Posted 6 July 2020

Electric Bike, Decathalon vs Halfords?

Prefer Mountain bike as used for commuting and I do barely any effort so comfort is most important.

Prefered halfords for repairs as there is one near my home AND work.

I bought the carrera Vengeance 2 years ago for £680 during a may sale, inflation and covid has made this impossible.

These are my options, I am in the market in September so going to keep my eye open.

Halfords - £1099 - BATTERY 317WH
halfords.com/bik…tml

Halfords - £1399 - BATTERY 417WH
halfords.com/bik…tml

Decathalon - £799 BATTERY 380WH
decathlon.co.uk/e-s…tml

from the way I see at the moment Decathalon seems the no brainer right?

317wh will be no issue for my commute although this will be used for 2 years and nearer the 2 year mark the smaller battery starts to make its toll so the extra wh is nice.

What are decathalon like for repairs?
as its a commuter bike I am keen on somewhere that can get things done fairly quickly on parts they can only fix.

Happy to go to third party if its a generic repair if decathalon have wait time.

Anyone bought a ebike from decathalon before?

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6th Jul 2020
Subscribing to this thread to see others thoughts. I'm looking at the Rockrider 900 which is the more expensive Decathlon e mtb. Apparently has good reviews but as always you cant tell if they are paid for reviews.
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6th Jul 2020
sparx198106/07/2020 09:50
Subscribing to this thread to see others thoughts. I'm looking at the …Subscribing to this thread to see others thoughts. I'm looking at the Rockrider 900 which is the more expensive Decathlon e mtb. Apparently has good reviews but as always you cant tell if they are paid for reviews.

Why the 900? do you need the 500wh?

after owning the budget carrera for 2 years of commuting everyday, I can't see the need for sub £1000+ ebike other then battery size.

I will buy 2 chargers so I can charge at work, mainly because the battery will last longer if topped up rather then 0-100%. (plus 1,5 years in 317wh could not do there and back) (edited)
6th Jul 2020
My reason for the 900 is simply down to the reviews and good components. I'm not a pro biker at all so have no real knowledge of one good component vs another. That said, if I'm spending good money on an e bike I want something good rather than something I regret.
Author
6th Jul 2020
sparx198106/07/2020 10:06
My reason for the 900 is simply down to the reviews and good components. …My reason for the 900 is simply down to the reviews and good components. I'm not a pro biker at all so have no real knowledge of one good component vs another. That said, if I'm spending good money on an e bike I want something good rather than something I regret.

What is the purpose of the purchase? regular usage or commute?

From a commuter perspective, I am going to ride it to the ground in 2 years, I ain't going to be looking after it, ebiking saves me £100 a month in train fare so over 2 years it makes it money back.

I recently sold my 2 year old bike for £420 after buying 2 years prior for £680, there seems no reason to me to buy ''better components''

especially when the time the battery needs changing, they won't sell it anymore
6th Jul 2020
Hi thanks for creating I too am looking for an e-bike with a budget of around £1000. Decathlon seems to be out of stock for the rockrider e st500. I have found this one on ebikesdirect for £1000 but not sure if any good:

amazon.co.uk/dp/…QFV
Author
6th Jul 2020
DJ_BIONIC106/07/2020 13:04
Hi thanks for creating I too am looking for an e-bike with a budget of …Hi thanks for creating I too am looking for an e-bike with a budget of around £1000. Decathlon seems to be out of stock for the rockrider e st500. I have found this one on ebikesdirect for £1000 but not sure if any good:https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KXVBXYM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7XUaFb1MD8QFV

Meh I like having a retail shop I can go complain to for warranty

As a commute bike I need quick fixes

Can decathlon, Halfords or a third party fix more complex parts of this bike? Maybe maybe not

Can they with there own bikes, yes
6th Jul 2020
Am I right in thinking the bikes with the motor at the crank as opposed to the back wheel are better? (but more expensive). Don’t forget to check if you are eligible for the cycle to work scheme.
Author
6th Jul 2020
slippers197706/07/2020 13:48
Am I right in thinking the bikes with the motor at the crank as opposed to …Am I right in thinking the bikes with the motor at the crank as opposed to the back wheel are better? (but more expensive). Don’t forget to check if you are eligible for the cycle to work scheme.

Unlikely my work are willing to put down 1k loan on me haha
6th Jul 2020
I put a rear hub motor kit on my bianchi road bike It is very efficient and I can travel 65 miles before I need to recharge.
A rear hub motor is better than a front motor. It also feels like somebody is pushing you along since it has no impact on the crank / pedals.
Crank driven motors feel very different and also put more stress on the drivechain. I would go rear hub if this is for a commute.
6th Jul 2020
deleted1193306/07/2020 14:12
I put a rear hub motor kit on my bianchi road bike It is very …I put a rear hub motor kit on my bianchi road bike It is very efficient and I can travel 65 miles before I need to recharge.A rear hub motor is better than a front motor. It also feels like somebody is pushing you along since it has no impact on the crank / pedals.Crank driven motors feel very different and also put more stress on the drivechain. I would go rear hub if this is for a commute.

Yep that makes sense, I just thought maybe the crank based motor would allow better use of the gears. No doubt it’s more expensive to fix if something goes wrong as well. Rear motor it is!