WHAT ACTUALLY IS AN ELECTRIC BIKE?
An electric bike which can be known as an ebike, e-bike or motorized bicycle, is essentially a regular (or acoustic) bike: it’s still got the look of a regular bike (breaks, chain, handle bars etc)… and you still need to pedal (but maybe not as hard as you would otherwise have had to). But with the battery and motor, you’ll get a little extra oomph to keep you going. Why not book a two day demo and see how it feels yourself?
HOW LONG CAN I RIDE FOR BEFORE I NEED TO PLUG IN?
Every electric bike we offer can be fully charged in under 4 hours; they typically offer a range of between 20 and 80 miles depending on terrain and the level of power assist used; and they all allow you to easily cruise at 15 mph. Take a look at How Far Can I Go With An Electric Bike? to see how far Simon gets on his.
ARE ALL ELECTRIC BIKES THE SAME?
There are different types of e-bikes available. We have the e-mountain bike: to give you extra assistance when you’re going uphill allowing you to enjoy the downhills that little bit more. The hybrid ebikes in UK are for leisure and commuting: helping you to go that little bit further without getting too hot and bothered. Finally, if space is tight or you want to be able to take your electric bike on a train for instance, we also have the folding e-bike option.
TOP TIP: Have a look at our Top Step Through E-Bikes if you’re looking for an ultra-practical bike that you can easily mount, ride and dismount without having to get a leg over.
Thanks to our bike buyer, Michael, we only stock the best, most trusted brands. These include Whyte (Britain’s own), Specialized (international experts) and Kalkhoff (urban cool). These brands might not be the cheapest on the market but they handle well, they are designed well and they tend to be lighter than some of the lower end models. Another benefit of these top brands are their motors are dependable, easy to fix and easy to find replacement parts for. Plus, if you did have an issue, we can do servicing and repairs too and all work comes with a six month guarantee!
DO I NEED A LICENCE TO RIDE AN ELECTRIC BIKE?
No, you don’t need a licence, insurance or anything else although like any other road user, you need to follow the Highway Code. UK law states that they must not exceed 250W and not go over 15.5mph (or 25kmh). We’d also recommend you wear a helmet and bike lights too.
WHO ACTUALLY RIDES ELECTRIC BIKES?
From the long commuter to the getting-back-to-it cyclist, lots of people have tried an e-bike! Read Normal Humans Tell Us Why They Want To Try An Electric Bike for a few more examples of who rides electric or motorised bikes. Rumour has it, we had an MSP buy an electric bike from our Cannonmills shop not so long ago. We’re keeping a close eye on his Twitter account and will share with you when we have visual confirmation!
In the meantime, we’ll leave you to check out these people and their ebikes:
Two roadies enter a brave new world of Ebikes. With the help of the good people at @EdinburghBikes and @kalkhoffbikes#cycling #cyclinglife #ebikehttps://t.co/gVLBcFSlqf
— Braes City Rouleurs (@BraesCityRoule) March 30, 2018