Hi Graham. We have 2 Wisper 905 E-bikes. I have 2 bike racks on my roof bars- one on each side. We have 2 small step ladders and we both walk one bike towards tha car, climb and lift together and fasten to the bike rack. We repeat the exercise on the other side with the other bike. The steps then go under the caravan bed. I remove the batteries before lifting to the bike rack. The exercise is quick and easy for us and we are both either side of 70. Happy days
I have had a regular, full-size e-bike for a few years, but since changing cars, we don’t have roof a rack (no roof bars) and couldn’t take the bikes caravanning any longer. Not keen on the huge bike racks and weight pushing the limits being added to our caravan when towing, we bought a couple of estarli 20.7 folding e-bikes in summer for our caravanning. Absolutely brilliant bit of kit. I’d describe them as ‘luggable’. They both fit side by side in the boot, but when towing we typically have one in the boot and one in the caravan. Because we can put them in the car, we aren’t restricted to just cycling from the caravan site. We can stick them in the boot, drive somewhere, get them out and explore. Great for cities when you stay in a park and ride.
Thoroughly enjoyed your review and as a result have purchased two AS folding electric bikes. AS bikes are a Coventry based family business and seem to be favoured by the Motorhome fraternity. You would probably like their look with 20” black wheels and all alloy frame. We also liked the fact we were buying English (not sure if you’re allowed to say that without offending lol). Anyway keep up the excellent work. All the best David & Jane (XC90 &Coachman 845 with hardly any payload !! Hence bikes in car.
The current UK e-scooter trials allow a scooter to be propelled up to 15.5mph using a throttle. The requirement for an ebike to only use pedal assist doesn't make sense. This reminds of the daft requirements in the 1970s for 50cc mopeds to have actual pedals attached. I know of no one who pedalled a moped rather than use the engine for normal use!
Interesting Vlog as always Graham. My first e bike was foldable and had a throttle that could get up to 15.3mph without peddling. Bought it from Amazon. When i found out it was illegal I had to get Amazon to intervene as the retailer refused a refund. My case was through Amazon their retailer was selling illegal ebikes (for use on a public road anyway). After a bit of two and throwing Amazon refunded my money.
Hi Graham, Thank you for an excellent Vlog. I travel with 2 ebikes which weigh 25KG each without the batteries. When choosing my new caravan I wanted to put the bikes van on the back of the van as they are too heavy to lift onto my Land Rover's roof. So my choice of van was limited, I excluded Coachman as they do not allow bikes, Buccaneer's payload is too low to legally carry much, so I was left with Swift, so that is what I bought. My ebikes are full size step throughs (Riese and Muller) and were chosen as they have frames designed for big people. Most bike frames have max carrying weights from 90Kg to 120Kg so again my choice was determined by weight considerations. I am pleased with my choices and have travelled 2500 miles this year with the bikes on the back of the caravan. However they are a bu**er to lift onto the bike rack. I raise the jockey wheel to max height to lower the height of the rack which makes it much easier. I also use the van steps which again helps. Before you swap your cube for an e folding bike have you looked at "drop racks" roof rack systems? They are pricey but could save you having to change your excellent Cube for a city folding bike which may not be great for mild country paths. When i can no longer lift the bikes I will be buying the drop rack as caravanning without the bikes is for me not as good as with them. As for using non electrical assisted... no chance of riding up the hills without the assistance so again not negotiable. Finally, towing with the heavy weight on the back significantly affects the weight distribution of the van. My two bikes reduces the van's nose weight by over 35Kgs making it too light, so I have taken my spare wheel and carrier off the van to improve the weight distribution. My car weights 2920 kg so I have no "tail wagging dog issues", but I would be concerned if my car and van were more equal in weight. Hope this ramble stimulates some thoughts. Cheers Colin
Hi Graham. I take my e bike every time we go away. It is similar to yours. I have a Thule A-Frame bike rack which works well. The nose weight is 97Kg which is within the acceptable range. It is quite easy to load and is handy for storing with an additional quality bike D lock for security and a cover. Like you, I also remove the battery as a e bike without a battery would put most thieves.
Hi Graham. We have two full size ebikes. I use fork mounts fixed to plywood 'planks'. These take the front forks of the bike once the front wheel is taken off. One bike fits in the boot of our sorento with back seats folded flat and stuff is easily packed around it. The other goes I the caravan (with weight uplated) I use a small velcro strap to hold the rear brake on. It's all very steady and I have had no problems. Batteries are removed and go in the car.
We have two Pedibal folding ebikes which fit easily in the car boot without the need to fold the seats. We took to the south of France in the summer and had fantastic fun with them. Certainly wouldn't go back to non folding again. I highly recommend checking out Pedibal bikes if you're looking to buy one
We have 2 folding ebikes. Both fold and fit in the boot of the Kia Sorento with a full size awning and a 100 ltr fridge although the load cover has to be removed. They are front wheel drive so a pull rather than a push motor. That takes a bit of getting used to. They have 20inch wheels so a reasonable ride comfort. When we were researching the ones with removable batteries and removable computers are best. Depending on your need for street credibility a basic bike can start from £500. Ours have a range of 30 Mile and 4 hour charge time. Glad we bought them but also glad we didn't spend a fortune as they've not had anywhere near the use we thought they would have. 😍😍 We've never been offered bikes to review either. Wonder if manufacturers think because we have a car to use, we wouldn't use a bike?
We have two Conondale NEO 4 e-bikes which weigh 27 kg without the battery and belt drive no oily chain and 8 speed twist grip gears restricted 15 mph We have a swift Conqueror 580 caravan with a bike rack on the rear of the caravan I tip the van so the back is low and put them on the van works for us .
Hi Graham, I have a full size Cube E bike which I use at home and two Raleigh E stowaway bikes which we put in the boot of my Sante Fe. We tour France for 10 weeks with the caravan and use the Ebikes on the cycle paths and canals etc they have been excellent.
Hi Graham we've got an elegance grande 645 with a wind down thule rack which makes it easy to fit our 2 e-mtbs on but mind the total weight (you can have a manual or motorised version, hope this helps mate. Oh I forgot I had to buy thule conversion fitting kit for lower bracket
Hi Graham very interesting vlog especially on the subject of throttles as I travelled some distance to buy a second hand Volt pulse because unlike the new ones it had a thumb throttle which I wanted and never understood why it was done away with but now you have explained it so well done
Excellent video. We have two Raleigh e-bikes which weigh similar to your Cube bike (20 plus kg). We have a Coachman caravan and they specify no bike racks on the rear of the caravan. I know its a faf but I take the front wheels off the bikes and pedals and put one of them on the awning bags in the back of our SUV and the other wedged between deckchairs with padding in the seating area of the van. It needs the two of us to put them in/take them out of the car and caravan. Having bought the bikes and use them regularly at home I am loathed to sell them to buy others to fit in the van.
Hi Graham, we have used bromptons for ages great bikes, one thing worth considering is the brompton folds in 3 which make for a very small bike and with fit in pretty much any car boot/ load area.
Graham, congratulations, I have to say that is the most accurate video on ebikes I've seen in the UK to date on the legal situation. Most get is badly wrong. I think the bikes are a compromise, you have to decide what you want to do and buy accordingly, bit like a van or mhome!
The wife has a broom, we did take a couple of fold ups when we camping but they took up vital space , i think the eBike is a good idea, but its the charging the extra weight , where do you put them towing a caravan and making sure they don't get nicked. sorry for the all negative bits, they are most certainly a very good idea if you got the space, her broom, easy to put away. Clive 😂😂🤣
Interesting and informative vlog, just a thought, but are you sure you really need an e-bike as opposed to a conventional push-bike? I use a tatty 30 year old dropped, handlebar, 5 gear bike, it goes like the wind, solves all the problems and I don't need to worry about it getting stolen, even the Mrs is ok with her old bike as well. 👍
Thanks Graham, really good information. I would have liked a comparison with Halfords ebikes as well as they are a bit cheaper. Also, I like the caravan uniform jumper. I have one too 😂 Bet there are loads of us out there! Maybe an M&S jumper rally needs to be organised 🤣🤣
Keep looking at them self. A friend has a full size ebike and just wheel it into their caravan.. why don't you do that you have a 500kg payload. Seems obvious to me 🤔🤔
Hi Graham. We have 2 Wisper 905 E-bikes. I have 2 bike racks on my roof bars- one on each side. We have 2 small step ladders and we both walk one bike towards tha car, climb and lift together and fasten to the bike rack. We repeat the exercise on the other side with the other bike. The steps then go under the caravan bed. I remove the batteries before lifting to the bike rack. The exercise is quick and easy for us and we are both either side of 70. Happy days
I have had a regular, full-size e-bike for a few years, but since changing cars, we don’t have roof a rack (no roof bars) and couldn’t take the bikes caravanning any longer. Not keen on the huge bike racks and weight pushing the limits being added to our caravan when towing, we bought a couple of estarli 20.7 folding e-bikes in summer for our caravanning. Absolutely brilliant bit of kit. I’d describe them as ‘luggable’. They both fit side by side in the boot, but when towing we typically have one in the boot and one in the caravan. Because we can put them in the car, we aren’t restricted to just cycling from the caravan site. We can stick them in the boot, drive somewhere, get them out and explore. Great for cities when you stay in a park and ride.
Thoroughly enjoyed your review and as a result have purchased two AS folding electric bikes. AS bikes are a Coventry based family business and seem to be favoured by the Motorhome fraternity. You would probably like their look with 20” black wheels and all alloy frame. We also liked the fact we were buying English (not sure if you’re allowed to say that without offending lol). Anyway keep up the excellent work. All the best David & Jane (XC90 &Coachman 845 with hardly any payload !! Hence bikes in car.
The current UK e-scooter trials allow a scooter to be propelled up to 15.5mph using a throttle. The requirement for an ebike to only use pedal assist doesn't make sense. This reminds of the daft requirements in the 1970s for 50cc mopeds to have actual pedals attached. I know of no one who pedalled a moped rather than use the engine for normal use!
Interesting Vlog as always Graham. My first e bike was foldable and had a throttle that could get up to 15.3mph without peddling. Bought it from Amazon. When i found out it was illegal I had to get Amazon to intervene as the retailer refused a refund. My case was through Amazon their retailer was selling illegal ebikes (for use on a public road anyway). After a bit of two and throwing Amazon refunded my money.
Hi Graham, Thank you for an excellent Vlog.
I travel with 2 ebikes which weigh 25KG each without the batteries. When choosing my new caravan I wanted to put the bikes van on the back of the van as they are too heavy to lift onto my Land Rover's roof. So my choice of van was limited, I excluded Coachman as they do not allow bikes, Buccaneer's payload is too low to legally carry much, so I was left with Swift, so that is what I bought.
My ebikes are full size step throughs (Riese and Muller) and were chosen as they have frames designed for big people. Most bike frames have max carrying weights from 90Kg to 120Kg so again my choice was determined by weight considerations. I am pleased with my choices and have travelled 2500 miles this year with the bikes on the back of the caravan. However they are a bu**er to lift onto the bike rack. I raise the jockey wheel to max height to lower the height of the rack which makes it much easier. I also use the van steps which again helps.
Before you swap your cube for an e folding bike have you looked at "drop racks" roof rack systems? They are pricey but could save you having to change your excellent Cube for a city folding bike which may not be great for mild country paths. When i can no longer lift the bikes I will be buying the drop rack as caravanning without the bikes is for me not as good as with them. As for using non electrical assisted... no chance of riding up the hills without the assistance so again not negotiable.
Finally, towing with the heavy weight on the back significantly affects the weight distribution of the van. My two bikes reduces the van's nose weight by over 35Kgs making it too light, so I have taken my spare wheel and carrier off the van to improve the weight distribution. My car weights 2920 kg so I have no "tail wagging dog issues", but I would be concerned if my car and van were more equal in weight.
Hope this ramble stimulates some thoughts.
Cheers Colin
Hi Graham. I take my e bike every time we go away. It is similar to yours. I have a Thule A-Frame bike rack which works well. The nose weight is 97Kg which is within the acceptable range. It is quite easy to load and is handy for storing with an additional quality bike D lock for security and a cover. Like you, I also remove the battery as a e bike without a battery would put most thieves.
Hi Graham. We have two full size ebikes. I use fork mounts fixed to plywood 'planks'. These take the front forks of the bike once the front wheel is taken off. One bike fits in the boot of our sorento with back seats folded flat and stuff is easily packed around it. The other goes I the caravan (with weight uplated) I use a small velcro strap to hold the rear brake on. It's all very steady and I have had no problems. Batteries are removed and go in the car.
We have two Pedibal folding ebikes which fit easily in the car boot without the need to fold the seats. We took to the south of France in the summer and had fantastic fun with them. Certainly wouldn't go back to non folding again. I highly recommend checking out Pedibal bikes if you're looking to buy one
Hi Graham, I have a Halfords folding e bike that we take away when we are in the caravan. When we are travelling it is transported in the car boot.
We have 2 folding ebikes. Both fold and fit in the boot of the Kia Sorento with a full size awning and a 100 ltr fridge although the load cover has to be removed.
They are front wheel drive so a pull rather than a push motor. That takes a bit of getting used to. They have 20inch wheels so a reasonable ride comfort. When we were researching the ones with removable batteries and removable computers are best. Depending on your need for street credibility a basic bike can start from £500. Ours have a range of 30 Mile and 4 hour charge time. Glad we bought them but also glad we didn't spend a fortune as they've not had anywhere near the use we thought they would have. 😍😍 We've never been offered bikes to review either. Wonder if manufacturers think because we have a car to use, we wouldn't use a bike?
We have two Conondale NEO 4 e-bikes which weigh 27 kg without the battery and belt drive no oily chain and 8 speed twist grip gears restricted 15 mph We have a swift Conqueror 580 caravan with a bike rack on the rear of the caravan I tip the van so the back is low and put them on the van works for us .
Hi Graham, I have a full size Cube E bike which I use at home and two Raleigh E stowaway bikes which we put in the boot of my Sante Fe. We tour France for 10 weeks with the caravan and use the Ebikes on the cycle paths and canals etc they have been excellent.
Hi Graham we've got an elegance grande 645 with a wind down thule rack which makes it easy to fit our 2 e-mtbs on but mind the total weight (you can have a manual or motorised version, hope this helps mate. Oh I forgot I had to buy thule conversion fitting kit for lower bracket
Hi Graham very interesting vlog especially on the subject of throttles as I travelled some distance to buy a second hand Volt pulse because unlike the new ones it had a thumb throttle which I wanted and never understood why it was done away with but now you have explained it so well done
Excellent video. We have two Raleigh e-bikes which weigh similar to your Cube bike (20 plus kg). We have a Coachman caravan and they specify no bike racks on the rear of the caravan. I know its a faf but I take the front wheels off the bikes and pedals and put one of them on the awning bags in the back of our SUV and the other wedged between deckchairs with padding in the seating area of the van. It needs the two of us to put them in/take them out of the car and caravan. Having bought the bikes and use them regularly at home I am loathed to sell them to buy others to fit in the van.
Hi Graham, we have used bromptons for ages great bikes, one thing worth considering is the brompton folds in 3 which make for a very small bike and with fit in pretty much any car boot/ load area.
Graham, congratulations, I have to say that is the most accurate video on ebikes I've seen in the UK to date on the legal situation. Most get is badly wrong. I think the bikes are a compromise, you have to decide what you want to do and buy accordingly, bit like a van or mhome!
My husband has made a wooden stand to transport the bikes in the caravan to stop them moving about we also remove the front wheels
The wife has a broom, we did take a couple of fold ups when we camping but they took up vital space , i think the eBike is a good idea, but its the charging the extra weight , where do you put them towing a caravan and making sure they don't get nicked. sorry for the all negative bits, they are most certainly a very good idea if you got the space, her broom, easy to put away. Clive 😂😂🤣
Excellent informative vlog. Thanks Graham.
Interesting and informative vlog, just a thought, but are you sure you really need an e-bike as opposed to a conventional push-bike?
I use a tatty 30 year old dropped, handlebar, 5 gear bike, it goes like the wind, solves all the problems and I don't need to worry about it getting stolen, even the Mrs is ok with her old bike as well. 👍
Thanks Graham, really good information. I would have liked a comparison with Halfords ebikes as well as they are a bit cheaper. Also, I like the caravan uniform jumper. I have one too 😂 Bet there are loads of us out there! Maybe an M&S jumper rally needs to be organised 🤣🤣
Haha yes re the jumper. I’ve just rediscovered it at the back of the wardrobe, hate to think how old it is 😂
We have Brompton's. Take them everywhere we go with fold in 3. Ace quality. Not electric but kits are very reasonable if electric is your thing.🚲
Keep looking at them self. A friend has a full size ebike and just wheel it into their caravan.. why don't you do that you have a 500kg payload. Seems obvious to me 🤔🤔
As far as I was aware, E bikes are legal, but E scooters aren't
Thanks for watching. There are different laws governing e-bikes