I’m thinking about getting myself an e-bike for commuting and doing away with the car completely but I’ve got no idea about e-bikes.

I’m looking for something that’ll take a rear rack and full length guards, wider tyres, preferably around a 700×42 with the guards. It’ll need to be a sensible weight as I’ll need to carry it at the other end to get it into the building for storage. The commute is about 10 miles each way on road. It’ll be used for shopping trips etc as well. I’d prefer flat bars but drops may work for me or I’ve probably got enough spares to convert to flat bars if needed.

Any suggestions what to look at our avoid?

What do you consider a ‘sensible’ weight? Ebikes are heavier down to having far more kit on them by default…are you looking to charge the battery or is it going to be a short enough journey that you can recharge once back home?

Assuming it isn’t a modified machine then I think you have up to 15mph with motor assist, above that and it is all you moving the bike…that may have an impact on your commute times.

Plenty of choices for bikes so there will be more than 1 that will meet your needs…

Just weighed the bikes in the garage to get an idea of weights.

My wife’s hardtail bike is 25kg and my normal hardtail is around 13.5kg. I guess I’d like to get something around the 15kg mark but not sure if that’s reasonable?

The 15mph limit shouldn’t be an issue as my normal commute is around that speed. the main reason for looking at an e-bike is so I’m not getting to work hot and sweating and needing a shower when it’s either freezing cold and I’m wrapped up or when it’s blowing a hooley and I’m riding in to it!

I have an Orbea Vibe on order for exactly this OP. Not so much an extra bike, more a car replacement. Flat bar, 700×38 I think, mudguards, Orbea supplied rack if you want one. It’s a hub motor so it’s light for a eBike. 35lbs ish and enough power to get to 15 mph on any (road) terrain I tested it and keep it there. Eco on the flat, trail on the hills, turbo for a laugh 😉

It’s late tho! Hopefully get it this week so can report back.

Borrowed Mrs Pondo’s Cannondale Tesoro Remixte (girl frame) SL EQ, or whatever its ridiculously long name is for a 14 mile round trip commute yesterday – loved it, just the job (although I didn’t need the jacket!). I don’t have the carrying issue, although it’s not that much heavier than her old Giant Escape.

I’ve converted an old Specalized Hardrock Pro with an easifit front wheel conversion. Its great for commuting, with a decathlon rear rack on for panniers. However its not light! Around 26kg all in. That said it makes my 14km each way commute a doddle!

I recently did the same OP. I looked at many options and ended up with one of these…

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Merida-eSpeeder-400-EQ-2021-Electric-Hybrid-Bike_230801.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7KqZBhCBARIsAI-fTKIYS7o-6N7-NN7RvjuCIkGEjrRIvpRvG2VDlId1_EuxuXfi4PgkX3saArL6EALw_wcB

Is fully loaded, with guard’s, pannier and lights and runs with a Mahle hub motor, so a bit lighter than the crank based motors.

I was using my gravel bike but was finding by mid week i was feeling a bit fatigued. My commute is approx 14 miles each way, but pretty much flat. The battery lasts me 2 days of riding, so approx 56 miles, with a little juice left in the battery. Thats using my own ‘custom’ assistance at a smidge under 80%, which is more than enough to get me to work without being soaking wet with sweat.

My average heart rate on the gravel bike was around 130bpm, on the e-commuter its around 98bpm. So working a lot less. And still taking the same amount of time. It also gives me the encouragement to ride in the rain or wind, as i know i have the motor to help.

There are plenty of similar options, Orbea Vibe, Ribble Hybrid Al, Raleigh Chase etc.

As someone who isnt the biggest fan of ebikes, i have been pleasantly surprised!

Oh plus the benefit of not using the car!

Add a tongshen unit to you current bike? Its the lightest midmount

15 kilos ebike is unlikely tho unless you opt for a very small battery

Ribble Hybrid Al

Lovely bikes, but check they’re in stock before ordering

The Ribble shows as being in stock but gives a delivery date of November 2022!

The Orbea looks pretty good, I’ll have to see if anywhere’s got one to demo.

I’ve no interest in any of the aftermarket motor kits, I’ll stick with buying something ready made for the job.

Tongshen kit is good and far better than a cheap full build with a hub motor. Where do you think they source the hub motors from?

I’m not really bothered where anyone sources their hub motors, as I said earlier I’ve no interest in bolt on motor kits.

Why? You get a much better riding experience than a cheap hub moror in a cheap build.

Its only a suggestion

I know you say you’ll be on the road, but I’d give thought to having something gravel-ish, or with clearance for bigger tyres. With a motor the extra drag doesn’t matter, and it opens up options for dodging traffic on alternative routes in nice days. The bigger tyres and tread are also nice when it comes to poor weather commuting.

That was part of my thinking Hannah.
It was your review of the Cairn E-Adventure and the podcast with the guys from there that got me thinking about a gravel bike rather than a road bike or hybrid.

Woosh

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/

Mrs Pondo’s Cannondale Tesoro Remixte (girl frame) SL EQ,

I’ve just taken delivery of the manly man’s version of this. (it was in a sale and on C2W so cost a lot less than that!). Sounds like it’s just what you’re after, OP. (Also very similar to the Orbea Vibe mentioned).

It’s 17.6kg including rack, mudguards, pedals and lights etc. So it’s not light! But I don’t think you’ll get an awful lot lighter without spending serious dosh. The Ribble Hybrid Al e is quoted as lighter, but it’s got the same motor and battery, and I’m not sure if that weight is before racks and stuff?

I’ve done a couple of short rides on it. It’s got a 250w battery which is about standard for this type of hybrid/gravel type thing, ie hidden in the frame. Note that this means you need to plug the actual bike in – you can’t remove the battery for charging. It seems very happy on hardpack and riverside towpaths and that. Haven’t had any mud yet though…

Mine’s good for 20 flattish miles, on highest power level, with me putting in *no effort whatsoever* beyond turning the pedals at coasting level (the freewheel still clicks, so I’m not even keeping up with that). Due to my Long COVID I can’t really do proper exercise – but a regular cyclist will get an awful lot more range than that!

I’m totally up for getting the manly man version, riding Mrs Pondo’s was great – I’ve got no form at all at the mo but it’s so eady, even at low power, to cruise along at a gentle clip. And if thete’s any sign of a climb, just whack the power up and off you go. 🙂

I do quite like that it doesn’t look that much like an ebike from a distance – you hear of the odd theft of a nice bike on Birmingham’s canals, I’m of the mind that riding something a bit more anonymous is a good anti-theft measure.

I’ve just sent back my Giant ebike commuter thing (Fast road +or something like that)due to continuing electrical problems.
It was a 25kg beast with the power at the BB. My thoughts are this- 38mile round trip commute was doable every day- I could sustain 19 mph on the flat where I could hit 25 on a full blown road bike giving it beans. Any elevation at all this was sitting at 15.5 It worked and I liked it. I could carry it upstairs at work but I was definitely loin girding.
New bike I may well choose a lighter powered hub bike, or a conversion kit of some sort. I just didn’t need 80nm on the road, or the weight that came with it.

i looked at the cannondale when in the market, but went with the Merida, as its basically an identical bike, but the Merida was a good few hundred quid cheaper (at the time).

It would appear that a lot of these are much the same, you just choose your favourite colour 😀

Boardman ADV 8.9e
took a little faffing to get full length guards on (i had to modify mine)
weighs about 16kg
i use mine for 9.5 miles each way
motor is pretty nice when you get past hte 15.5mph limit and onto human power its not really a big deal
stock tyres are pretty substantial yet suitable, although only 38’s havent tried anything larger
stock wheels are a ton however…

The ribble gravel e-bike might be a good shout, subject to availability/price/fit/etc.

Aye, the Ribble was my first choice, looks lovely – but when I was looking the lead time was about 5 months which put me off. It’s now saying Jan 2023 for a Large size. So I ordered something that was in stock at our work C2W scheme, and it ended up taking them nearly 2 months to deliver anyway…. typical!

i looked at the cannondale when in the market, but went with the Merida, as its basically an identical bike

Yes those two are suspiciously similar!! I’d probably be slightly annoyed if I was a bike designer and saw the other one… you’d think it was a copy.

Aye, the Ribble was my first choice, looks lovely – but when I was looking the lead time was about 5 months which put me off. It’s now saying Jan 2023 for a Large size. So I ordered something that was in stock at our work C2W scheme, and it ended up taking them nearly 2 months to deliver anyway…. typical!

Mrs Pondo ordered a Ribble in June last year, with a delivery date of November – we cancelled the order as it still hadn’t arrived by June of this year. The Cannondale took 3 days. 🙂

I got an Orbea Vibe EQ model. The EQ bit added full length mudguards, an extra front light, a rack and a kickstand. Probably weighs about 16kg and with careful use of the power I can do over 40 miles on a charge. It’s really good looking too.

I had a test ride on an Orbea Vibe EQ – really liked that too. And that little front light built into the headset/head tube looked awesome! Not quite awesome enough for me to spend an extra £300 odd mind…. but very cool

@goslow – how hilly is your commute or 40 mile rides between charges? Just interested to compare to mine. As mentioned mine are really flat, so can get nearly 60 miles to a charge, using 78ish % assistance.