Ribble SLe / Road E-Bike
Discussion
I'm considering a lightweight road e-bike for my commute (24 miles each way, Herts to Central London) to enable me to do it 4-5 days a week rather than 2-3... I think I'd appreciate the help on the way home, especially this time of year.
I'd probably use my standard bike half the time still.
My route has a few hills where I drop below 15mph, especially on the way home but in general I average around 18mph (including all traffic light stops) so for the majority of the time I'll be dragging an extra 3.5kg around for no reason.
Has anyone got any comparable experience... will the benefit of am easier ride home in the cold, wind, rain be worth it or will it just frustrate me when above 15mph?
I'd probably use my standard bike half the time still.
My route has a few hills where I drop below 15mph, especially on the way home but in general I average around 18mph (including all traffic light stops) so for the majority of the time I'll be dragging an extra 3.5kg around for no reason.
Has anyone got any comparable experience... will the benefit of am easier ride home in the cold, wind, rain be worth it or will it just frustrate me when above 15mph?
Here is someone riding LEJOG on a ribble e-bike
I expect she will write something more than just this one tweet about it in due course
https://twitter.com/laura_laker/status/11703877763...
I expect she will write something more than just this one tweet about it in due course
https://twitter.com/laura_laker/status/11703877763...
The numbers (as confirmed by Ribble) roughly are;
SLe eTAP + Cosmics (£5799): approx 11.5kg all in
Rear Hub 2.1kg
Battery 1.5kg
So a spare standard rear would quickly get the weight down for when assistance isn't wanted, and although a bit more involved it could be turned into a sub 8kg bike by removing the battery.
SLe eTAP + Cosmics (£5799): approx 11.5kg all in
Rear Hub 2.1kg
Battery 1.5kg
So a spare standard rear would quickly get the weight down for when assistance isn't wanted, and although a bit more involved it could be turned into a sub 8kg bike by removing the battery.
Dog Star said:
lufbramatt said:
If you want to look at one I noticed that Ribble have opened a showroom at Bluewater shopping centre, they had the road E bikes on display last weekend.
I work in Leeds and there's a Ribble "pop-up shop" literally 300 yards away, if that.
The bottom of the range £2.5k job (Tiagra + Aksiums) I think is over 12kg if not a little more. I quickly turned that into a £3.4k option with Cosmic's (a bargain at an extra £600) and an aero handlebar (£300, vanity more than anything).
The problem then is it's "just" another £2.3k for SRAM eTap HRD and uprated everything else and close to 11kg.
On the other hand, I've been investigating Cube Agree hybrids with the Fazua motor. Heavier but scope for (illegal on road) derestriction. For all that is wrong with that it makes more sense for me - I could commute at the same speed as I usually would but with a little peddle assistance all the time to take the strain every other day (whilst using my current road bike on alternate days).
Or the other option I am thinking about is a Boardman (or similar) 8.9e... and just accept that every other day will be slower!
The problem then is it's "just" another £2.3k for SRAM eTap HRD and uprated everything else and close to 11kg.
On the other hand, I've been investigating Cube Agree hybrids with the Fazua motor. Heavier but scope for (illegal on road) derestriction. For all that is wrong with that it makes more sense for me - I could commute at the same speed as I usually would but with a little peddle assistance all the time to take the strain every other day (whilst using my current road bike on alternate days).
Or the other option I am thinking about is a Boardman (or similar) 8.9e... and just accept that every other day will be slower!
The answer of course is "all of them"
Thanks all for opinions far.
As it happens I got beasted by a chap on a derestricted eMTB yesterday. I was 30mph+ and he was gently peddling off into the sunset. Not for me as I want to keep fit too, but being able to fall back on some assistance on the cold wet winter nights is appealing, otherwise I have a 1h15m commute going at 10/10ths.
Thanks all for opinions far.
As it happens I got beasted by a chap on a derestricted eMTB yesterday. I was 30mph+ and he was gently peddling off into the sunset. Not for me as I want to keep fit too, but being able to fall back on some assistance on the cold wet winter nights is appealing, otherwise I have a 1h15m commute going at 10/10ths.
UpTheIron said:
The answer of course is "all of them"
Thanks all for opinions far.
As it happens I got beasted by a chap on a derestricted eMTB yesterday. I was 30mph+ and he was gently peddling off into the sunset. Not for me as I want to keep fit too, but being able to fall back on some assistance on the cold wet winter nights is appealing, otherwise I have a 1h15m commute going at 10/10ths.
Where do you cycle in from and too?Thanks all for opinions far.
As it happens I got beasted by a chap on a derestricted eMTB yesterday. I was 30mph+ and he was gently peddling off into the sunset. Not for me as I want to keep fit too, but being able to fall back on some assistance on the cold wet winter nights is appealing, otherwise I have a 1h15m commute going at 10/10ths.
Barchettaman said:
24 miles each way is a hell of a commute.
I’d consider a Cube hardtail MTB with the Bosch motor, and derestrict it with one of those module things.
That way you could sit happily at 20-25 mph.
Tempting but it would be obvious that it was illegally derestricted and I'm not sure it would have the range.I’d consider a Cube hardtail MTB with the Bosch motor, and derestrict it with one of those module things.
That way you could sit happily at 20-25 mph.
A derestricted road e-bike is tempting... assistance at 20-25mph would make it worthwhile and not so obvious as I'll typically buzz along at 20+ on the flat anyway. I test rode a (non-chipped) Cube Agree, enjoyed it but you don't half feel the weight of it when the motor is off. I'm half tempted to buy one but it's a big outlay if it ends up rarely used.
It is a fair old distance but pre-injury I typically ran 15 miles a day so kinda used to it. It's just the homeward leg is a real drag sometimes, especially as the weather turns.
Sebo said:
Where do you cycle in from and too?
Welwyn to Bank. About half undulating A road, half carving through city traffic. Lots of traffic lights.I'm beginning to wonder if the answer is a new 'acoustic' road bike of suitable expense so that I am compelled to us it
UpTheIron said:
Sebo said:
Where do you cycle in from and too?
Welwyn to Bank. About half undulating A road, half carving through city traffic. Lots of traffic lights.Your thread pique'd my interest as I would like to cycle every day but am only managing 3 or 4 round trips a week and wonder whether an E Bike would be a way for me to consistently do it every day, albeit at (hopefully) a lower effort than 3 or 4 days on a normal bike
Keep us posted on what you decide pls
Sebo said:
Ah cool. I wondered if we had a similar route but I'm a bit further over in Herts and cycle Stortford to Bishopsgate.
Your thread pique'd my interest as I would like to cycle every day but am only managing 3 or 4 round trips a week and wonder whether an E Bike would be a way for me to consistently do it every day, albeit at (hopefully) a lower effort than 3 or 4 days on a normal bike
Keep us posted on what you decide pls
Your thread pique'd my interest as I would like to cycle every day but am only managing 3 or 4 round trips a week and wonder whether an E Bike would be a way for me to consistently do it every day, albeit at (hopefully) a lower effort than 3 or 4 days on a normal bike
Keep us posted on what you decide pls
Sebo said:
Ah cool. I wondered if we had a similar route but I'm a bit further over in Herts and cycle Stortford to Bishopsgate.
Your thread pique'd my interest as I would like to cycle every day but am only managing 3 or 4 round trips a week and wonder whether an E Bike would be a way for me to consistently do it every day, albeit at (hopefully) a lower effort than 3 or 4 days on a normal bike
Keep us posted on what you decide pls
Great minds think alike (or fools rarely differ!)Your thread pique'd my interest as I would like to cycle every day but am only managing 3 or 4 round trips a week and wonder whether an E Bike would be a way for me to consistently do it every day, albeit at (hopefully) a lower effort than 3 or 4 days on a normal bike
Keep us posted on what you decide pls
Nail on the though... every day is a bit much and although I have "secure" cycle space at the office I wouldn't fancy leaving it overnight and catching the train.
Ideas bouncing around my head include:
- Use my 'acoustic' bike every other day and an e-bike in between. However this doesn't help on the days the weather turns to crap, I'm late leaving and knackered. Or when the weather is nice and I'm on the e-bike. Sods law says I'll always be on the wrong bike.
- Get (if such a thing were to exist), and uber e-bike that I can ride unassisted in the morning and get a good workout without too much weight penalty, and take it easy on the way home. The problem with this is I tend to average 17-19mph (including many traffic light stops) so a legal bike going to be a dead weight most of the time. I don't get above 25mph very often either, but I'm generally grinding along at a decent pace.
- Ebikemotion bikes are the lightest my research has found, but they can't be derestricted.
- Fazua are a bit heavier, but can be derestricted. To get one down to 13kg is still about £6k, which is a lot of money and it's early adopter tech really so could be obsolete pretty quickly.
- Pretty much everything else is heavy, can't be derestricted, or both.
Option 1: Ebikemotion and accept the smaller weight penalty and when help is needed accept you'll only be doing 15mph. I believe Wilier have a 10.5kg bike out next year.
Option 2: Derestricted Fazua (e.g. Cube SL, Focus Paralane, Pinnarello Nytro) and use light assistance most of the time to overcome the weight penalty at all speeds and have the backup of cranking the assistance up for those days when you're tired.
I'm thinking option 2, currently trying to do the man maths on something like the Cube Agree SLT. I'm sure the SL would do the job of course.
Edited by UpTheIron on Friday 13th September 18:26
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff