The eBike thread

Bigus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117791058#Comment_117791058

Great thanks Joe , Yosepower came up in my search as a likely candidate, thanks for your input it’s so helpful to hear from real experiences and exactly the type of response I was hoping for , and not the usual “why don’t you buy a motorbike if your doing 200km !”

I’ve lost 30 kg of body fat recently so putting 12 kg of electrics back , won’t kill this bike or frame !

DaveyDave

I was on Fazua's website looking at the guide for adjusting the settings of the assistance levels, max power is 250w by default but it says it will do 300w continuous, I must look into this. That would be a nice bump in power.

spalpeen

Anyone know what the kuma f1 is like to cycle without engaging the motor or throttle? Just pedalling

BoardsMember

Started shopping around for ebike for herself. Local bike shops, Rathgar area.

Are there some min specs people would advise, as in, torque, battery size? Anything else?

She's light and fit, wants help with 20km flattish commute. May do further day trips. I just dont want to make a noob mistake I regret as soon as I know a bit more.

She test drove a few today, likes the hub driven ones. Also keen on hydraulic brakes. Is the Kuma S2 a good option?

DaveyDave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117808736#Comment_117808736

If she's light, fit and it's a flat 20km I'd say she's better off just getting a nice road bike for the money? I think an ebike would be underutilized by someone fit and on a relatively short and flat commute.

I used to commute 20km a day, a few months on a mountain bike then switched to a road bike and I was absolutely flying along. Super agile and quick, effortless to get up to speed and easy up the hills. I was going further and faster without much effort and the road bike was just as comfortable.

Bigus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117809582#Comment_117809582

E-bike makes wind and rain and hills a lot more bearable , and you can wear heavy clothes in the winter without sweating.

DaveyDave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117813119#Comment_117813119

Of course but someone who's cycling 20km who's fit and light won't have any issues with a road bike. Assuming this is a 20km round trip and not 20km each way.

My current commute is 35km with lots of hills and traffic lights and I'm not as fit as I used to be so I have an ebike for that. Just thought it's worth considering a decent road bike.

BoardsMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117814239#Comment_117814239

She's converting to ebike as she's been in and out of town for 30 years on a bike and just wants to make it easier. She'd have panniers full of stuff all the time.

Krusty_Clown

Hoping to EV-up my MTB (Canyon Grand Canyon hardtail) at some stage, as I'm interested in the occasional blast in the trails (which are a good 26k round-trip away). Would I be right in saying that for this kind of use case a mid-drive motor would be the best fit to distribute the weight more evenly? Any suggestions for a motor/battery that would fit this profile - i.e.26-30k round trip + Three Rock type climb?

BoardsMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117808736#Comment_117808736

Interested to hear any observations on the Kuna S2 or specs for what I should be considering as min requirements.

Mousewar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117762006#Comment_117762006

I've an M1 too. Had it a few months now and love it. Took a ride on my normal bike to remind myself just how much the bike is giving you. It's a pleasure to cycle and zero maintainance issues. Essentially, most of the bike can be serviced by normal cycle shops but yes, you might be left high and dry if the battery or motor had a problem should Kuma not exist.

D n G

We're hoping to move from Dublin to the country in the next while and I'm hoping to buy an EBike to get around. Where we are looking at moving to is quite hilly and I am starting my research into the world of eBikes. I was having a deck at these two earlier and was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of them. Bearing in mind that I haven't cycled in about 30 years and am quite unfit.

I can't post links but the bikes are (1) RKS GF25 - 250W Fusion Mid Motor, 13Ah LG Battery e-Touring bike and (2) RKS T7 - 250W 10.4Ah eMTB Electric Bike

Greatful for any help or pointers in what to look for.

Voguementol

I was first thinking of the Pembleton Somerby bike but then thought it might be too heavy. Im now considering a Orbea Optima e50. Ive just realised though it has an integrated battery and i think that will be a problem as i wont be able to take out the battery and charge it at work. I want to use the bike to cycle to work about 3 times a week. its 7 km approx each way. Mostly straight but maybe one biggish hill and one long slow incline. Im really put off by the fact now i cant charge it at work as i can see myself forgetting to charge it at home and then being stuck walking it up the hill.

Does anyone have any views on this bike and if the integrated battery is a hassle? Is it expensive to run an ebike? I read the Pembleton can do 60 miles but it seems the Orbea is only around 30 miles. I want a bike that is step through, easy to charge, and will get me up the hill without too much of a struggle, speed is not important, upright sitting bike would be good and comfortable too. I really want to make the right decision on this. My budget could stretch to over 2200 or so. Also anyone try the orbea e40 is that any better? Its just the integrated battery that is really putting me off Orbea. Any advice appreciated. Reposting this as i posted it elsewhere and no response :(

druss

This is almost certainly a repeat question, but searching "in thread" has become very problematic on "new" boards.

I inherited a cargo ebike from a friend and ended up not using it much or taking care of battery maintenance. Basically, battery has been tested and can't be salvaged or rebuilt.

Is there any easy website to check battery compatability?

It's a Troy, which probably means no direct replacements in Ireland. Like this one. My hope is just to restore it to full working order and move it on.

tinner777

lads who have kuma bikes, don't laugh!!. Did you get an instruction book? What buttons do what? When you start the power, lights etc.. Plus service intervals.

Thanks,

Tinner

leche solara

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907812#Comment_117907812

No I didn't get an instruction manual which was a bit disappointing and not very professional. A long press of the power button turns it on/off. A long press of the up arrow turns the lights on/off. Holding the up and down arrows at the same time brings you into another screen where the trip distance can be reset to zero. Don't think there's much else. In the shop I bought my M1 I was told to bring it back for a check-up after 6 weeks. When I did they made some minor adjustments and told me too bring it back again when it was 6 months old. That will be December.

garson001

Hello lads.

I need an advice for affordable ebike (up to lets say 1300e). I live in Dublin, and would use it to bike to work couple of times per week.

Also, I plan to use bike to work scheme. What's really important for me is possibility to normally pedal without assistance (and no resistance from motor).

I tested Kuma bike R1 several days ago, it's really nice but figured out it's expensive for how much I would use it.

So these are some models I found available in Ireland:

1.RadMission

Pros: Good price, solid brand, good quality, not too heave (22kg)

Cons(Concerns): single speed, non hydraulic disc brakes, accessories (mudguards etc) bought separately

2.Carrera Subway E

Pros: Good price, hydraulic brakes, light (18 kg), 9 gears

Cons(Concerns): no mudguards etc, probably sold separately

3.Samebike L026

Pros: Good price, a lot of features (foldable, suspension etc.)

Cons(Concerns): heavy (~28kg), not sure if possible to buy with bike to work scheme (is it EU legal?)

Also, I've came across Apache ebikes (Czech brand) with good price (for example Tuwan E5) but not sure if possible to buy with bike to work scheme, and no reviews.

Thanks in advance! 😇

DaveyDave

Don't bother with suspension. It will just make the bike heavier than it needs to be and cheaper suspension forks tend to crap out after a few years. Nothing wrong with a rigid fork, if you could get a carbon fork that would smoothen some vibrations a little or save some budget for wider tyres for more comfort.

garson001

Thanks DaveyDave.

So, Samebike goes out of the list, and I am down to RadMission vs Carrera.

Carrera is 4kg lighter than RadMission, but Rad has better battery.

Any thoughts on RadMission vs Carrera? 😊

Krusty_Clown

So, I've decided to go with a CYC X1 Stealth motor, on my MTB. It's 10-12 weeks delivery time, so that's how long I've got to source a battery. Suggested specs are 52v and 17+Ah. Any suggestions on where to source this kind of battery? CYC do sell 52V batteries, but they are massive (I'd be worried about attaching them to the frame mount points) and are 8-12Ah. Fasterbikes.eu sells a 52v 17Ah, but it's crazy money (€780) and crazy delivery fee (€150).

The various Amazon sites have a number of options of decent ergonomic profile 52v 17Ah batteries, in the €300-€600 price region, but while they claim to use Samsung cells, they don't really have any reviews to speak of, so could be dodgy. Are there any other recommended options for sourcing this kind of spec battery? I'm not in the build-your-own battery category at this stage, but perhaps in the future.

Ush1

Looking at a foldable ebike for around 800 to get through bike to work scheme. Any particular ones recommended? I see Decathlon have some reasonably priced ones.

Joe1919

mistake

Joe1919

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117974254#Comment_117974254

I bought from pswpower (German warehouse) in the past and they had quick and free delivery. They have an unbranded cell 20ah 52v below for 356 dollars.

https://www.pswpower.com/products/eu-stock-electric-bicycle-battery-dc-5c-brand-inr21700-48x-21700-cells-pack-48v-192ah-36v-192ah-lithium-ebike-battery-fits-1000w-bafang-tsdz2-tong-195

Psychlops

Whats the law on de-restricting them?

Krusty_Clown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117976838#Comment_117976838

If you derestrict them, you may change their classification. From the RSA:

If it can be powered by mechanical or electrical power alone (i.e. it can continue without you pedalling or scooting it) then it is considered to be a ‘mechanically propelled vehicle’ (MPV). 

• Under road traffic law if an MPV is used in a public place it is subject to all of the regulatory controls that apply to other vehicles i.e. it must be roadworthy, registered, taxed and insured. 

• The driver of the vehicle must hold the appropriate driving licence and is obliged to wear a crash helmet.

Outside of the above, there isn't definitive government legislation on the subject, but it's on the way. A likely outcome will be a definition based on power/top speed which will support classification as either bicycle or moped. https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/12185-government-approves-next-steps-for-escooter-and-ebike-legislation/

Krusty_Clown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117976783#Comment_117976783

Thanks for that. I see this particular spec uses 'China Li-ion battery', which is an understandable trade-off, given the price. Do you know if your battery similarly used Chinese non branded batteries and if so, have you noticed any battery performance concerns? They also sell products that use branded batteries, so I'm just wondering if there's an observable difference. Thanks!

Joe1919

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117977972#Comment_117977972

I dont have that particular battery but I do have experience of two batteries built with 'china type' or unbranded type cells that are over 3 years old and have got a lot of use (well over 10,000 km each) and still perform ok. However both developed faults that were repairable. The first was a 36v 11ah phylion/joycube battery. This battery is well built but an internal wire broke from it rattling but was repaired. The second battery was not as well built, had a poor quality battery managment system and lost capacity due to cell inbalance. This battery worked well after a manual balance and continues to but the cell groups did need to be rebalanced a few times since. There is also a bit of 'sag' (caused by increase in internal resistance/voltage drops under load) with this second battery but its capacity is ok.

Psychlops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117977939#Comment_117977939

Thank you, Is it common to de-restrict them? I only just got mine yesterday but was looking at de restricted ones online on youtube. Also if I de restricted mine it wouldnt really be an MPV if im pedalling it would it?

Krusty_Clown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117981656#Comment_117981656

I believe based on the wording, that if it has the capability to move without human/physical assistance then it is an mpv, whether you are pedalling or not. Whether anyone would ever know or not is an entirely different conversation. Also, based on the wording, you can use it on private land.

Canis Lupus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117981656#Comment_117981656

If you're just cycling about in a normal safe manner you'll be grand. If you turn your bicycle into a battery powered motorbike and use it like a scummer then you'll catch someones eye sooner or later.

Psychlops

Hi all, anybody know if possible to get EBike brake disc locks like what you might see on a Moped? Also where should I go to insure my bike? Thanks.

Psychlops

Anybody?

Esel

I'd say you would be better posting in the Motorcycle forum, or try a motorcycle shop?

DaveyDave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118054405#Comment_118054405

Contents insurance would cover a bike but only at a really low value. A sturdy chain lock at the front and U lock through the rear wheel/frame is the best way to lock a bike. Don't think a disc lock would be any use.

I think there's only one or two companies insuring bikes outside of contents insurance and to be honest I've never bothered.

Psychlops

Thank you, I was looking at https://www.bicycleinsurance.ie/

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064033#Comment_118064033

I shopped around for specialist insurance, but it was really expensive. In the end I put my bike on the house insurance, even though they had to get clearance to cover the full value (minus excess in the event of a claim, obviously). I can't remember the figures exactly, but I worked out that if I managed to keep the bike for a year or two (and hopefully a lot more!) I'd be quids in, even allowing for the excess.

Schorpio

Hi all - I'm thinking about going the ebike route for commuting, and want to get the most bang for my buck. Would I be mental to buy a cheap commuter bike (something like this from Halfords) and a mid-hub conversion kit (like this)?

Wouldn't be as pretty or slick as a dedicated ebike, but would seemingly be quite a bit cheaper......

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118064074#Comment_118064074

Same here, if you plan to insure it, quite often you are better off buying the locks the insurance would require anyway and then just putting that money into a savings account. My gut feeling was I could afford a new bike relatively frequently with this thinking. It's not without risk but have no idea how pernickity the insurance might be. You hear stories about them asking for the broken lock to prove it was stolen etc. which might not be possible.

kyomi

I have a Japanese upright shopping-style bike that's in good condition - I brought it here from Japan in 2007 (pic below to show the type of bike). It has no gears, is very heavy and isn't suitable for even my short (5 mile) commute, plus I already have a road bike which I use for most things. Rather than leave the Japanese bike sitting in a shed unused, I'm thinking of converting it to an e-bike for shopping trips, carrying bags, etc.

I'm not super-handy with bikes over and above basic maintenance (although I'm willing to spend time and watch a lot of YouTube) - and the bike is non-standard in this part of the world so a lot of the more common solutions might not be suitable. E.g. I wouldn't go for a motor in the bottom bracket because I would be worried about the fit. A front hub looks ideal because the front wheel has rim brakes and would be the easiest to take off - the back wheel has hub brakes and loads of other stuff attached to it.

The problem is that the bike has 27" wheels (it's a 650A wheel which is pretty standard in Japan but not here) and a lot of the recommended companies on here (e.g. Yose) don't offer this size. Swytch does a 27" wheel (and the ease of installation appeals to me) but as they're UK-based, all the extra costs post-Brexit are pushing up the price (even after signing up to the early access discount) to a point at which I would get better value by just buying an e-bike outright, especially as I can use the Bike to Work scheme.

As it's an East Asian bike, there are probably a thousand different conversion kits available from China that would be perfect for it, but I just wouldn't know where to start.

So what I'm wondering is this: Would anyone know of an equivalent of Swytch that's based in the EU and will do either a 27" or a custom size wheel? Or failing that, a recommendation for an inexpensive front-hub kit from further afield that would be fairly easy to install? Or is there another solution I haven't thought of (e.g. switch out both wheels on the bike to a more standard size - no idea whether this would work within the existing frame).

I don't need particularly high power and, given that this whole thing is an experiment, I'd prioritize value for money over power.

Thanks for any ideas!

unkel

Some decent bike shops will lace a hub motor into your existing wheel. I think I paid €50 labour for that a few years ago.

Joe1919

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208650#Comment_118208650

There is very little difference between a 28 inch/700c wheel (622mm etrto) and a 27 inch wheel (630mm). The brake blocks have to be adjusted downwards by 4mm which is usually possible without changing the calipers, and you need a different tyre. But I would be worried about the dropouts. Most older 27 inch wheeled bikes used a smaller lighter front axle and the forks were often closer together by a few mm, so fitting a standard ready available 700c motor kit might involve a bit of stretching the forks and filing the dropouts which may not be safe if there is not enough metal on them. It is possible but more difficult to get a smaller and lighter motor with thinner axle etc.

There are kits available that have a roller that spins on the tyre. I dont know much about them (other than they do wear out the tyres quicker) but they may be useful for your situation.

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/revos-electric-bike-conversion-kit/

kyomi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208800#Comment_118208800

Thanks @unkel, there are a couple of independent bike shops near me so I'll have a chat with them about that option.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208939#Comment_118208939

That's interesting @Joe1919. The wheels have a wider rim than would be typical for a 27" wheel, at 37 mm rather than 32 mm, so it's possible that the whole wheel, and therefore the forks, would be slightly wider as well.

I saw a kit with a roller in passing while doing my research - I initially thought it wouldn't work for me, as the one I saw replaced the back carrier, but the one you link to looks like it would fit in better - I'll check those types of motors out as well.

Psychlops

Anybody have a Speedbox? Any good/bad outcomes with it?

Psychlops

No? Anybody?

Thargor

Anyone seen any good conversion kit bargains lately? Got a decent Trek MTB here that I'd love to stick a bit of power on. They seemed to be getting very cheap before covid but I suppose that's changed.

woody33

My pre owned e-bike has a downtube Impulse brand battery which has begun to act weird when on charge

Lives in a shed, temp this morning 8° C.

Plug in, charger has green light, handlebar screen says charger connected.

No lights on battery.

Press, press and hold, eventually led 1 then 5 flash in turn.

Later, in warmer kitchen, swap mains leads, no difference, but eventually it starts charging.

It was about 80%, bring it to 95% or so.

Go for spin, battery lights flash 1 and 5 in turn. Press battery button, eventually it stops flashing.

Motor power seems fine.

So, there we are, any ideas? Thanks.

woody33

Right, I'm thinking it's too cold for the battery and charger to start working at about 8° C, even though the manual say down to 0° C is ok. A nuisance, but liveable with.

Thargor

What a beauty:

https://twitter.com/MetCycleCops/status/1468613221909245952

unkel

Is that a petrol generator? LOLOLOLOL 🤣

With one or two 14S batteries and two 50A controllers, that thing should easily do 100km/h

DaveyDave

Apparently Fazua updated their software in the Summer to allow Bluetooth connectivity between the motor and phones/bike computers. I have an ancient Garmin Edge 500 which doesn't have Bluetooth but apparently the Wahoo mobile app supports sensors so I should be able to get rider power data.

I got a power meter for my road bike earlier in the year. Even just for casual fitness it's nice to have an accurate measurement of performance. It will be interesting to see what sort of power I'm putting in with an ebike and to see how much shortfall there is, or if I'm putting in enough effort with a 15kg bike vs an 8kg bike.

Other mid drive bikes seem to have this function too, from what little I see discussed about them online.