Which of these for a commuting newbie?

[HelenH]

Hi all, I’m trying to switch to an ebike to save money on my London commute. The best way I have found is to rent a bike from Dash. I have no idea which bike to choose, please help!

I am 5ft 5, quite active but need that extra boost. I mostly need the bike for commuting (about 5 miles) but maybe also a ride through the park at weekends. Any advice appreciated.

This is their selection: https://www.dashrides.com/bike-listing

 

[TrevorB]

Test ride a few is good place to start, best done over your commute route.
Must for commuters, mudguards, lights, kick stand. Nice to have rack for panniers.
Internal gear hub with belt drive for alter low maintenance. That single speed stepthrough might work for you if your commute doesn't have steep hills.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hi all, I’m trying to switch to an ebike to save money on my London commute. The best way I have found is to rent a bike from Dash. I have no idea which bike to choose, please help!

I am 5ft 5, quite active but need that extra boost. I mostly need the bike for commuting (about 5 miles) but maybe also a ride through the park at weekends. Any advice appreciated.

This is their selection: https://www.dashrides.com/bike-listing

It looks Dash is into budget e-bikes. I had a look at their selection.

Your needs are minimal as for an e-bike, although they might grow in time. The e-bike that really drew my attention was Cowboy ST4.

• It is a low-step bike so given your height, you should not have issues with getting on or off.
• It is lightweight as for an e-bike, which is a real bonus in the big city of London.
• It offers pretty low power and the battery is smallish but that's the price for the e-bike light weight. Regarding the low power motor and small battery you said yourself you are not travelling for long distance and you only needed extra boost.
• The next thing about Cowboy ST is the carbon belt drive and single speed. No drivetrain maintenance needed but you would have no gears either, meaning more assistance and harder pedalling uphill. (Which should be not that complicated in London!)

Cowboy ST4 is a totally integrated e-bike. It means the repairs might be complicated unless Dash would ensure full technical support and warranty handling.

Another e-bike I liked was Volt Burlington. Heavier than the Cowboy ST4 but with a bigger battery, classical drivetrain (needs maintenance), and traditional bike components (should be easy to repair).

As I can see, you can book a demo ride. Will you? Ask about potential repairs and warranty!
--------------
You want to lease an e-bike from Dash. Cowboy ST4 is £3,000.

Why wouldn't you talk with a Specialized dealer on either of these e-bikes?
https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/turbo-vado-sl-4-0-step-through-eq/p/188206?color=317862-188206 £2,900
https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/turbo-vado-sl-4-0-step-through/p/188205?color=303882-188205 £2,800

Perhaps Specialized can offer financing? The brand is big, these e-bikes are excellent, with very good service and the best warranty. Try talking with a big Specialized owned store in your area! (Ask for the size S!)

 

[HelenH]

Test ride a few is good place to start, best done over your commute route.
Must for commuters, mudguards, lights, kick stand. Nice to have rack for panniers.
Internal gear hub with belt drive for alter low maintenance. That single speed stepthrough might work for you if your commute doesn't have steep hills.

Hi Trevor, thank you for your list, it is certainly a very good place to start. Talking about belt drives, is there a preference between a Cowboy or Analog Motion?

 

[HelenH]

It looks Dash is into budget e-bikes. I had a look at their selection.

Your needs are minimal as for an e-bike, although they might grow in time. The e-bike that really drew my attention was Cowboy ST4.

• It is a low-step bike so given your height, you should not have issues with getting on or off.
• It is lightweight as for an e-bike, which is a real bonus in the big city of London.
• It offers pretty low power and the battery is smallish but that's the price for the e-bike light weight. Regarding the low power motor and small battery you said yourself you are not travelling for long distance and you only needed extra boost.
• The next thing about Cowboy ST is the carbon belt drive and single speed. No drivetrain maintenance needed but you would have no gears either, meaning more assistance and harder pedalling uphill. (Which should be not that complicated in London!)

Cowboy ST4 is a totally integrated e-bike. It means the repairs might be complicated unless Dash would ensure full technical support and warranty handling.

Another e-bike I liked was Volt Burlington. Heavier than the Cowboy ST4 but with a bigger battery, classical drivetrain (needs maintenance), and traditional bike components (should be easy to repair).

As I can see, you can book a demo ride. Will you? Ask about potential repairs and warranty!
--------------
You want to lease an e-bike from Dash. Cowboy ST4 is £3,000.

Why wouldn't you talk with a Specialized dealer on either of these e-bikes?
https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/turbo-vado-sl-4-0-step-through-eq/p/188206?color=317862-188206 £2,900
https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/turbo-vado-sl-4-0-step-through/p/188205?color=303882-188205 £2,800

Perhaps Specialized can offer financing? The brand is big, these e-bikes are excellent, with very good service and the best warranty. Try talking with a big Specialized owned store in your area! (Ask for the size S!)

Thank you Stefan! This is detailed advice is really helpful. The reason I like Dash is that they do provide full technical support and insurance! It also means I can just try a bike for a couple of months without having to spend thousands. You mention the Cowboy ST4, do you know how this might compare to a VanMoof A5? It looks really good

thanks

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The reason I like Dash is that they do provide full technical support and insurance! It also means I can just try a bike for a couple of months without having to spend thousands.

That sounds very good!

do you know how this might compare to a VanMoof A5? It looks really good

Well, I perceive VanMoof as a "hipster e-bike", where the looks are more important than anything else. VanMoof A5 is heavier than Cowboy ST4 if that really matters.
The Dutch brand is pretty well known (as the Belgian Cowboy is). I could see a VanMoof store near Battersea Power Station, and I could see people actually buying e-bikes there, which I attribute to the location and good sales people.

The Battersea Power Station VanMoof store.

What is good is you can ride your new e-bike for several months prior to the purchase. If anything goes wrong it will happen in the first months.

@mschwett: You seem to own an American version of a VanMoof (it is different from what is offered in the Euro/UK market). Any opinion?

 

[PSm]

Hi all, I’m trying to switch to an ebike to save money on my London commute. The best way I have found is to rent a bike from Dash. I have no idea which bike to choose, please help!

I am 5ft 5, quite active but need that extra boost. I mostly need the bike for commuting (about 5 miles) but maybe also a ride through the park at weekends. Any advice appreciated.

This is their selection: https://www.dashrides.com/bike-listing

A 5 mile commute is probably easy for most any e-bike, especially if you’re fairly active, and not very overweight. Highly recommend a belt drive and maybe even a single speed, since there’s less to go wrong, and less maintenance required. But your fitness level and steepness of hills would be things to consider. My single speed belt drive e-bike can get up most any hill, though slower speed than my prior e-bike with gears, which is fine for me. A bike with a throttle may come in handy, if used as a commuter, and in the city.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

steepness of hills

Just to make the things clear: there are only a few steep hills in London, and usually a detour could be found. What do you think Helen? Any serious hills on your commute?

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

I would ride any of those except the small wheels ones but I’m 6’2” so you may like them better.

Hi all, I’m trying to switch to an ebike to save money on my London commute. The best way I have found is to rent a bike from Dash. I have no idea which bike to choose, please help!

I am 5ft 5, quite active but need that extra boost. I mostly need the bike for commuting (about 5 miles) but maybe also a ride through the park at weekends. Any advice appreciated.

This is their selection: https://www.dashrides.com/bike-listing

My advice would be there is no perfect ebike so just get that first one and start riding. After riding many miles you will get a good idea of what you want on your second one. I’m on like my 7th commuter bike and still have things I would like on my next bike (ebike and non-ebike). Bike safe and have fun!

 

[TrevorB]

This lease plans lets to try before buying so its great place to start.

 

[HelenH]

Just to make the things clear: there are only a few steep hills in London, and usually a detour could be found. What do you think Helen? Any serious hills on your commute?

Oh I had not thought about this! Looking at a potential route google says there is 'moderate hill' with maybe 500ft elevation gain. Does this change everything? Are gears a must now?

 

[HelenH]

This lease plans lets to try before buying so its great place to start.

Thanks for your reply, how long is a good period to see if an ebike commute can work for me?

 

[HelenH]

I’m on like my 7th commuter bike

That sees like a lot! are there quality issues with e-bikes? do they keep breaking?

 

[HelenH]

Highly recommend a belt drive and maybe even a single speed, since there’s less to go wrong, and less maintenance required.

Is e-bike maintenance a big factor? I definitely don't want to have to take it to the bike shop every day

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Looking at a potential route google says there is 'moderate hill' with maybe 500ft elevation gain. Does this change everything? Are gears a must now?

I hope you are not talking the Highgate Hill?! (That would be one of the few hills where you really needed gears).

We've been talking the Cowboy and the VanMoof. Of these two, VanMoof has a decidedly stronger motor. I think you might climb your hill in the Boost mode easily with a VanMoof A5.

Is e-bike maintenance a big factor? I definitely don't want to have to take it to the bike shop every day

Regarding the Cowboy and VanMoof, these e-bikes are equipped with carbon drive belt and require very little maintenance. Re-inflating the wheels once a week, recharging the battery on a regular basis and occasionally washing your e-bike (never under pressure!) is everything you need to do. (Maybe drop the e-bike for a service check once a year).

are there quality issues with e-bikes? do they keep breaking?

With the deepest respect to PSm (who is a fine person), the quality issues happen to the e-bikes he rides, that is, e-bikes of low price and quality (a number of e-bikes on the Dash website unfortunately belong to that category...) It is thus very important your seller ensures full technical support and a good warranty.

As with everything, there are better and worse things in this world.

The best you could do would be booking a demo ride on a VanMoof and just do your commute route both ways (with the wheels properly inflated by the LBS and with a fully charged battery -- LBSes often forget about these two things!)

 

[PSm]

Is e-bike maintenance a big factor? I definitely don't want to have to take it to the bike shop every day

Lots of good input so far, and though I sometimes disagree with others on their bias that spending more always being better (I like getting a still good product, at a value price, which is my bias), also think a VanMoof (which has a belt drive, which is the best for minimizing any maintenance needed) may be a good choice for you.

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

That sees like a lot! are there quality issues with e-bikes? do they keep breaking?

Nope I’m on my first ebike, the other ones were just regular bikes that I would mix up for fun to keep my commutes interesting. After a certain amount of time on one bike, I get kind of bored. When I could get a decent bike for 100 to 300 I would just vary what I rode to keep it fun. There are a lot of different bike types to try out from mountain to hybrid to road to single speed, etc.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

There are a lot of different bike types to try out from mountain to hybrid to road to single speed, etc.

It is not really a practical solution for a daily commuter in London, UK.

I used to own as many as four good e-bikes (and demo ridden several more):

• My first commuter e-bike is now ridden by a friend, as I am not a commuter
• My full power speed e-bike is kept in storage, and I only use it for weekend or holiday/vacation rides
• I gave my full suspension e-MTB to a family member as I realised I did not intend riding singletrack, I live in the plains, and the kind of off-road terrain to be ridden around didn't require a mountain e-bike
• My lightweight low power e-bike "lives" in my apartment and I use it for my daily chores (such a 10 mile round trip for grocery shopping) and for some adventure rides.

Different e-bike types serve different purposes. The OP has clearly defined her needs: a relatively short daily urban commute involving a moderate hill; maintenance free e-bike operation; financing from a specific seller. Why to confuse her? Why should she need, say, an e-MTB in the city where most of commuters ride traditional road bikes?

 

[HelenH]

VanMoof (which has a belt drive, which is the best for minimizing any maintenance needed)

I have heard that VanMoofs have more focused on style and not quality so they end up having quite a lot of issues. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[HelenH]

my daily chores (such a 10 mile round trip for grocery shopping)

Oh that is a good idea. Can you carry lots on the bike then to do grocery shopping?