Bike pricing disparity.

[d8mok]

Theres Ducati with their ebikes

https://www.ducati.com/ww/en/e-bike/tk-01-rr

https://scramblerducati.com/bike/escram ... 1607673656

They really have lost their way recently

 

[legrandefromage]

Theres Ducati with their ebikes

https://www.ducati.com/ww/en/e-bike/tk-01-rr

https://scramblerducati.com/bike/escram ... 1607673656

They really have lost their way recently

Vague steering?

 

[greencat]

Yes, I've heard carbon fibre frames are essentially now regarded as consumable items. Personally, will be surprised if many of the modern ones are in regular use in 20 years time.

Probably about a third of the bikes I've owned have had frame failures (cracked seat tube twice, bottom bracket shell crack, bottom bracket threads rusted out, snapped drop out, rack mount insert pulled out, bottle boss ripped off causing downtube failure, head tube crack). Only one of those preventable by maintenance, and only one caused by a crash. Not a heavy or abusive rider either.

I would carefully say that maybe you've been riding the 'wrong' bicycles?

You are most definitely right in some cases as the frames incl magnesium (Kirk), 531 (Dawes), titanium (4t), Tange Prestige (can't remember), cheapo steel (On-one, Saracen retro). Strangely, the only frame material I haven't broken which I've ridden a lot is aluminium. But I didn't start riding those until fairly recently.

 

[Captain Stupido]

Re:

I'd recommend a DIY mid-drive conversion:

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=409894&start=30#p3062762

Not at all expensive, and brilliant fun. The Bafang and Tongsheng kits are a known quantity and very good quality.

Comparisons to motorbikes are fairly pointless IMO, I own a motorbike too and it's a totally different thing. E-bikes are more bike than motorbike and have their place depending on what you're looking for.

I agree that the price of high end (mountain) bikes is crazy but it's always been the case IMO hence why I've never owned a bike less than about 15 years old. If you want the latest shit you have to pay for it. It keeps the wheels of commerce turning and there seem to be plenty of people willing to sign their lives away on cheap credit. Good luck to them. Their overpriced purchases today can be our bargains tomorrow when they get bored.

 

[dyna-ti]

Theres Ducati with their ebikes
https://www.ducati.com/ww/en/e-bike/tk-01-rr

7000 Euro. Pretty much on par with others of this ilk. Better spec than many of them though. No suntour forks here.

 

[adroitstif]

I always think that if I ever took the plunge with a bolt-on Bafang-type kit, I'd be extremely tempted to buy the 750 watt version and cross my fingers that the police didn't look too closely. 250w just doesn't seem quite entertaining enough.

 

[Captain Stupido]

Re:

I always think that if I ever took the plunge with a bolt-on Bafang-type kit, I'd be extremely tempted to buy the 750 watt version and cross my fingers that the police didn't look too closely. 250w just doesn't seem quite entertaining enough.

The 250W tongsheng kit is more than fast enough for brown trouser moments especially pulling wheelies up steep inclines. Loads of torque. You can also turn off the 15mph speed limit which does make it more useful on the flat. It's also possible to run aftermarket firmware which allows higher voltage/wattage on the stock motor.

IMO though non-legal spec kind of defeat the object of an e-bike - if you want something properly quick, in legal terms you're into motorbike territory so you really might as well be on a motorbike, even an electric one. Much of the appeal of ebikes for me is to do with the legislation which allows cheap access to clean, safe motorised transport. The legislation keeps things sensible and limits negative impact on other road (and trail) users.

 

[adroitstif]

That sounds like a convincing argument from personal experience. So long as 250w is fun, then clearly you don't need to break the law. Nevertheless I might go for 500w and meet the law half-way!

 

[FluffyChicken]

That sounds like a convincing argument from personal experience. So long as 250w is fun, then clearly you don't need to break the law. Nevertheless I might go for 500w and meet the law half-way!

At which point it's classed in law as a motorbike and you start to give e-bike a bad name.
You can't use it off-road on public bridleways and you can't use it on the road without the usual motorbike things. It's the benders that will cause a crackdown on these things, if not a banning of them off-road.

 

[nishanttbi]

Re:

:shock: