So now we get to the bike. I researched electric bikes for months and visited many bike shops to get advice and info. I eventually plumped for the Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625. The link provides a good review of it. I went to Wheelbase in Ilkley and tried both the step through and the trapeze versions. The step through is not a “womans” bike, it is what it says it is – easy entry. I liked the look of the trapeze version more and it seemed a little more robust.
The first one is my actual bike the second a media image of the step through.
A quick word about bike shops. As with motor bike shops, you will find staff are generally very friendly and eager to talk about bikes and riding. They will all be cyclists of one sort or another and are more than happy to advise and extol the virtues of cycling. And of course sell you a bike! But they know what they are talking about. I found Wheelbase of Ilkley to be great and nothing was too much trouble. They have helped me out with issues that I have had with no charge, when I’ve just popped in with the bike. Big Bear Bikes in Pickering is another great shop although they don’t deal with Cube. More local is Life Cycles in Stanningley and the Edinburgh Bicycle Co Operative in Chapple Allerton get great reviews.
I absolutely love my Kathmandu and have ridden far and wide around West Yorkshire and into North Yorkshire, further than I ever would ride on a non electric. It’s given me confidence and great exercise. Believe me, you still have to exert a lot of energy peddling, particularly if, like me, you use the battery only when necessary. There is absolutely no drag when peddling without the battery and plenty of power on turbo to get you up those long steep hills. The Bosch motor seems to be the king of motors according to experts and mid motors are better than hub motors. The 625 refers to the battery size – it is the biggest so far, although I did hear that there’s a 700 that some company is now doing. Think it might be Specialized? The battery is the heaviest part of the bike (the downside to electric bikes is the weight – mine is 25kg) and the most expensive. But most important! I have got 60miles out of mine, but it all depends how you ride and use it. It’s important to keep it charged up and worth keeping it in your house, rather than at cold temperatures in the garage. Personally I’d always go for the larger battery.
There are many different types of bikes that you can buy for different types of activities. The Kathmandu Pro is a hybrid. A hybrid bike is just what it says it is……….it uses a mix of elements from different styles of bikes. The Kathmandu is a cross between a hardtail mountain bike and an urban road bike. So it has front suspension and fat tyres that you might get on a mountain bike and a luggage rack that you might find on an urban road bike.
In the gallery above are all the various bits of my bike that I think are important to comfort and usability . You can click on the images to get a larger view. From the top, left to right…….
The Handlebars.
Heres your control centre! You can get various sizes and shapes of handlebars but these suit me just fine. I prefer a slightly wider one.
The second photo shows my little spy mirror. I find it really useful to be able to see what is approaching from behind and this is an unobtrusive one. You can get larger one that sticks out. I really don’t recommend wearing headphones whilst riding, although you will see many riders doing this. I hear vehicles approaching quite often long before I see them in the mirror.
The third photo shows the Bosch computer. There are five different Bosch computers, this one is the Intuvia, the second in the range. There are four power modes on the computer, that are easily found by clicking the controller on the next photo. Eco Tour Sport Turbo. The power is switched on and off here too. The computer functions:
- A Activate Walk Assist Press Walk assist and hold
- B Reset display options
- C Shift recommendation
- D Current speed
- E Battery charge level
- F Current riding mode
- G Information button:(toggle between the various display options (trip distance, trip time, average, range)
- H Switch lights on/off (Bosch bike computers)
The third photo also shows a phone mount. This is the Quad lock phone mount and its brilliant. I use my phone for navigation and it has always stayed on the mount even when Ive crashed! So I thoroughly recommend.
Now just look at this beautiful bell! Yes a bell is really important. There are lots of cycleways, bridle paths and tow paths where you will find many other users, who need to be warned when you are coming up behind them. Most bikes come with really cheap, pathetic bells and the pinger either breaks or gets so bent that it won’t ring the bell!! So my husband bought me this beauty for Christmas. It looks great and the ping is loud. You’ll still find people who are deaf to any kind of warning though! Lion Bell Works
Next photo – I changed the pedals because I found that when off road my feet sometimes slipped off, so I bought these smashers and they’re red lol! Burgtec Pedals They are great and your feet stick to them like glue.
Ive talked about the saddle in a pervious post so we’ll leave that. Next are photos of the wheels. You might notice that the tyres are not so fat; that is because I changed the fat Big Ben tyres for slightly thinner, more knobbly ones, that seem to work well in wet, muddy, rocky terrain. The front wheel has a quick release mechanism, which means the wheel can easily be taken off for transportation.
Talking about transportation…………………………if you intend to transport your bike to a destination you will more than likely need a bike carrier. Because electric bike are so heavy you will need a tow bar one. My husband and i sometimes go out together and need to transport two electric bikes, which combined weigh approximately 50kg. We take the batteries out, which cuts the weight down a bit, but you still wont get away with any other carrier – imagine trying to get them up onto a roof one!! We researched carriers and Thrule came out on top every time. There are youtube videos that show you how to use them. We got the Velo Compact from Halfords which holds two bikes and is as compact as you will get. It folds down and when the bikes are on it you can still access the boot.
So to end this section just a word about the many other types of electric bikes that you can buy and UK law.
In the UK your steed is an “electrically assisted pedal cycle” (or EAPC, or ebike, or Pedelec) if: the bike has pedals that propel it; the electric motor won’t assist you when you’re travelling more than 25 km/h (15.5mph); and the power doesn’t exceed 250 watts.
The cycles that meet these requirements (which affect two-wheeled bikes but also tandems and tricycles) can be ridden on any cycle paths and anywhere else that bikes are normally allowed.
In the UK you must be over 14 years old to ride an electric bike but you don’t need a licence, nor do you need to register it or pay vehicle tax.
You may find off-road bikes that can go faster than 15.5 mph by flicking a switch, but for UK law these are not compliant with EAPC regulations for on-road use.
As for the different types theres your city/commuter, road, mountain, gravel, folding, hybrid, cargo and probably some somewhere that I haven’t mentioned. If you decide you want to buy one go to a decent bike shop and get advice and try some out. It will all depend on what adventures you want to go on.
GO FOR IT!