How much difference has getting an electric assist bike made for you?

[Conanius]

Backstory - I used to love my daily cycle commute when I lived in London. 11 miles each way starting in Bromley and ending up in Westminster. I miss it.

Fast forward 12 years, and I'm about to have surgery on my knee (ACL rupture that I've been carrying for years, and potentially meniscus damage). I'll restart cycling after surgery, it's only 6 miles each way, so I'll probably just hop on my Cannondale Mountain bike.

However - We're looking to move house, and I'm considering doing that commute when we move. One of the properties we really like is a ~13 mile jaunt, mainly down B roads.

I'm thinking about an electric assist bike so I don't ruin myself on the journey and manage the journey time a bit better on some of the hills, but how much real world difference does it make, and do any of you have recommendations for a bike to do that journey on?

Could be jolly useful if I can easily remove the battery to top it up in work if suggested bikes have a really short battery range.

 

[SoliD]

Think @Em3bbs has some experience here.

 

[BlizzardX]

I have a Giant Fastroad E+ EX Pro that replaced a local NZ manufactured rear driven ebike. I've been commuting for ~4.5ys now (bar NZ lockdowns etc.) 4 to 5 days per week at 40km per day. I tried riding the distance originally on my old bike and it would take ~1 hour 15 mins to travel the 20kms up some quite serious hills that Auckland has but now with the ebike I can do it in ~35 minutes each way. Now, I'm tanking it at 40kmh+ on the flats which I could get close to on a road bike, but the ebike allows me to climb up hills at 30kmh seated without issue and has a signficant reduction in time as a result.

My current ride is a mid drive and is more power and energy efficient than the rear hub but cost twice as much and I burn through a chain/cassette every 2000km where as the rear drive bike never had a change of chain/cassette but used more energy and I needed to charge it fully at work and even then on full power it was low on juice by the time I got home.

I hope that helps a wee bit.

Chris

 

[AnastieByte]

I have ridden ebikes for the last 5 years. I was struggling on a normal bike on hills due to a knackered knee from running. This meant when out with mates on a ride I could not do the distance or steep hills.

I bought a used Giant Dirt E MTB and it changed everything. I have used it twice a week and love it. I’m strict with using the assist and have it on minimum or off until I hit a hill or my knee hurts! I can comfortably ride 25 miles.

I also own a Giant Fast Road Ebike I bought new. Again superb bike for the money and lightweight compared to the MTB.

Ive made the decision not to keep two bikes and have spent months deciding which to keep. I’m keeping the fastroad one and the only reason been I don’t ride trails anymore.

I fully recommend an Ebike.

 

[Em3bbs]

I have a MiRider for my auditing YouTube channel cycling to the station - as they are foldable to good for the commute. I wouldn't pay full price for one though, I got mine for £600 on eBay with about 400 miles on it. I also have a Onebot, which is the same frame as a MiRider, but sold from China and with slightly less quality components, I got this on eBay after the MiRider for around £250 for my son to use.

The other alternative I did is to motorise your current bike, I did this to my 25 year old Cube mountain bike with the Swytch kit. It makes light work of hills that would otherwise make a ride unenjoyable as a commute.

 

[fez]

Any half decent ebike will allow you to decide between "I rotate the pedals and do 0 work" and "This is just a heavy normal bike". Completely up to you how you ride them.

 

[ANDARIAL]

I got a cheap e-bike from amazon about 3 years ago
Before i had it i would ride maybe 4-5 miles a trip sometimes,now i can do 20 miles no sweat and sometimes more
Gets me out and about a lot more than a manual bike

 

[Martynt74]

My wife has a bike converted with a Bafang mid drive motor. She wouldn't be able to ride without it, but it also has the benefit of the throttle for if she ever really struggles.

Not sure about the more commercial bikes, but her battery will do about 100 miles between charges.

 

[Bug One]

One of my mates bought an ebike. He's now twice the man he used to be.

 

[fez]

One of my mates bought an ebike. He's now twice the man he used to be.

Probably those huge legs from all the peddling he is definitely still doing

 

[arknor]

on an ebike you still get a workout, mostly on a bike your just spinning at high cadence anyway exactly the same as on an ebike.
the only difference is you don't kill your self going up hills

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I had my first eBike in 2010 to get me to work and back because of a very badly damaged knee and it took 12 years to finally have my full knee replacement last year.
If I hadn't got my eBikes I wouldn't have been able to get to work unless I went by taxi to the front door.
I ended up converting my own and I'm still using them after all this time because even though I've had the operation it's still really bad.

I have one for winter and one for Summer.
The kits cost around £400 from Yose Power and over the years I've helped over 25 people convert their own including my neighbour who I will be doing soon.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

One of my mates bought an ebike. He's now twice the man he used to be.

Depends how you use them, going to work I make it as easy as can but coming home I can be more knackered than on any normal bike I've owned.
Trying to pedal a heavy eBike up a hill with no assist is a great workout.

Back around 2012 my Brother in Law kept calling me a cheat so I offered him a challenge.
He had a £5,500 Cervelo racing bike so I asked him to ride to the bottom of the bank, ride back up and remember how easy/hard it was.
I put him on my Hybrid eBike and when he returned he said he needed it to be on Assist 4 (out of 5) to be equal to his bike.
I put him on my MTB and when he got to me he was out of breath and said there wasn't an Assist to be like his bike.

So that lesson taught both me and him that his Cervelo is cheating

 

[bainbridge]

I hardly do any recreational cycling now on a non assisted bike because ebikes are so much fun!

 

[Gabby]

I have arthritis in feet, knees, hips, hands. Without my eBike I'd be lost. Even use it for going to the shops. Raleigh Motus step-through for those interested - bought two at the same time for me and wife. Not cheap but having tried cheaper bikes we much preferred the Motus.