ELECTRIC BIKE EVENT !

E-BIKE EVENT 

Welcome to our E-BIKE, or Electric bike event blog post! Through out this post we're going to try and introduce you to one of the leading growths in the cycling world, when certain other disciplines / styles of bike sales have been stagnant or even on the decline - the E-Bike has only grown in the last few years. 
The common misconception is that E-Bikes are "Just for older cyclists" or "lazy people" in the aid to getting around the town. Now, we'd be lying if we said the majority of our personal sales here at Mitchell's are to customers of ages within the 50+ category. However, we know that the market for the new E-Bike's, is expensive and relatively untried by most... we want to change this! 
As we always have done over our 50 years within the bicycle trade, we aim to give all of our customers the best cycling tips, advice and information ... so check out this little blog and let us know your thoughts !
We have 10% off ALL of our E-Bikes... FREE GO | DIAMOND BACK | MERIDA ! 
From sit up styles to full suspension mountain bikes, we have a great selection and you can find all of the info about motors, batteries and more below!

THIS IS CHANGING!

E-Bike sales rose from 5% of the UK bike market in 2015 to 12% in 2016, although the UK market is growing we are still trailing to countries like: Holland, France, Germany, Denmark - who have embraced the cycling assisted bikes for a while; "Almost 30% of all New Bike sales are E-Bikes in Holland". Even Olympic gold medallists Victoria Pendleton is an E-Bike convert, with Pendleton calling them a “game-changer” for their potential to gain cycling participation.
From a personal point of view, closer to home.. We have always had a slow and steady customer base for E-Bikes - selling a very small amount of Mountain
E-Bikes and next to no road E-Bikes, the majority being a more 'sit-up' style, a comfortable hybrid with either a crossbar or a low step top tube. Back in 2017, we hosted an E-Bike Demo day up at the THREE TREES Cafe & Farmshop in Chiseldon, which does that best breakfasts - get up there if you get a chance, which featured different styled, powered and customer appealing electric bikes. 

MOTOR TYPES

REAR WHEEL MOTOR

Key Brand using this type of motor is our most affordable brand, Free Go Electric Bikes. Offering 3 battery options, 8Ah - 10Ah - 16Ah. Which will give you average ranges of:

  • 8 - 15 to 25 miles .... £999
  • 10 - 20 to 30 miles .... £1,099
  • 16 - 30 to 40 miles .... £1,299

The Rear hub driven 250w torque motor, has 5 variable levels of assistance, the higher the level of assistance of course the quicker the battery will drain.

SHIMANO STEPS SYSTEM

Our brand Merida Bicycles, are predominantly using the Shimano Steps Systems.. their "Performance" E-Bikes are using the E8000 motor, 504Wh battery combines serious off-road performance with no motor drag. And the "Active" E-Bikes are using the E6000 motor & 504Wh battery. 

  • E8000 battery life span, Shimano claim the battery will support the rider for 100km on one charge, mind this will be subject to the level of riding and trail type.
  • E6000 battery should last for 150km on one charge - same applies to this battery as above. 

The motor is placed under the crankset to give fast and responsive support to the rider upon each pedal stroke, aiming for the ride to feel as natural as possible - as close to riding a normal MTB as they can get it!

Usually a bike with the Shimano Steps systems, will be costing anything from the £2,000 and upwards. The first "Performance" Merida is £2,500 & the first "Active" Merida costs £2,500.

BOSCH SYSTEM

Widely regarded as the industry favoured system, the Bosch set up offers 4 motor options, a lot of brands opting to use the very high tech serviceable system. Although non of our in store brands use the Bosch system, we are equipped to service the motors. Runs as a very close [But different] system as the Shimano Steps, in a nut shell ... they both are located within the drivetrain, similar mileage, price points and out puts of motor torque.

YAMAHA MOTOR [within Giant SyncDrive Systems]

Yamaha are a comfy that are producing E-Bike products for other companies, currently Giant Bicycles are using Yamaha technologies with their 'SyncDrive PRO' system which is "powered" the Japanese company. Ofcourse, Giant is not a brand we deal with here at Mitchell's - however, our friends over at Swindon Cycles, do. They are the area Giant dealership.

SyncDrive systems offering three motor options; "Life", "Sport" & "Pro".

  • SyncDrive Life is the ideal solution for E-bikes with low step-through frames. This compact, mid-drive motor ensures perfect weight distribution, which makes the E-bike more stable and balanced. Centralized mass leads to a natural weight balance while riding and while stopped, so it’s a great choice for recreational E-bike riders. It delivers a maximum 60Nm (Newton Meters) of smooth torque, letting you conquer hills and greater distances with ease.
  • SyncDrive Sport offers three support modes and is equipped on E-bikes that are used for both everyday riding and more demanding off-road riding. This small mid-drive motor delivers a powerful 80Nm of torque and is widely acclaimed for its performance and reliability. It delivers instant motor engagement and smooth power delivery that feels like a natural extension of a rider’s own pedaling power.
  •  SyncDrive Pro powered by Yamaha is designed for high-performance E-bike riding. Giant tuned the motor to make it more powerful, producing a performance-oriented riding style. The lightweight, compact SyncDrive Pro motor is used primarily on Giant’s high-performance E-bikes including the new Full-E+ SX Pro and Full-E+ Pro off-road models.

Check out the Giant website and specifics of the SYNCDRIVE motors by clicking the link .... HERE.

TRANZ X SYSTEM

Tranz X is the last brand we are yet to find out bit more about, none of our current brands use the companies products - although, again, our friends at Swindon Cycles are stocking a brand called EBCO - which use both the Tranz X & Bosch Systems. We're keen to get on the bikes and check out the system & as soon as we do, be sure we'll update you all!

 

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

A recent survey of 2,000 commuters commissioned by Evans Cycles estimated that by switching from car, bus, tube or train to ebikes, commuters could save an average of £7,791 over five years. Now, to make this as easy as possible lets talk figures... 

THE LAW

European Union[EU] definition is applicable.

The tighter restrictions of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 (including a 200 kg weight limit on solo bicycles) were removed on 6 April 2015 by the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (Amendment) Regulations 2015. "Information Sheet" (PDF)."The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (Amendment) Regulations 2015" (PDF).

Riders must be at least 14 years of age, but no driving licence is required.

NOTE: The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 applies only to Great Britain. Northern Ireland, under devolved power, remains under the 1983 law. No attempt has been made to introduce compliance with European Union directive 2002/24/EC by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Written and published by Steven Mitchell. 28|2|18

Resources:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/16/rise-of-the-ebike-how-going-electric-could-revolutionise-your-ride

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws#United_Kingdom

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