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Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

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jonesa1
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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#231775

Postby jonesa1 » June 24th, 2019, 4:59 pm

Itsallaguess wrote:Some months ago I linked to an article that was suggesting that it really won't be too long before non-powered bikes are the exception rather than the rule, and I think that's a fair viewpoint when looking a few years out from here.


I gather that's already happening in the Netherlands where cycling is primarily a way of getting somewhere. It might take longer to make an impact in the UK where a lot of cycling (especially on expensive bikes) is for fun & fitness. Among the MAMILs and younger enthusiasts, e-bikes are likely to be a minority interest. The lack of safe cycle routes and secure parking won't help either, which is unfortunate because e-bikes could potentially replace cars for a lot of people who wouldn't consider (or couldn't manage) a purely self-powered bike.

Andrew

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#231801

Postby tikunetih » June 24th, 2019, 6:18 pm

UncleEbenezer wrote:If I ever had an electric bike, I'd need to be able to detach the battery to bring it indoors for charging. Kind-of like I detach the water bottle to refill it!


Many people keep bikes their in garages, sheds, utility room, hallways or other rooms, and many of these places have power outlets.

In the higher end road bike world, there are a growing number of bikes with components (power meters & electronic gear shifters) that use embedded rechargeable batteries, requiring the bike to be periodically (every so often) to be plugged into a charger. For many of them it will be no inconvenience as they'll be storing the bike somewhere near a power outlet anyway (see above).

People seem to have got used to plugging their smartphones and other gadgets in every day or two or three, as opposed to removing a battery from the gadget and charging that, and as ebikes gain in popularity a similar thing may well happen with them. Give it a decade or so and we'll all be doing the same with our cars, anyway, so few will probably bat an eyelid at doing the same with an ebike.

I'm sure detachable batteries for ebikes will be around forever, but may increasingly be confined to more niche use-cases, such as for commercial/rental bikes or super distance niches, where a rapid swap-over is required.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#232006

Postby 9873210 » June 25th, 2019, 5:38 pm

UncleEbenezer wrote:A bike tube is a finely-tuned piece of engineering: a carefully-crafted balance between strength, weight, durability, etc. A tube you can put a big heavy battery inside would seem to throw all that away. Unless there's some magic in there that the initiated know about but that eludes others like BJ and myself.

Bicycles are designed the way they are because of UCI rules (even where the rules don't technically apply the spirit still affect design). One of the few things you can engineer is the tubes. If you do away with UCI rules but still constrain for human power you'd add mass and get recumbents and fairings.

If you do away with the constraint of human powered there are better places to spend money and engineering effort than lighter tubes, so an optimized design has crude, heavier tubes and a slightly lighter battery pack.

This is all part of the history of cars and motor bikes, which evolved from bicycles at the end of the gas light era. Once you add non-human power everything changes. You have the option of more power instead of more efficiency.

Also not that it's not early days for electric bikes, since power assist started perhaps a century and a half ago.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#232135

Postby scotia » June 26th, 2019, 11:29 am

Just a few notes on the Halford e-bike which I purchased
First there's a favourable review https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/carrera ... -electric-
Secondly - its designed as an e-bike - not as a standard bike with bolted-on batteries etc.
So the folding frame is not tubular - its a sizeable box containing the battery - which either can be charged in situ, or removed (with a key) for charging indoors. The key is a security feature - you don't want someone stealing the battery!
As I have reported elsewhere, its designed as a cross-city bike, but I have also used it for some cross-country work. It folds, and fits in my car's boot. But its a bit heavy (for an old guy) to carry around when folded.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#232230

Postby colin » June 26th, 2019, 9:33 pm

UncleEbenezer wrote:But would you buy a bike from Halfords? Bear in mind that, unless you're particularly lucky, it'll be set up by someone who neither knows nor cares about bikes,
.


My experience of my two local Halfords has been quite the opposite , given that the people who staff the bike counters seem to spend most of their day maintaining old bikes customers have brought in for service I don't see how they can do that without knowing anything about bikes, have you actually set foot in the bike department of your local Halfords?

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#241767

Postby bungeejumper » August 5th, 2019, 9:06 am

Snorvey wrote:So I'm about 2/3 up on Sunday and a prick on a battery powered pushbike comes past. 'Morning' he chirps. 'Piss off' I reply back (under my breath).

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just think, if you'd had one of these you could have burned him off, no trouble. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKHz7wOjb9w

(Nice soundtrack, by the way. And how very apt.)

32 million views, and counting.....

BJ

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#241837

Postby UncleEbenezer » August 5th, 2019, 12:41 pm

Snorvey, I so wanted to give you a thumbs-up (though I thought you had a motorbike yourself?). But for one blemish: your use of "fat" as a derogatory adjective!

As for personal mobility devices, my regular bike served me well when I was temporarily disabled due to injury. :)

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#241863

Postby dspp » August 5th, 2019, 1:54 pm

Snorvey wrote:
Regarding Amsterdam & the Dutch. I didn't see to many e-bikes when I was there last year - presumably because the bike parking areas were just overflowing with pushbikes, piled high. I get the impression some folk just grab any bike and get going. Not what you want to happen to your shiny new Personal Mobility Device.


You'd be fairly wrong on both counts. Not absolutely wrong but mostly wrong.

Firstly ebikes are booming in NL.

"E-Bike Now Biggest Category in the Netherlands
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands – Increasing consumer spending, sunny weather during the summer of 2018 and an ongoing interest in e-mobility products led to an unprecedented market expansion in the Netherlands. The e-bike’s market share jumped from 31% to 40% while the total market volume increased by 5.7%. In value, the Dutch market reached historical high levels."


https://www.bike-eu.com/sales-trends/ni ... 1565009435

Secondly nicking someone else's bike is very definitely frowned upon. Trusting other people not to nick it means it is often left unlocked in many parts of NL. Unfortunately my daughter did not realise that this trustworthy aspect of human nature could not be equally relied on in the UK, which is why she left her (non-electric) bike unlocked when she came to the UK and it was pinched immediately. Oh well.

regards, dspp

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#241878

Postby bungeejumper » August 5th, 2019, 2:21 pm

Snorvey wrote:Regarding Amsterdam & the Dutch. I didn't see to many e-bikes when I was there last year - presumably because the bike parking areas were just overflowing with pushbikes, piled high.

Mebbe. Or mebbe it's because most of the Netherlands doesn't have hills? ;)
I get the impression some folk just grab any bike and get going. Not what you want to happen to your shiny new Personal Mobility Device.

And then there's the canal water. Apparently the life expectancy of a Parisian e-scooter is a few weeks before some yob or inebriate dumps it off a bridge into the Seine.. (https://www.ft.com/content/b994895e-83a ... e435b57a3b):
A study by the Boston Consulting Group found that the average rental e-scooter had a lifespan of just three months, whereas it took almost four months for a rental company to break even on its investment in the product. In Paris, the average lifespan is probably a lot less, and Mr Gantzer reckons some last less than a month.

Oh yes, and then there are the lovable Amsterdam cobblestones. Apart from that, the idea's got everything going for it. 8-)

BJ

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242094

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 6th, 2019, 1:31 pm

bungeejumper wrote:
Snorvey wrote:So I'm about 2/3 up on Sunday and a prick on a battery powered pushbike comes past. 'Morning' he chirps. 'Piss off' I reply back (under my breath).

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just think, if you'd had one of these you could have burned him off, no trouble. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKHz7wOjb9w

(Nice soundtrack, by the way. And how very apt.)



BJ

Yep, sounds like a collision between Sham 69 and the Stranglers
What's not to like?

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242105

Postby bungeejumper » August 6th, 2019, 2:37 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:Yep, sounds like a collision between Sham 69 and the Stranglers
What's not to like?

The song's credited to a band called March to the Grave - https://music.apple.com/us/album/point- ... mpt=uo%3D4. Don't know them, but I like their style. :D

BJ

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242117

Postby PinkDalek » August 6th, 2019, 3:28 pm

Snorvey wrote:Audi announces e-tron scooter as last-mile mobility option

... I can foresee hordes of these things infesting our streets in years to come. Keep your personal injury lawyer on speedial and don't live in a block of flats is my advice.


Confused I am!

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/are-e-scooters-too-dangerous-to-be-legalised/

E-scooters, which are illegal to drive on roads and pavements ...

So why the image in a Scottish online newspaper of someone riding one on what looks like a pavement*** and mentioning more than enough for inner-city journeys?


*** Presumably that image is taken from somewhere over the small pond.

Having had a few near misses with these things recently, as a pedestrian. Next time I shan't budge.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242120

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 6th, 2019, 3:41 pm

What's the difference between an eScooter and an eBike?

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242123

Postby PinkDalek » August 6th, 2019, 3:48 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:What's the difference between an eScooter and an eBike?


Good question. Do you know the answer?

Further to fall from an eBike but more visible I'd assume. Unless a micro eBike.

Edit: Here's some stuff on electric bikes https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242126

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 6th, 2019, 3:57 pm

Nope, no idea
One could claim a scooter is a bike with small wheels and no seat. If bikes need a seat, just fit a flip up one. No need to use it, eBikes are still legal if you stand on the pedals.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242128

Postby bungeejumper » August 6th, 2019, 4:14 pm

I wonder which creative genius thought of marketing the Audi e-scooter as a last-mile mode of transport? I mean, I can see that the hipster isn't wearing a crash helmet, but should we infer that he also has no brakes?

In my book, a last-mile mode of transport is correctly described as a hearse. ;)

BJ

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242198

Postby UncleEbenezer » August 6th, 2019, 7:35 pm

bungeejumper wrote:In my book, a last-mile mode of transport is correctly described as a hearse. ;)

BJ

So why do you re-hearse before the main event?

How fast do those thing go? If faster than walking then brakes - or at least some decent braking capacity - would seem essential. If not, what's the point?

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242205

Postby UncleEbenezer » August 6th, 2019, 8:00 pm

Snorvey wrote:12.5mph (so around 4 times average walking speed) according to the article. No doubt there will be some sort of mod available to boost that number.

If that thing clouts a bairn, it'll do some damage.

Exactly. Not so fast as to be a serious risk to the able-bodied rider in a fall, but plenty fast enough to do damage in a collision. Could get scary on the downhill, too.

I guess the real question is how much control you have. Perhaps a skateboard would be a comparison?

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242406

Postby daveh » August 7th, 2019, 12:55 pm

For a start e-bikes only go if you pedal*. Ie the motor provides assistance when you pedal and not otherwise. If a e-bike is twist and go it is an electric motorbike, requires type approval, the rider has to have appropriate insurance and wear appropriate PPE.

An e-bike is limited to a 250W motor and assistance has to cut out at ~15.8mph. If it doesn't it is a an electric motorbike, requires type approval, the rider has to have appropriate insurance and wear appropriate PPE.

I'm told (but have never tried one) that an electric scooter can do over 30mph, the small wheels mean they are inherently less stable than a bike (the gyroscopic stabilising effect of the larger wheels makes the bike more stable).

* there is a walk assist mode that works without pedalling, but it is exactly that - walk assist it is limited to walking pace (4.5mph) and I've never used it.

I own an electric bike ( and 3 normal bikes) I use it to commute (some of the time) the 15 miles each way to work instead of taking my car. It has the advantage that

1) I can do the journey in under 1hr no matter the weather conditions (at least I have so far) as it allows me to stay at around 15mph most of the time even into strong winds

2) I still get plenty of exercise as it doesn't go unless you pedal, I can generally keep the speed above the 15mph cut off so generally its me doing all the work (unless I'm cycling into a strong headwind).

3)When I get to work I'm generally not all hot and flustered (except when I'm overtaken by some speeding mamil and my competitive urges are triggered and I try my damdest not to be dropped - its hard when you have to power ~8kg of battery and motor around on hybrid bike).

4) It means I'm actually doing the cycle commute - before I bought the electric bike I'd stopped as it was starting to take me too long especially in inclement weather - think strong headwinds.


I find the attitude that your not a real cyclist, or that you are cheating if you have an electric bike very unhelpful.

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Re: Halfords - free 48hr electric bike trial

#242427

Postby scotia » August 7th, 2019, 1:54 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:What's the difference between an eScooter and an eBike?

The e-bike is a normal bicycle- but in addition it has a small hub mounted electric motor which provides (at maximum) about one third of a horse power - and it only operates if you use the pedals - i.e. it is electrically assisted - and usually you can select one of three assistance levels. You can also choose to ride it without the electrical assistance. The motor cuts out if you brake, or if you stop pedalling, or if you exceed a certain speed (usually around 15mph on maximum assist ). It is legal to ride it as for a normal bike - although you need to be over 14 years old.
As far as I am aware it is only legal to ride an e-scooter in the UK on private premises - although I have seen them illegally running on pavements in our village. The e-scooter looks exactly like a kid's scooter, but driver simply stands on the scooter and lets an electric motor provide the propulsion.
(Edit - I see that most of the points I have made above have already been adequately covered. So let me also agree with the sentiments as to how useful a e-bike is. At 75, I get much more exercise with a e-bike that I would have on a normal bike, and I do it without scaring my family into thinking I could provoke a heart attack!)


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