Price for a half decent retail e-bike??

[Mikl]

Hi All
I'm after people's opinion on the minimum price you need to pay for a basic but reliable adult e-bike in Australia, and who might be a reliable retailer/website to talk to. I've read that there's a lot of cheap & dodgey stuff out there - particularly batteries & controllers.

I'm not wanting anything fancy, just something reliable that can be used as an everyday commuter e-bike travelling about 30km round trip to the office each day over reasonably flat bike paths with moderate effort put in by the rider.

Thanks guys!
Mikl

[alan101]

I personally ride a Jamis Coda Sport 27spd, 22kg with lights, bell and mudguards. It's 36v 10AhLi-ion - 2 years commuting 1-2d/wk 34 Km Werribee to Melb CBD. I moved e-kit over from a Shogun 21 spd, and saved 2.1kg. I wrote this recently:

$1,600 36v li-ion ebike
by Alan101 » Thu 16 Sep 2010, 4:15 pm

I went to LBS to get a bike serviced. This was Goldcross Cycles in Hoppers Crossing. They have a 36v li-ion step thru frame 7spd Shimano hub gear ebike for $1600, with 38mm tyres. A nice touch was a lockable alum battery compartment under the rack, so the rack still works. Had an adjustable headset so the bars could move up-down, and mudguards. It cited a 60km range, and the battery doing 10,000 cycles. Cited 25kmh speed before pedaling, so I'd expect 30-32kmh with pedaling would occur. I didn't see the brand name.

This seemed rather good value. It's using a Li-ion battery and 36v, not a standard lead acid (SLA) battery and up from 24v. My Jamis ebike might shave a few kg and is 3 x 9spd, but this unit looked able to do the job. It surprised me as being a decent spec and affordable. A 7 spd Shimano hub should be reliable, and my bike shop mechanic likes hub gears for staying clean and needing service only every 20,000km. For someone commuting within a 15km range (easy), or shopping and going to the local sport facility this would probably be very capable. With a 60km battery range, you ought to be able to do 25km one way out and return, with a bit in reserve for headwinds and not exhausting the battery. Use a second charger at work and you'd get 45kms one way capability, and it's how you want to spend your time that draws the limit. Goldcross have shops around greater Melbourne.


This Bicycle Vic thread has some ebike info, too:
http://www.bv.com.au/forums/viewtopic.p ... 58#p481358


I bought my rig from EVS, SE Melb. Website lists product.
EVS - Knoxfield Head Office and Showroom
Opposite Bunnings
Unit 4, 1488 Ferntree Gully Rd, Knoxfield
Ph: 03 9763 6271
http://www.evehicle.com.au
Knox store Open 8:30 am-5:30pm M-F Sat 9-2pm

[Comedian]

I don't know where you are, but Electric Avenue in Brisbane have some good deals. Their bikes seem as good as most.

Generally I would say between 1500 and 2000. I'm not aware of any E-bikes that are actually made in Aus though. They all come from China. Make sure you can get parts for which ever one you choose.

I recommend the Gazelle but it's 4k. That there is a full house bike though.

[GraemeK]

Have a look at these - Australian made and technically a lot better idea than a hub motor.

http://www.elationebikes.com.au/eLation%20Bikes.htm

Graeme

[Comedian]

Have a look at these - Australian made and technically a lot better idea than a hub motor.

http://www.elationebikes.com.au/eLation%20Bikes.htm

Graeme

They are really very good, and you deal direct with the manufacturer who is great to deal with.

Just be aware that though that they aren't as turnkey as buying an off the shelf bike. They can be fiddly to set up and not all layouts are ideally suited to them.

[GraemeK]

Hi Comedian- Elation make a fairly comprehensive range of off the shelf bikes as well as conversion kits -- probably better value to buy a complete bike