Recently I bought a polygon tambora N gravel (road) electric assist bicycle and actually tried riding. Class 3 features the latest Bosch performance line sprint motor.
It is a great bike both on-road and gravel. I keep riding more than 90% of my usual road bikes, but the tambora is also comfortable and will surely be useful.
Because of this experience, we are considering purchasing a “Road” (gravel?) electric assist bike for a visit to a family in Germany that stays for about two months every summer. We plan to ride more than 5 days a week, quite often…
The biggest reason for hesitating to buy an electric assist car in Europe is the 25 km/h assist limit…
Therefore, we ask forum members who use the European standard 25km/h compatible load (gravel) electric assist car:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of electric assist vehicles compared to traditional luxury road bikes/gravel bikes?
- If the assist speed exceeds 25 km/h, how do electric assisted bicycles travel compared to conventional bicycles?
When answering, it is very helpful to specify the manufacturer/model of electric assist bicycle which is the basis of your opinion.
If you don’t get much response here, we recommend “test-driving” a 20-mile-per-hour restricted load/gravel bike on flat terrain. FME, if the speed limit is exceeded (if the speed limit is 15 miles per hour, it will easily exceed), the bike suppresses the rider. Manufacturers should be working to minimize this phenomenon… but another way is to ask questions in the pedelecsuk and EU forums.
I also own a Class 3 gravel electric bike (BMC Roadmachine AMP) like you, but 28mph (approx. 45km/h) is significantly higher than 25km/h. If it exceeds 28 mph, there is no tactile indicator, and unless it is downhill or strong tailwind, it will bear additional wattage. Most assists run at the lowest level out of three, and are often approaching 28 mph at level 2.
Answer to Question 1: In acceleration and climbing slope, electric assist is always effective, but the additional weight of the drive part is a disadvantage. The excellent electric assist bicycle has good driving performance even in the assist off, I always warm up (goal 10km) in the assist off state. It weighs 28 pounds and the TQ drive does not cause any resistance when powered off. Center drives and down tube batteries are located in low positions, so they do not affect handling. The behavior on the winding road is good and there is no unexpected movement.
Comparison with normal bicycles? Cost and weight will increase, but you can run farther with the same time and effort. I cannot judge the pros and cons. The criteria are for each person. For me, if I have an electric bicycle even on days when my physical condition is not good, I feel like I go out anyway.
Rick_D is offline
Such a phenomenon does not occur on my European bicycle. I think it is impossible for an electric assist bicycle to increase air resistance at the set speed.
Moreover, it was very easy to change the maximum speed in the head unit.
Can I ask which Bike/model you have ?
Thanks
I tried a bicycle with a hub motor with a 20mph limit… I certainly feel a little bit of the motor constraint. It is not a big deal, but it is certainly a level that can be recognized.
Avoid hub drives and choose mid-drive motors for Bosch or Fazua. The US-owned Class 3 bike is a Bosch Performance Sprint motor, but without an electric assist, it exhibits equal power in almost the same gear as a regular non-electric bike. This is based on the fact that the heart rate at the same route is very similar and wind resistance is almost equivalent. A good mid-drive limit of 20 miles per hour (about 32 km/h) is acceptable, but at 25 km per hour (15 miles) the electric assist becomes meaningless outside the long uphill.
When I get to the site, I need to try a European motorcycle… There is one store in the city that handles electric bicycles for luxury road…
… You can save a lot of euros if you get a new used machine…
Ride On
Bosch (probably all intermediate drive manufacturers) have been working to reduce the “motor resistance” (because there is no proper term), and it seems to have been almost successful in recent reports. Unfortunately, the opportunity to test the latest model has not yet been obtained.
First of all, we recommend setting the new gravel e-bike to class 1. It should be set in the menu. After that, before purchasing parts for Germany, try riding around in Class 1 mode.
If it is difficult to do so, another way is to put enough weight on an ordinary bicycle and make it the same weight as an electric bicycle. this is the main point.
I own two equivalent gravel bikes. One bike costs 25 pounds (approx. 11.3 kg) and the other is 48 pounds (approx. 21.8 kg). The practical difference is that the e-bike becomes very difficult to climb the slope due to significant weight increase. Acceleration is also quite slow. How rich is your family in Germany? Sometimes it is good to sweat on the slope. An electric bicycle can be used as an exercise tool or as a means of transportation.
If you choose a lightweight electric bicycle (5 to 10 pounds heavier than a non-electric bike), the difference is minimized. However, it will cost considerable extra. Equally important is that electric bicycles should not remain in a charging state for many months if possible. Is it possible for someone to ride instead and keep the battery in good condition while you are in America? Should I keep it at 50% if I do not use it for a long time, should I manage it in the range of 20% to 80% when using it?
My bicycle club has friends with relevant experiences: He was racing at the bicycle stadium in his 80s, 90s and early 2000s. He was a very strong player.
After all, I think it will be aggregated into the three points shown in the above bold.
The US Class 1 is limited to assists of 20 mph (about 32 km/h), while the European pedelec system is limited to 25 km/h (about 15.5 mph), which is practically a de facto standard for electric assisted bicycles (without a license).
But indeed, the “assist” of the European system has the effect of “extending mileage that may feel limited without an assist.” It is also an advantage that you do not need to walk on a long distance or steep slope. Neither is a big problem for me.
We’ve seen some of the UK’s online bicycle information sites and electric assisted bicycle performance tests in the UK that apply EU assist restrictions, but most testers have commented that electric assisted bicycles are comfortable riding and assist features are useful in certain driving situations.
After all it seems that it is necessary to actually test drive in the local…
For battery life issues… I definitely decided to buy a bike with a removable battery. With Bosch’s removable or Fazua Evation system, the battery is brought back to the United States and kept in a low and tolerable storage charge state. Both systems’ batteries can be easily stored in carry-on baggage.
Anyway, thank you for your opinion!
Comments from people who live in the EU or UK and have a performance electric assist bicycle are still welcome.
My Trek Verve + 2 active line is limited to a maximum speed of 32 km/h, but enough for commuting. I have never felt the need for lifting restrictions, and I have hardly exceeded the boost level of the second step. Note that the bicycle with the 25km/h limit may actually be limited to 23km/h because it actually operates at a speed a few kilometers lower than that (GPS measurement), and is quite slow.
I see, it’s useful information.
As a new plan, let’s wait for the opportunity to ride a road electric bike on site.
When I return to the United States, I don’t think I can expect much to ask someone to maintain my bike or battery.
Maybe a wider gear range cassette could help?