To cycle about on the Isle of Skye. I've had a quick look at ebay and they all look a little dodgy to say the least. There's one which seems to sell well [url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRIC-FULL-SUSPENSION-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-BICYCLE-NEW_W0QQitemZ380115714917QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item380115714917&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 ]here on ebay[/url] but weighing in at nearly 40Kgs, I worry that it would run out in the middle of nowhere and be too heavy to cycle home.
Anyone know anything about electric bikes?
TIA
Yikes! Dont like that much.
[url= http://www.powabyke.com/ ]Try looking here [/url] for something a bit more like a traditional hybrid with a fairly lightweight lithium ion battery pack.
Might be worth talking to these folks:
http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/electric_bikes.shtml
at least if there are problems you can get it back to him next time someone is down the road in the "big smoke".
My understanding is they are a credible, reasonably long standing business (run by one guy) selling "unusual" bikes, so I think you will get better advice than from a normal LBS who are not really experienced in the unusual!
Thanks for those links - I was thinking of getting a few of the family together and buying her one for her birthday, but damn, these things are expensive!
You'd think there would be government grants available for being environmentally friendly....
Those Heinzmann retrofit kits look good - my stepdad's a retired engineer and would love the challenge, but the price is prohibitive - more than a complete bike from Powabyke!!
I don't know much about electric bikes but for some reason my dog has an aversion to both electric bikes and metal detectors. If they repel dog attack they could sell like hot cakes on STW.
Hmmmm - dogs..... Perhaps a husky team and a wheeled sled is the answer. Much cheaper and probably road legal too!
Pearce Cycles do electric bikes.
They've even got a demo one.
Have a look [url= http://www.pearcecycles.co.uk/product_list/27 ]here[/url].
Call 01584 879288 and ask for James or Gary.
Just found this [url= http://www.atob.org.uk/Electric_Buyers%27_Guide.html ]buyers guide[/url]!
Ben form Kenetics used to on here all the time. Phone him for some advice, he realy knows his buisness and will me able to set you In the right direction.
10% discount for STW subscribers as well
powabyke is the one you want.
Drives from the front (so not to kill the rear hub). They now do one(x-bike) that with a Li ion battery which is significantly lighter than the 40kg of the old lead acid one !
It is based on a raleigh pioneer.
Sold lots and had one faulty throttle between them.Also it has the best torque , we tested a few different electric bikes , notably the giant one doesnt cope with hills , it just dies. others made it eventually but only just , the powabyke wasnt phased by it ...which on sky may be important non ?
www.powabyke.com
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£929 quid .... you gets what you pay for. the basic 6 speed euro with lead acid battery is 645 - most of the extra cost is in the battery.
God i used to sell electric bikes many moons ago.
Things to consider when buying an electric bike-
Do you want it to be Electrically assisted or do you want it to run without peddling?
How heavy? You will have the option of Lead Acid batteries (heavy and short range but cheap) or Lithium ion (lighter with better range but expensive)
Ultra Motors A2B is an interesting new one its Lithium ion with a 20 mile range however a second battery pack can be added to bring it up to 40 miles. This launched in the UK last week.
[url= http://www.ultramotor.com/Usa/Products/ProductDetails_USA.aspx?gProductId=57 ]UltraMotor[/url]
Probably not as of interest to you mum is this brand new speedy number really meant as halfway between a bike and a motorcycle. [url= http://www.elmoto.com/ ]Elmoto[/url]
Sorry for the delay in responding - cheers to all for very helpful advice / links. I've forwarded all this to my mum. I reckon it'll have to be Li-on option due to weight.
Cheers again to all!!