Okay folks, this is a column that will address how, why, where, which and when Ebikes are best for you, your commute and adventurous world. T
This being the first article in a series it seems appropriate that we look at what constitutes a decent bike for YOUR lifestyle.
Vital points are quality, especially of battery cells and motor. Frames these days are good but be sure to go to good anti-electrolysis alloys, not aluminium. Carbon is cool but is awfully expensive with limited life, especially in MTB applications, so I say, “go good alloy.”
Motor quality is vital, and IMHO anything under 300W will not match the demands of Auckland’s steep and long hills. Many cheaper ‘300W’ claims are really the cheap 250W motors, dragging extra voltage and overstressed on hills. If the motor’s light, it will lack torque and/or genuine watt capacity. Size and weight matter, so be alert. 300W genuine ‘on the tar’ output requires 340W actual power, and this represents a very substantial difference in climbing, speed, and smooth power delivery.
In summary, Auckland is hilly, so don’t scrimp on wattage. By the same token the coppers are starting to get rarkey on hooney speeding ebikers, so if you go for 500W, keep it below 35km/hour; the legal limit is 32km/hour which is a fair clip – 40km will get you ticketed.
Likewise, battery quality, A-grade cells give 1000+ charge-cycle life, and that’s what you want. Many cheaper bikes save on motor and battery grade - Samsung, Panasonic, and LG cells are recommended, and make sure they’re A-grade certified.
Range is something everyone asks about. For Auckland, pedal assisted commuting say for Lincoln Road to the CBD and return, a 36V/10-amp hour battery is ample. Anything inside that 15km radius, gives you lots of spare capacity, but consider the battery reserve used when climbing. A lot of sales wallahs will brush over this fact, but it is important. And I advise strongly that you should pedal assist on hills as even moderate assistance reduces loads on battery, motor, and transmission dramatically. Besides, it’s fun and VERY satisfying, climbing like a pro!
Then there is the interesting ‘standard versus folding’ debate. The standard bike (triangle or step thru) needs no introduction; they are great, and all the golden rules above apply, but Foldies are the cool peripheral city-dweller paradigm in Europe and are starting to gain traction here. Their versatility, storability, think ‘car boot, bus, train, office’, and less-is-more chutzpah makes them very cool, and good ones perform, even outperform, standard bike options.
But three things distinguish ‘a real bike’ from ‘a toy’ – geometry, wheelbase, and wheel size. All three define whether it’s going to be a skittery Raleigh 20 public menace, or the best thing since sliced bread. Avoid under 300W, avoid under 20-inch wheels, and avoid short wheelbase! Okay, I admit it, I’m a FoldiE convert, and even though I’ve got over 20 bikes, from carbon racers to classic 1940s old dutchies, I live on my FoldiE. As I said in last month’s Ponsonby News, I toured Europe with it; folded it up, got on the train, got off wherever and RODE!
So… really, whatever you do, go to E-biking, you'll save squoodles on commute costs, have serious fun commuting and just buzzing about the town and trails, and the planet will thank you for it.
Next month. A Quasi-religious debate; CenterDrive Vs Hub-Drive. www.ebobikes.co.nz
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