We set out to take a look at the top 5 best looking electric mountain bikes for 2016. Remember we're not talking budget, components or specification. Just looks on this one! The new season is upon us and the eBike frenzy has taken off. With more and more manufacturers on board & some model ranges doubling in size we thought it only necessary to take a look at the top 5 (our opinion!) best looking electric bikes. Following a visit to EuroBike it's clear that it's now hard to find a manufacturer that doesn't offer something eAssited. Now time to round up the top 5: No1: Haibike xDuro DwnHill Pro We like that fact that Haibike have gone balls out on this one, not only does it look great, but it actually makes perfect sense if you sit back and look at the bigger picture - To go downhill you have to go uphill first, forget the uplifts or any of that walking lark. Why not ride up?! No2: Scott E-Genius 710 Plus Yes - You could argue that someone tripped over with a box of highlighter pens in the design room at Scott. But the 'in thing' is bright and vibrant at the moment. Scott certainly set the trend here with the addition of the +PLUS tyres. No3: Haibike Carbon Ultimate The Haibike Full Carbon Ultimate couldn't go without a mention not only because it looks the business, but if we are talking about the best looking bikes, who doesn't love carbon? From the wheels, frame, post, bars, saddle and even the cranks.. It's carbon heaven! No4: Lapierre Overvolt SX 800 Designed by 10 times world champion. Nico Vouilloz set out to create this full 170mm Enduro rig with clean lines that follow front to back and sleek finish this deserves to be in the top 5! We love the colour scheme on this one as much as we love the setup! No5: Haibike sDuro Full FatSix Either Haibike have gone bonkers or there's some logic behind it. Either way, rocking around on this badboy certainly sets the rider apart from the crowd. A full suspension fat bike! Spec aside this bike looks the nuts. We're sure it'll grip the trails as much the attention it attracts. Conclusion Yes, Haibike clearly headline here with 3/5 of the top spots! Be it their beautiful integration of the Yamaha & Bosch eSystems or the crazy lines and graphics. But their are also some new cards on the table with decent finishing kit and sleek lines. Here's a quick vid of Guido Tschugg rocking out the DH bike above in a little town in Croatia: One thing that is clear that eBikes have moved forward a hell of a way in the past few years. No longer is your stereotypical imagination of an eBike a shopper with duchess handlebars. But now anything up to a fully blown DH bike! We like the way things are moving. With this comes more adopters, more people that 'get it' and of course more people out riding - Which is the main aim of the game at the end of the day! Ready to ride longer, harder & faster? Click here to begin your eBike journey now.
Now you've got your electric mountain bike, it's time to learn some of those skills & techniques for use out on the trail. Even if you are already confident in trail riding on your eMTB then take a read, as you may be able to refine some of those techniques further. Some of you may have seen the new Up Hill Flow 2 video from Bosch. We have broken this down into easy snippets of simple numbered manoeuvres. Sorry for the German speaking, but the translated subtitles have been added and the pictures speak for themselves. Bosch eBike Technique 1: Selecting Assistance Modes When riding a Bosch eBike off road, it's imperative to select the correct assistance mode. You can use the electric bike assistance to your advantage. Get used to scrolling different levels of assistance on your eBike dependent on the terrain you are riding. Bosch eBike Technique 2: Center of Gravity When riding eMTB's off road, you can use the low center of gravity to your advantage. Providing a good balance, especially when riding downhill. It also helps when braking because you have more weight, therefore better traction on the back wheel. Bosch eBike Technique 3: Cornering Boost Using your Bosch eBike in cornering can give you great benefits, you can ride in slower and more controlled and then boost out of the corner. This achieves a really flowing ride when riding and keeps your momentum up across the trails. Bosch eBike Technique 4: Pedal Management Keeping your eBike pedals level is paramount when coasting, this allows more control and a higher ground clearance. Depending on if you are left or right footed you should have this at the front. This will give your body more control and balance. Bosch eBike Technique 5: Navigating Sharp Turns Making sharp turns, particularly when travelling uphill can be tricky. It's important to use your body weight and the power of the eBike to hold momentum correctly. It's important to be in the correct gear and enter the corner with the opposite pedal at the back so that when you exit it is ready at the front to power out. Bosch eBike Technique 6: Gear Selection Bearing in mind the Bosch eBike system responds to cadence, correct gear selection is essential to get the most out of your electric bike. Particularly useful when climbing as the eBike benefits from being in a higher gear, and seated in the saddle, this gives you more momentum and allows good traction of the rear wheel. Bosch eBike Technique 7: Starting Up Hill One of the massive benefits of an electric mountain bike is that it is no trouble stopping and starting on a steep slope. To do this, the best way is to select a good assistance mode and start in a high gear. This will quickly propel your momentum forward so you can find your balance. Don't select a too high assistance mode as you may find the bike wheelies on a steep hill. Bosch eBike Technique 8: Tapping Obstacles Use the electric assistance to your advantage when approaching obstacles. As you approach, tap on the pedals to give yourself a boost just before you hit, this will balance your weight and allow the eBike to be propelled up and over. Suspension will also help here as it compresses and springs back. Once mastered you can use these together to ride over obstacles easier. Bosch eBike Technique 9: Trail Boost By using your eMTB to it's full potential, you can 'Boost' the trails, turns and obstacles. Select a high assistance mode and light gear. Then nudge the pedals where required to boost your way round tight trails and keep a good flow. Bosch eBike Technique 10: Turning eBike when stationary When stationary, sometimes it is required to turn around and go back the other way. On the eBike you can hold the rear brake, stomp on the pedal, at the same time release the brake. Let your arms move with the bike as it hops around. Make sure you have a clear area, with enough space and make sure to keep your legs out of the way. A pedal to the shin sucks! Bosch eBike Technique 11: Uphill Wheelie A wheelie on a eBike is easier than you may thing. You have the added advantage of power and torque. Select a high assistance mode and light gear. Then propel the pedals, whilst lifting slightly on the bars. It's easier to sit down as you can balance your weight and have more control. This one really takes some practice! Make sure to hover your finger over the rear brake lever so you can control yourself if you go up too high. Practice makes perfect, find the balance point, start on soft ground! Bosch eBike Technique 12: Wheel Prancing As you power up the hill on the eMTB, you get good traction on the rear end and the front end will become light. Prancing is where you can almost allow the front wheel to go where it wants as it prances over the terrain. Keep your body pointing in the right direction, but this will allow for a smoother more flowy ride. Bosch eBike Technique 13: Trail Etiquette Last but not least, certainly most importantly, we need to appreciate the trails are accessed by everyone and learn to respect others out on the hills. Leaving plenty of space and being courteous to others is key to a safe outdoor environment for everyone to enjoy, be it dog walkers, other cyclists, horse riders and of course the ramblers. Now its your turn.. Now you have navigated through the videos, it's time to take some of these skills to the trail. Remember practice makes perfect, give yourself some time to learn and refine the moves above. Make sure you have good space around you and remember others may be using the trials too, so find a quiet place to try these out and be courteous to others. Don't forget you can also spend some time with a professional rider to hone in on these skills. Sometimes it's good to have someone there to watch what you are doing 3rd hand and suggest ways to improve. There are now a number of electric bike coaching professional ready to offer their services. In the UK, Alex @ eMTB coaching specialises in this area. We have first hand experience with him and must say the feedback is great. Enjoy the videos above? Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for updates. Not got an eMTB yet? View the full range on our shop here - Electric Mountain Bikes. Bookmark the page so you can refer back to them when out on your bike and take your electric mountain biking to the next level! Lets Go!..
Last week we visited Haibike in Germany. Aside from riding the very latest Haibike eBike tech, we were invited on a factory tour at Haibike HQ at Winora in Schweinfurt. Certainly an offer we couldn't turn down! Haibike pride themselves in producing high quality eBikes. The complete innovation, design and production comes from the heart of their electric bike factory in Germany. We were met by Tina Puello in the Winora reception Haibike are part of Winora Group). Both Winora & Haibike are a family business, originating with Tina's great grandfather opening a small shop in the industrial town of Schweinfurt back in the early 19th century. The cycle shop was closed after the war and Tina's grandfather decided to re-open it and start producing bikes. The business today is a global company offering 1000's of bikes, parts and accessories. Today, Tina's mother Susanne Puello is CEO of Winora group and Tina's father Felix Puello is Winora groups Haibike brand manager. They still hold a stone embedded in the wall at Haibike which originated from the small shop many years ago. Winora Bike Parts Let's start off by saying this place is massive! So we have grouped together some of the interesting things we found inside. First off, lets see where the parts are stored. This side of the warehouse holds 1000's of the larger parts, it works in darkness and is un-manned, the whole system runs completely by robots. The warehouse holds around 8.9 million euros of parts at any one time, this means that parts can be held efficiently in a refined space. When parts are required, a person in the other side of the building can ask the computer for these and the machines will go and get them. Neat huh? Smaller parts are contained by 100's of picking rows split across multiple floors. Every 3 rows is manned by one person and as orders come in the boxes automatically stop by each corridor where parts are required. Winora has almost 3 km of automated tracks, where parts can travel to their designated areas. Parts that are going out to dealers all arrived here, the packing station. Once every box is full and checked for the parts required. The boxes proceed from here into the manned cardboard packer machine, which fills any remaining space in the box to make sure they don't move around. All packaging at Winora is recycled and 100% recyclable after use. Wheel Building This area of the factory is devoted to wheel building. 100's of rims, different sized spokes and hubs come together here by dedicated wheel building technicians. Machines check each and every wheel for tension, rigidity, and trueness. 100% of the wheels Winora use are handbuilt in house, this hidden secret is not often shouted about & we think it should be shown more. They say that they will not outsource wheels and building in house is always produces the very best quality. Haibike Assembly Line Now onto the most anticipated part, the Haibike electric bike assembly line! Where all the magic happens. As you can imagine, it's Haibike heaven for us. Here the Haibike xDuro HardSeven getting ready for assembly: First up the completely bare frames are arranged into lines ready for specific parts to be added. Notice each frame already has it's frame number stamped and a tag related to it is attached. At each stage of production the parts and bike are tagged by use of the barcode attached. Above is the highly rated Haibike xDuro FatSix being produced. Parts are lined up ready to be fitted onto each electric bike. To run efficiently, some parts are already pre bolted together. Above for example the stem is attached to the handlebars, then the handlebar controls, brake & gear levers are attached prior to going on each bike. The standard bike components are then fitted to the bike. Headset, forks, stem, handlebars, brakes & gears are fitted by an cycle technician. Each tech has their own workstation & tools. At every stage the bikes are hand built by a technician, some specialising in certain parts, the bikes then get spun upside down and held by their seat tubes & transported onto the next stage. Bosch Electric Motor Installation This stage, Haibike refer to as 'The Marriage'. Where the motor is married to the Haibike. The electrical components and the bike combine to become one - The eBike! Once the motor and Bosch components are fitted, each Bosch system is flashed to the eBike. So the technician enter factors like manufacture date, wheel size, gear ratios and frame number to programme to that Bosch electric bike's software. We now see the complete bike with all its components installed. The finishing touches and they wheels go on after this stage to test the bike is working properly before completion. Packing & Quality Control At this point, once the eBike has passed Haibike's quality control, a technician carefully wraps up the bike to keep it protected during transit. Every Haibike has to be in perfect condition for it's proud owner waiting on the other end. Last but not least the bike is part dis-assembled and packed down into a cardboard box container ready for shipping to the dealer. At this point we (Haibike dealer) have to re-install the parts, fine tune the bike, update software, carry out our own pre delivery inspection, spec the bike to it's country of sale and get the bike prepped for the customer. Summary All in all, the Haibike factory is a lively buzzing place with lot's going on. It's currently huge and Winora inform us they have pretty much bought every available unit in this estate to allow for their ongoing expansion! It's clear that although this is a huge company, they are clearly focussed on what they do, have built it up from the bottom to the top & in turn by doing it properly and building great bikes they are the market leaders of eBikes today! Finally, we could resist adding in this picture of Guido Tschugg's brand new Haibike lorry parked outside the front of Haibike, this will follow him to all the major bike festival / races. As the UK's largest Haibike suppliers, we hold the largest eBike range - check it out here.
Here we see a lovely article from one of our customers explaining the use of electric mountain bikes, how it has benefitted him & his long term impressions using an eBike. Forget everything you think you know! Firstly - A little about me, who am I? Well I am a 38yr old ex Merchant Navy officer who spent my days on his feet walking miles and miles in hot climates, and seeing that there is little to do on ships once my shift had finished I used to work out in the ship's gym, so its fair to say I was fit, well many years ago; that was the case. These days I work in the IT industry, so I spend many long days sat at my desk hunched over a keyboard tapping away, with the occasional short walk through to the rest area to make a cup of coffee and have a few biscuits or possibly a nice chocolate muffin. Now I am sure you can see where the problems started…. Too many cakes and not enough exercise. This is a story that I am sure many people know any sympathise with and unfortunately it seems to be the same story for a great many people. Now I was never what you might call a cyclist, I have had motor bikes for years and I have always owned a mountain bike but again like a great many people it sat in the garage gathering dust and occasionally would be used for a short ride with the occasional bit off road. What made me think about an eBike? Firstly I should say that over the years all the biscuits and muffins had added a significant measurement to my waistline so losing weight was what I was interested in, knowing that losing weight and wanting to get fit again could be accomplished at the same time, the hunt started on how I was going to accomplish this not so insignificant feat. It seemed logical to me that two wheels could be the simple answer I was looking for, but I also wanted to ease into it and not kill my body while it was catching up with the lifestyle change so I kind of ruled out my traditional Mountain bike that was still dusty and still sat in the garage… I did give it a try…. I had seen e-bikes in the past, and many years ago I had used one while doing a ship dry dock in China to get around the city during my time off and really enjoyed it. Naturally I am like most people so first stop was to Google “eBike”. Here started the long process of research, over the next 2 months I tried to learn everything there was to know about eBikes and bikes in general, I watched YouTube videos (like the below) , read online articles, posted to some forums and generally came to one conclusion…. I WANT ONE !!!! When did I decide to take the plunge? So about a year ago now, I contacted Martin at e-Bike shop, and as luck would have it he was running a Demo day in a few weeks, so I signed up there and then. Now over the that last few months my beautiful wife had seen me pouring over all the eBike websites and videos and also had to put up with me talking about it in great detail… so now I had to explain to my beautiful wife that I was finally getting up off the sofa and driving to the other end of the country to take one out on a test ride and possibly part with a substantial sum of money. That day came! So the Demo day arrived and I woke at the crack of dawn to start the drive down South, its fair to say I was excited about the day ahead, in retrospect I really should have not drunk quite as much as I did the night before… we live and learn. I arrived a little early and was greeted by Martin who immediately took one look at me and handed me a large cup of coffee. He knew I was interested in the Haibike AMT RX 27.5 so over the next 20 minutes he talked me through the bike end to end, his knowledge about eBikes was immediately apparent and that put my mind at ease, my initial impressions regards the bike was one of general happiness. It's fine looking at websites and watching YouTube videos but it’s not until you see one of these machines in the flesh do you realise how well made they are, for instance I am a pretty good welder, been doing it since I was a kid on and off, but the weld joints on the frames are a thing of beauty, you can see the pride of workmanship, the same can be said for the rest of the machine as well. My initial Impressions? So the time had arrived to take the bull by the horns and hit the trails on the Haibike Demo Day. After getting suited and booted we had a quick safety briefing and walk through then we were off, on the day we were accompanied by Martin and his very experienced staff. Now I don't know what I was expecting, but in my heart I knew it was going to impress and within less than 100 yards it all started to make sense, at this point you could not have wiped the smile off my face with a hammer. We ambled along a few roads and headed out further into the countryside, it really was amazing to me how these machines managed to pull my substantial weight along with ease, within 10 minutes we had arrived at an area that had been chosen to demonstrate the off road capabilities of these wonderful machines. The next hour was a brutal assault on my senses, we rode up hills that would have given me a heart attack on a normal mountain bike, we ploughed through thick mud, that would have sapped the legs of all but the fittest but we just kept on going, at this point my heart was pumping and my hangover got the better of me…. After a few minutes break and sit down to stop myself passing out we got back on the bikes and continued on the trails. It was clear to see that everyone was having a blast, I already knew at this point that today was going to be an expensive day. What did I like about the riding / bike? So what did I really like about the bike and what was it that sealed the decision to part with what can only be described as A LOT of cash, well that is simple… I liked everything, the Bosch motor is smooth yet substantially powerful, the brakes, suspension are all very high quality and certainly better than anything I had ever ridden outside of off road motorbikes. I knew that this bike was going to be the catalyst to me getting fit and losing weight, and as it turns out I was right, but we will come to that later. So after completing our demo we headed back to base, it was without doubt the best day out I had ever had on a bike and I was hooked, no fancy sales pitch required the proof was in the pudding these machines do all the talking. At this point comes the bit we all dread, handing over the cash, in the past I had bought many motorbikes that didn't cost as much as one of these bikes but I knew I was doing the right thing, after a few hours out I felt like a champion I was able to fly up hills like a pro, I was able to smash the trails and a few quid was all I needed to spend to do it all over again. Delivery day came! What's it like? So cut forward in time, to the day of delivery. I could not wait to leave work knowing that it was waiting for me when I got home, longest drive of my life. Martin had kindly charged the battery for me, so after a few minutes of set up I was out the house and on the road, for my first ride I decided to head towards a place I knew had some nice roads and some trails, total round trip distance around 15 miles. It was a beautiful day so I decided to ease into it and give the electric mountain bike a good shakedown, after about 6 miles of going at it hard, my heart was pounding again and my lungs were tight so I decided to take break, after a few minutes I continued on my journey and sitting here now typing this I can still remember every detail of that ride. My longer term impressions? Now as the days passed and my enthusiasm eased off I started to notice that I was not hitting that wall at 6 miles, but my overall journey time was getting less and less, could it be I was getting fitter? Now I should mention that the day I took delivery of my new trusty steed I also started my diet, part of the agreement with my wonderful wife about buying the eMTB in the first place. The days passed with me out on the bike pretty much every other day, giving my body time to recover in between rides and sure enough I was getting faster and fitter, I could actually feel the difference in myself, and this bike was helping get to where I wanted to be. Now I have had my eMTB around a year now and I still ride at least 3 times each week with two training rides of around 20 miles mostly on the road and at the weekends I travel the length and breadth of the country looking for the best trails. I also have used my bike for commuting as well, which was actually saving me 1 hour every day of sitting in my car stuck in slow moving Birmingham city traffic, not to mention the fact that I was saving around £50 a week in fuel. Unfortunately a recent change of jobs has forced me back into the car, but I will be starting to cycle in again shortly. The best bit.. The advantages to me! Since I bought my electric mountain bike I have now lost a total of 52lbs in weight, I am the same weight now as when I left the Merchant Navy, I am fitter, stronger and even better looking if that’s possible, well that what my wife tells me. All this and I am saving money and the planet, it really doesn't get any better. There really is no better feeling that going out and just seeing where you end up, and with an eBike it really could be anywhere, with a battery that will get me at least 30 miles up hill and down dale on Turbo mode and close to double that in eco mode the world really is your oyster. Is there any disadvantages? Now it is not all rosy, as a result of owning one of these fabulous machines, I have had to buy an entire new wardrobe as none of my clothes fitted me anymore, so that has cost me a few quid. Also like any hobby it’s the little things that you don’t think about, so I spend at least an hour each week washing and cleaning my bike, in fact I have just come back in from doing this exact thing, so that can add up with all the cleaning chemicals and such like. I am also always looking for where to go on the weekends and that can take up time in your valuable day, and I am still watching the YouTube videos and hitting the websites and now I have started buying bike magazines, who would have thought. It’s a wonder I have time to actually ride anywhere…. But rest assured I still do, and I still love every minute of it. Has this changed me as a person? Well for one I go out more, I see the world around me, I am able to take in the beauty while out on the bike, this is something you just don't get in a car or even on a motorbike, its life at a slower pace, and by that I mean still faster than a good club road cyclist…lol And when you are out on the trails away from mankind and out in the wilderness there is no words to describe how it makes me feel, owning one of these eBikes has fundamentally changed me at my core, and I am OK with that. What's the verdict? So in conclusion, are they expensive?… Yes and no, but that is the wrong question, are they worth it? Is a better question and the answer is YES YES YES, I am so glad I bought my eMTB. Would I recommend it others? Yes without a doubt, since I have owned my bike I have tried to let as many people have a go as possible and every time I see the same thing, that same look on their face the one where it all makes sense and a smile 10 miles wide. Yes I have been called a cheater while out on the trails blasting up the steep hills, but those same people are also keen to give it a go at the top and once they do they “get it”. There are no hills in my world there are flats and downhill sections only and that’s not a bad world to live in if you ask me. Where to now? So what does the future hold, well things have come on a long way in the last year, there is now an eBikeshop owners club, which is fantastic, we all meet up once a month and spend a day out on the trails, this has now become a real thing that I look forward to every month, a chance to catch up with my new eBike friends which I now have many. I am also lucky enough to have a few eBike owners in my local vicinity so we meet up here and there and have a blast. I would like to do a big trip around the Scottish highlands, and this is going to happen within the next few months fingers crossed, keep your eyes open on the owners club for pictures. I plan to keep my eBike until the wheels fall off and judging by the way these electric mountain bikes are made that may well be some time. I hope you enjoyed my little story and I hope to see you out on the trails!.. Bernie With thanks to Bernie, from all of us here at e-bikeshop for expressing his fantastic journey into the electric bike world. Are you ready to follow this path?
We have been working alongside Moustache bikes in the UK for a couple of years now. Many people ask about the brand and what they are about. So this article explains a little about them and what happens in their electric bike factory in Golbey, France. Design stage The process begins with design, inspired from young and creative riders. The design team set to work with some very different and edgy creations. Moustache pride themselves in being different, be it from frame designs, to their in house components. They work a lot of the design around actual riding and practicalities. Before anything is manufactured for testing, the team come up with the best innovations on paper, before refining and then eventually into production. You can see on the left a designer, pen to paper, plotting out the various suggestions. CAD Drawings These drawings can then be put to the computer technicians, they can be drawn up on CAD systems to put forward for manufacturing and then for testing. It must be a real delight seeing something go from a piece of paper into 3D design and then onto being made in the flesh. Above you can see the technicians plotting out the frame design. Moustache uses a really unique system on their electric mountain bikes. They offer a 29" front wheel with a 27.5" rear wheel, totally different to any other manufacturer. This means that the design must be a perfect match to work in harmony with a rider out on the trail. They actually won the Eurobike awards last year for this very design. Assembly Stage Moustache are very unique in that their bikes are all hand assembled in-house. Their qualified bicycle assembly and Bosch technicians carefully mount each individual component to the new bike. This delicate process is something Moustache are very proud of and we can back them on the fact that all of their bikes that arrive here are very well assembled to the highest of standards. Each process is logged so they can determine exactly who has been working on the bike. Thus in turn means that the bikes are extremely well built. Or someone might not get a lunch break tomorrow! Below you can see part of the drivetrain being assembled before it moves onto the next part of the assembly process. Each component has to be fitted in a certain order. Starting with the internal cable routing for the Bosch eBike system. Moustache actually only manufacturer Bosch eBikes, so they are experts in this field. From start to finish Moustache have very strict quality control standard. It has to be right, that is their policy! You can see in the picture below, many different models being assembled at the same time across multiple stations. Production The Moustache factory is a buzzing workplace, with components to hand and professional tooling. It means that they can be efficient without missing the main component - build quality! True to their heart Moustache, started by Greg Sand & Emmanuel Antonot still works from its roots in Golbey, France. Despite upping production numbers, it is key to keep the passion, ideas and dreams where it all started. As the company expands, so do the beliefs. There are still, to date, no more than 30 staff on site. Not only do Moustache want you to try their bikes, but they want that vision to shine through to you - the rider. Why not tour our range of Moustache bikes here.
OK, so it's that time of year again, where we get frequent calls on how to change the clock on your Bosch / Yamaha eBikes. All explained in the manuals, but if you cannot find it or have misplaced the manual, heres a quick guide explaining how to change the clock on Yamaha & Bosch electric bikes. Bosch Intuvia Display This video showing how to change the clock on all Bosch eBike Intuvia Display. Same on Classic+, Active & Performance systems. Step by step 1) Turn Bosch eBike on. 2) Hold 'Reset' & 'Info' Buttons together for 3 seconds. 3) Use 'Info' button to navigate to the time function. 4) Use 'Light' button to increase time or 'Power' Button to decrease. Top tip: Hold the button depressed to fast scroll minutes. 5) Once correct hold 'Reset' again for 3 seconds to save. Bosch Nyon Display No video required if you are the lucky owner of a Nyon system. It will automatically change when connected to GPS. If it doesn't make sure you have selected 'Automatic' In the time zone setting. To find the clock setting 1) Turn Bosch eBike on. 2) Scroll left into the menu. 3) Scroll down to settings, then select 'International'. 4) Scroll down past the languages and choose 'Automatic' from the 'Time Zone' section. . You can set the timezone manually from here and also scroll on/off 24h format. Yamaha eBike Display This video showing how to change the clock on all Yamaha electric bikes. Step by step 1) Turn the Yamaha eBike off. 2) Hold 'Power' & 'S' Buttons together for 3 seconds. 3) This will automatically go to the time, use the Up and Down arrows to change. 4)Once correct, press the 'Power' button once to store the info. If you found this helpful to save you digging around for the manuals, please click the 'Like' button above the article so it sticks around for next time!
Thule Towball cycle racks explained: We get asked many questions about which Thule towball (tow bar) mounted car bike rack is best. We decided to do a brief review of the Thule range and explain what sets each car rack apart. Although this article is more focused on electric bikes it can be used to explain some of the key features of each Thule bike carrier. To set the record straight, who are Thule? Thule was founded in 1942 in Malmo, Sweden. It set out with a passion to 'make life easier' for outdoor enthusiasts to transport equipment in style, safely and easily. Thule don't just make bike racks, they actually produce for many different sports and applications, for skiers, fishermen, family luggage (roof boxes), surf boards and bikes alike. Plus much much more with an ever expanding product portfolio.Thule quickly established itself as the leading brand in the cycle industry for their car cycle transport options. They offer lots of applications from rear mounted racks to roof racks. Today we will be focussing on their range of tow bar (eBike) cycle carriers. Why choose a Thule eBike carrier? Thule are the market leaders in cycle transport, due to the 'ease ability' of their racks. They are well made, very well thought out & easy to use, with every aspect of the rack thoroughly thought out to make it a simple as possible. Often car racks have been fiddly to fit and can be a pain to use. This will only put you off using the rack and taking your eBikes further afield, so its worth spending a little on a decent rack you will actually not resent using. What's the difference between the racks? Thule offers 8 towbar mounted bike carriers in the range. We are going to focus on the top 4 latest racks, which also happen to be the best sellers. We will eliminate the Thule 'Hang On' & 'Xpress' as these look like traditional clip on racks that hang the bike from the frame (nothing for the wheels to rest on), but are towbar mounted to the car. We feel that if you have a towball fitted you might as well make use of a 'base rack' where the wheels are supported securely on a base and the weight is spread. This also means that minimal lifting is required as the bottom of the rack sits close to the ground so you don't have to lift eBikes (often heavier) too high off the ground. We will also eliminate the Thule 'RideOn' & EuroRide' as both these racks are very basic and have been improved on, although still available these racks have been developed and now have newer models taking their place. So that brings us down to the top 4 racks available today, the Thule 'EasyFold 931', the 'EuroClassic G6', the 'EuroWay G2' & last but not least the 'EuroPower 916'. What are the new features? All of the above racks have the latest features including new improved detachable frame grippers that offer limiter knobs so that not too much torque is applied when tightening to your precious new electric bike. These rack offers a large base so even slightly longer bikes wheels do not overhang the base too much. All of the featured racks also have a smart foot pedal release so that the rack can be tilted forward (with the bikes attached) for easy access to the boot, even with very wide doors the boot can be accessed without having to take the bikes and the rack off. The Thule car racks also feature a lockable tow bar mechanism so the rack itself requires a key to remove from the car and also the frame holders have a key lock for added security to the electric bikes themselves. All Thule racks come complete with easy click number plate mount, so you don't need to use tape or tap holes and screw the number plate on. They all feature built in lights with steady light, brake, reverse and fog light. Lets have a brief overview on each of these models.. Thule EasyFold 931 Towbar Rack This carrier is by far our most favourite rack of all. The Thule 'EasyFold' pretty much does what it says on the tin! Its unique design folds away easily to allow the rack to be transported with ease. In fact it fold so small that you can position it behind the drivers seat if the boot is full. We also offer a carry storage bag for this rack. Its the latest rack in the Thule range and set to be the most popular in the range due to its versatility. The 'EasyFold 931' weighs in at only 17.1 Kg's and is capable of carrying 60 Kg's. This means that it is perfect to carry 2 of our eBikes. The low weight of this rack coupled with small folded design means that it is easy to manoeuvre around gents and ladies alike. Here's a video of the EasyFold 931 rack in action to demonstrate its capabilities - The Thule EasyFold 931 is only available as a 2 bike rack. It offers a 13 pin power plug. It does not fit cars with spare tyres. You can view the full specification of this rack here - Thule EasyFold 931 Specification Thule EuroClassic G6 Towbar Rack The Thule EuroClassic G6 is the follow on from the G2 featured below. It has an improved sleeker design and ease of use and folds flat for easy storage. This rack is available in both 2 or 3 bike options as standard. We tend to stock it is the 2 bike version as the load capacity of this rack is 51 Kg's so will take two of our eBikes comfortably. This rack weighs in at 17 kg's. This rack is popular with both car and motor home users alike. It is the latest top of the range full size towball carrier rack on the market with great flexibility and loading capabilities. The Thule EuroClassic G6 is available as 2 or 3 bike options. Interestingly if you buy a 2 bike rack and wish to fit a 3rd at a later date, we can offer an extra bike adaptor that will fit. Here's a video of the EuroClassic G6 rack in action to demonstrate its capabilities - This rack features a 13 pin power plug and is compatible cars with a spare wheel with the purchase of a special adaptor. Thule EuroWay G2 Towbar Rack The Thule 'EuroWay G2' is the mid range towball bike carrier for everyday use. It is compact and lightweight. It folds flat for easy storage and is available in 2 or 3 bike options. It weights just 13.3 Kg's which makes it one of the lightest racks we offer. The G2 is the model beneath the G6, it is capable of holding 46 Kg's, so just about enough for 2 eBikes or 3 normal bikes. Unlike the G6, you can't add on another bike extender mount onto the 2 bike rack. So its best to weigh up how many cycles you may wish to transport ahead of buying one. We stock it as standard in the 3 bike version. But it is available to order in a 2 bike version as well. Here's a video of the EuroWay G2 rack in action to demonstrate its capabilities - This rack features a 7 pin power plug and can fit onto cars with a spare wheel with the purchase of an adaptor. Thule EuroPower 916 Towbar Rack The 'EuroPower' Thule bike rack is designed specifically for eBikes or heavier bikes with a long wheel base. The rack features a sturdy profile to cater for the extra weight and has been extended width wise by 25cm catering for longer bikes. The EuroPower is only available as a 2 bike rack and cannot be extended at a later date. It has a load capacity of 30 Kg's per bike or obviously 60 Kg's overall. Surprisingly as an electric bike specialist, we don't actually stock this model. We can of course order it on a next day basis for you. Why you may ask?.. We feel that the newer racks already have a long enough base to accommodate longer eBikes, a lot of bikes nowadays are 29" wheels so the new Thule racks absorb this into their design anyway. Also this rack has the same load capacity as say the 'EasyFold' and its only 9 Kg's off the 'EuroWay G6' load capacity of 51 Kg's. Its ideal for some heavier eBikes on the market, but most of our (own) eBikes are around 22 Kg's so in fact most of the racks we offer are capable of carrying 2 with no problem. The overall weight of this heavy duty rack is almost 19 Kg's so it does come up a bit heavier than the other racks available. Here's a video of the EuroPower 916 rack in action to demonstrate its capabilities - This rack features a 7-pin plug and can operate on cars with a spare wheel with the purchase of a special adaptor. To sum up the range The 'EuroClassic G6' is one of our most popular racks due to its sleek design and the capability of adding a 3rd bike on at a later date. However those looking for the ultimate rack with good load capacity and handy fold down mechanism for storage should look no further than the 'EasyFold'. Weigh up if you want to carry 2 or 3 bikes. If its just 2 then any of the range will cater. If 3 bikes then the 'EasyFold' and 'EuroPower' are out of the question. Remember 'EuroClassic G6' can be purchased in 2 or 3 bike racks or be adopted at a later date with the use of the '3rd Bike Extender Mount'. If you have a particularly heavy eBike (more than say 25 Kg's) we would suggest that the 'EuroPower' is the one. It also works well for Impulse and Panasonic equipped eBikes that have the battery between the seat tube and frame, causing a slightly longer bike. Most Bosch powered eBikes do not need the extra length as they don't come up any longer than a regular bike. For those not worried about fold-ability and sleekness, but want an everyday sturdy rack available in 2 or 3 bike options then choose the 'EuroWay G2', Simple. What else do you need to know? After reading this article you should have a fairly good idea of which rack to choose. You can view the full range on our website, which most are in stock ready to go out the door. Remember Thule products come with a fantastic 5year warranty and are built to last. They are certainly our favourite car rack brand, that's why we sell them! As an official Thule stockist we will deal with any warranty query in store, making sure you have a trouble free car rack for all those purchased from us. We like Thule because they also offer a large range of accessories and fittings for their racks. Be it from wheel adaptors to load ramps, they have thought out every possibility to make sure you are covered for your needs. We try to hold as much stock as possible, however if there is something you cannot see on our website, then please get in touch as we can have it here ready very quickly. The same goes for any spares as Thule give us access to a wide range of spares from keys to clamps to ensure it lasts a lifetime. For any other queries please get in touch, we can offer advice on vehicle specific fitment. You can view our Thule products here - Official Thule Partner Stockist in Surrey UK Other Thule products include Thule 13-7 pin rear light harness adapter Thule 7 - 13 Pin Rear Light Harness Adapter Thule XXL Fatbike Wheel Straps Thule Pack'n Pedal Tour Pannier Rack Thule 9152 VeloCompact Tow Ball Carrier Loading Ramp Thule Velo Compact 924021 Towball Mount 2 Bike Rack Thule VeloSpace 938 Towball Mount 2 Bike Rack Thule 9172 VeloSpace Tow Ball Carrier Loading Ramp
The PowerPacks used on Bosch powered eBikes are amongst the most advanced batteries currently on the electric bike market. They offer a superior range, reliability & longevity compared to many other batteries. However this all comes at a price; with a replacement currently costing around £500+. Some people are put off by the price of a replacement battery, thinking that it will have to be replaced every other year, but this is not true. Bosch actually guarantee their batteries for 2 years or 500 charge cycles (whichever comes first). This doesn't mean your battery will pack up after 2 years and 1 day. In fact Bosch themselves state that the battery should be good for around 8-9 years or 1000 full charge cycles. After 1000 cycles the battery will still work, but any battery will age over time so it will start to lose capacity and therefore not power your electric bike so far. Also I would like to point out that many people think that a part charge counts as a full charge cycle in Bosch's terms. Well it doesn't, if you just top the battery up a small amount, only this is recorded and will not be counted until there are enough of these partial charges to count towards a full charge cycle. When a Bosch powered eBike visits our workshop we can use our diagnostics tool to read into the battery itself. The Bosch battery is very clever and records many different parameters, these are then saved within the system for us as a Bosch eBike dealer to consider. We can tap into the system and see exactly how many 'Full Charge Cycles' this particular battery has had. We can also view many other parameters for example - maximum / minimum battery temperature, charge state, usage etc. etc. Interesting stuff eh? Anyway back to the point.. Certain measures explained in this article can help you look after, extend the life of your eBike battery and keep it well maintained. OK so here are some of the most common questions we hear regarding Bosch batteries (It's the easiest way to structure the article) - I have just received my brand new Bosch eBike, what's the first step? If your eBike came from us, we normally charge the battery fully just before letting it out of the workshop as we know you'll be itching to ride it the minute you receive it. However if your battery arrives partially charged then it's best to charge it fully before the first ride. This helps condition the battery and gives it a start point from which to gauge the rest of its operation. How often should you charge your Bosch eBike battery? The new Lithium cells used within the Bosch battery packs are very advanced. Unlike the older style batteries where you had to completely discharge the battery and then fully charge it back up again to avoid any damage; this is not the case on the Bosch PowerPacks. In fact it's much better to just top up the battery after every trip. So if you have just cycled 10 miles on your electric bike, it's better to top it back up to full when you get home rather than incorporating a few trips before charging back fully. Should I keep my battery clean? Yes of course it is good to keep any component of your eBike clean. Although this will not affect the internals of the battery at all if the exterior case is dirty. The best way to clean the battery, or any components of your electric bike for that matter, is with a wet sponge or low pressure hose. A typical garden hose is perfect at washing away grime without applying too much pressure. Although the Bosch batteries are weather proof it is never advised to use any sort of high pressure jet / pressure washer on your bike. This pressure can force water into the battery case itself and cause problems. It can also force water into other parts of your electric bike where you don't want water to exist (motor, bearing internals, suspension seals etc.). So although it may be quicker to clean please don't use pressure washers at all. I may as well use this opportunity to stick a plug in for our Bosch Battery Covers to keep it clean. Will my battery range be affected if using a inverter in from my vehicle or motor home? - No, you can use inverters to charge your electric bike for example from the cigarette lighter port in most cars. This can be handy if you are out and about or wish to charge on the move. But please make sure that the inverter itself is rated for the correct output for the Bosch charger. You can normally find all of this information on the inverters packaging or on a sticker on the inverter itself. The Bosch charger is designed for a rated voltage between 207 - 264 volts with an output of 42v. The charger only charges the battery at a low 4 amp current so is fine for most inverters and car batteries. Please check these values to make sure the inverter is compatible before plugging it in. Also remember depending on the inverter itself that the battery may take a little longer to charge than if it was plugged into the mains. Most importantly of all make sure the vehicle engine is running whilst the battery is on charge because it could drain your vehicle battery faster than you think. Will it reduce my battery life if riding in very harsh conditions or using full power a lot? Remember the power of the motor can peak at 500w so can draw power from the battery quicker and put a higher load on it. Think of it this way; the harder you use your eBike the faster the battery will discharge. The faster it discharges, then the more you will be charging it back up. This means that you could end up performing many more charge cycles than someone who is using their eBike lightly in the same time period. After a long time the capacity of the battery will gradually drop. So you could be replacing it sooner if riding the bike very hard for the majority of the time. I would recommend using an assistance level that works for you. Many people (mainly adrenaline junkies / blokes) could use their eBike flat out in the maximum assistance mode 'Turbo'. The eBike will use more power and therefore you will get a shorter assisted distance out of it. Quite honestly you don't 'need' to use the eBike flat out in 'Turbo' all of the time (I can't deny that this isn't fun though!). I have actually found to use 'Eco' & 'Tour' modes for the majority of my riding is more than enough, with 'Turbo' mode assisting me on the very toughest of climbs. Obviously everyone's fitness levels are different so you will need to work out what works for you, it is far too easy to hit 'Turbo' mode for the majority of your ride. The bike wont go any faster (mph) but it will have more 'grunt', in fact the eBike will only go as fast as you pedal, it's just the amount of assistance the motor gives you that changes. I'm putting my eBike away for the winter, will this damage the battery at all? No, we know that some less keen (fair weather) riders may not want to cycle through the cold, wet and grim UK conditions found in the winter. You can store your eBike away, it's not a problem; however there are some steps you can take to keep your battery healthy during these times -If you are keeping your eBike outside in a shed or garage, then it's always best to bring your battery indoors. The Bosch batteries are capable of being stored in temperatures between -10 through to +60 degrees centigrade. But the cells don't like to be stored in very low or very high temperatures. In fact the best possible temperature for storage is room temperature. Around 15-20 degrees is perfect. So the eBike can stay in the shed but bring the battery inside with you. Once in the house at room temperature, store the battery in a dry and secure place. Sticking it on a shelf in the kitchen above the kettle runs the risk of moisture travelling up from the kettle and into the battery case. The perfect place is tucked away in a cupboard where its kept at optimum temperature, away from moisture and where it's not vulnerable to being knocked at all. I know it can make a very good door stop, it's tempting; but you'll end up tripping over it. It's not good for your battery, not good for your toes & certainly not good for your partner when they hear profanity from your mouth! When storing your eBike battery for long periods of time it's best to keep the battery partially charged. If you store the battery completely flat then you run the risk of damaging the internals of the cells themselves. Also if you store the battery fully charged this can leave the cells under more pressure. So it's best to keep the battery stored in between. For the Bosch battery in particular the optimum charge state to leave it in is 60% (Or 3 LED's lit on the battery level indicator). For very long periods try to check the capacity every 6 months or so. When the battery reaches 1 LED showing, then top it back up to 3 LED's again. Many people think it's best to keep the battery on the charger so its always topped up in storage, but this is simply not the case. The Bosch charger won't 'overcharge' the battery at all but again it does leave the battery under more pressure. Will it harm the battery if I run it completely flat on a ride? No, it's never recommended to run the battery completely flat, but for longer rides it obviously can happen. The Bosch Battery is protected by its on board BMS (Battery Management System). This means it's protected for deep discharging, the BMS won't allow the battery to run completely flat. It may seem that you have no power left, but the BMS will have already shut off the power to the motor before it can hurt itself. We all know that the beauty of the Bosch drive is you can still ride without any resistance with the power switched off. On a side note here, if you are running lights directly powered from the Bosch motor and you do run out of power, the BMS will allow a small amount of power still to the lights so you will still remain visible! I ride in very cold conditions during the winter will this affect battery life? The simple answer is yes. Cold or very hot conditions can affect your battery range considerably. Bosch say it can be affected up to 30% in sub zero conditions. So if you are consistently riding in these conditions it can really affect not just your range; but the battery has to work a lot harder to perform the same function, this will decrease the overall lifespan of the battery as well. There are certain actions you can take to prevent this. You can wrap your battery up to keep it to temperature. Some people use a sock, some knit a woollen jumper for it, we actually provide a perfect neoprene Bosch Battery Cover that really hugs all styles of the Bosch battery to not just keep them within temperature but can keep the battery clean, protected from knocks and out of direct sunlight. You can buy this from our shop by clicking the link above. Should I clean the connections between the Bosch Battery and the eBike itself? Yes it is always good to keep these connections clean. This can minimize the risk of short circuit and damage to the battery itself. My advice would be to clean the battery mount connections on the bike with a cloth and if you are feeling really adventurous apply a small amount of grease (or Vaseline for the less handy users). When I say a small amount i really do mean a small amount, just a tiny bit to wipe over the connectors to keep them from corroding, its not good to plaster these with grease. It will not help at all. All it will do is attract more dirt and dust from the terrain which will stick to these connectors. I would not suggest to play with the connections on the bottom of the battery itself as you run the risk of short circuiting here, although 36v won't kill you it could make your hair stand on end and your wallet will end up £500+ lighter. Should I remove the battery when transporting my bike on the bike rack of my car / motor home? Yes this is strongly advised, stick it in a dry & safe place inside the vehicle. Here it is less likely to get knocked and lessens the chances of the battery flying off the electric bike on the motorway if it's not secured properly. The motorcyclist travelling behind you will not appreciate this hitting his visor. The best place to store the battery is under the driver's seat, this means it's out of the way and also shouldn't move around too much. Wrap it in a towel to prevent any knocks. Do not leave the battery on your parcel shelf, if you end up braking hard, the 2kg+ battery is the last thing you want hitting you in the back of the head. It will leave you with a headache! Also by storing in within the car it keeps the battery from getting wet. Although the battery is rain proof, people don't realize that if you're travelling at 70mph down the motorway, the water & air travelling over your car is then doubled in speed as it wraps round the back of your vehicle. This means the battery could be being sprayed with water at around 140mph. This is stronger than a pressure washer and can force water into the battery and components of the eBike itself. While I'm on this topic it's advised to use a cycle cover on the eBike and secured down safely. I dropped my Bosch battery and the case is cracked what shall I do? If your Bosch battery is damaged in anyway then it should be replaced. Even if it seems OK on the outside one of the cells inside may be damaged, this can then move onto other cells and the whole pack can become a ticking time bomb. The battery could seem fine and work but weeks later the effects of the damage could become apparent. The battery could heat up or even ignite. Do not under any circumstances ship this battery anywhere, you could be responsible for a DHL truck travelling down the motorway on fire! You should have the old battery properly disposed of. A faulty Lithium cell can reach temperatures of 1000+ degrees. It's really not worth the risk, visit a Bosch dealer and have it replaced. If your battery was damaged and did ever ignite, then get it outside immediately, the best way to put out a Lithium cell is with water and lots of it! Be careful to never inhale fumes from a burning battery as this can burn your throat. Anyway let's get back on topic.. I have had my Bosch eBike a while now and it's not going as far as it did when new, does the battery need replacing? Yes, quite possibly, but not always. There may certain other factors causing this -Are your tyres inflated correctly? It's important to keep your tyres inflated to the correct pressure as stated on the side of the tyre. It's amazing how much effect this can have, in fact a tyre that is half the pressure it should be can affect your range up to 40%! So check them every couple of months and inflate as necessary. When was your eBike last serviced? Something as simple as a brake pad rubbing can slow you down considerably. With the extra assistance on an electric bike, you may not even notice the extra drag. But the motor will be working much harder to assist you and therefore will drain the battery faster. Its best to get your eBike serviced once a year to keep it in good shape which can rub off well on your battery. Already described above, but you may notice this during the winter. If the range is significantly reduced, it could be because the battery is operating in much lower temperatures. Buy one of our Bosch Battery covers to help prevent this. Your battery could possibly benefit from a complete conditioning cycle, this allows the battery to re-learn its full capacity and charge state. Please read the topic which is covered further down in this article. My battery needs replacing, what shall I do? It may be that none of the above factors are affecting your battery. It possibly time to call it a day and have the battery replaced. But to be sure you should have the capacity of the battery checked first, just to make sure. If you are not competent with a testing meter I do not advise poking around on the Battery connections to test anything. You could easily cross two of the connectors and be in for a shock, you could destroy your battery this way too. You should visit a Bosch dealer and have the battery capacity checked properly. We won't take a meter near it, we will plug it into our computers and be able to give you an decision straight away if the battery needs to be replaced. On request we can also print diagnostics reports for your records. When a new battery is purchased it comes with a new Warranty from a Bosch dealer, so be sure to keep the receipt of purchase date safe. Can I open up the case & replace the cells myself? Yes of course it's your battery and therefore you can do what you want with it. But there are various reasons why this should not be done -There is risk of short circuiting, burning your fingers, fire and even harmful acids. Batteries are assembled in strictly controlled environments by specialists to ensure maximum safety. Going at with a screwdriver in the garden shed probably won't end up well. As soon as you open it up, your warranty will be void from Bosch and the CE certification from Bosch will be invalid. This also holds you responsible if you or others are harmed by the battery in the event of a future problem. Fitting an aftermarket battery or new internal cells not only could harm others but could harm the rest of your electric bikes components. You probably won't be able to achieve this anyway as the battery is very intelligent and the on board BMS makes contact with the rest of the Bosch system. The chances are you will probably waste money on new cells or the new cells will be a cheap Chinese imitation and won't last very long anyway. It's really not worth the risk. Should I perform a full conditioning cycle often? No, the Bosch battery is very intelligent, the on board BMS takes the hassle away to make a really user friendly battery. All you have to do is charge it and the Bosch system will take care of the rest. The BMS will self balance the cells when charging, it will control everything from deep discharging, over charging through to short circuiting. If you do wish to perform a full conditioning cycle then you can do this by simply discharging the battery completely by riding it until it is flat, then charging it back up fully with no interruptions. This can be done twice in a row to make sure it has fully conditioned. This is not recommended to do all of the time. Once a year is sufficient but like I say above it's not necessary in most cases. To conclude The main points are - Top the battery up, keep it at a good temperature, make sure the overall eBike is well maintained & keep the battery about 60% capacity when not being used for longer periods of time. Remember if you treat your Bosch eBike Battery well it will treat you well in return. By following the tips above, your battery should last 8-10 years in the perfect conditions. It could last even longer.. Who knows?.. You are in charge now (Pun intended!) Find replacement Bosch / Yamaha Batteries & Battery Covers.
When you're ripping through rolling terrain, cranking the pedals one minute and getting off the back of the bike the next, no seat height is "just right." The all-new Reverb gives you infinite seat-height adjustment and control of your return speed in a hydraulically actuated remote package. A custom sealing system means the plush and consistent feel of this seat post won't degrade, no matter how much the weather does. Reviewed well across the mountain biking industry Bike Radar says - Clever actuation with excellent sealing and no-slop mechanism MTB'r quoted - A veritable must-have for the all mountain rider, dropper posts allow freedom of movement when the going gets steep or technical We offer these as an option on all our Haibike Electric bikes. Haibike actually anticipate the fitting of these by adding the mounts necessary for a clean installation in the production process. On purchase of an electric bike from us, please add the dropper post to the basket along with the bike of your choice. We will fit the post free of charge of any labour in our workshop. The idea is that rather than keep getting on and off the bike to adjust your saddle height you can adjust it infinitely to exactly where you want it on the fly using the remote button that we mount conveniently next to your left hand. When you're travelling on any of the more tricky tight trails you can adjust the saddle right down out of the way. So you can be confident you have full movement above the bike without the saddle getting in the way / hitting you in the a*rse! Then when you cycle on the flat or when your climbing, to get the most out of each pedal stroke its best to use your legs to their full potential. Again at the flick of a switch you can have the post up to exactly where you need it. It doesn't just work un and down, you can set it almost anywhere you want between the full down or fully extended stages. I have one on my bike and you'd be surprised how handy it is. When they first came out people said it was a gimmick, but I guarantee once you've had one you'll never go back to running a normal post again. Obviously this is for more off road cycling , however one of my customer was using his bike darting around London. In the shop I explained how it worked and he passed it off. THis is his response after riding the electric bike for a month or so - I have to mention the James Bond Ejector Saddle what a useless gimmick was my initial thought but then I used it, I would like to change that last comment to “what a fantastic addition”, with my regular bike I am always stopping and adjusting my ride height only by half a cm or so, not with this I just release the button on the handlebars and lift myself or put more weight on the saddle, it’s adjusted, it’s also really helpful if in traffic/traffic lights, a word of warning if the seat is fully down and you are standing a press of the little button may make your eyes water... If you would like one of these then please get in touch. A word of warning though.. When looking online you will find the grey market ones lurking at cheap prices. These are fraught with problems and RockShox will not warranty the serial number in the event of a problem. Our ones are OEM, packed in original box with fitting and bleed kit. They also have the newer re designed lever and pop lock. We actually quoted up one a while back and the guy bought a grey market one online for about £80 quid less than we quoted him. He had a problem with it and the main shaft had to be replaced. RockShox billed him for it and it cost £234 to fix. If this was an OEM one he would have had it fixed FOC. We laughed because at this point he had spent over 500 quid and still had no further backup in the event of future problems. Find out how to purchase a Rock Shox Reverb for your Electric Bike.
Bosch electric bikes sold throughout Europe are capable of speeds of 30mph+. But due to current legislation they are restricted to 15mph (25kph). Are you fed up with the power cutting off when you reach the speed limit?.. We are the only UK suppliers of the Bosch tuning dongle that takes away the speed cut off restriction and allows you to reach higher speeds on your Bosch 250w or 350w ebike system. Now lets set the records straight from the start. The legislation is in place for many reasons. Therefore the speed tuning dongle we supply is for off road (private land) use only.. Now that's out the way let me tell you how it works.The Bosch speed tuning dongle is a tiny gadget that makes a big difference. Lets face it the Bosch motor is pretty 'pokey' it gets the bike up to the 15mph speed pretty quickly. Its then a bit of a dull moment as the electric assistance cuts out and its back to a normal pedal bike. This is where the speed tuning de-restriction device takes over. It takes away the cut off and allows you to keep pedalling as fast as you want with the motor power still assisting. This totally transforms the bike as a lot of people want to go faster, I for example am not too fussed about going a crazy high speeds but I generally average around 18mph so for most of my ride I would normally be outside of the power range.Here is what one of my customers had to say after he fitted the dongle to his Bosch powered Haibike (excuse the language!) - Wow! Amazing! Great! Super! Yes!!!! (is the basic experience). Wow what a difference it makes - no longer are you just getting interested and the motor cuts out! Oh no! The thing just keeps going! F****** ace. Just what I wanted. A lot of people ask me about the Bosch S 350w pedelecs. Now this 350w Bosch motor gives the exact same assistance levels and torque as the 250w motor. The only difference is that the 350w motor is capable of higher speeds out the box. However if you plan to use the ebike both on and off-road. The 350w motor will always be illegal to use on the road as its above the motor wattage limit. Its fairly obvious when looking at the bike that is is a speed pedelec. This cannot be used on the road at all - as one guy recently found out when he was hit by a bus. The cyclist was not at fault but had the book thrown at him when his bike was accessed and found to be a Bosch S pedelec. He was then liable for all damages resulting in a lot of money, he also lost his driving license as a 350w motor is classed as a motor vehicle! With this in mind remember that the 250w motor with the dongle fitted will actually out speed the 350w motor. It is also compliant (with the dongle detached). The Bosch speed tuning dongle is software based and wires into the speed sensor. Its fairly simple to fit. We build the software into a head phone jack, so once the cable kit is fitted you can plug and play the dongle whenever you want. Giving you complete flexibility of when you wish to use it. On the bike its virtually invisible, you can either leave the dongle / dongle holder within the motor casing (completely invisible). Or you can have the dongle more accessible so you can plug and un-plug on the fly.With the dongle plugged in the speed readout on the Bosch Intuvia display will be halved once you reach 15mph. So if, for example, you are riding along and the speed meter reads 17mph you are actually travelling at a speed of 34mph. Its really that simple..This fits all Bosch ebike motors - 250w & 350w - 2011, 2012, 2013 models.We do have a dongle kit for the 2014 Gen2 Bosch Motors. This can only be purchased with one of of own eBikes. We will include fitting within the price. If you would like one, please add a dongle and your bike to the basket together. We will then fit the dongle prior to the eBike leaving our workshop. The Gen2 2014 Bosch motor dongles cannot be purchased on their own.You can read the full customer review of the dongle here. You may purchase a dongle here.To download the full fitting instructions click here.
OK so how much does it cost to own, run & maintain an electric bike? Here is a short guide I have written to help you determine the running costs of owning an electric bike over an extended period of time. Well this depends on a few different factors: Initial Cost Typically an electric bike (eBike) costs more to purchase than a normal bike; you obviously have to add the cost of the motor, battery, design and electrical equipment onto the top of any normal bike specification. The initial outlay depends on your budget, but generally the old saying - ‘you pay for what you get’ is much the rule in the eBik'ing world. Often buy cheap, buy twice is a phrase I hear a lot when it comes to electric bikes. So if you spend a little more you are normally paying for something more reliable, which in turn will serve you better over time; overall reducing your running costs. Type of Electric Bike The type of eBike plays a big part as some cost more to run than others. An eBike that will take you further on one charge could reduce running costs. Typically (depending on the model) an electric bike will cost between 5-10pence to recharge from flat. Some models will take you 15miles on a charge whereas some can take you up to 100miles on a charge. The range depends on battery capacity and how efficiently the eBike applies the power. So the cost of recharging although small on each charge can work out more in the bigger picture. The type of electric bike can also influence the maintenance / wear and tear costs, but I will cover this further down the article. Battery Lifespan / Replacement This one is important if you are planning on using the eBike over an extended period of time. These days you get a lot more than you used to thanks to the advancements in Lithium cell technologies. Where battery technologies have advanced, in turn so has the range and overall lifespan. Some batteries need replacing more often than others. Some can take 1000 charge cycles so could last 8-10 years depending how well you look after the battery, where-as some can last as little as 18months. That said normally the longer lasting batteries cost a little more initially. So if you only plan on using the eBike for a couple of years a cheaper cell option could lower the overall running costs. Let’s say for example you plan to use the bike for the next 15 years (these are just examples): Basic Battery - Advanced Battery – Battery Cost: £200 Battery Cost: £400 Lifespan: 3 years Lifespan: 7.5yrs No of times replaced in 15yrs: 5 No of times replaced in 15yrs: 2 Total cost for 15yrs: £1000 Total Cost for 15yrs: £800 This example obviously does not include the time you are without the bike, postage costs, hassle etc. It basically shows that the advanced batteries are cheaper and less hassle in the long run. Maintenance / Wear and Tear In general, wear and tear on an eBike in comparison to a normal bike is much the same. People often think that an electric bike is going to cost an arm and a leg to maintain / service, but this is simply not the case. Most components are generic between eBikes and normal bikes. So therefore they should be maintained the same. Keeping your electric bike in good shape will reduce the running costs. Simple things like - cleaning it, keeping the tyres inflated, lub'ing the chain/cables, charging the battery properly should all help extend your eBike’s lifespan. It’s also recommended to service any bike annually to keep it in tip top shape. Some electric bikes can require more maintenance than others. For example the drive-train on a trekking bike with hub gears will require less maintenance than derailleur gears on a mountain bike. Typically a mountain eBike will be used in harsher conditions too so will require more frequent drive train servicing. Comparison Electric bike running costs should really be compared to those of a car. A lot of people are finding commuting on an electric bike a much more economical way to travel. Some also prefer the eBike experience to that of a car. Overall there are next to no standing charges per year for an eBike. Standing Charges per Year Average size Petrol Car Average Electric Bike Road Tax 175 0 Insurance 806 0 MOT 55 0 Totals 1036 0 As for running costs, well there are so many factors to include it’s a little difficult to average. As many cars and eBikes have such a wide range of running costs between them. One of the biggest factors is going to be fuel prices as they seem to be increasing all of the time. Typically an average petrol car will cost 14.19pence per mile just on petrol. Whereas an average eBike can travel a mile in roughly 0.13 of a penny. There are other factors to include in the running costs like Tyres, Service Charges, Replacement Parts, Parking tickets, Depreciation etc. But on average an electric bike will run for 8-12pence per mile over a small car which can cost on average 30-150pence per mile. Conclusion So to sum up a few things, you can expect to run an electric bike for very little in comparison to other modes of transport. The main costs are- Battery replacement: £100-£500 (Every 2-8 years depending on battery) Charging cost: 5-10pence per charge Servicing: £25 - £45 per year (average cycle shop service charges). A little should be left in the kitty over a number of years for replacement parts, tyres, brake pads etc but these costs are not substantial enough to worry about. Electric bikes are becoming more and more popular to the commuter market, looking for an alternative mode of transport. Besides some people can get to work quicker on an electric bike once they have dipped through the traffic, not had to find a space to park, taken cycle lanes / short cuts etc. It can make your morning more enjoyable! Of course some people are not using their eBike for commuting or to replace their current mode of transport, they are just looking for the thrill factor of riding one! Why not read the Electric Bike Maintenance Guide? Also worth checking out the Electric Bike Buyers Guide?
Many people ask what service and maintenance is required to run an Electric bike (eBike). Here is some basic information and general tips to keep your eBike running like a dream! Just like any regular cycle, your eBike is going to need routine maintenance; however don't be put off by the electrical part of this as generally it will require little maintenance. Many non-eBikers believe electric bikes are riddled with maintenance issues, but this is simply not true. If you, the user, take the basic steps to keep your bike running it will not require much more than a normal bike. After all if you treat your eBike well it will treat you well in return. Most dealers will provide a full set up on the bike, which is important as the eBike needs to be set up correctly in the first place to function well. Some dealers also offer another free service once the eBike has bedded in. This is useful and well worth taking advantage of as it can take a few miles for new bolts to bed in, cables to stretch etc. By taking it back after the bedding in period you can have it all re-tightened, and the brakes and gears checked etc. This is also a good time to change that awfully uncomfortable saddle, position the bars slightly differently and make any other small changes to provide a more comfortable ride. eBike Maintenance To get the longest life possible out of your eBike you can take some simple steps to maintain it yourself, without regular trips to the dealer. Here are some general cycle tips to help you along – Keep your eBike clean. If possible clean it after each ride with bike specific cleaners. Don't use a jet wash or alike as this can drive out grease lubricating the bearings, it will also compress water into the internals which in turn will corrode essential components. If using a high powered hose be careful to not jet water in too close to the hubs, bottom bracket, headset or anywhere else that is normally greased throughout. Some bike shine products can leave a layer of protection over the paintwork, helping keep your eBike looking like new for longer. Be careful not to get this stuff close to any braking surfaces though! Use a decent chain oil to keep the chain lubricated after cleaning, make sure it isn't left dry. Wet lube in the winter and dry lube in the summer. (Wet lube stays wet, dry lube dries). You can lube the cables with light spray oil, preferably one that dries and leaves a PTFE layer. If using lubricant that stays wet, on your next outing dust can stick to this causing more problems and can cause cable to seize. (With PTFE it will dry but leave a lubricating layer). When the bike is not in use try to keep it in a dry place out of the elements. - Keep the tyres properly inflated. This will prevent uneven tyre wear. It will also make your life easier as the bike will roll with less resistance. In turn the motor is working less and the range is extended. This can make more of a difference than you may think. (Tyre pressures are always printed on the side of your tyre). Motor & Battery Maintenance Most motors these days are either sealed or not serviceable, therefore if it did go wrong it would be replaced rather than repaired, so little maintenance here. It’s the same with the batteries; however you can take steps to extend the life of your battery. For example keeping it topped up, not leaving it to discharge for extended periods of time, not leaving it in the blazing hot sun for long periods and also not leaving it out in the freezing cold for many months if it is not being used. Most battery problems I come across are where people have neglected their batteries, or have left them for years and years before coming back to them expecting them to work as they did when new! With most modern Lithium cells it is better to keep the battery topped up. So even if you only go for a relatively short ten mile cycle down the road, it is healthier for the battery to be topped up after that ride as opposed to letting it run right out and charging it right back up. If the battery seems to be deteriorating, the capacity can be checked by a good dedicated eBike shop. Say for example the battery gets very cold or you leave it in the shed for an extended amount of time, it can benefit from a full conditioning cycle. To do this run the battery completely flat and charge it right back up. This should condition the battery back to state. It may be worth doing it twice to be sure. Battery packs can be made up of many cells and sometimes these cells become unbalanced. Many modern batteries keep themselves balanced correctly, with an on board BMS, (Battery Management System) however it is possible to charge the individual cells to balance them all. This should be done by a decent eBike shop correctly. Electrical Problems, what to do? If you do experience any electrical faults with your eBike you should contact the dealer you purchased the bike from. They should be experienced to help you. If you are not experienced, do not take any of the electrics apart. Do not remove any plastic covers as you could damage the internals and also invalidate warranties; this should be done by an eBike technician. If you do decide to ‘fiddle’ make sure to have a magnetic tray or some way of containing bolts etc. as bits may drop out as you open the case. It’s always good to lay parts out in the order you removed them; this way you will have a rough idea of how it all goes back together. Before returning to the dealer you may want to check the electrical connectors: it could be a really simple problem. Say you hit a hard bump in the road and the power cuts off, check the battery is securely in place as it may have moved slightly on the connector causing a momentary loss of connection. You can also make sure all contacts are clean and corrosion free. Many modern eBikes have on board diagnostics to tell the dealer what’s going on in the event of a problem. Some more simple systems are a case of subtraction, where each component is tested until the faulty component is diagnosed. Sometimes it’s as simple as turning the eBike off and back on. Doing this will reset the controller and could get you going again. Be wary however, that by resetting, it implies there was a problem and you should still have it checked out by an eBike technician. Some eBikes are more reliable than others and sometimes you just get unlucky; do what you can to look after your pride and joy, and you will enjoy many years of happy eBiking. Simply put: An eBike really shouldn't require any more maintenance than a normal push bike, just as long as you treat it correctly. Why not read the Electric Bike Buyers Guide? Also worth checking out the Electric Bike Running Costs Guide?
With so many different styles, models & price ranges, buying an electric bike (eBike) can be a daunting process. To help you in your search, I have put together a rough guide to help you make a decision as to which eBike will be best for you. This is the electric bike buyers guide.. Rather than overloading you with too much detail, the following words are ‘Jargon Free’ and should make sense to even the most novice of rider, it’s a simple guide to cover the important factors. There’s a lot to cover so I have broken it down into several stages: Style of Electric Bike Choose the right style of eBike to support your style of riding. The eBike market has grown massively over the past few years and with it a multitude of different styles, designs and purposes. Ranging from small wheeled folding bikes to big wheeled commuters; there is just about every style of eBike the end user could require. In order to get the right eBike you will have to think very carefully about what your needs and expectations are: If you are looking for an eBike small enough to stick in the back of the car, a folding eBike is the answer. If you are commuting to work have a look at the town/commuter eBikes out there. For dedicated off-roaders there are various styles of eMTB’s available. Commuting to work during the week but also after some light off-road at the weekends? A hybrid eBike will be right up your street (and tow-path). Many more niche styles are available; from eTrikes through to full carbon race machines - Be sure to take both style and usability into account when searching for your eBike: Whilst a folding eBike may seem like the practical choice, if you are planning on long jaunts with off-road sections it probably won’t suit your riding needs. Perhaps look into a suitable car rack instead. User’s Needs Ultimately whatever eBike you select it will need to suit your needs. You have to think about the practicalities between different eBikes. For example: You may be focusing on a small wheeled folding bike to go in the back of a car, but do not rule out the bigger wheeled non-folding eBikes; the folder may be practical to fold and store, but if the eBike is not practical in your riding style then you are less likely to ride it, and at the end of the day the ride is the most important factor. Every customer I see has different needs. Some may be less agile and need a cycle which is stable and easy to get on and off. In this instance a drop frame bike that allows more confidence when cycling, and in the event of a sudden stop allows you to get your feet down safely and quickly, would be the sensible choice. Don’t look at the bike and think ‘That looks like a ladies bike’, look at it and think about how practical it will be for you. These are ultimately the things that you can iron out whilst testing the bikes (something we will touch on later in the article) but is definitely worth considering even in the early stages of choosing your eBike. Wheel size Closely linked with the above points and vital to choosing the right eBike; ensuring you have the correct wheel size will guarantee both efficiency and enjoyment in equal parts. You should have a good idea what style of eBike you are after now, but what are the differences in wheel size and what different applications do they have? Now it may be a little early to determine size but I wanted to point this out now as size can also affect what style of eBike you are looking at buying. Really size should be one of the last things to look at but; I speak to so many people that after chatting about eBikes for just a few minutes ask – “What size do I need?”. At this point size is less important but you should consider the different wheel sizes available. In the old days there were just one or two wheel sizes available. But now as the market has moved on there are lots of different sizes to choose from. I’ll focus on just the main few without going into too much detail. 700c: This ‘big wheel’ is generally used for road work. The larger diameter physically covers more distance when rolled in a complete revolution than a smaller wheel. 700c is also featured on many trekking/hybrid bikes as they can be used both on and off road, with the main difference being the tyre choice: a hybrid tyre will have a slightly a wider body than a full road tyre, with various tread sizes and patterns to suit the riding style. 29” wheeled eMTBs (or 29ers) are also becoming more common, allowing the same rolling abilities and comfort for off-road users. 26”: Another popular size is the 26” wheel. Commonly used for mountain biking, this wheel is smaller but allows more control and less wheel flex off-road than its bigger brother. They generally feature a wider, knobbier tyre for maximum traction and grip in soggy conditions. That said, it is more common these days for manufacturers to use a 26” wheel on a town/commuter bike with a smoother road style tyre and higher tyre pressures. This allows the eBike to be more manoeuvrable with lighter steering but does not compromise rolling resistance with big bulky tyres on the road. It also ultimately lowers the centre of gravity too so may be more suitable for slightly shorter users. 20”: You will find these on many folding bikes, where the smaller wheels help to keep the overall size down. It is worth remembering that the smaller the wheel size, the less distance it will cover in one revolution, which can make for harder work on more lengthy rides. There are many other wheel sizes, but these are the most common in the eBike world. Where to set your budget? Your budget is a big factor in your hunt for an eBike. With prices easily reaching into the thousands, you should be prepared to pay a little more for an eBike than a normal pedal cycle. Electric bikes can cost anything up to £10,000+ but realistically the bulk of them start at about £800 and range up to around £6000. The extra technology in the motor and battery forces additional premiums over the cost of a normal bicycle. The positive is that as technology progresses and base prices lower, you will find you can pick up a reliable machine for a fairly modest sum. As with anything in this world you pay for what you get, and for eBikes this means paying more for quality, range and reliability. Of course don’t pay more for something you don’t need; it’s easy to get carried away your search. The eBike market is extremely competitive; if one is more expensive than another it’s normally for a reason. If an eBike was brought to market that was overpriced it would be spotted quickly and the manufacturer would find it hard to sell. Be prepared for your budget to fluctuate slightly, if one particular eBike is slightly more than your budget but realistically is going to serve a better job at doing what you want it to do then don’t rule it out. Sacrificing usability and function because of a budget could end up costing further down the line in repairs and replacement. Look around and compare eBikes at different price points before deciding on a final budget. Don’t rule anything out. Be flexible. Remember you get what you pay for, but don’t be sold on fancy functions for the sake of it. Equipment Equipment is important and it also comes back to your overall budget. You may have set a figure up in your mind for just for example say £2000, you by now may have seen the bike you are hoping to get. But factor in accessories such as helmets, gloves, protective clothing, bags, shoes etc. These things can add up fast! It’s also important to factor in components such as mudguards, lights, racks, lock etc. You may find if for example you require a commuting bike, some models may already come with bits like the mudguards, lights and rack fitted as standard. This is ideal, as the manufacturer has carefully selected the best components for the bike and the task in hand. They may often be much better than after-market components added at a later date, it could also be cheaper to buy a bike fitted with these parts. My advice would be to set two budgets, one for the bike itself and another for accessories, this way you are not sacrificing on either end. Obviously some things are a must for example a helmet. But remember some of the components you can buy or upgrade at a later date, allowing your budget to be more flexible at current. By doing this you avoid buying things you may not need and over time you will realise some of the essentials that you do want. Motor Types, Battery Size & Range I won’t delve too much into the different battery and motor types as this is going to be covered in another article; however it’s certainly something to look at when buying an electric bike. There are two main types of motor on the market: Hub drive and crank drive, and they work in different ways. Hub drive is a motor unit mounted in the front or back wheel. As the user pedals a control board applies power from the battery. This in turn will push the user from the back wheel or pull you along from the front wheel. The advantage of this system is that you run higher-powered motors to suit your riding style. You can generally swap out motors to work with different controllers and batteries, so it is quite versatile in its operation. Crank drive is where the motor is mounted directly in the frame and drives on the chain itself. This system is much more efficient as the user is effectively always in the perfect gear alongside the motor unit when pedalling forward and generally requires a smaller battery to operate. As the motor is mounted centrally on the bike it won’t cause the front or back end of the bike to become heavier. Another advantage is that it can perform better in slippery conditions, as there is less chance of wheel spin as the power is applied. There is less ‘surging’ and the torque is applied more evenly through the range. Your budget may become a large factor when considering which type of drive to go for. Crank driven bikes tend to be more expensive than the hub driven alternative, although there are newer crank drive motors coming to market all the time and I have seen some more budget crank drive bikes now become available. If reliability is the key; then maybe go with something that has been tried and tested on the market for a while. For me personally I only sell crank drive bikes, they are one of the most reliable systems on the market, In my opinion I prefer the way they feel when in use, it’s a much more natural drive with less surging and I believe they perform much better up even the steepest of hills. Your best bet is to try both systems and see for yourself, which one performs better for your requirements. Don’t forget to test the electric bike up a tough hill! As for batteries, this is probably the fastest advancing part of an eBike, with new battery technologies coming to market all the time. There are many types, the most popular being the lithium cells. These are lighter than the old Ni-cad batteries, and generally last for longer periods of time. Again this is another topic all together and will be explained in detail in another article. The bigger the capacity of the battery the more range it will hold. Be realistic about how many miles you will be covering, because as you go up the range the heavier and bulkier the battery can become. Remember, you as the rider are going to be lugging this extra weight around. Time and time again I speak to customers who want the ‘bigger battery’ because on paper the larger capacity is better. However when I ask – “Realistically how many miles are you doing?” It’s quite often not even 50% of the total batteries range. That said it’s always nice to have plenty left in the batteries range when out on a ride so you have the peace of mind you are not going to be left short. My advice would be: Don’t confuse yourself by reading up too much about all the different motor types and batteries, the main thing you want to look for is operation and range. Go and have a go on a few different styles, determine your range and go with what will suit you best. Test riding Now this is the fun part! It’s also the most important part of all. You must, I stress MUST go and try a few different eBikes before you make your decision. After all if you don’t try them you won’t know how they feel and operate. With so many different varieties out there try a few, not one or two, but a FEW to get a good comparison. If you don’t try several you could be missing out on the one that is perfect for you. When test riding: - Try the eBike in different gears and different levels of assist (if it has options), and in as many combinations as possible so you get a good feel for the bike. It’s no good riding up and down the pavement to reach a decision. Go up a sodding great hill, over bumps, get on and off a few times, pick it up, feel the weight, test the gears, brakes etc. Give it a good overall test to make sure it meets your expectations. Try one that is below your budget and another that is above your budget so you can see what you are getting for your money. You may find the cheaper one suffices your needs, or you may find the dearer one is going to support you better in its overall lifetime. This will also give you a chance to talk to dealers; you will learn much more this way than reading up yourself as the dealer does this day in day out. Every dealer is going to say their eBike is the best, but they should be able to guide you further and point out features you may not have noticed on paper. For this reason go to a couple of different dealers and determine in your own mind the eBike that is suitable for you. Support & back up Support and back-up is essential to your purchase. This also brings us back to visiting different dealers to gauge who you think is going to look after you in the long run. It’s no good buying a new eBike if further down the line you run into a problem and have no support. Each manufacturer guarantee differs; the main point is to purchase something that has some sort of guarantee in the event of a problem. You will often find separate guarantees for the electrical parts of the eBike, and the frame and components. These do vary but generally you’ll find a 2 year guarantee on the electrics, and 5 years or even a lifetime warranty on the frame etc. Make sure you read the small print: A manufacturer’s guarantee for “defects in materials” is totally different to a “no quibble guarantee”. Also please be aware that the battery could have a time span warranty alongside a charge cycle warranty. For example it could only be 6 months old but if it has covered more charge cycles than the warranty states it could not be accepted. Be wary of manufacturers offering very limited or short guarantees, this rings alarm bells that they themselves don’t have faith in the reliability of the product. Almost all guarantees are limited as, at the end of the day, an eBike is a moving part; bits will wear over time and the battery will eventually loose capacity. My advice would be to buy from somewhere you can go back to in the event of a problem, with a physical showroom you can personally visit rather than making numerous phone calls and messing about with packaging the bike up and having it delivered for return. Possibly look at places that can also service your bike to keep it up to scratch in the long term. Service and Maintenance - Obviously any eBike is going to need routine maintenance, however don’t be put off by the electrical part of this as it generally requires little maintenance. Many non-eBikers believe an electric bike is riddled with maintenance issues but this is simply not true. If you as the user take the basic steps to keep your bike running, it will not require much more than a normal bike. After all if you treat your eBike well it will treat you well in return. I will cover repair and maintenance in another article; however the basics for now are to keep the bike clean. Make sure all electrical contacts are corrosion free. It’s also worth having the whole bike serviced as and when it needs it and keeping a service record intact (This will help if you ever come to sell the eBike further down the line). Most dealers will provide a full set up on the bike, which is important, as the eBike needs to be set up correctly in the first place to function well. Some dealers also offer another free service once the eBike has bedded in. This is useful and well worth taking advantage of as it can take a few miles for new bolts to bed in, cables to stretch etc. By taking it back after the bedding in period you can have it all re-tightened, and the brakes and gears checked etc. This is also a good time to change that awfully uncomfortable saddle, position the bars slightly differently and make any other small changes to provide a more comfortable ride. Most motors these days are either sealed or not serviceable, therefore if it did go wrong it would be replaced rather than repaired, so very little maintenance here. It’s the same with the batteries; however you can take steps to extend the life of your battery. For example keeping it topped up, not leaving it to discharge for extended periods of time, not leaving it in the blazing hot sun for long periods and also not leaving it out in the freezing cold for many months if it is not being used. Most battery problems I come across are where people have neglected their batteries, or have left them for years and years before coming back to them expecting them to work as they did when new! Simply put, an eBike really should require no more maintenance than a normal push bike as long as you - the user treats it right. Making a purchase Now the exciting part (especially since you have probably spent more time reading articles like this than you’ll spend riding the thing)! You should have now tried lots of eBikes, read reviews, talked to others, had sleepless nights thinking about it etc. You now think you are ready to make a purchase! Go back to the bike you are hoping for, turn it upside down, look at it from every angle, take the battery in and out, see how it charges, ask any thing that may be hindering you, have one last go, make sure you are 100% happy with it. Then you are ready to hand over your hard earned pennies. Whatever eBike you get, I hope it suits your needs and performs well for you and it exceeds every expectation so ultimately you can be out and about riding it with a smile on your face. If you do own a normal pedal cycle, don’t forget about it! It will be all sad in the shed, so shake the dust off it and ride it every now and again; it will make you appreciate your eBike even more. I hope you found the article helpful in your quest. Here’s too many happy years eBiking. Why not read the Electric Bike Maintenance Guide? Also worth checking out the Electric Bike Running Costs Guide?
Well its the latest contender in the crank drive market. Although new; it has already proved itself as a ‘Bullet Proof’ reliable system. About Bosch Bosch electric bike drive system came up to the market unexpectedly. It has been launched at the Euro Bike show in September 2010 where not only Bosch launched their product but already couple of major bike manufacturers introduced their first ebikes being powered by Bosch E-bike drive. In the first row the cult bicycle brands such as Cannondale and Scott showed their first ebikes. What’s more important both powered by the Bosch electric drive system.Bosch e-bike drive offers a complete solution for bicycles. It provides the motor, battery, control unit which is built in the motor and the sophisticated control panel on the handlebar. Bosch Intuvia Control Unit (HMI) This on-board computer is a real eye-catcher. Together with its separate control unit on the handle, Intuvia is a smart, multifunctional control system that is safe and easy to use because you do not have to take your hand off the handlebar. Its superbly easy-to-read display also serves as a removable data storage device.Eco: At 100 % personal pedal power, the motor contributes an additional 30 %Tour: At 100 % personal pedal power, the motor contributes an additional 100 %Sport: At 100 % personal pedal power, the motor contributes an additional 180 %Turbo: At 100 % personal pedal power, the motor contributes an additional 250 % Bosch PowerPack 300 & 400 Bosch pioneered the use of lithium-ion technology in power tools, and has successfully marketed tools featuring this technology for many years now. The same tried and tested technology is now available in our PowerPack, which features high energy density and Bosch Crank Drive Unit Extends an e-bike’s range. For the rest, the PowerPack is undemanding – not just in terms of the space it needs, but also in terms of weight and charging time: the power charger can charge the battery completely in just two-and-a-half hours. The Bosch eBike System’s powerful Drive Unit signals the arrival of technological expertise in the two-wheel world. The high- performance drive not only adapts to the rider’s needs quietly – it also does so extremely quickly. After accelerating to 25 kph in just a few seconds, the motor automatically shuts off. This means that an e-bike equipped with this system still qualifies as a bicycle under German law. In Germany, therefore, it can be ridden on bike paths, and there is no legal requirement for license plates or insurance. To adapt perfectly..to the strain on the cyclist, it has to determine how much auxiliary power is needed. For this purpose, three sensors measure speed, pedaling frequency, and torque. These allow the optimum amount of mechanical support to be computed. For example, if a head wind comes up, the e-biker must pedal harder to maintain the same speed. The pedal-force sensor reacts to this, and extra power from the motor makes up for the additional strain. This technology wastes no power, making the Bosch Drive Unit extremely efficient. Elegantly designed, the drive can be integrated without any need to modify the wheelbase extensively. Since the Bosch design positions the Drive Unit in the middle of the frame, the bike has a low center of gravity, and thus more stability. View our Bosch powered eBike range here to choose your next ride.