SHAPE test: e-bike10 facts about the e-bike

2014

Retiree bike or cool part? In the cities, more and more electric bicycles are turning around. But for whom is an e-bike the ideal companion and who can safely do without the drive? We tested two e-bikes and weigh up.

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Where could you cycle better in February than in Mallorca? Together with bike manufacturer Derby Cycle I was allowed to leave the cold Germany behind me and put me on the Spanish island in the saddle. And on an e-bike! Will I become a fan of the electric bike or can I do without the drive? You can find out here.

What is an e-bike?

E-bikes have an engine on the front or rear wheel or on the bottom bracket. This provides the driver with pedaling with an extra boost. Most e-bikes support up to 25 km / h. In addition, the driver relies on his own power again. By itself, e-bikes do not drive. This can be so-called speed pedelecs, which even without pedaling about 10 to 15 km / h can drive fast and support pedaling up to a speed of 40 km / h. However, in Germany they must be equipped with badges and mirrors and must be insured.

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The advance of e-bikes

Of the almost four million wheels sold in Germany, around ten percent were e-bikes in 2013, according to the statistics of the Zweirad-Industrie-Verband. What was introduced as a comfortable means of transport for the generation 60+, now permeates almost all age groups. About 45 percent of e-bike riders are between 35 and 50 years old, 15 percent are 18 to 35 years old, reported the platform Velobiz.de 2012. Finally, there is no longer just the classic low entry model for the city, but also fast speed models and e-mountain bikes.

E-bike test in Mallorca

On the Spanish island I test the two models "Impulse 2.0" and "Impulse 2.0 Off-Road" by Kalkhoff. The former is a comfortable, classic city bike with a low entry, a coaster brake, eight gears and a comfortable saddle. The latter is an electric mountain bike with suspension and "Climb Assistant", which ensures a smooth, smooth drive, even if the pedal pressure in bumpy terrain diminishes.

Both wheels are equipped with a mid-engine in the bottom bracket, which supports up to a speed of 25 km / h - in the three levels "Eco", "Speed" and "Power", with a simple plus and minus button can be adjusted on the steering wheel. Sure, that I start directly in power mode - if so, because!

SHAPE editor Anika on the e-mountain bike

Our test track takes us from the south-east coast of the island on narrow, unpaved country roads between low stone walls. On both sides small fields pass us, on which sheep and donkeys graze and huge oranges hang on the trees. Small hills and longer climbs are no problem. The bike does not go by itself, but I always have the pleasant feeling that I am easily pushed. Speeds of 15-25 km / h are reached quickly and well maintained. In fact, after only a short time, I find myself 25 km / h too slow. Who has once tasted blood ...

On the way, I can hardly imagine what it would be like to be on the road without support. If I turn off the engine completely, I have the feeling someone would pull my bike backwards. However, the electric bike at around 23 kilos is also significantly heavier than a normal bike. Anyone planning to buy an e-bike and use it more often than a normal bike should remember that.

The new e-bikes

With the new generation of e-bikes from Kalkhoff also a few initial deficiencies have been resolved. The shift sensor technology ensures that the "Impulse 2.0" models are pleasant to use, without clicking or jerking. If the gear is changed, the engine stops for a moment. Thus, the course can be smooth, quiet and material-friendly inserted.

The wheels, with their unmistakable battery box on the frame, still look like a beefy electric bike. But especially the mountain bike models already have a more filigree, sportier look. The battery is also quite powerful. After 30 kilometers, we have only consumed about 15 percent.

For whom is an e-bike suitable?

In a group full of e-bikers the driving pleasure is enormous. Gradients are not a problem. We enjoy the ride without gasping, struggling or even pushing. However, if you are the only one with an e-bike in the circle of friends, it will probably not be that easy. Apart from derogatory comments ("You cheat, yes!"), The e-bike in a "normal" group can rarely be maxed out - unless you sit down to the lonely top of the group ... and reap even more than scorn-packed envy,

Hardcore athletes who want to exhaust themselves while cycling, are hardly led by an e-bike temptation. For on our 30 kilometers of testing we are absolutely not working up a sweat and could have gone much further afterwards. The e-bike should not necessarily replace the racing bike, but rather the car and the train.

If you can not make it to work with a regular bike because you have to get up for it two hours earlier or arrive in the office totally sweaty, you can still enjoy the driving pleasure and the movement in the fresh air with an e-bike and you do not necessarily have to take the train to take. Or: Anyone who plans long tours, crosses the Alps or wants to travel a whole country by bike, but does not have the necessary physical condition, does not have to do without this experience thanks to the e-bike.

My conclusion to the e-bike

As the experts at Derby Cycle predicted to me before the test drive: once e-bike, always e-bike. Anyone who has ever sat in the e-bike saddle is reluctant to return to the normal bike. I would buy an e-bike between 2, 000 ("Impulse 2.0") and 3, 700 euros ("Impulse 2.0 Off-Road") but rather for exceptional and extremely long trips (once over the Alps, once across Hungary) and not necessarily for the city tour or the weekend trip. Because I can (still) with a bike without an engine. And the ride may be a bit exhausting.

All facts at a glance

• E-bikes help the driver to pedal, but do not drive by themselves.
• Engine assistance can be gradually regulated and completely shut down.
• Meanwhile, there are not only e-bikes for the city, but also e-mountain bikes for the field.
• Ten percent of all wheels sold in Germany in 2013 were e-bikes.
• In 2012, 60 percent of e-bike riders were under 50 years old.
• E-bikes are ideal for commuters, who can do without the car or the train.
• The range of an e-bike depends, among other things, on the weight of the rider, the condition of the terrain and the outside temperature. The e-bike "Focus Jarifa" by Kalkhoff, for example, has a range of up to 205 kilometers.
• An e-bike weighs about 23 kilos.
• Engine and battery weigh up to five kilos.
• An e-bike from Kalkhoff costs around 2, 000 to 3, 700 euros.

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