I'm getting loads of questions about my bike, so here it is in all its glory: electroheads.com/pages/estarli-e28-sale Thanks SO much for your support on this video, Electroheads! The feedback has been amazing.
I hear a lot of arguments from women not wanting to use a bike for commuting to work due to helmet hair and post ride cleaning/freshening up (make up) . Could you do a video on how you overcome these issues.
I’m a guy and wondering the same. The last time I daily drove a bike, on a flat road for 1 mile - really nothing too much - I felt like I needed to shower when I got to work. Maybe an e-bike would be better in not exerting oneself as hard.
@@dallysinghson5569 Sure, worrying about not looking presentable after a commute is one amongst many reasons people might use to justify why they choose not to cycle. No one said it was the biggest barrier, just one of them. There’s plenty of channels discussing the “big” issues of safety and urban design, but all these “small” worries add up and can end up contributing to their reasons to not cycle. I think there’s space to talk about this stuff, and there’s really no need to be so dismissive.
I was an avid bicyclist since I was 5, rode in marathons when I was in my teens, and rode to and from work assisted with public transport on the longer parts of the journey. But all of it was fine until I had a serious injury to my knee, causing massive damage and a lot of infection. Decades later, I still have an issue with it which has discouraged me from getting back on the bike and riding (grinding issue with knee). So I can totally see the e-bike helping me increase my mobility, lessen my fuel costs for simple non-cargo rides, and enjoy the whole experience all over again. The lack of noise, pollution, and traffic has always been an attraction to me with bikes. You can go places that no cars can go.
Eilish, thank you so much for opening up about this. You didn’t have to. Aside from knowing you better I think people will start to look at cycling differently, considering that it is a mobility tool, not just fun or exercise. That’s a big service you just did for humanity. Just know that you’re loved and supported by people you haven’t even met yet. We’re on your team.
Years ago when I was in my mid 30's and pretty fit, I rode an analog bike to work. I stopped because I was exhausted all the time because it was getting to be too much. I remember thinking back then how I could have kept doing it if I had an e-bike, but at the time (2005) Giant had one for about $1500 which I really couldn't get my head around. I'm now in my 50's, not so fit, have a pretty good commuter e-bike, and it never feels like it's too much. I also love how my e-bike can get me around without the cost of registration, licensing, insurance. or gasoline. Sometimes I think owning a car is a trap and an e-bike is a way out. 🙂
I commuted to work for almost 50 years on an assortment of bone shakers. Then I had a knee replacement and after recovery I was struggling to get back into cycling much. Then I picked up a Carrera Subway Ebike at the Halfords Sale for £989 in January and I love it! I'm out cycling every opportunity now 👍
@Advanced Driving The Ribble sounds awesome, but out of my price range and I didn't want a Road bike. The Carrera Subway is 18kg, which isn't as heavy as many others I've looked at. Components are great for the price, but battery range isn't great, I get about 30 miles from a charge, and I ride mostly in Eco mode, I save Turbo for blasting up hills
This is such a wonderful and personal video! So many folks are reluctant to either consider cycling or get back in the saddle after an upsetting encounter due to disability or vulnerability. Thank you for sharing your story!
San Francisco Bay Area e bike rider here. Great content and practical urban riding reviews. Stay empowered and stay safe. SF is becoming more bike friendly, but you have to keep your head on a swivel for tourists, trucks, Uber drivers and pedestrians. We have the “Wiggle” route which minimizes super steep hills, but this is where high torque ebikes are helpful when encountering 15% + grades. Love the reviews and production values.
Great to hear your experience! The ‘head on a swivel’ is a well practiced skill for the city riders. You definitely need some added torque with the SF hills!!! Do the 500w motors do them justice?
I was hearing about a San Francisco ebike helmet called xnito, they're putting a ton of effort into protecting ebike riders, have you heard about them?
First of All love your videos, I'm a guy of 66 years old had both a heart bypass and Cancer, and I got my health back using an E Bike, I love it I see my mates and get to meet people who like me love E Bikes I used to have a car, my wife has to do home dialysis, so I have to get rid of the materials she uses, so a got trailer for my bike so it's no problem and don't have to wait in queue of cars at the Dump, and your right woman such as yourself would be better off getting an E Bike , the only thing I would recommend is Bike cam or helmet cam, maybe do a spot on bike cams at good price, I adapted a car cam and it has helped me out a few times, great video, merry Christmas
Thank you for this video. I’m sorry you had that scare but if anything it adds to your positivity about e-bikes. I genuinely believe mine helped me through the lockdowns of Covid. Living in the Pennines, there’s no way I’d be able to get up the hills around my home with a regular bike. The e-bike enabled me to get some meaningful exercise every day during those stressful times.
Thank you so much! That’s awesome to hear how much they’ve transformed your life. Getting some fresh air and giving your legs a spin always helps with alleviating stress and anxiety - I can imagine even more so in the beauty of the Pennines!
I had to relearn to walk when I was 6 years old because I have cerebral palsy. I can’t imagine switching jobs while needing an operation. I’m glad you’re are making video content on disability because there just isn’t a lot of information on this topic. And it’s needed because everyone will have some kind of disability as they get older.
I still get wound up when I think about the coach driver that deliberately tried to force me off the road, and that was well over a decade ago. It's hard not to think malicious thoughts about that kind of person.
@@Electroheads Indeed it does. On the positive side that's probably the worst incident I had in 15-odd years of bike commuting in London, so by and large it's safer than some people assume. If I could ever find that bloody coach driver tho...
Wow this video was a great idea, just to give people a better insight into why you love e-mobility so much. I never knew about your hip injury or how badly it had initially affected you. You could have just stayed safe but you really did get back on the bike so to speak ☺️ I can relate to this, I was into downhill mountain biking years ago but due to a progressive illness I’m now disabled. I cant walk far, swim or do contact sports. But this year I took the plunge and invested in an ebike, I got the Voodoo from Halfords. It has changed my life and allowed me to get out on the trails again. I feel so free and when I’m going along I almost feel normal again. Thanks for making this video, it should inspire more people to not give up and try e-mobility for themselves. Stay safe 👍
Thank you so much for sharing your story. It is awesome to hear you’ve been able to get back out there despite so much adversity and it just goes to show you don’t have to miss out on life and fun! You go! ☺️
I like listening to you EIlis. :) I fix bikes for a living, and have so far fitted 3 e-Bike kits to customers' bikes, or rebuilt them with motors and upgrades,. and each one has helped people who were on the verge of giving up their current level of cycling, (or giving up cycling completely due to health or age) to maintain their riding, or even go further and faster than they would, or did before. I agree with the addition of confidence to people's riding, for the reasons you gave, but also that they aren't as daunted by hills and headwinds as they used to be. I have been naughty and fitted an (X, where X > 250) W motor and big battery to my old 26" wheel steel hardtail MTB, and it has given it a new purpose & lease of life. It's like having a little moped to jump on when I'm feeling lazy, and I'm able to motorpace friends for training. Hey, if they can have a 50kmh category in eBike design in Europe, why can't we here? I call it civil disobedience, as the motor is indistinguishable from the 250W version from the same manufacturer, with a judiciously altered compliance plate saying as much ;) So all we need to do now is get road designs altered so they aren't as homicidally car-centric as they currently are. A friend of mine was hit & killed by a motorist (19 y.o. on her phone) last Sunday whilst riding home from a club ride, on a notorious stretch of local road (2 other cyclists killed on this road in the last 5 years), but I don't think an eBike would have saved him.
I’m so sorry to hear about your friend… how devastating. Hope you’re okay ❤️ electric mountain biking is such an amazing new(ish) phenomenon. It really unlocks where you can go and how much more you can do in a day!
That bus driver was a knucklehead! And it's good to see that you're alive cuz then otherwise we wouldn't get to see your great videos that you put out even over here in the United States and you're pretty brave cuz I wouldn't ride in the streets like that with my e-bike I ride mostly on the sidewalks but keep up the good work and love watching your videos and all the work you're doing is good
20 years ago I was commuting from E&C to Green Lanes. Could do it quicker on my 'acoustic' than the getting the tube. What I would've done for an e-bike like today's array of options back then! These days my commute is 2 miles of town driving in an ICE car, which I don't like but needs must (had back surgery earlier in the year and carting tools and materials around whist retrofitting an old house). E-bikes will be our preferred mode of transport once we move into the new place though. Even got a bike shed with charging in the plans 👍
as a trucker that ebike commutes i know Being Visible is more important than everyone thinks. Lights , Hi-viz Vest and or clothes, Mirror horn are good cheap ways for being taken seriously. i Will go on sidewalks when its blustery and dark and windshield wipers come on , its time for Bright Yellow raingear . You don't know how many times cyclists pull next to my Semi Truck in the blind spot , at dusk ,in dark clothes , no lights 🤦🏽♀ Make an Effort to See and Be seen by every Driver near you . ⚠⚠
Great points! Thank you for sharing. It shocks me how brave cyclists can be around trucks. Really feel for you when you can’t see them and they’re being wreckless! We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe and be sensible on the roads. Lots of education is needed for all road users!
I love my E-bike - it gets my out there exercising far more than I did with my old analogue cycle, so E-bikeing doesn't mean being lazy! After owing my bike for 3 months , I did a 80 mile ride and felt great albiet a little tired, but at 74 I'm quite happy with my progress. As for other traffic, best to avoid when you can and stick to the quieter roads but I realise that isn't always possible for you Londoners.Anyway, good to know you are still out there having cycling fun.
The main problem with riding bikes on the roads are impatient drivers. They don't give you a chance to build up speed and that's when I thought I would buy the Cyrusher XF900 which can help me keep up with traffic as it can go upto 28-30mph max. It may be illegal but it really helps and it is much safer than my old bicycle and my Vsett 10+ e scooter which I found dangerous 😂. I live in Birmingham and I know it must be worse in London 😭
I just learned to ride bike after the first pandemic and e-bike really helps me because I'm such novice in this world. Glad it exists and help me to learn and love using bikes he he
Liking the term 'accoustic' for the purely muscle driven bicycle 👍 it also likens the e-bike to the much cooler electric guitar,.now when you see a cyclist passing on an e-bike you're thinking 'mmmm, could be a Les Paul that' 😀
i bought a Brompton and Swytch converted to electric. i did this due to knee problems, i have to say i love it the knees dont hurt as much as they did i think this has helped repair them after 2 and a half years. i now look for excuses to use the bike. im in my late 50s and the electric makes me feel at least 20 years younger.
Love this style of video from you, Ellis, I really enjoyed your lucid and well-argued presentation on the benefits and fun of ebike ownership, including a very clear evaluation of how to manage the costs of affording one. You are a great advocate for this essential means of transport and you do credit to the channel in promoting such. Well done for opening up on a little bit of yourself, it does wonders in personalising this channel, good luck with avoiding other traffic on the roads. Perhaps you could do a video on your tips for strategies for safe riding around traffic, it would make a big difference to some on how to get up the confidence to go for ebikes. By the way, with your wide choice of ebike options, it is a credit to you that you go for a "real" bike for your preferred daily driver and not a wacky/weird one. Thanks for all your hard work..
@@Electroheads Safe riding in traffic would be a great topic. I'm jealous that a 15.5 mph top speed makes you feel more like you belong with the other road users. Even the 28 mph top speed bikes we can get in the states doesn't help much with the stroads posting 40mph limits. And that doesn't include drivers that ignore that, like police that won't even look at you unless you are doing at least 5mph over the limit!
Hey commuted for many years on bikes, much better than public transport or cars. What we need is for more cycle lanes (proper ones - not a painted line on the side of the road) and secure parking. My metal health has always been good while I've been cycling. In my area there is a community scheme to long term/ short term hire bikes to locals and tourists. It's encouraged people to get out of their cars and enjoy life at a different pace. keep up the get work A
Thank you for sharing your perspective in such a practical, lifestyle-oriented way, as opposed to *just* tech specs. I have wondered about a lot of these things. I'm hoping to avoid car ownership, but I need a way to get around. The bus doesn't seem fun, it seems like wasted time, and plus, it only goes to so many places. What if I need to get somewhere the bus doesn't go? Sure a bike costs something, but when it's that close to a year's worth of public transportation, an charging is cheap, it's not crazy to think of going for the bike instead! Thank you for confirming some of these things, since they're just the topics I want to look into before I make the plunge and buy a bike or some such thing. Something about catching the bus feels limiting. I think it'd be more versatile to be able to do either or, as needs be -- like you laid out in your yearly expenses, doing both is absolutely fine. Thanks again, this is super relevant, and as mentioned, it is a welcome break from just stats and figures about the latest product. Good on you for exploring more of the human factors side of things. I hope people watching this will also help normalize biking, because I want drivers to start to see bikers as fellow humans, not nuisances to target in a fit of road rage out on the streets. Every little bit helps, I think.
Awwww bless you Ellis, you are amazing and so inspiring. I've never rode an e bike but am looking at the possibility for one as due to disability might lose my driving licence due to eyesight problems. Would love to see other e mobility products on the channel
@@Electroheads many thanks, eyesight is failing due to a gene disorder, partially sighted in one eye. Definitely looking into e bike or e cargo bike to get around and do shopping instead of relying on home delivery. Was looking for more e mobility stuff like the bio hybrid
When I first got my e-bike I was thinking "Wow, these are like seven-league boots!" You still have to make an effort, but it gets you so much further and faster.
Loved the video! I don't have an ebike, but I do own an e-scooter and a regular bicycle (acoustic as you call it), and I find myself reaching for the escooter way more often simply because I don't always feel like cycling. It's not difficult, I don't have any hills to climb, but it's just a psychological barrier. Anyway, going to get an ebike soon!
Never had an ebike. But I have cummuted by bike in Seattle, WA, USA since the 80's. Picking a safe route is key, but danger is always lurking. I only ride on bike paths nowadays. Cell phones have changed the whole thing.
Cell phones and people with busier lives/less patience for sure… like you say you just need to be savvy with routes and keep a keen eye out. Why not try an ebike and see what you think 😁😁
Arthritic anklestook me from a painful 1500 acoustic miles per year to the 5000=8000 miles per year that I have done over the 6 years since going electric. It is just so thrilling to get on my time machine/ebike or etrike and feel 40 years old again for 1-3 hours a day. Very nice retirement daily meditation. HURRAH!
hey thanks for all the great information, yes I think ebikes are great. I own a Trek Powerfly 5 full suspension mountain bike and its the best thing that I have ever bought. I like you have had an injury and my doctor and physio have both advised I get out riding to build up my fitness again. If I had owned a normal bike it may have been a bit different , but with the Ebike it takes most of the strain off ones body and makes getting around so enjoyable. Keep up with the great content. Cheers, Trevor, NZ.
Glad to hear your scrape with the bus didn't keep you off a bike! Living and riding in NYC, I can completely relate and riding a bike in a big city can be a bit daunting. Having an e-bike definitely makes a difference.
Just worked out that I must have saved £15,000 by cycle commuting. I finally got rid of my car when the mileage to the garage for MOT and servicing and journey home was close to the total mileage for the rest of the year. I could have justified spending more on my bikes!
I like to ride home on my acoustic bike and then bash out a tune on my mechanical guitar. Seriously though I fitted a Swytch wheel to my m-bike for half the cost of an e-bike and find it great. Nice video.
Riding a bike or an e-bike is much better than using public transport, not only saving the money but also the time. I work in Battersea park and from where I live to my work, takes 1 hour and 10 minutes by bus whereas riding a bike only takes me 16 mins to 18 mins on average. my best timing is 14 mins & 30 seconds. On top of that I get my exercise done at the same time. I guess if I get an e-bike I would even go faster!!
Eilis, glad you recovered from the ordeal and found a way to continue cycling. Karma will find that bus driver, don't worry. All the best for your health & well being !
I've been disabled for decades by ME/CFS, my 'exercise' is choral singing once or twice a week. In lockdown of course we were supposed to go for an hour's walk instead, tried that with wife and dog but it was painful and exhausting so I couldn't make it work and was trapped indoors. Discovered RUclips and one of the lovely sustainability channels like yours showed this guy who had been a cyclist but now had MS. He'd bought an e-bike and called it his stealth mobility vehicle so I thought that'll do for me and got a very low step through folder. It's changed my life too, my SMV. Almost no pedalling required from my much weakened legs, just the weight of my feet on the pedals gets the motor going, I was worried about balance but I've found the motor sort of pulls me through and out the other side of any wobbles. Some friends thought it was marvelous and bought e-bikes too and when I've been well enough we've cycled for miles around the countryside. I've got brown forearms for the first time in thirty odd years! It's done wonders for my mental well being too. I've used it for shopping on good days instead of the car so reduced our carbon footprint as well. Best advice I can give you as a former bus driver (the second female driver on London Transport as it was then, a lifetime ago) is if you can't see the driver's face in their wing mirror, they can't see you so drop back away from the rear of the bus or truck or any big vehicle. Especially if you've caught up with him or her and they've never seen that you're there. No excuse for cutting you up other than poor driving and observation caused by corners being cut in training which has become shorter and inadequate from what I've heard. Not responding to or even acknowledging your complaint says it all about the companies these days, really shameful. Glad you overcame the setback in confidence. 👍
@@Electroheads no sadly not, memory is another thing to go with ME! He might have been the subject of an interview on the Fully Charged Show as that was one of the first channels I found but that's a stab in the dark really, sorry.
Electric bike has changed my life, I couldn't walk more than 50 yards from home or my car. I take my bike to the beach, Thetford forest and have found so many nice rides where I live almost at the 1000 miles and built the bike the beginning of summer. Soon to have e bikes
I have been riding ebikes the past 10 years and that's when I got rid of my car. It's healthy for me as a senior citizen and I take my ebikes right into my local grocery store for shopping . I use the big front basket for my goods and use my ebike like a shopping cart. I also have another ebike with a heavily modified Upright Veltop attachment along with a improvised lower lexan shield so I can ride in rainy weather. However that ebike is so large that I can't take it in my local grocery store. Everything else I have delivered directly to my house and there are only a few days out of the year where I have to use public transportation
What a great video, I love these 1-on-1s! Thank you for being so candid about your hip surgery and your fear of riding on London’s busy roads. My life was also changed when I got an ebike: my old mountain bike had been abandoned for years and had got rusty lying in the back garden. I never used it because after I turned 50, I really didn’t enjoy climbing hills and risking a heart attack! Yes, I had let myself go, I’m afraid. Now I can confidently get out and about, steadily improving my fitness and really enjoy getting to the top of a hill, when it was just not fun before. Some people still say “it’s cheating”, but I always reply that if I was racing, sure… but I’m not, so who am I cheating?😁 Hope to see you again at Fully Charged Live next year, Eilis.😘
How would you feel about adding indicators/blinkers to your e-bike to further improve safety? I've seen them for sale on Amazon for fairly low prices. I wonder if this would also change how motorists behavior around you as I've heard that people with bikes that look like motorcycles tends to receive more respect on the roads?
That’s an interesting thought! Blinkers have crossed my mind before. In terms of indicators I think a solid and clear arm out is enough to let others know about your movements. Maybe I’ll buy some blinkers and test if it makes me feel safer/better equipped!
I have an E scooter that i cannot use due to the stupidity of this country, maybe one day I can use it. Through frustration I decided to build my own E bike and honestly the E scooter will probably get sold before it becomes legal, not bothered too much anymore as I am so pleased with my E bike it really does not matter. Just as you did I calculated how much I spent on commuting to work and within six months of not using my car the fuel saved has easily paid for the kit. this was nearly Two years ago now so could have bought three bikes by now. Thanks for sharing your story and keep up with the great vlogs.
E scooter legalisation is long overdue… it’s worrying to think with a new prime minister and cabinet if priorities have slipped… but it’s great to hear you’ve managed to save so much money as well. It really does back itself off eventually doesn’t it?
My train was delayed at London St Pancras / Kings Cross Station, and one of the first things I saw was someone running after their stolen £2k+ eBike. Owning one myself, that makes me anxious!
I have lost 36 kilos by going out on my electric bike for 35 km every day and changing to a 90% plant based diet. I also go to Spain for the winter, so I can keep my fitness regime going.
To be perfectly honest, I had always assumed you were one of those superhuman athletic types, who go around skydiving and ziplining through life. You seem a lot more relatable now that I know you're not a Tour de France racer archetype. I hope your term "acoustic bike" for manual bikes catches on. Plan B might be something like "analog(ue) bike". My eBike has revolutionized my biking life in much the way my access to digital and virtual pianos and instruments has revolutionized my music life. I live in a hilly neighborhood, but now I can ride around to places near me with abandon, and use minimal assist to tame the hills, and best of all, not require a three-hour nap after riding up the steep hill the last three blocks back to my house. That bus driver incident was horrible!! I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt except being a bit traumatized. At least with an eBike you can throttle away from a big hazard like that now. One thing I can also recommend from my eBike journey is a rear view mirror to make coexisting with cars and turning in traffic less precarious. I use mine all the time. Cheers!!
for me it's spending about 20p on each commute, getting into nature, pedaling a bit and charging for free at work - get after it its like 0.6Kwhrs for 14 miles
Great vid, I haven’t watched this channel much lately but now have a bike after a long period without and am considering converting it to an e-bike or possibly replacing it with one in the new year, so I’m just catching up with your vids. By the way, is that a Big Trak in the background, and does it work?? 😂🙌🙌
I enjoy riding my Specialized gravel e-bike; I agree that e-bikers ride further & faster. Fortunately, near me, there are cycle paths/off-road routes to help avoid traffic. 🚴🏻♂️😎
E, I bought a Gazelle Medeo 9, exchanged it because the instep was too high. Got a Gazelle T 10 with a low step but fell off the bike yesterday when I came upon some gravel on a path, where it was deep and the bike was in Turbo and the rear wheel fishtailed and down I went. Am sore today and a little traumatised because in 2005 I was in an almost fatal , very traumatic over the handlebars accident. I love e- bikes when I'm pedaling, but when I have to stop at an intersection, then get going, handling an over 40 pound bike from a standstill, well, it's a challenge. I liked all the marketing of Gazelle but I am beginning to think the geometry of their bikes just doesn't work for me. Yesterday I test rode a Cube bavarian bike called Ella. Can you review Cube name brand e-bikes? And address in more detail, how to move forward from a standstill, at a traffic light? It's a learning curve for us folks who are new to e-bikes, and their weight. Thank you. I watch your channel everyday! I learn so much from all of you. It makes me feel less alone in the biking world. I live in Boulder Colorado where there are a lot of male dominated bike stores with elitist racers that are not very helpful or friendly to middle-aged cyclists. Unfortunately. Electroheads feels very inclusive and welcoming and open minded. Thanks guys. (Sorry Cole about your skateboard but glad you weren't hurt! Ignore the haters. Cheers. An American missing her time living in Sweden! Elizabeth
Eilis, I really enjoyed this video. It's another nudge toward my purchasing an electric bike of my own. I'm curious, is yours a London accent? Asking as an American…
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it ☺️ I grew up in Bath which is South West in the UK and have lived in London for 8 years so I’d say I have a bit of a mix 😁
In the US, we are litigation prone. If you a video of the incident in the US, you would be commuting to work in a Tesla and the accident would have been in the driver's record.
Looking forward to getting an electric bike myself. Right now I pay 62.15£ for my monthly bus pass and 31£ for my e-bike rental subscription that gives me 10 free 30min trips...
Shaft drive, or chainless bicycle. Has anyone used them? Are they better than chain driven bicycles? I saw some new ones from japan, think there was a mini folding electric one at one time. You don’t hear much about them, and anyone who has driven one, please share your experiences with it. I used to ride a lot when my health was better, but I like to read the stories. I’ve had some bangs and falls to over the years but it was still nice to ride. There weren’t many electric type motors back then for bicycles, mostly gasoline. My rides were motorless, sometimes I used to try and save money riding from nj to nyc, but when I arrived, I would spend the money on food, my fault.
⚡🤙🏼🤙🏼⚡ *Zooz eBike is probably my favourite of all eBikes,* not sure if you guys have reviewed them. Shocking how reckless some drivers are, luckily it not super common to be "attacked" by a driver.
My first view of your videos , don’t own electric bike but Camelot May smile at me one day , if I may ask a stupid question which I don’t mind because it helps others look good , I have often wondered why we don’t harness in some way the power we use while riding be it indoors on these training cycles or while commuting or leisure in the form of a battery detachable that you can use for other products, I don’t mean like the dynamo or do I not sure it’s like having an itch one can’t scratch, it just doesn’t make sense in my mind having spent an hour on exercise bike or commuting it just seems throwing that energy away and wondered if anyone is looking at this .
Welcome to the channel! I remember listening to a podcast whereby somebody turned their exercise bike into kWh of energy and you would be amazed how little you actually got out of it! I can’t remember the exact figures. But if you take this detachable battery around with you, you might at least be able to feed a good amount of energy back into charging an eride. Food for thought 😇
@@Electroheads Thank you young soul for reply , I was thinking more along the lines of maybe a commute or leisure taking the detachment out and using it for light in the house or boil a kettle and so on the list is endless , unless my way of thinking is totally wrong or the complete opposite too others, I feel the frustration Nikola Tesla must of felt when knowing that AC was the future while others was saying nothing to see here of course DC is useful , but the person who invented the wind up radio because they had no electricity or money for batteries came across the same issues , just feel we are missing maybe the most important reason to start riding a bike = not just cost saving on transport and keeping fit but to help with cost to heat your home,
I would like to see a bike your mum or dad might ride and I’d like you to ride round some place like ??????? Sheffield say which is not flat and has rough roads at times- because we don’t all live in London, and people may be interested out side of the bubble? -,and 2-3k is sometimes so out of the reach of someone on the bread line say in the north of England - ???? Just a suggestion-
Hi Nicholas, the Estarli e28 would be a great bike for Sheffield because of its gearing system and 5 power modes. Check out our Estarli e28 v.s. Tenways CGo600 video where we do a comparison and go into each one in depth. They both cost below £1500 too.
It must be nice to live in a place where most of your destinations are within a few miles of where you live, and it rarely gets too hot or cold to ride. Where I live it's cold and windy 5 months a year, and hot and humid enough to make you start sweating the moment you step outside the other 7 months a year. We get maybe a week or two of genuinely nice days per year. There's a reason the part of the USA where I live is in an area nicknamed "The Stroke Belt", because it's pretty much always miserable outside and nobody wants to do anything involving physical exertion.
Talking about road safety, wearing a hi-vis jacket or waistcoat goes a long way. Unfortunately, motorists find it difficult to see a bike, which is why dipped headlights on motorbikes are now compulsory. We need something similar for bicycles.
From an American perspective. e-bikes completely smash the competition in terms of value. Most of the US has terrible public transportation, leaving cars as the only other feasible mobility option. AAA estimates that the average American spends nearly $10,000 per year on their car. That means a quality cargo e-bike costing maybe $3,000 would pay for itself in less than 4 months of riding! And that math doesn't even account for the savings on a gym membership.
Maybe in London, but for people with a longer commute in a less urban environment then an electric moped or 125 equivalent electric scooter or motorcycle would possibly be a better choice.
I finish work in the early hours of the morning and yes there's the safety thing to think about and as sad as this sounds I dress less female to make myself less interesting.....so yeah an oversized coat/jacket and a dark coloured beanie. I've recently purchased a conversion kit, for the feeling of safety, after an 8 hour shift I'm sometimes really tired and speed can be a problem. I also think I'd would cycle for longer distances and get more exercise. Btw. The Estarli is too big for my 5ft 1" height so yet another bike that I cant purchase, I'd love a bike that's more sporty than the crappy heavy step through frames. Maybe if manufacturers made a 26" version with a smaller frame I could buy my dream bike 😔
Have you thought about one of the bigger wheeled folding bikes like a Mate City? Nimble and quite sporty to ride, plus you can get £100 off with the code in our review here - electroheads.com/blogs/e-bike-reviews/mate-city-foldable-electric-bike-review?_pos=2&_sid=810b3254f&_ss=r
Yes, please review the bike you're using. Appreciate you sharing your story. We need more e-bike testimonials, because most people cannot envision micromobility as an alternative to a car. Folks need to see it to be it. Also interesting to think about how the shift to e-bikes cannibalize various mode including public transit. Public transit is our big climate lift, but so Active Transportation, so we can think of AT as combining with transit and easing pressure on it allowing room for others who are making a longer journey. A study about dockless scooter share in Paris found most of the people using it were otherwise walking or taking transit, so emissions wise it wasn't the best outcome. This was largely to the fact that shared scooters have a hard hard life with vandalism and mistreatment (so LCA had high emissions due to production) and they rely on vehicles to shuttle them around and recharge them and re-nest them. Personally owned scooters faired far better. Can you put some big emphasis on cargo bikes. They make the best car replacement which is super important here in the USA where people need to see the shift to e-bikes as normalized and assume it's really happening. Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to write this! Keep an eye out for a review coming soon and that’s a really good suggestion about cargo bikes. I need to give a few more a go and see how we can get drivers to switch to them
2 years later and I've saved enough money to buy 3 e-bikes, plus a small helmet cam (so I can prosecute those busses who try to kill/maim me). TFL is no longer an option. I'd rather walk..
Personally I love the element of spinning my legs and getting added cardio. E scooters are also brilliant but sadly illegal here in the UK to ride around, but I’ll be using an escooter more when that changed
Also, while riding might be a better way of avoiding predators, the best way is for society to eliminate them. Our governments fail at that, but wouldn't it be nice if anyone could move around anywhere with no thought of risk to personal safety?
I'm getting loads of questions about my bike, so here it is in all its glory:
electroheads.com/pages/estarli-e28-sale
Thanks SO much for your support on this video, Electroheads! The feedback has been amazing.
💙
Definitely toying with the idea of upgrading to one of these. Am I right in thinking that there is only one frame size?
that trusty ,unstealable ,unassuming old Raleigh with a bafang bbs02 and mini seat bag battery ,would be a secret fave ebike ⚡ light , super Fast
@@jojogizmo9244 That's correct! If you're between 5’6-6’4 then you'll be grand 😊 let me know if you go for it!
@@NWforager Don't tempt me!!! 🙈
I hear a lot of arguments from women not wanting to use a bike for commuting to work due to helmet hair and post ride cleaning/freshening up (make up) . Could you do a video on how you overcome these issues.
I’m a guy and wondering the same. The last time I daily drove a bike, on a flat road for 1 mile - really nothing too much - I felt like I needed to shower when I got to work. Maybe an e-bike would be better in not exerting oneself as hard.
@@magnesium_subsoil_94 Ah e-bike definitely solves the sweat problem.
If this gets 100 upvotes then we'll do it
Wow.
Helmet hair.
Are these really the concerns of female cyclists ffs?
@@dallysinghson5569 Sure, worrying about not looking presentable after a commute is one amongst many reasons people might use to justify why they choose not to cycle. No one said it was the biggest barrier, just one of them.
There’s plenty of channels discussing the “big” issues of safety and urban design, but all these “small” worries add up and can end up contributing to their reasons to not cycle. I think there’s space to talk about this stuff, and there’s really no need to be so dismissive.
I was an avid bicyclist since I was 5, rode in marathons when I was in my teens, and rode to and from work assisted with public transport on the longer parts of the journey. But all of it was fine until I had a serious injury to my knee, causing massive damage and a lot of infection. Decades later, I still have an issue with it which has discouraged me from getting back on the bike and riding (grinding issue with knee). So I can totally see the e-bike helping me increase my mobility, lessen my fuel costs for simple non-cargo rides, and enjoy the whole experience all over again.
The lack of noise, pollution, and traffic has always been an attraction to me with bikes. You can go places that no cars can go.
Eilish, thank you so much for opening up about this. You didn’t have to. Aside from knowing you better I think people will start to look at cycling differently, considering that it is a mobility tool, not just fun or exercise. That’s a big service you just did for humanity. Just know that you’re loved and supported by people you haven’t even met yet. We’re on your team.
This comment means so much - thank you!!
Years ago when I was in my mid 30's and pretty fit, I rode an analog bike to work. I stopped because I was exhausted all the time because it was getting to be too much. I remember thinking back then how I could have kept doing it if I had an e-bike, but at the time (2005) Giant had one for about $1500 which I really couldn't get my head around. I'm now in my 50's, not so fit, have a pretty good commuter e-bike, and it never feels like it's too much. I also love how my e-bike can get me around without the cost of registration, licensing, insurance. or gasoline. Sometimes I think owning a car is a trap and an e-bike is a way out. 🙂
well said . Especially in hilly places .
This was so great to read - thank you for sharing. ‘A car is a trap / an ebike a way out’ what a quote!!
Yes…well-said! 👏 👏 👏
I commuted to work for almost 50 years on an assortment of bone shakers. Then I had a knee replacement and after recovery I was struggling to get back into cycling much. Then I picked up a Carrera Subway Ebike at the Halfords Sale for £989 in January and I love it! I'm out cycling every opportunity now 👍
Yes! Love to hear this
Bone shakers?
@@deusexaethera Rickety Rackety old bikes held together with bits of string and chewing gum 😉
@Advanced Driving The Ribble sounds awesome, but out of my price range and I didn't want a Road bike. The Carrera Subway is 18kg, which isn't as heavy as many others I've looked at. Components are great for the price, but battery range isn't great, I get about 30 miles from a charge, and I ride mostly in Eco mode, I save Turbo for blasting up hills
I’m 74 and having trouble keeping up with my younger cycling buddies so I’m going to buy myself an Orbea E bike for my next birthday. Can’t wait.
This is such a wonderful and personal video! So many folks are reluctant to either consider cycling or get back in the saddle after an upsetting encounter due to disability or vulnerability. Thank you for sharing your story!
San Francisco Bay Area e bike rider here. Great content and practical urban riding reviews. Stay empowered and stay safe. SF is becoming more bike friendly, but you have to keep your head on a swivel for tourists, trucks, Uber drivers and pedestrians. We have the “Wiggle” route which minimizes super steep hills, but this is where high torque ebikes are helpful when encountering 15% + grades. Love the reviews and production values.
Great to hear your experience! The ‘head on a swivel’ is a well practiced skill for the city riders. You definitely need some added torque with the SF hills!!! Do the 500w motors do them justice?
I was hearing about a San Francisco ebike helmet called xnito, they're putting a ton of effort into protecting ebike riders, have you heard about them?
First of All love your videos, I'm a guy of 66 years old had both a heart bypass and Cancer, and I got my health back using an E Bike, I love it I see my mates and get to meet people who like me love E Bikes I used to have a car, my wife has to do home dialysis, so I have to get rid of the materials she uses, so a got trailer for my bike so it's no problem and don't have to wait in queue of cars at the Dump, and your right woman such as yourself would be better off getting an E Bike , the only thing I would recommend is Bike cam or helmet cam, maybe do a spot on bike cams at good price, I adapted a car cam and it has helped me out a few times, great video, merry Christmas
I really like this more personal like video 😊 really enjoyed watching and listening your story 😊🙏 you're such a beautiful being!
Thank you for this video. I’m sorry you had that scare but if anything it adds to your positivity about e-bikes. I genuinely believe mine helped me through the lockdowns of Covid. Living in the Pennines, there’s no way I’d be able to get up the hills around my home with a regular bike. The e-bike enabled me to get some meaningful exercise every day during those stressful times.
Thank you so much! That’s awesome to hear how much they’ve transformed your life. Getting some fresh air and giving your legs a spin always helps with alleviating stress and anxiety - I can imagine even more so in the beauty of the Pennines!
I had to relearn to walk when I was 6 years old because I have cerebral palsy. I can’t imagine switching jobs while needing an operation.
I’m glad you’re are making video content on disability because there just isn’t a lot of information on this topic. And it’s needed because everyone will have some kind of disability as they get older.
Thank you so much for this and sharing your own experience. Sounds like you are a bad ass. Learning to walk again is huge 💪🏼
I still get wound up when I think about the coach driver that deliberately tried to force me off the road, and that was well over a decade ago. It's hard not to think malicious thoughts about that kind of person.
I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you. It really shakes you up doesn’t it?
@@Electroheads Indeed it does. On the positive side that's probably the worst incident I had in 15-odd years of bike commuting in London, so by and large it's safer than some people assume. If I could ever find that bloody coach driver tho...
Don’t let your dreams be dreams 😊
Wow this video was a great idea, just to give people a better insight into why you love e-mobility so much. I never knew about your hip injury or how badly it had initially affected you. You could have just stayed safe but you really did get back on the bike so to speak ☺️ I can relate to this, I was into downhill mountain biking years ago but due to a progressive illness I’m now disabled. I cant walk far, swim or do contact sports. But this year I took the plunge and invested in an ebike, I got the Voodoo from Halfords. It has changed my life and allowed me to get out on the trails again. I feel so free and when I’m going along I almost feel normal again. Thanks for making this video, it should inspire more people to not give up and try e-mobility for themselves. Stay safe 👍
Thank you so much for sharing your story. It is awesome to hear you’ve been able to get back out there despite so much adversity and it just goes to show you don’t have to miss out on life and fun! You go! ☺️
I like listening to you EIlis. :)
I fix bikes for a living, and have so far fitted 3 e-Bike kits to customers' bikes, or rebuilt them with motors and upgrades,. and each one has helped people who were on the verge of giving up their current level of cycling, (or giving up cycling completely due to health or age) to maintain their riding, or even go further and faster than they would, or did before. I agree with the addition of confidence to people's riding, for the reasons you gave, but also that they aren't as daunted by hills and headwinds as they used to be.
I have been naughty and fitted an (X, where X > 250) W motor and big battery to my old 26" wheel steel hardtail MTB, and it has given it a new purpose & lease of life. It's like having a little moped to jump on when I'm feeling lazy, and I'm able to motorpace friends for training. Hey, if they can have a 50kmh category in eBike design in Europe, why can't we here? I call it civil disobedience, as the motor is indistinguishable from the 250W version from the same manufacturer, with a judiciously altered compliance plate saying as much ;)
So all we need to do now is get road designs altered so they aren't as homicidally car-centric as they currently are. A friend of mine was hit & killed by a motorist (19 y.o. on her phone) last Sunday whilst riding home from a club ride, on a notorious stretch of local road (2 other cyclists killed on this road in the last 5 years), but I don't think an eBike would have saved him.
I’m so sorry to hear about your friend… how devastating. Hope you’re okay ❤️ electric mountain biking is such an amazing new(ish) phenomenon. It really unlocks where you can go and how much more you can do in a day!
That bus driver was a knucklehead! And it's good to see that you're alive cuz then otherwise we wouldn't get to see your great videos that you put out even over here in the United States and you're pretty brave cuz I wouldn't ride in the streets like that with my e-bike I ride mostly on the sidewalks but keep up the good work and love watching your videos and all the work you're doing is good
Thank you!!
Such an inspiring story of coming through surgery and helping people
20 years ago I was commuting from E&C to Green Lanes. Could do it quicker on my 'acoustic' than the getting the tube. What I would've done for an e-bike like today's array of options back then! These days my commute is 2 miles of town driving in an ICE car, which I don't like but needs must (had back surgery earlier in the year and carting tools and materials around whist retrofitting an old house). E-bikes will be our preferred mode of transport once we move into the new place though. Even got a bike shed with charging in the plans 👍
Really hope you have a swift recovery from your surgery! Love that you have a bike shed with charging infrastructure planned out. Super cool 😎
as a trucker that ebike commutes i know Being Visible is more important than everyone thinks. Lights , Hi-viz Vest and or clothes, Mirror horn are good cheap ways for being taken seriously. i Will go on sidewalks when its blustery and dark and windshield wipers come on , its time for Bright Yellow raingear .
You don't know how many times cyclists pull next to my Semi Truck in the blind spot , at dusk ,in dark clothes , no lights 🤦🏽♀ Make an Effort to See and Be seen by every Driver near you . ⚠⚠
Great points! Thank you for sharing. It shocks me how brave cyclists can be around trucks. Really feel for you when you can’t see them and they’re being wreckless! We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe and be sensible on the roads. Lots of education is needed for all road users!
I love my E-bike - it gets my out there exercising far more than I did with my old analogue cycle, so E-bikeing doesn't mean being lazy! After owing my bike for 3 months , I did a 80 mile ride and felt great albiet a little tired, but at 74 I'm quite happy with my progress. As for other traffic, best to avoid when you can and stick to the quieter roads but I realise that isn't always possible for you Londoners.Anyway, good to know you are still out there having cycling fun.
The main problem with riding bikes on the roads are impatient drivers. They don't give you a chance to build up speed and that's when I thought I would buy the Cyrusher XF900 which can help me keep up with traffic as it can go upto 28-30mph max. It may be illegal but it really helps and it is much safer than my old bicycle and my Vsett 10+ e scooter which I found dangerous 😂. I live in Birmingham and I know it must be worse in London 😭
I just learned to ride bike after the first pandemic and e-bike really helps me because I'm such novice in this world. Glad it exists and help me to learn and love using bikes he he
Well done Eilish, excellent communication skill.
Liking the term 'accoustic' for the purely muscle driven bicycle 👍 it also likens the e-bike to the much cooler electric guitar,.now when you see a cyclist passing on an e-bike you're thinking 'mmmm, could be a Les Paul that' 😀
Luka Bloom used that phrase in '92. ruclips.net/video/O5TFTbT5eEM/видео.html
Ellis, you have a very infectious personality. But your message is straight down the line. Keep up the good work. From Perth Australia...
Thank you, Brian! 🙌 Really appreciate your support as a subscriber for over a year now!
i bought a Brompton and Swytch converted to electric. i did this due to knee problems, i have to say i love it the knees dont hurt as much as they did i think this has helped repair them after 2 and a half years. i now look for excuses to use the bike. im in my late 50s and the electric makes me feel at least 20 years younger.
They helped your knees to recover?! That’s fantastic. So pleased for you 😊 ebikes for life!!
You’re good. Clear and relevant. Bus story - yup, tried similar. Glad you came out ok.
Thank you ❤️
Love this style of video from you, Ellis, I really enjoyed your lucid and well-argued presentation on the benefits and fun of ebike ownership, including a very clear evaluation of how to manage the costs of affording one. You are a great advocate for this essential means of transport and you do credit to the channel in promoting such. Well done for opening up on a little bit of yourself, it does wonders in personalising this channel, good luck with avoiding other traffic on the roads. Perhaps you could do a video on your tips for strategies for safe riding around traffic, it would make a big difference to some on how to get up the confidence to go for ebikes. By the way, with your wide choice of ebike options, it is a credit to you that you go for a "real" bike for your preferred daily driver and not a wacky/weird one. Thanks for all your hard work..
Thank you so much! Great idea on the safe riding in traffic I’ll have a think how best I can do that for the channel ☺️
@@Electroheads Safe riding in traffic would be a great topic. I'm jealous that a 15.5 mph top speed makes you feel more like you belong with the other road users. Even the 28 mph top speed bikes we can get in the states doesn't help much with the stroads posting 40mph limits. And that doesn't include drivers that ignore that, like police that won't even look at you unless you are doing at least 5mph over the limit!
Crazy stuff. Better safe than sorry for sure.
Hey commuted for many years on bikes, much better than public transport or cars. What we need is for more cycle lanes (proper ones - not a painted line on the side of the road) and secure parking. My metal health has always been good while I've been cycling. In my area there is a community scheme to long term/ short term hire bikes to locals and tourists. It's encouraged people to get out of their cars and enjoy life at a different pace. keep up the get work A
Thank you for sharing your perspective in such a practical, lifestyle-oriented way, as opposed to *just* tech specs.
I have wondered about a lot of these things. I'm hoping to avoid car ownership, but I need a way to get around. The bus doesn't seem fun, it seems like wasted time, and plus, it only goes to so many places. What if I need to get somewhere the bus doesn't go?
Sure a bike costs something, but when it's that close to a year's worth of public transportation, an charging is cheap, it's not crazy to think of going for the bike instead! Thank you for confirming some of these things, since they're just the topics I want to look into before I make the plunge and buy a bike or some such thing. Something about catching the bus feels limiting. I think it'd be more versatile to be able to do either or, as needs be -- like you laid out in your yearly expenses, doing both is absolutely fine.
Thanks again, this is super relevant, and as mentioned, it is a welcome break from just stats and figures about the latest product. Good on you for exploring more of the human factors side of things. I hope people watching this will also help normalize biking, because I want drivers to start to see bikers as fellow humans, not nuisances to target in a fit of road rage out on the streets. Every little bit helps, I think.
Awwww bless you Ellis, you are amazing and so inspiring. I've never rode an e bike but am looking at the possibility for one as due to disability might lose my driving licence due to eyesight problems. Would love to see other e mobility products on the channel
Thank you!! I’m sorry to hear you might lose your licence. I can definitely recommend ebikes as a fab swap if you’re getting about solo
@@Electroheads many thanks, eyesight is failing due to a gene disorder, partially sighted in one eye. Definitely looking into e bike or e cargo bike to get around and do shopping instead of relying on home delivery. Was looking for more e mobility stuff like the bio hybrid
When I first got my e-bike I was thinking "Wow, these are like seven-league boots!"
You still have to make an effort, but it gets you so much further and faster.
Loved the video! I don't have an ebike, but I do own an e-scooter and a regular bicycle (acoustic as you call it), and I find myself reaching for the escooter way more often simply because I don't always feel like cycling. It's not difficult, I don't have any hills to climb, but it's just a psychological barrier. Anyway, going to get an ebike soon!
E bikes are so much fun, when you get one I think you’ll be keen to get cycling a whole lot more! ☺️
I've been cycling for over 60 years now, am on my third ebike, and they are the best things I have ever bought! Total game changer.
60 years!! That is huge. Congratulations!
Such a great, informative video. Thank you so much!
I absolutely love the thumbnail! Great video 👏
Never had an ebike. But I have cummuted by bike in Seattle, WA, USA since the 80's. Picking a safe route is key, but danger is always lurking. I only ride on bike paths nowadays. Cell phones have changed the whole thing.
Cell phones and people with busier lives/less patience for sure… like you say you just need to be savvy with routes and keep a keen eye out. Why not try an ebike and see what you think 😁😁
Arthritic anklestook me from a painful 1500 acoustic miles per year to the 5000=8000 miles per year that I have done over the 6 years since going electric. It is just so thrilling to get on my time machine/ebike or etrike and feel 40 years old again for 1-3 hours a day. Very nice retirement daily meditation. HURRAH!
hey thanks for all the great information, yes I think ebikes are great. I own a Trek Powerfly 5 full suspension mountain bike and its the best thing that I have ever bought. I like you have had an injury and my doctor and physio have both advised I get out riding to build up my fitness again. If I had owned a normal bike it may have been a bit different , but with the Ebike it takes most of the strain off ones body and makes getting around so enjoyable. Keep up with the great content. Cheers, Trevor, NZ.
Glad to hear your scrape with the bus didn't keep you off a bike! Living and riding in NYC, I can completely relate and riding a bike in a big city can be a bit daunting. Having an e-bike definitely makes a difference.
It's wild out there! But also very rewarding 😊 I can't imagine what it must be like cycling around NY!!
Just worked out that I must have saved £15,000 by cycle commuting. I finally got rid of my car when the mileage to the garage for MOT and servicing and journey home was close to the total mileage for the rest of the year.
I could have justified spending more on my bikes!
I like to ride home on my acoustic bike and then bash out a tune on my mechanical guitar. Seriously though I fitted a Swytch wheel to my m-bike for half the cost of an e-bike and find it great. Nice video.
A Swytch conversion is a great choice for the DIY savvy 😁
Getting an ebike has changed my life too. You can conquer any hill will with an ebike and they are so much fun.
Yes! Such a big advantage when there's hillier terrain
Riding a bike or an e-bike is much better than using public transport, not only saving the money but also the time. I work in Battersea park and from where I live to my work, takes 1 hour and 10 minutes by bus whereas riding a bike only takes me 16 mins to 18 mins on average. my best timing is 14 mins & 30 seconds. On top of that I get my exercise done at the same time. I guess if I get an e-bike I would even go faster!!
Please consider doing a review on the ebike you highlighted in this video. Also, this was an excellent video. Thank you.
Noted 😎
And thank you!
it's a really inspiring video, Thank you
Eilis, glad you recovered from the ordeal and found a way to continue cycling. Karma will find that bus driver, don't worry. All the best for your health & well being !
I've been disabled for decades by ME/CFS, my 'exercise' is choral singing once or twice a week. In lockdown of course we were supposed to go for an hour's walk instead, tried that with wife and dog but it was painful and exhausting so I couldn't make it work and was trapped indoors. Discovered RUclips and one of the lovely sustainability channels like yours showed this guy who had been a cyclist but now had MS. He'd bought an e-bike and called it his stealth mobility vehicle so I thought that'll do for me and got a very low step through folder. It's changed my life too, my SMV. Almost no pedalling required from my much weakened legs, just the weight of my feet on the pedals gets the motor going, I was worried about balance but I've found the motor sort of pulls me through and out the other side of any wobbles. Some friends thought it was marvelous and bought e-bikes too and when I've been well enough we've cycled for miles around the countryside. I've got brown forearms for the first time in thirty odd years! It's done wonders for my mental well being too. I've used it for shopping on good days instead of the car so reduced our carbon footprint as well.
Best advice I can give you as a former bus driver (the second female driver on London Transport as it was then, a lifetime ago) is if you can't see the driver's face in their wing mirror, they can't see you so drop back away from the rear of the bus or truck or any big vehicle. Especially if you've caught up with him or her and they've never seen that you're there. No excuse for cutting you up other than poor driving and observation caused by corners being cut in training which has become shorter and inadequate from what I've heard. Not responding to or even acknowledging your complaint says it all about the companies these days, really shameful. Glad you overcame the setback in confidence. 👍
Stealth mobility vehicle is an excellent term! Thanks for sharing your story 👍
Do you remember the name of the chap's channel by any chance?
@@Electroheads no sadly not, memory is another thing to go with ME! He might have been the subject of an interview on the Fully Charged Show as that was one of the first channels I found but that's a stab in the dark really, sorry.
Electric bike has changed my life, I couldn't walk more than 50 yards from home or my car. I take my bike to the beach, Thetford forest and have found so many nice rides where I live almost at the 1000 miles and built the bike the beginning of summer. Soon to have e bikes
So awesome to hear you think the same! Big up a self-made bike 👏
I have been riding ebikes the past 10 years and that's when I got rid of my car. It's healthy for me as a senior citizen and I take my ebikes right into my local grocery store for shopping . I use the big front basket for my goods and use my ebike like a shopping cart. I also have another ebike with a heavily modified Upright Veltop attachment along with a improvised lower lexan shield so I can ride in rainy weather. However that ebike is so large that I can't take it in my local grocery store. Everything else I have delivered directly to my house and there are only a few days out of the year where I have to use public transportation
What a great video, I love these 1-on-1s!
Thank you for being so candid about your hip surgery and your fear of riding on London’s busy roads.
My life was also changed when I got an ebike: my old mountain bike had been abandoned for years and had got rusty lying in the back garden. I never used it because after I turned 50, I really didn’t enjoy climbing hills and risking a heart attack! Yes, I had let myself go, I’m afraid. Now I can confidently get out and about, steadily improving my fitness and really enjoy getting to the top of a hill, when it was just not fun before. Some people still say “it’s cheating”, but I always reply that if I was racing, sure… but I’m not, so who am I cheating?😁
Hope to see you again at Fully Charged Live next year, Eilis.😘
How would you feel about adding indicators/blinkers to your e-bike to further improve safety? I've seen them for sale on Amazon for fairly low prices. I wonder if this would also change how motorists behavior around you as I've heard that people with bikes that look like motorcycles tends to receive more respect on the roads?
As a motorcyclist i dont think we get respect from 4+ wheeled transport either
That’s an interesting thought! Blinkers have crossed my mind before. In terms of indicators I think a solid and clear arm out is enough to let others know about your movements. Maybe I’ll buy some blinkers and test if it makes me feel safer/better equipped!
What do you do on rainy days?
I ride! Just gotta get the waterproof gear on. It's liberating once you get out there 😎
I have an E scooter that i cannot use due to the stupidity of this country, maybe one day I can use it. Through frustration I decided to build my own E bike and honestly the E scooter will probably get sold before it becomes legal, not bothered too much anymore as I am so pleased with my E bike it really does not matter. Just as you did I calculated how much I spent on commuting to work and within six months of not using my car the fuel saved has easily paid for the kit. this was nearly Two years ago now so could have bought three bikes by now. Thanks for sharing your story and keep up with the great vlogs.
E scooter legalisation is long overdue… it’s worrying to think with a new prime minister and cabinet if priorities have slipped… but it’s great to hear you’ve managed to save so much money as well. It really does back itself off eventually doesn’t it?
My train was delayed at London St Pancras / Kings Cross Station, and one of the first things I saw was someone running after their stolen £2k+ eBike. Owning one myself, that makes me anxious!
Please review the Flit16 Ebike.
Brilliant, and brave. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!
I have lost 36 kilos by going out on my electric bike for 35 km every day and changing to a 90% plant based diet. I also go to Spain for the winter, so I can keep my fitness regime going.
Tony that is awesome! Great work
Any thoughts on BMW URBAN HYBRID E-bike
To be perfectly honest, I had always assumed you were one of those superhuman athletic types, who go around skydiving and ziplining through life. You seem a lot more relatable now that I know you're not a Tour de France racer archetype. I hope your term "acoustic bike" for manual bikes catches on. Plan B might be something like "analog(ue) bike". My eBike has revolutionized my biking life in much the way my access to digital and virtual pianos and instruments has revolutionized my music life. I live in a hilly neighborhood, but now I can ride around to places near me with abandon, and use minimal assist to tame the hills, and best of all, not require a three-hour nap after riding up the steep hill the last three blocks back to my house. That bus driver incident was horrible!! I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt except being a bit traumatized. At least with an eBike you can throttle away from a big hazard like that now. One thing I can also recommend from my eBike journey is a rear view mirror to make coexisting with cars and turning in traffic less precarious. I use mine all the time. Cheers!!
Hi , I decided on a newgene 345s . But no shop in the UK will deliver to la Gomera. 😫
I’m sorry to hear that. Epic road trip to get it home?
i broke my hip last year, il gettin ebike soon. thanks for the vid
I’m sorry to hear that, hope you have a speedy recovery! There will be peaks and troughs but you’ll get there
@@Electroheads thank you, take care
for me it's spending about 20p on each commute, getting into nature, pedaling a bit and charging for free at work - get after it its like 0.6Kwhrs for 14 miles
Love that. There is nothing better than clean air and a cheap commute
Great vid, I haven’t watched this channel much lately but now have a bike after a long period without and am considering converting it to an e-bike or possibly replacing it with one in the new year, so I’m just catching up with your vids. By the way, is that a Big Trak in the background, and does it work?? 😂🙌🙌
Please do a full review of the E28. I've been looking at getting one for a while.
Watch this space 😊
We need a full introduction to the doggo.
I enjoy riding my Specialized gravel e-bike; I agree that e-bikers ride further & faster. Fortunately, near me, there are cycle paths/off-road routes to help avoid traffic. 🚴🏻♂️😎
Great username btw
E, I bought a Gazelle Medeo 9, exchanged it because the instep was too high. Got a Gazelle T 10 with a low step but fell off the bike yesterday when I came upon some gravel on a path, where it was deep and the bike was in Turbo and the rear wheel fishtailed and down I went. Am sore today and a little traumatised because in 2005 I was in an almost fatal , very traumatic over the handlebars accident.
I love e- bikes when I'm pedaling, but when I have to stop at an intersection, then get going, handling an over 40 pound bike from a standstill, well, it's a challenge. I liked all the marketing of Gazelle but I am beginning to think the geometry of their bikes just doesn't work for me. Yesterday I test rode a Cube bavarian bike called Ella. Can you review Cube name brand e-bikes? And address in more detail, how to move forward from a standstill, at a traffic light? It's a learning curve for us folks who are new to e-bikes, and their weight. Thank you. I watch your channel everyday! I learn so much from all of you. It makes me feel less alone in the biking world. I live in Boulder Colorado where there are a lot of male dominated bike stores with elitist racers that are not very helpful or friendly to middle-aged cyclists. Unfortunately. Electroheads feels very inclusive and welcoming and open minded. Thanks guys. (Sorry Cole about your skateboard but glad you weren't hurt! Ignore the haters. Cheers. An American missing her time living in Sweden! Elizabeth
Eilis, I really enjoyed this video. It's another nudge toward my purchasing an electric bike of my own.
I'm curious, is yours a London accent? Asking as an American…
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it ☺️ I grew up in Bath which is South West in the UK and have lived in London for 8 years so I’d say I have a bit of a mix 😁
Are there any ebikes that can transport a dog comfortably? Not a heavy cargo style one but any others?
Great content!! ❤
In the US, we are litigation prone. If you a video of the incident in the US, you would be commuting to work in a Tesla and the accident would have been in the driver's record.
Looking forward to getting an electric bike myself. Right now I pay 62.15£ for my monthly bus pass and 31£ for my e-bike rental subscription that gives me 10 free 30min trips...
Having your own ebike will really open up the world for you 😍
@@Electroheads Look forward to it! Thanks! :)
Shaft drive, or chainless bicycle. Has anyone used them? Are they better than chain driven bicycles? I saw some new ones from japan, think there was a mini folding electric one at one time. You don’t hear much about them, and anyone who has driven one, please share your experiences with it. I used to ride a lot when my health was better, but I like to read the stories. I’ve had some bangs and falls to over the years but it was still nice to ride. There weren’t many electric type motors back then for bicycles, mostly gasoline. My rides were motorless, sometimes I used to try and save money riding from nj to nyc, but when I arrived, I would spend the money on food, my fault.
I like that headband in your hair shaped like glasses.
⚡🤙🏼🤙🏼⚡
*Zooz eBike is probably my favourite of all eBikes,* not sure if you guys have reviewed them.
Shocking how reckless some drivers are, luckily it not super common to be "attacked" by a driver.
I haven’t had a close look at the Zooz but I’ll see if I can check em out ☺️
My first view of your videos , don’t own electric bike but Camelot May smile at me one day , if I may ask a stupid question which I don’t mind because it helps others look good , I have often wondered why we don’t harness in some way the power we use while riding be it indoors on these training cycles or while commuting or leisure in the form of a battery detachable that you can use for other products, I don’t mean like the dynamo or do I not sure it’s like having an itch one can’t scratch, it just doesn’t make sense in my mind having spent an hour on exercise bike or commuting it just seems throwing that energy away and wondered if anyone is looking at this .
Welcome to the channel! I remember listening to a podcast whereby somebody turned their exercise bike into kWh of energy and you would be amazed how little you actually got out of it! I can’t remember the exact figures. But if you take this detachable battery around with you, you might at least be able to feed a good amount of energy back into charging an eride. Food for thought 😇
@@Electroheads Thank you young soul for reply , I was thinking more along the lines of maybe a commute or leisure taking the detachment out and using it for light in the house or boil a kettle and so on the list is endless , unless my way of thinking is totally wrong or the complete opposite too others, I feel the frustration Nikola Tesla must of felt when knowing that AC was the future while others was saying nothing to see here of course DC is useful , but the person who invented the wind up radio because they had no electricity or money for batteries came across the same issues , just feel we are missing maybe the most important reason to start riding a bike = not just cost saving on transport and keeping fit but to help with cost to heat your home,
Choosing to imagine if flattened by that bus you could've just used your fancy static bike pump.
I commute from London Zone 6. Am save about £40 per week on e bike and journey is about the same time.🙂
That is awesome!! 😍
I would like to see a bike your mum or dad might ride and I’d like you to ride round some place like ??????? Sheffield say which is not flat and has rough roads at times- because we don’t all live in London, and people may be interested out side of the bubble? -,and 2-3k is sometimes so out of the reach of someone on the bread line say in the north of England - ???? Just a suggestion-
Hi Nicholas, the Estarli e28 would be a great bike for Sheffield because of its gearing system and 5 power modes. Check out our Estarli e28 v.s. Tenways CGo600 video where we do a comparison and go into each one in depth. They both cost below £1500 too.
🔥thumbnail would be the Best Ebike Ad on a Bus ever ! ⚡
It must be nice to live in a place where most of your destinations are within a few miles of where you live, and it rarely gets too hot or cold to ride. Where I live it's cold and windy 5 months a year, and hot and humid enough to make you start sweating the moment you step outside the other 7 months a year. We get maybe a week or two of genuinely nice days per year. There's a reason the part of the USA where I live is in an area nicknamed "The Stroke Belt", because it's pretty much always miserable outside and nobody wants to do anything involving physical exertion.
That sounds real intense... Come move to London! It’s more often grey but yeah the conditions are pretty optimum for cycling about
Talking about road safety, wearing a hi-vis jacket or waistcoat goes a long way. Unfortunately, motorists find it difficult to see a bike, which is why dipped headlights on motorbikes are now compulsory. We need something similar for bicycles.
Take care 👍🇬🇧
From an American perspective. e-bikes completely smash the competition in terms of value. Most of the US has terrible public transportation, leaving cars as the only other feasible mobility option. AAA estimates that the average American spends nearly $10,000 per year on their car. That means a quality cargo e-bike costing maybe $3,000 would pay for itself in less than 4 months of riding! And that math doesn't even account for the savings on a gym membership.
I like Eilis!
eBikes & eScooters are the future of personal electric transport ⚡
Preach!!
Maybe in London, but for people with a longer commute in a less urban environment then an electric moped or 125 equivalent electric scooter or motorcycle would possibly be a better choice.
I finish work in the early hours of the morning and yes there's the safety thing to think about and as sad as this sounds I dress less female to make myself less interesting.....so yeah an oversized coat/jacket and a dark coloured beanie. I've recently purchased a conversion kit, for the feeling of safety, after an 8 hour shift I'm sometimes really tired and speed can be a problem.
I also think I'd would cycle for longer distances and get more exercise.
Btw. The Estarli is too big for my 5ft 1" height so yet another bike that I cant purchase, I'd love a bike that's more sporty than the crappy heavy step through frames. Maybe if manufacturers made a 26" version with a smaller frame I could buy my dream bike 😔
Have you thought about one of the bigger wheeled folding bikes like a Mate City? Nimble and quite sporty to ride, plus you can get £100 off with the code in our review here - electroheads.com/blogs/e-bike-reviews/mate-city-foldable-electric-bike-review?_pos=2&_sid=810b3254f&_ss=r
Did anyone ever noticed that Eilis is gorgeous ???
Yes, please review the bike you're using. Appreciate you sharing your story. We need more e-bike testimonials, because most people cannot envision micromobility as an alternative to a car. Folks need to see it to be it.
Also interesting to think about how the shift to e-bikes cannibalize various mode including public transit. Public transit is our big climate lift, but so Active Transportation, so we can think of AT as combining with transit and easing pressure on it allowing room for others who are making a longer journey.
A study about dockless scooter share in Paris found most of the people using it were otherwise walking or taking transit, so emissions wise it wasn't the best outcome. This was largely to the fact that shared scooters have a hard hard life with vandalism and mistreatment (so LCA had high emissions due to production) and they rely on vehicles to shuttle them around and recharge them and re-nest them. Personally owned scooters faired far better.
Can you put some big emphasis on cargo bikes. They make the best car replacement which is super important here in the USA where people need to see the shift to e-bikes as normalized and assume it's really happening. Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to write this! Keep an eye out for a review coming soon and that’s a really good suggestion about cargo bikes. I need to give a few more a go and see how we can get drivers to switch to them
Better human than me! ..I'd have a criminal record after that bus incident.
Haha I was so shaken up I couldn’t believe what had just happened!
We Will Fight that Bus Drive 🦾💪🏽💥🤛🏼
Thank you!!! 🥰
I cycle on an electric bike that folds the eovolt afternoon electric bicycle a remarkable ebike
2 years later and I've saved enough money to buy 3 e-bikes, plus a small helmet cam (so I can prosecute those busses who try to kill/maim me). TFL is no longer an option. I'd rather walk..
3 ebikes! Wow, that's good work. Happy riding and stay safe!
Electric unicycles are the best
Why do you prefer e bikes over e scooters
scooters aren't really exercise and in legal limbo there
Personally I love the element of spinning my legs and getting added cardio. E scooters are also brilliant but sadly illegal here in the UK to ride around, but I’ll be using an escooter more when that changed
Also, while riding might be a better way of avoiding predators, the best way is for society to eliminate them. Our governments fail at that, but wouldn't it be nice if anyone could move around anywhere with no thought of risk to personal safety?
There are some drivers who just need to have a little more humanity when they’re behind the wheel
@@Electroheads The are many people who need a lot more humanity when they are awake.
I did enjoy the video, but now I want to find that bus driver.