Off road E-Bike

[BenBuzz]

Hi all,

Apologies if asked many times before, please let me know if so, but this is an area I have absolutely zero knowledge or experience in so thought I'd start here.

I am looking at whether I can incorporate some sort of electric bike into my daily work routine. My job involves walking 10-20 miles a day (depending on time of year, much less in winter) across fields inspecting crops on farms. I have done this for the last 10 years and have a very decent level of fitness, can pretty much cope no problem with the walking side of it however I am wondering whether I can increase my productivity/efficiency and reduce overall fatigue at the busiest times of year (spring!). I am hoping this will also provide a better service to the client whereby I can get into all the awkward field corners/edges/etc. more regularly.

Some other people in my line of work use quad bikes but I have little desire to tow a trailer and quad everywhere, hassle opening gates on farms, etc. My thought is that with an e-bike I will be more agile, less of a footprint on the field, easier to carry in the back of my truck. Perhaps light enough to lift/chuck over a gateway or fence if needed?

The ideal bike would need to be highly robust, capable of travelling with ease across fields which could be equally heavy clay or very stoney (potentially sharp flints). It does not need to be capable of high speeds, road work would be fairly minimal (mostly just moving from field to field), but would need to have enough battery to get me through a good few hours of riding each day (~6-8 hours spread across the day, not continuous).

I am assuming something with decent suspension would be a key requirement but again wouldn't know where to start.

If anyone has any brands, shops, etc. to start that would be massively appreciated, equally if the above is not realistic then let me know! This would be a 100% work purchase, no specific budget in mind if its well-made/robust as it would hopefully be earning it's money back...

Thank you!

[Harry Smith]

What's your budget? Do you work for yourself or employed? Cycle to Work scheme (C2C) is a good way to get a bike but I think only for the employed.

[RowntreesCabana]

We'll need some sort of budget to work with. Personally, from your description, I'd imagine that a hardtail would be fine, I can't see that a full suspension bike would be required.

Secondly, if you're lifting it over a few gates and fences, then weight will be very important as full on electric mountain bikes commonly weigh in at around 25kgs. Add panniers to that if you need to and it sooner adds up.

I'd be looking for the lightest embt that I could find for the budget. With 20 miles a day max, a battery of over 500wh should be more than enough.

[defblade]

Maybe something like this:
https://uk.himiwaybike.com/products/himiway-electr...

I think it'd have to be a fat bike (that is, big, wide tyres) to stand any chance of getting across muddy fields. Puncture resistance can be added by choice of tyre; choice of inner tubes and then using sealant in those... and carrying a puncture repair kit and spare tube/s.


Ditch that style of mudguard in mud, it'll clog to a halt. Enduro-style front, and whatever the proper name is for the straight-out ones at the back... or accept you'll get muddy/wet when riding.
And on that note, it's going to be high maintenance on the drivetrain - gears and chains don't like mud.

I'd take the range figures on Chineseium bikes like the one linked with a pinch of salt, but should be ok for what you're suggesting, although likely to need recharging every night.

Lightweight it won't be! You can add lightness at increasing cost, but any sort of fat bike is going to be heavy from just the tyres and rims being bigger than normal, then you add a motor and a pile of batteries to get the range... so even an expensive one will be a long way from featherweight.


Be aware, 250w (average) power is the maximum allowed on UK roads... plenty of bikes out there claiming far more. Whether you'd ever get pulled for though, in the countryside and assuming not riding like a dick feet off the pedals at 30mph, is another matter. These look cool for off-road only, 1000w motor:
https://engwe-bikes-uk.com/products/m20
Google "electric fat bike" and there are many, many choices.

But overall, I'm not at all sure the bike you're describing to whisk you at ease across all sorts of fields really exists... or rather, it does, but it's a quad

[Craikeybaby]

It may work, but in my experience of riding my regular MTB on bridleways that go through/around fields, it is always hard work, because for the few months of the year when it isn't wet, the ground is so churned up and baked solid that it is a tough ride.

Depending on where you are based, it shouldn't be too difficult to hire a bike to test your theory though.

[Harry Smith]

Good rule of thumb is to buy something that will sell more easily when you get bored with it. So stick to well known and established brands. Second hand is also worth looking at. There are thousands of 'lock-down' bikes stuffed in the back of sheds and garages. Also worth noting that certain brands have transferrable warranties such as Specialized and Trek.
I would stay away from chinese brands tbh, even though, bizarrely, many quality parts fitted to up-market bikes are chinese derived/manufactured.

[Vocht]

You'll want a dual sus and a 625wh battery. Dropper for getting on and off easily. Something like a Haibike AllMtn should suffice. Won't break the bank.