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Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

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AleisterCrowley
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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242440

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 7th, 2019, 2:25 pm

Ah, I thought there was a powered/no pedal mode on eBikes- obviously not
(although a powered 15mph is going to be less harmful than a pedalled 20mph+)

bungeejumper
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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242449

Postby bungeejumper » August 7th, 2019, 3:04 pm

daveh wrote:I find the attitude that your not a real cyclist, or that you are cheating if you have an electric bike very unhelpful.

Can I suggest that you spend a few minutes retuning your irony filter? It seems to have gone on the blink.

It's always fair game to take a few snidey elbow-jabs at people who've found effortless ways to circumvent the usual physical sweat and strain. Let me give you an analogy.

If I were to tell you that I had built enormous arm muscles and flattened my stomach by sitting in a chair and using an electronic tens machine, instead of flattening myself on the weightlifting bench in the usual way, you might very well feel the same way about me. (Scornful but also vaguely jealous? ;) )

Okay, you can relax, because I haven't..... (I do have a weight-loss tens machine in a drawer somewhere, but I couldn't be @rsed to use it. :lol:

If you can fix that irony filter of yours, I think you'll find that there's a fair degree of receptivity here to the idea of e-bikes. They are, in essence, a good idea, which was where this tread originally started. But, as the Parisian experience with dangerous and irritating urban e-scooters has shown, not all of the new e-machines are quite so obviously a good thing. And won't be until their owners have been persuaded to behave like responsible adults. We may be waiting a while.

BJ

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242462

Postby bungeejumper » August 7th, 2019, 3:30 pm

Snorvey wrote:Last time I saw one of those used it was many many years ago and it was attached to someone's bits (voluntarily and for 'a laugh' - I think it was on TV prog Jackass or something).

OMG, they warn you in no uncertain terms not to use electro shock devices across the torso, left to right. It's a good way to stop your heart, apparently. Vertical alignment works better, but not on that muscle. :lol:

scotia
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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242528

Postby scotia » August 7th, 2019, 7:11 pm

My e-bike is a folding model, so can be transported in the car boot. When I'm up in the more northerly regions I think it may be a good idea to search for Snorvey's hill - and wait for him to pass, then go after him at full power, shouting rude comments about those unfit fellows who make a song and dance about a wee hill. :lol:

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#246860

Postby Itsallaguess » August 25th, 2019, 9:31 am

There's an interesting review of the Fuell Fluid e-bike in the Guardian this morning.

The bike has been designed by Erik Buell, of the Buell Motorcycle Company, which eventually merged with Harley-Davidson Corp.

Anyhow, these excerpts caught my eye for a number of reasons -

Two bikes are being offered: one is a neat and nimble city motorbike called Flow; the other is a chunky ebike named Fluid. It comes with a 250W crank-centred motor, or as a sportier “S” version with a more powerful 500W engine.

What makes the Fluid exceptional is its range – up to 125 miles on a single charge. With an ebike you can never be stranded in the same way you can if you drain all the juice from an electric car, but range anxiety is still an issue for mile-hungry cyclists. The Fluid packs two integrated batteries into its large frame, giving a whopping total of more than 1kWh of power.

Few people are going to set out to cover 125 miles on an ebike in a single trip, but whizzing around the city you’d be amazed how many miles you eat up. The Fluid’s extended range means you’ll only need to worry about charging every week or two – it’s about convenience as much as outright distance.

As you’d expect from Buell, the Fluid has sleek lines and numerous smart details to surprise and delight. It’ll turn heads in the bike lanes of any city. To make it simple to use and easy to maintain, it has a Gates carbon belt drive and Shimano Alfine 8-speed geared hub. The batteries are quick to charge, reaching 80% in 2.5 hours and a full charge in 5 hours. The batteries are also removable and as battery technology evolves they can be upgraded.


https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... -bike-lane

As someone with a very keen interest in e-bikes, this is a step in the sort of direction that I want to see before committing to a fairly substantial outlay -

1. Extended range - 125 miles off a single charge would be something that would really remove some of the range-issues common with many similarly priced e-bikes.

2. In-frame batteries that are removable and upgradeable - I've been dismayed to recently see many in-frame battery designs that are not made for user-removal, so this is another step forward, and this issue would be a deal-breaker for me if a battery was not able to be removed for maintenance or repair/replacement.

I should add that whilst the above review seems to suggest this is available now, it actually looks from the IndieGoGo link that this might be a crowd-funded prototype which isn't yet available for shipping (https://tinyurl.com/y5mwwxhp - estimated shipping in Jan 2020...), but even with that said, I think it shows a good level of ambition towards what we can expect from the e-bike market very soon....

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

daveh
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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#247059

Postby daveh » August 26th, 2019, 1:22 pm

Itsallaguess wrote:There's an interesting review of the Fuell Fluid e-bike in the Guardian this morning.



[i]Two bikes are being offered: one is a neat and nimble city motorbike called Flow; the other is a chunky ebike named Fluid. It comes with a 250W crank-centred motor, or as a sportier “S” version with a more powerful 500W engine.


As someone with a very keen interest in e-bikes, this is a step in the sort of direction that I want to see before committing to a fairly substantial outlay -

1. Extended range - 125 miles off a single charge would be something that would really remove some of the range-issues common with many similarly priced e-bikes.

2. In-frame batteries that are removable and upgradeable - I've been dismayed to recently see many in-frame battery designs that are not made for user-removal, so this is another step forward, and this issue would be a deal-breaker for me if a battery was not able to be removed for maintenance or repair/replacement.

I should add that whilst the above review seems to suggest this is available now, it actually looks from the IndieGoGo link that this might be a crowd-funded prototype which isn't yet available for shipping (https://tinyurl.com/y5mwwxhp - estimated shipping in Jan 2020...), but even with that said, I think it shows a good level of ambition towards what we can expect from the e-bike market very soon....

Cheers,

Itsallaguess


Just a comment - the 500W version is NOT an e-bike under EU (and UK) regulations and would (probably) be classified as a moped (requiring type approval, insurance, PPE (ie a motorbike standard helmet) and possibly registration. The insurance and registration might prove difficult. I say that as Facebook have been feeding me lots of E-bike ads some for bikes that are not in the e-bike category (due to >250W motor and being twist and go rather than just pedal assist). The comments and links provided by the manufacturer have been quite interesting wrto regulation of these bikes in the UK (and other EU countries).

For what I use my e-bike for the range I get is adequate - I'm doing a 15 mile commute (so 30 miles total) per day and generally get two days of commuting per charge without range anxiety on the second day. Battery use is very dependant on how much assist you require, a lot of steep hills or a strong head wind that means you are using a lot of assist, quickly reduces the range available. So a better battery (without too much additional weight or bulk would be welcome. I've always charged my bike with the battery attached, but it can be removed for charging or replacement which I agree is a must.

Itsallaguess
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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#247096

Postby Itsallaguess » August 26th, 2019, 4:06 pm

daveh wrote:
Itsallaguess wrote:
There's an interesting review of the Fuell Fluid e-bike in the Guardian this morning.



[i]Two bikes are being offered: one is a neat and nimble city motorbike called Flow; the other is a chunky ebike named Fluid. It comes with a 250W crank-centred motor, or as a sportier “S” version with a more powerful 500W engine.


Just a comment - the 500W version is NOT an e-bike under EU (and UK) regulations and would (probably) be classified as a moped (requiring type approval, insurance, PPE (ie a motorbike standard helmet) and possibly registration.

The insurance and registration might prove difficult. I say that as Facebook have been feeding me lots of E-bike ads some for bikes that are not in the e-bike category (due to >250W motor and being twist and go rather than just pedal assist).

The comments and links provided by the manufacturer have been quite interesting wrto regulation of these bikes in the UK (and other EU countries).


Thanks for the reminder, and that's a very good point.

I do wonder if there might be some movement in the e-scooter and e-bike area of UK regulations, and especially in the e-scooter area.

If we're really going to make a push into getting out of our cars for local journeys then I think we're either going to have to reduce some legislation or open up huge lengths of scooter/cycle lanes.

Perhaps we'll do a bit of both, but I am encouraged by how this battery technology is both being developed for personal transport, and also taken up by what seems to be an enthusiastic public.

Perhaps there's hope for us yet...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

daveh
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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#247116

Postby daveh » August 26th, 2019, 5:02 pm

Itsallaguess wrote:Thanks for the reminder, and that's a very good point.

I do wonder if there might be some movement in the e-scooter and e-bike area of UK regulations, and especially in the e-scooter area.

If we're really going to make a push into getting out of our cars for local journeys then I think we're either going to have to reduce some legislation or open up huge lengths of scooter/cycle lanes.

Perhaps we'll do a bit of both, but I am encouraged by how this battery technology is both being developed for personal transport, and also taken up by what seems to be an enthusiastic public.

Perhaps there's hope for us yet...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess


I'm not sure with e-scooters - at the moment the authorities are having a bit of a crackdown on them. I have some worries about sharing the roads/paths with e-scooters as they are:
1) twist and go
2) fast top speed (up to 30mph)
3) poor brakes? (I've heard, but not sure if true)

but with proper design and regulation it should be doable and it may be one way to get (young) people out of their cars for shorter journeys.


The regulations for e-bikes are fairly strict with power limited to 250W, speed limited to 25km/hr (the point at which assist cuts out, you can go as fast as you like the old-fashioned way) and no twist and go (except for walk mode limited to 4.5kph). Anything more powerful is no longer classified as an e-bike and is much more heavily regulated/ ambiguously regulated as a motor vehicle requiring type approval, possible registration and insurance.

Perhaps we need a category between an e-bike and a full electric moped (from reading the ads I'm being fed on facebook there does seem to be a couple of intermediate classes in European law, but they don't seem to have been sensibly incorporated into national regulation*) that would allow greater power (for example for cargo bikes) or a greater speed cut off for the power assist.


* and this doesn't seem to be just the UK.


Myself I'd like the cut off for the assist to be a little higher at say 20mph rather than the present ~15mph, but that's because I can easily keep my bike at >than the present cut-off on the flat and if I work can hold the bike at around the cut-off on most of the hills I ride on my commute. The ride can be a bit jerky if your speed is close to the cut-off, so I tend to keep the speed just a little below the cut-off for a smoother ride, but a slightly slower commute. I shouldn't complain as my e-bike makes my commute much more doable as I get older and less fit and means that I can keep the bike at close to 15mph up most of the hills I do on my commute, and I'm still getting a decent amount of exercise too.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#358931

Postby UncleEbenezer » November 21st, 2020, 11:59 pm

daveh wrote:For a start e-bikes only go if you pedal*. Ie the motor provides assistance when you pedal and not otherwise. If a e-bike is twist and go it is an electric motorbike, requires type approval, the rider has to have appropriate insurance and wear appropriate PPE.


Yesterday I (on foot) was passed by a kid of about 7 onna bike. There's an 'interesting' whine to the bike as she passes: could be a motor, or some gimmick designed as toy. This was downhill, so no surprise she was going a lot faster than me with or without a motor. She was having fun, but also riding sensibly and in control.

A little way ahead of me, she bears right. Now she's going uphill, but she hasn't slowed down (as I certainly would've done). All without pedaling. Right, that's definitely electric. Up the hill is a man - probably dad - who she connects with.

This was a child-size bike, ridden by a child. Off-road, but on good, open grassland: harder work than tarmac or gravel, but safe and comfortable terrain. I've no reason to suppose it wasn't legal, but I do suspect it's something not envisaged at all by whatever regulations you're looking at.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#359019

Postby GrahamPlatt » November 22nd, 2020, 2:46 pm

Dodgy knee precludes long walks nowadays (my preferred form of travel), so a few months ago I treated myself to one of these https://www.beaufortbikes.com/nl/ascento-468 & I have to say it's one of the few purchases that has given me no buyer's regret whatsoever.


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