Frequently asked questions

We realise that it's important to know all the facts before making your first electric bike purchase, which is why we have published these frequently asked questions.
If you have a question that is not listed, please contact us by using our general enquiries form.

F.A.Q's

Why buy an electric bike?

Why buy an e-bike?
   

The Sustain Cycles range of Electric Motorcycles provides all the advantages of a regular bicycle: fun, exercise, free parking, zero emissions, and freedom from traffic jams, whilst eliminating one of the bicycle's more serious drawbacks, lack of power.
 
Imagine someone pushing you in the back whilst you're pedalling up a hill, that's what the e-bike experience is all about. Also, in most situations riding an electric bike will be faster and cheaper than either by car or public transport.
 
Fundamentally, an e-bike is just a regular bicycle with an electric motor to provide additional assistance. You can pedal normally and just use the motor to help out on hills and headwinds, or use the motor all the time just to make riding easier. The experience is entirely different from riding say a petrol scooter or motorbike. Here the electric assistance is perfectly smooth and silent and it complements rather than supplants human power.
 
If you think that hills, distance, health reasons, knee problems, aging, or even the inconvenience of having to shower and change at work make using normal bikes impossible then our bikes suddenly make biking a whole lot more accessible.
 
The bike works in harmony with you, provides you with an opportunity to excercise at a rate which suits you and, at the same time, allows you to contribute towards a reduction in global warming.   Do yourself some good and feel good doing it....
 
 
All of the Sustain cycles range of Electric Motorcycles are classified as bicycles and are road legal ready to go on UK roads with the advantage of:
 
No Driving Licence,
No Road Tax,
No helmet required (but we highly recommend wearing one!),
Able to be ridden by anyone age 14 upwards,
Insurance not legally required
 
With extremely low running costs, no emissions and quiet running our ebike range makes perfect sense for leisure cycling, commuting or shopping

What is Sustain Cycles returns process?

Before you return a product to us you must folllow the returns process. Unauthorised returns will be rejected.

Find out more...

Is it legal to use electric bikes like ours on British roads?

Yes. They even have backing from the government.

In response to a question raised in Parliament last September, Transport Minister George Jamieson MP stated on September 15, 2004:

"Electrically assisted pedal cycles complying with the requirements in The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Construction and Use Regulations 1983 are able to use facilities provided for ordinary bicycles. The Government are committed to encouraging more cycling as a healthy, useful and enjoyable means of travel."

In summary, under the regulations referred to above, an electric bicycle is not considered a motor vehicle and therefore does not require a licence, third-party insurance, road tax, registration plates if:

* The bicycle weighs less than 40kg without its rider.
Our ebikes are under this limit.
* It cannot exceed 25kph - about 15.5mph - under power. Our ebikes speed without pedalling is about 15mph. The motor helps you get up to speed from a standing start and stay there - you can use the pedals to exceed 20mph.
* It has usable pedals Many electric bikes and scooters come with basic pedals just to keep within the rules and are too heavy to ride. Ours are fully-functioning road bikes with electric motors.
* Its motor has a rated output of less than 0.2kW (i.e.200 Watts) or 0.25kW for three-wheeled electric vehicles. Our bikes have a 200W efficient motor.

All our electric bicycles comply with these rules. You will not need to register your bicycle, hold a licence, take out compulsory insurance or pay road tax. However, you must be aged 14 years or over.

What are the running costs for an E-bike?

fForget those moments when you have to swallow hard at the garage, and hand over your credit card for a £100 bill. Comparing the prices of electricity and fuel, the average cost per 100 miles is 25p on an E-bike, but £8.10 for 100 miles in a Renault Clio – it's easy to work out why more and more people are leaving their cars in the garage and opting for an ultra-low cost E-bike.

Look at how all of the annual costs stack up (and bear in mind that a Clio is a very cheap car to run…):

Item Renaut Clio Sustain Ebike

 

Fuel / charging costs

 

£8.10 per 100 miles

 

£0.25



Insurance



£350



£50




Service and/or MOT



£350



£0



Tax



£100



£0



Wear and Tear



£179




£70



Depreciation (per year over 3 years)



£833 approx



£150 approx



Parking, tolls, congestion charge



£200 approx



£0



Total



£2,743



£270

This shows that the total running costs for a car are TEN TIMES MORE than an E-bike, and fuel charges are over THIRTY TIMES MORE! Imagine what you could spend all those thousands on… fancy a nice holiday, or a better house?

What is the advantage of Lithium-ion?

Lithium Ion battery packs provide a much greater power to weight ratio than any other standard electric bike technology around at present.  

You can expect somewhere between 400-500 discharge/charge cycles from the Lithium Ion battery pack.  However, unlike our other bikes which use NiMH or Pb Acid batteries the Li-Ion battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge.  Please try and avoid full discharges if at all possible. In other words, when you get the bike back from a run, simply plug the bike into the charger until fully charged again.

How is my E-bike affected by hills?

Our bikes love hills! That's what makes a E-bike so enjoyable to ride - cycling up a steep hill feels like nothing. Your average speed when tackling inclines and headwinds will increase. You will of course still need to pedal, but your E-bike will tackle anything from a 1 in 10 (10%) gradient up to a 1 in 7 (14%) with ease. If you haven't ridden a bike for a while, or if you're used to conventional cycling, you will be amazed at how pleasurable previously difficult journeys will become.

Is it safe to ride an E-bike?

Actually, we consider our E-bikes to be safer than a conventional bicycle. You can pull away from standing traffic at junctions in a more speedy and controlled manner.

If I get an E-bike, won't my level of fitness go down?

This seems counter-intuitive, but it isn't so. This belief was confirmed by a study at Leeds University (Neil Guthrie 2001) which concluded that owners of electric bikes typically use them at least twice as often as conventional bicycles.

What is the difference between a Pedelec and E-Bike?

Pedelec
The system is rather simple. Being controlled by a motor with motion sensing, assistance is enabled only when the rider is simultaneously pedalling. In addition, the extent of assistance and hence speed is controlled by means of a “power twist grip” (throttle).

E-Bike
In contrast to Pedelec, motor output of the E-Bike is exclusively controlled by means of a twist grip (throttle).
Thus, physical strength and motor power work as driving systems independently of each other. E-Bikes can be used as either Pedelec by hybrid pedaling/motor operation or as an ordinary bicycle or by pure engine power. For use in public traffic the currently applicable national regulations must be observed.

Are my E-bike batteries replacable? Can I buy a spare or replacement battery?

Yes, we offer spare batteries and charges. Most other parts can be obtained from your local bike shop.

What about spare parts and repairs for my E-bike?

Because our bikes are based on standard components from a normal bike, most repairs can be done at your local bike shop. However, if your motor fails or needs replacing, return the bike to us. Spare batteries are also available - see our Batteries page.

Can I change the saddle on my E-bike?

As our E-bikes are based on standard bicycle parts, the saddles are fully interchangeable - you are free to purchase a different saddle and add it to the bike.

How small does the Edison bike fold down for easy transport when it's not in use?

The Edison folds down to less than a metre squared, which makes it ideal for say, putting in a car boot or on the back of a camper van. The pedals and handlebars also fold down making it a very compact and neat package to transport when not in use.

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If you have a question that is not listed, please contact us by using our general enquiries form.

 

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