Powabyke or similar

[Tony Hayes]

Feel a bit of a fraud asking about electric bikes here, but has anyone experience of the Powabyke
or similar?

Thanks Tony

[Elyob]

"Tony Hayes" <tony.hayesBLAH@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.19e2b5f8894d242b98977e@News.individual.net...
> Feel a bit of a fraud asking about electric bikes here, but has anyone experience of the Powabyke
> or similar?

No experience, but don't feel like a fraud.

[Ian]

Tony Hayes must be edykated coz e writed:

> Feel a bit of a fraud asking about electric bikes here, but has anyone experience of the Powabyke
> or similar?
>
> Thanks Tony
In my experience the Powabyke is very poorly built, I did see an electric assist bike that was
nicely put together, I think it was Yamaha? I think the best route is to add a Heizmann motor to an
existing hybrid.

--
Ian

http://www.catrike.co.uk (http://www.catrike.co.uk/)

[Peter Clinch]

Tony Hayes wrote:
> Feel a bit of a fraud asking about electric bikes here, but has anyone experience of the Powabyke
> or similar?

Only round the block, but note that VeloVision back issues have tests of a Powabyke and a Heinzmann
powered Estelle. The Powabyke review should be available online from
http://www.velovision.co.uk/mag/downloads.html in Issue 8 but it seems a bit bent right now (just
Issue 8 downloads are ill, email VV and I'm sure they'll sort it out). For the Heinzmann review
you'd need a hardcopy of Issue 9.

HTH, Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[David Hansen]

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 22:35:21 +0100 someone who may be Tony Hayes <tony.hayesBLAH@ntlworld.com>
wrote this:-

>Feel a bit of a fraud asking about electric bikes here,

There is no need to.

An excellent source of information about them is A to B magazine. http://www.atob.org.uk (http://www.atob.org.uk/)

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

[Tony Hayes]

Thanks for the replies/links. It doesn't look as straightforward an option I hoped it would be. The
Powabyke appeals as it is bought as a complete package, but the weight and build quality seem to
count against it. I'll have to bite the bullet and get properly fit ;-)

Tony

[Mr. Butler]

I tried a secondhand Powabyke Euro 21 (3 x 7 gears) for a week and bought it! I do an 11 mile round
trip each day in the west of Ireland (for a couple of weeks now) where it can be windy and wet. The
bike is heavy (38kg, I think) and I'm conscious of the weight while cycling. I pedal most of the
time with motor assist and arrive to work without sweat, even in wet weather gear. On the return
journey I face the prevailing wind but the motor does the business. It's a bit like cycling a heavy
bike downhill all the time! There's a spring in the saddle post which absorbs bumps.

I charge the bike each evening in about 3 hours so the batteries must be in reasonably good
condition as they are rated at 6 hours for full charge after twenty miles.

Most of the bike components look fairly standard. Shimano gears and brakes with normal looking
calipers. 26x175 tyres and tubes. Dynamo is partly fouled by the back brake mount. I'm a little over
6' and I'm looking for a longer handlebar post. I find constant leaning forward on the handlebars
while holding the throttle open is uncomfortable. Battery pack weighs 14kg and uses 3 x 12V 14Ah
lead acid cells which are readily available. (Search on Google groups for another of my posts
describing the built-in voltmeter.)

Any of the kits are going to be a bit of work. The power hubs are wide and you may find that you
have to spread your forks a bit. (The Heinzman unit looks well engineered as it has a thermistor
monitoring the motor temperature. The Powabyke doesn't.) You will also have to mount batteries,
motor controller, wheel motion sensor, possibly a pedal sensor and your throttle.

Phone around the bike shops and see if there are any second-hand units for sale. I got mine at a
good price.

[Peter Clinch]

Tony Hayes wrote:
> Thanks for the replies/links. It doesn't look as straightforward an option I hoped it would be.
> The Powabyke appeals as it is bought as a complete package, but the weight and build quality seem
> to count against it.

You can get Estelles as a complete package, or a shop like Kinetics will build you a complete
package to your own specification (but it won't be cheap).

> have to bite the bullet and get properly fit ;-)

Always a good option, if you can, though since you generally use a powered bike to assist your
pedalling rather than replace it, it might be a good way to *get* fit. If you use a converted bike
with a Heinzmann motor it would convert straight back to a "normal" bike, of course.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[Tony Hayes]

Mr. Butler wrote:

> I tried a secondhand Powabyke Euro 21 (3 x 7 gears) for a week and bought it! I do an 11 mile
> round trip each day in the west of Ireland (for a couple of weeks now) where it can be windy and
> wet. The bike is heavy (38kg, I think) and I'm conscious of the weight while cycling. I pedal most
> of the time with motor assist and arrive to work without sweat, even in wet weather gear. On the
> return journey I face the prevailing wind but the motor does the business. It's a bit like cycling
> a heavy bike downhill all the time! There's a spring in the saddle post which absorbs bumps.
>
> I charge the bike each evening in about 3 hours so the batteries must be in reasonably good
> condition as they are rated at 6 hours for full charge after twenty miles.
>
> Most of the bike components look fairly standard. Shimano gears and brakes with normal looking
> calipers. 26x175 tyres and tubes. Dynamo is partly fouled by the back brake mount. I'm a little
> over 6' and I'm looking for a longer handlebar post. I find constant leaning forward on the
> handlebars while holding the throttle open is uncomfortable. Battery pack weighs 14kg and uses 3 x
> 12V 14Ah lead acid cells which are readily available. (Search on Google groups for another of my
> posts describing the built-in voltmeter.)
>
> Any of the kits are going to be a bit of work. The power hubs are wide and you may find that you
> have to spread your forks a bit. (The Heinzman unit looks well engineered as it has a thermistor
> monitoring the motor temperature. The Powabyke doesn't.) You will also have to mount batteries,
> motor controller, wheel motion sensor, possibly a pedal sensor and your throttle.
>
> Phone around the bike shops and see if there are any second-hand units for sale. I got mine at a
> good price.
>
Thanks very much for your detailed reply - much appreciated. It now sounds as if it could fit the
bill after all! Unfortunately though, I couldn't find your post about the voltmeter.

Thanks again, Tony

[Tony Hayes]

Peter Clinch wrote:

> Tony Hayes wrote:
> > Thanks for the replies/links. It doesn't look as straightforward an option I hoped it would be.
> > The Powabyke appeals as it is bought as a complete package, but the weight and build quality
> > seem to count against it.
>
> You can get Estelles as a complete package, or a shop like Kinetics will build you a complete
> package to your own specification (but it won't be cheap).
>
> > have to bite the bullet and get properly fit ;-)
>
> Always a good option, if you can, though since you generally use a powered bike to assist your
> pedalling rather than replace it, it might be a good way to *get* fit. If you use a converted bike
> with a Heinzmann motor it would convert straight back to a "normal" bike, of course.
>
> Pete.
>
I'm almost 60 and have had a new bike in the shed for a year at least! Whilst I would be quite happy
cycling somewhere where I could enjoy the surroundings free of traffic there is nowhere like that
within four or five miles. The idea of using a motorised bike to get from home, up hills, etc until
I reached a suitable area appeals to me. I'd be quite happy cycling without assistance then ;-) Back
on the power then to get home!

Tony

[Mr. Butler]

Votmeter posting here:

http://www.google.ie/groups?hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=bbbe877e.0309221317.c6ecefa%-
40posting.google.com&rnum=2&prev=/groups%3Fnum%3D30%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUT-
F-8%26q%3Dpowabyke%2Bauthor%253A%2522Mr.%2BButler%2522

[Tony Hayes]

Mr. Butler wrote:

> Votmeter posting here:
>
> http://www.google.ie/groups?hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=bbbe877e.0309221317.c6ecef-
> a%40posting.google.com&rnum=2&prev=/groups%3Fnum%3D30%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%-
> 3DUTF-8%26q%3Dpowabyke%2Bauthor%253A%2522Mr.%2BButler%2522
>
Thanks - again ;-)

Tony