Mind you witnessed a nasty accident a while back dog walker with retractable lead took out an old lady i felt the thud 30yrds back.
Mumbles prom was always dodgy with cyclists going back 40 years when I rode it as a kid. The whole prom needs widening.
Those retractable leads are a real menace, not just to cyclists.
It’s like riding a motorbike, it’s not so much your driving ability it’s everyone else you have to think about.
That’s why we have cars.
Absolutely, that's why I sold my bike, its dangerous out there these days, Ive always had big bikes 900 was last one, but most have been 1000cc , got the speed to keep away from trouble if you're lucky of course. I drive a Transit 5 days a week and the number of people I see using phones is incredible, I used to say I used to see women on them mostly, A465 to Llandarcy when there's traffic they got their phones on steering wheel looking down and trying to keep an eye on the traffic, but seeing blokes doing it as well, I cringe sometimes seeing bikes, flying up between the two lanes, all it takes is someone to switch lanes sharply which they do frequently, at the wrong time and its curtains
Absolutely, that's why I sold my bike, its dangerous out there these days, Ive always had big bikes 900 was last one, but most have been 1000cc , got the speed to keep away from trouble if you're lucky of course. I drive a Transit 5 days a week and the number of people I see using phones is incredible, I used to say I used to see women on them mostly, A465 to Llandarcy when there's traffic they got their phones on steering wheel looking down and trying to keep an eye on the traffic, but seeing blokes doing it as well, I cringe sometimes seeing bikes, flying up between the two lanes, all it takes is someone to switch lanes sharply which they do frequently, at the wrong time and its curtains
Early riser today. A spot of everything that needs doing is easier done with more time ðŸ‘
Anyone who uses their phone whilst driving is a fool. But we’ve all I’m sure been responsible.
As many have found out who have injured or killed someone whilst driving and texting means time inside, and no matter their excuses there’s no getting out of it. Anything you can be on a road in with protection is far safer than your op mate.
A great believer in taking anything you like to wherever you want to.
Early riser today. A spot of everything that needs doing is easier done with more time ðŸ‘
Anyone who uses their phone whilst driving is a fool. But we’ve all I’m sure been responsible.
As many have found out who have injured or killed someone whilst driving and texting means time inside, and no matter their excuses there’s no getting out of it. Anything you can be on a road in with protection is far safer than your op mate.
Thing is Keith, I don't intend cycling on the roads, or at least as little as possible. I'd have to use the roads a little bit, from my house to the cycle path and then from by the Leisure centre over to work but there are crossings and the new bridge to use.
I wouldn't cycle on a duel carriageway or higher speed road because I have seen the lunacy first hand far too many times.
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