The Bike Station in Edinburgh

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  Andy Westaby

  :: 12 February 2018 10:23:44

  Electric Bike Rental from The Bike Station I recently rented one of the E-Bikes that the Edinburgh Bike Station have available for rental. Having seen more of these bikes advertised in the past year I wondered whether one might be suitable for commuting. I’m not fit enough to cycle the 12 miles each way and there are some long hills! However, I could do with taking more regular exercise and I reckoned that with the way the traffic is getting more congested there wouldn’t be much difference in time. The Bike Station have a few E-Bikes for rental, all fairly recent models, which include both mountain bikes and hybrids. I had a Lapierre which was suitable for my commute and comes with decent kit including hydraulic disc brakes, a suspension seat post, mudguards and rack, lights and a cycle computer which is incorporated into the controls for the electric assistance. Due to the placement of the motor there is no front derailleur and a ten speed cog on the rear, Shimano shifting the gears nice and smoothly. The Lapierre has a Bosch motor and battery pack the motor located at the bottom bracket rather than the rear hub. From what I have read the bottom bracket is considered to be the better place for the motor. I tried the bike out first on a local nine mile loop from Gorebridge which gave me a chance to play with the controls and get use to the electric assistance without having to deal with traffic. The controls give a number of levels of assistance, I think 5, with the maximum being turbo. The controls are electronic so easy to operate with gloves on and there are two buttons to move up and down the levels. I found it easy to use and when I switched the assistance off completely I was surprised just how much of an effect it had, I kept it in the turbo mode most of the time. I then tried the bike on my 12 mile commute from Gorebridge to Morningside. I normally drive to within about 1km of the office and then walk which takes about 40 minutes in the morning and 45 to 50 to get home. I had done the route previously on a road bike and taken 53 minutes so was impressed when it took me 43 and I didn’t feel too sweaty when I got there. This was with having done very little cycling in the previous six months so it should be possible to reduce this time fairly easily. The mileage range of the bike with assistance varies with the level chosen and the type of riding being done. I think the maximum is about 80 miles with assistance but once you are moving over 15.5 mph(legal limit for assistance) the motor cuts out. I think I may have managed to get three days commute out of the one charge using the motor at turbo so not too bad for recharging and the battery is easy to remove from the bike. Once 15.5 mph is reached, depending on the gradient, it is quite easy to keep the bike going at or above this speed, I maxed out at about 30 on a downhill stretch. The motor is most noticeable when you start from stationary and gets you up to speed really quickly compared to normal and also makes those hills less tiring although on the steeper ones I couldn’t get it up to 15.5 mph, I guess there are limits and the bike is quite heavy. I haven’t tried one of the mountain bikes but the mechanics at the Bike Station say that they are great for getting up the hills and the extra weight is no issue when going down and they seem to have a decent level of kit too. Is this a viable option for the commute? I think it is but these bikes aren’t cheap. The cost is the only downside but it is already faster than taking the car and given the housing being built and the lack of any improvements to the main routes into town these E-Bikes can’t be ignored. Maybe it’s time I spoke to my boss about the Bike 2 Work Scheme as being an affordable way to get an E-Bike. In the meantime maybe I’ll try out one on the mountain bikes for a weekend!

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  Meya P

  :: 05 December 2017 17:12:49

  Brilliant place, I'm so happy, anything I wanted to change they have drawers full of spares, got loads of additional equipment, a free pump and as many reflectors as I wished. They also helped me with a squeak (which I now know that I caused taking the wheel off) and sent me on my merry way. I love my bike and I have so much freedom!

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  Tim Lewis

  :: 25 November 2017 11:46:55

  Great second hand bikes refurbished well. Friendly staff and affordable prices for repairs and spare parts

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  2214

  :: 21 November 2017 16:05:55

  Quick repair and friendly staff. I recommend

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  William Wood

  :: 08 September 2017 14:56:51

  Went in looking for a second hand rear wheel. I was presented with a filthy and I mean filthy old thing which the lad had pulled out of their stockroom. He said it was £15 handed it to me and went to the till. I spun the wheel to see if it was true and it wasn't. Not only that, the bearings were so badly worn there was a full 2mm of side to side movement in the axle and you could hear the bearings rattling. When I pointed this out I was asked "Do you want it or not?" I said "No" and he just turned away and started chatting to his mate. Before I was served I had a look around and I've never seen such a load of old junk cobbled together for such high prices. One chap saw I already had a nice bike on the car and asked me if I knew anything about bikes because he didn't and he was trying to get his student daughter a runaround. She was pedalling around the yard on a tatty old mountain bike that couldn't have cost more than £100 ten years ago. The paint was chipped and worn, the wheels didn't match and it had two different and badly worn knobblies on. The chain was a dry as a stick and the seat was ripped. The front forks were very worn and it was filthy. It was clearly too small for her. They were asking £180 for it. I advised them to look on Gumtree. I have to say I was pretty gobsmacked at the prices they were asking for stuff you would take to the tip. Poor service. Junk at top dollar. No recognition that you might ruin your clothes by visiting the shop.