Anyone know about electric bikes?

I can't seem to manage the hills on the oul' pushbike anymore, so thought I'd look into getting an electric one. Anyone got experience with using them, or which models are best? What about a company called Kenbay in Tallaght? I like the look of the UrbanMover range.

Any help appreciated

Saw one last summer, I do a bit of cycling myself, so I had a look. It appears quite heavy but the owner was full of praise for it. He did say that you need to keep the battery charged- Id imagine you would have some job pedalling it if the battery went dead mid-cycle!!! Any good luck with it and let me know if you purchase-the ould legs are not as good as they once were

It could be well worthwhile looking across the water to — and even maybe taking a weekend break, off-season, to bring one back.

They've been doing these for years...

Parnell said:

Saw one last summer, I do a bit of cycling myself, so I had a look. It appears quite heavy but the owner was full of praise for it. He did say that you need to keep the battery charged- Id imagine you would have some job pedalling it if the battery went dead mid-cycle!!! Any good luck with it and let me know if you purchase-the ould legs are not as good as they once were

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Thanks for that. Is 22Kg heavy do you think?

DrMoriarty said:

It could be well worthwhile looking across the water to — and even maybe taking a weekend break, off-season, to bring one back.

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Good idea. Must check in Germany too which I visit 3/4 times a year.

Parnell said:

Saw one last summer, I do a bit of cycling myself, so I had a look. It appears quite heavy but the owner was full of praise for it. He did say that you need to keep the battery charged- Id imagine you would have some job pedalling it if the battery went dead mid-cycle!!! Any good luck with it and let me know if you purchase-the ould legs are not as good as they once were

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I took the plunge and bought one through the 'Net from Scotland. I went for a folder although it's a bit bulky and heavy for folding it on a regular basis such as carrying it into work for example. It makes putting it in the car a doddle though.

First impressions are very favourable. It's not so heavy that pedalling it without the battery is an impossible job - it's mainly aluminium alloy. The battery makes hills easy, like someone was giving you a bit of a push and it has a 6-gear Shimano 'shifter'. The battery is NiMH, good for up to 20 miles on pedal-assist but that remains to be tested.

The dealer seems to have forgotten to disconnect the throttle which allows the bike to run without having to use the pedals, which is illegal in the UK and Ireland! Not that I'd ever want to do that of course!

I bought a folding urban mover and find it brilliant. I fold it and stick it into the boot of the car. The main thing about electric bikes is that they are light, made of alloy and less than 25kg. Stay away from steel and lead acid batteries

gerryb said:

I bought a folding urban mover and find it brilliant. I fold it and stick it into the boot of the car. The main thing about electric bikes is that they are light, made of alloy and less than 25kg. Stay away from steel and lead acid batteries

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Are you connected with Kenbay by any chance?

My sister who suffers from bad knees bought an Urban Mover 55 from a bike shop in Middleton. She is delighted with it. Easy to fold and uses alot less energy on the legs.

I am not connected with Kenbay

There is some useful information on www.electricbikes.ie.

Avoid Urban Mover, their customer service is exceptionally poor.

Phone them up and pretend that you are an existing customer and then ask for a technician or customer services rep. You will be told that there is nobody in the office, then asked for your phone number and a promise that they will ring you back which of course will not happen.

Do not purchase Urban Mover!