electricbikes · The Electric Bike Internet Group

From:  brit_on_wall
Date:  Sun Jul 11, 2004  8:27 pm
Subject:  Panasonic Pedalec

I just purchased a panasonic Will pedalec (though not at the ridiculous £1249 price tag ive seen advertised), and thought some other people might be interested in my first impressions of the bike.

I needed range over speed, and decided to buy a bike that was rideable even when the electricity had run out.

I bought the panasonic pedalec, because it fit my major specs: Over 15 miles travel, under 20 Kilos weight, foldability was a major plus and became the deciding factor (living in london with the underground system and the rain). I have had it for about a week now and have done some long rides.

I have found the range to exceed my expectations - yesterday I did a 31Km ride, without reaching low batteries from the suburbs of london to its center, through some quite hilly areas like hampstead. Also - when in traffic - the kick that the assist provides is enough to move faster than most cars, and very convenient. The bike is quite rideable without electricity - the gears are spaced nicely to handle hills without power but feel a little light when the power is on.

This is not really a bike for someone who wants to speed up hills (you need to exert a certain amount of effort to even glide up a hill), but it does handle every hill I have tried. It is very useful in a city-centre type environment and maintains a consistent speed without too much effort. The foldability and weight mean it can be taken on planes and other modes of transport.

There are many other advantages to the bike though. It seems to use completely standard parts, the local bike shop was quite impressed - he said all the replacement parts were in his stock, and that he wouldnt usually touch electric bikes as they have non-standard components.

He fitted a rack, handlebar-ends, lights, handlebag, pannier, bottle and speedometer - none of which affected the foldability of the bike - and still kept it at under 20 kilos. The LiMn battery charges to full in around 2-2.5 hours, and the charger is a little bulky - but fits into a small rucksack or pannier.

This is my first experience with an electric bike, but I am quite happy. The most important thing was that it felt like a bicycle when ridden - and I was fine with excercising by pedalling, i saw that as part of the point of the bicycle. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a pedalec or pedal-assist bike in the uk.