Can anyone please give me some advice?
I am looking at this currently as the best value for money ebike for commuting to work.
https://lekkerbikes.com.au/products/amsterdam-plus-ebike
I'd rather not spend too much on this - I only live 10km from work hence this option.
Lots of uphill and I don't have the opportunity to shower at work. I sweat extremely easily..
Great bike but it's a single-speed. WIth your route being hilly you'll need a few more gears.
So you sweat? OK. Cycle in one shirt. Put your office shirt in your backpack.
Get a job that's downhill.
The bike you linked has a 36V system and since you need it to go up hills, I strongly advice to stay away, that is NOT a value for the money bike!
You need a bike with a 48V battery and at least a 500W motor.
A standard (street legal) 36V (trash) or a 48V 250W motor bike will struggle up hill depending on how long you need to ride.
I suggest NCM bikes, install the off road kit and use the lowest gear otherwise you'll burn the motor.
Thank you. Burn the motor? Never heard of that before :l
I would say just check for any cheap working ebike on gumtree or fb marketplace to make sure you enjoy the 10k ride before dropping 2k on one.
If vfm is really the only thing, check out the hybrid bikes from pedal (99 bikes), Xds (most bike shops) or Reid cycles.
Leaker is quite nice specially with the gates belt drive but their Ebikes are quite expensive unless on sale.
Great advice - thanks
Not sure about the single speed but probably okay since you can just dial up the electric motor to make it work on all but the steepest hill. Hopefully it is well geared for 25km/h cruising on the flat. The belt drive is really good for commuting since it is very low maintenance even if you ride in when it rains. The main problem is security for expensive ebikes because even with a good bike lock it might still get stolen. I had a $200 u-bolt lock on my ebike which was cut recently using what I can only assume was a battery operated angle grinder.
I happen to be something of an expert on e-bikes after months of researching and procrastinating.
A quick look at this bike and a few things I notice. Single gear with low torque - 30nM. That won't be a problem if your ride is relatively flat. You will need to do a lot of the work on steep hills
And I'm thinking city roads = sooner or later flats. The tubes looks hard to get at with the mudguards but I've never fixed a puncture on a bike with mudguards. At the least you would need to take it off and put it back on again.
Unless you use this method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyq38Mma3AQ
I always take the wheel off.
But it's a nice bike.
with low torque - 30nM.
What does that mean? Say a 400W power limit up a 6% climb, you are talking 18km/hr (5m/s). That needs about 30Nm.
Would seem to be plenty for hilly but sealed roads.
The tyres are also, depending on who you read, prone to punctures.
"I’ve been using WTB Horizon 650B x 47 on my fair weather commuter the last two years and I’ve had a lot more punctures than I am used to. Granted, my previous commuter used thick and heavy Marathons but I had a single puncture over five years (1000-1500km/year) with those.
With the WTBs I’ve had a puncture every 300-500kms (dedicated cycle paths in an urban environment). Is this excessive or normal for this type of tire?"
https://www.reddit.com/r/gravelcycling/comments/14f2ah6/are_…
If yo are close to a Lekker store go and give it a test ride.
Check this out at 9.00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY42g5H48Nk
Now I know it's not directly comparable since it's a rough trail on a mountain bike, but it may give you some idea of what it would be like getting up a steep hill.
Thank you!
DIY!
bafang bbs02 + get a decent bike from bikesonline <1k
Eg Polygon Heist x5
If it's only 10km, why an ebike? What about a normal bike?