Electric Bikes

POWABYKE          POWACYCLES            RALEIGH-EBIKE            WISPER

Link to review of the Wisper 906 Alpino

Adventure Cycles were the first shop to import electrically assisted bikes into Guernsey  even before they were road legal here in 2002, as we saw a real gap in the market for this type of transport. Since that time we have sold over 400 electric bikes, and have gained a wealth of knowledge about the product.

Use the links above to see our range of  electric bikes, or continue reading our info guide to learn more about electric bikes.

Basically like most things in life you get what you pay for, the cheaper Chinese bikes are heavier, less reliable and will cover a shorter distance. In saying that we have sold over 300 Powabykes and have many happy customers, that have covered thousands of miles. The important thing with cheaper bikes is good back up from the supplier, which is why we have dropped some other low priced brands.

So a word of warning here, do not be tempted to buy a cheap electric bike on-line. There is no back up when things go wrong and spare parts are always a problem and are not always interchangeable from other brands. So it had become our policy not to repair brands that we do not sell.

The latest more expensive brands like Raleigh and Wisper are extremely reliable,and will cover up to 50 miles on economy mode. They have been designed to be more simple to service and repair and the back up from both companies is excellent, which is why we chose these brands over some other manufactures, when it came to a more upmarket brand for our shop.  

Why Buy An Electric Bike

And here are a few reasons why an electric bike may be your most convenient (and healthiest) form of local transport.

Hills

It’s actually easy to ride up hills on an electric bike. With the power of the motor supplementing your pedalling, you’ll be able to comfortably ride up hills that you might not even attempt on a traditional bike. For many people living in hilly parts of the island, an electric bike can make it possible to ride a bike when it wouldn’t otherwise be an option!  

Parking

On an electric bike, parking ceases to be a hassle since bikes easily find .parking (where cars drive around St Peter Port searching for a parking space).

Time

An electric bike saves you time. It eliminates the time spent looking for parking. It eliminates time waiting for the bus (and often is a faster ride than the bus). Traffic jams can be avoided via side streets.

Health

An electric bike is a very seductive form of exercise. That's not hype. You won't ever need to force yourself to get on the bike. You'll want to. It will make you feel good. The power of the motor makes the rider strong enough to ride without making the muscles ache. Go for a ride and you'll appreciate why we say: “All gain, no pain.”

The Environment

What kind of impact does our choice of transportation have on the world? An electric bike is high-utility, low-impact transportation. In Guernsey the car is the top contributor to local air, water, and noise pollution. A large percentage of cars on the island are being used by individuals for trips of three miles  or less. Replacing the high impact of a single passenger car with the low impact of an electric bike will make a positive difference for both the individual and environment. Our choices have an impact on the future. An electric bike is healthy step in the right direction.

Convenience

An electric bike is an exceptionally convenient form of transportation. It’s simple and quick. Though it won’t carry two kids and the dog, it will carry two big bags of groceries and whatever else you want to load on the racks. An electric bike can easily carry a child-seat or tow a child trailer.
By removing the hassles of parking and adding the endorphins of an easy bike ride, an electric bike can replace a car for neighborhood errands.

Money

An electric bike can be cheaper than a gym membership, car insurance, or car payments. For some people, an electric bike will replace the car for neighborhood errands. For others, an electric bike may enable them to use a car significantly less or replace a car altogether. Either way, a car costs about 70p per mile to operate (including purchase price, insurance, taxes, and maintenance). Operating an electric bike costs pennies

SHORT HISTORY OF ELECTRIC BIKE PRODUCTION 

China started mass producing hub-based electric motors in large numbers. Electric bikes grew from being just one brand available commercially at the start of the decade, to around 50 brands available towards the end of the 90's.

A few more variations were tried, including a belt-drive system mounted on a pannier rack, a dynamo-style direct drive to the tyre and motors bolted to pannier racks. The main two accepted types were identified as the hub drive (motor situated within the wheel hub) and the crank drive systems. By the turn of the century, there were plenty of electric bikes on the market that could achieve 20 mile ranges, and climb steep hills.
The potential of electric bikes was quickly realised at this point. Brushless motors replaced the older brushed types, allowing more efficient, quieter operation. Lithium battery power was commonplace, enabling much lighter bikes with improved range. Torque sensors started to replace throttles, which made the ride more comfortable and much more natural feeling. Electric bikes have now evolved into the bikes you see today. Lightweight, good-looking and able to complete distances of up to 50 miles on a single charge. Electric bikes are now the fastest growing sector of the cycle industry, and with growing numbers on the road today, and the recent national press recognition it is only set to get even bigger!

Which battery type is best?

Lead-acid batteries are heavy, but cheap and easily recycled,  they are sensitive to maltreatment and have a limited life. We have found that that last from 9 months to 2 years, but if you are doing only very short journeys they could last you quite a bit longer. They were prominent on most early bikes that retailed below £800, like the early Powabykes. Replacement battery cost is about £120 to £150.

 It is recommended to keep lead acid batteries fully charged at all times, so charge after every journey.

Most modern lightweight bikes come with Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. These are more weight-efficient than the other types, and have a longer life. Charging and discharging must be carefully controlled to prevent the cells going into terminal meltdown, so either the charger, the battery or both will be packed with electronics.   These batteries are currently quite expensive. Cheaper ones abound, but their life can be very limited.  Li-ion has become the default battery. Lithium-ion Polymer (usually called Li-pol) doesn't really offer any performance advantage in terms of weight or range of Li-ion.

It is recommended that you fully charge and fully discharge Lithium batteries about 3 times when you first purchase your bike, this will help to give a longer battery life.

Throttle or pedal assist

Many early cheaper bikes had a throttle independent of the pedals that would propel the cycle up to 15mph, without pedaling. This system does drain the battery a lot faster, and can put a strain on the motor if abused. 

Later bikes are far more sophisticated so have crank sensors to measure rider input and varies the amount of assistance accordingly. There is no need whatsoever for a throttle on these bikes, especially the crank drive Raleigh Ebike. The Wisper bikes has a throttle on all its bikes apart form the folder. But you have to be pedalling to use it. The Powacycles still have an independent throttle, as does the Euro Powabyke.

The law will be changing eventually on throttles, but will not be retrospective. (see below)

The Law

To remain exempt from motor vehicle legislation, an electric bicycle must comply with the following: 

power and speed

Maximum rated motor power 250w
Maximum speed under power 15.5mph (25kph)

assistance

In most of Europe the motor can only legally work when the pedals are turning, in the UK this is not the case until full EC regulations come into force. But will not be retrospective.

throttle control

Throttles operating independently of the pedals, enabling a bike to be ridden on power only are legal in the UK under the 1982 EAPC regulations. They are illegal under EU regulations in Europe.Again if you have an independent throttle on you bike before the law changes, you bike will still be legal.
Throttles operating under the dictates of pedelec control, only permitting regulation of power while peddling, are legal everywhere in Europe and the UK.

The relevant paragraph from the EU regulations is set out below, nowhere within the regulations are throttles mentioned:
«(h) cycles with pedal assistance which are equipped with an auxiliaryelectric motor having a maximum continuous rated power of 0,25 kW, of which the output is progressively reduced and finally cut off as the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h, or sooner, if the cyclist stops pedalling.»

weight

Maximum weight 40 kilos or 60kg for a tandem or tricycle.

cycle standards

All bikes must comply with existing pedal cycle standards.

legal age

A rider must be at least 14 years old to ride an electric bike. 

brakes

The power to the motor must be cut automatically when the brakes are applied