steve2k

I live about 7 hilly miles from work. It's about 5 miles of 50mph roads and 2.5miles of towns and traffic.

I cycle it in about 45 minutes but am sweaty and need a shower etc. So in total it takes me about an hour from door to desk.
It takes about 35 minutes to drive (there's a short cut if you cycle) - traffic and parking causing the biggest delays at the end of the journey.

I now need to try and do the journey in about 20 minutes because I have to drop my son at school at about 8:40 and be in a meeting at 9am.

My first instinct was to get a motorbike again because I know it can do 50mph down the road and nip through the traffic - but my wife won't be happy about this - I had a crash about 10 years ago and she hasn't wanted me to ride one since.

I'm thinking that maybe an electric bike would fit the bill.

For those of you that have them, is 20mph for 20 minutes possible over hilly ground (not a mountain, just undulating hills)? Are there particular types of e-bikes e.g. provide assistance to pedaling vs providing the power?

I've started looking online but thought I'd ask for the experience of people who have them.

Many thanks,
Steve

FBinNY 

Yes and no. 20mph for 20 minutes is no issue. But, as you describe it there's urban delays such as lights, so AVERAGING 20mph over that stretch is most likely impossible. Of course it depends on how much of the time is lost to traffic lights and the like, and what the top end of the e-bike is.

steve2k

Ah, I've just read that in the UK they're limited to 15.5mph. I wonder if I can make one that's faster than that.

tds101 

You can, but it's illegal. Be careful,...

steve2k

How much "assistance" do you get and when you reach the limit of 15.5 mph what happens?

If I can get to 20mph on the flat (I usually pedal at about 14mph) and 15mph up the hills (I'm usually around 6 or 7) without getting too puffed out then I can probably get to work at an average of 20mph when you add in the down hill section. The traffic isn't too much of a problem on a bike - there are no lights on my route so I can filter past cars quite easily. The problem is that the whole area becomes gridlocked because most cars use the same entrance/exit to the area, so if you're in a car you can be stuck in a queues.

BruceMetras

If motorcycle safety is a concern, I'd take a hard look at why you think riding an e-bike would be safer.. having ridden a motorcycle over the past 50 years and recently an e-bike that I ride 15+ miles a day over undulating hills easily at 20+ mph averages, in your shoes, get a capable 200cc or so motorbike .. faster, more comfortable, better braking, economical, ride with traffic as opposed to having them crowd you off of the road, spend less time on the road with cars so chances of accident could be reduced .. unless you need/want the exercise ( I do), I'd show your wife a cute little Honda 200 as opposed to a Kawasaki Ninja or Ducati Monster.. on road, I feel way safer on any of my motorcycles than I do on any bike, including my 30mph capable e-bikes ..

steve2k

Agreed, I loved my motorbike and felt very safe, safer than in the car thanks to the better visibility. However after my accident my wife is very anxious whenever I mention getting a new one. I like the exercise and fresh air of being on a bicycle, but for a couple of days a week I need to be faster. So I'm hoping an electric bike can help me average around 20mph for 20mins without getting too hot and bothered.

Robert C

You are looking at an average speed of over 20mph. As others have said, considering traffic, that is near impossible with any legal e-bike. So, the answer is "no." As others have pointed out, to do what you want, you will need a small motorcycle; it might also be possible on a moped. An e-bike is, contrary to what some here say, not a motorcycle or a moped.

InTheRain

Seven miles in 20 minutes?... Nope. My shortest route is 6.13 miles. My fastest time on my e-bike was 19:37. That was at 5:30 am, 85 percent of the ride on an MUP, hardly any traffic, and I hit the traffic signals just right. I've done the same route on my carbon fiber road bike in 21:47. The route into work is slightly downhill... I can actually hit speeds on the CF bike (30 mph) that are faster than the e-bike (23 mph... assistance cuts out at 20 mph) in several sections.

The route is a little longer (7.55 miles) for my scooter taking the city streets. Max speed on the scooter is about 37 mph (downhill.) I've never come in under 22 minutes with the scooter. It's about a 17 minute commute by car (if there is no traffic) that includes 4 miles of freeway.

kingston 

15.5 mph seems ridiculously low. Any halfway fit person can ride in the high teens/ low twenties and sprint into the thirties. In your situation I would just build a bike that goes as fast and as far as I needed. I can't imagine ever getting busted for riding an illegal ebike as long as you aren't completely obnoxious about it. Of course I live in America and don't know anything about how that kind of thing would work in the UK.

chas58

Sure, its no problem.

I have a 350 watt bike (36v, 10a). I cruise at about 25, and average 22.3 with normal commuting stops (lights, traffic, road crossings).

Takes me 20:46 to go 7.1 miles.

Your results may very.

awm72

what did you use to create that graph? Is it an app on your phone?

CliffordK

Are you driving to school, driving back home, and then riding to work?

Is the school closer to work?

Your times sound a little tight, unless you drop the kid off early.

If the school is closer to work, perhaps ride a tandem.

steve2k

The school's about 1/2 mile away in the wrong direction.

chas58

Strava. It has a new selection for e-bike rides (so I don't ruin all the lycra guys going for KOM).
Alternatively, I just use MapMyRide for ebike rides and Strava for traditional bike rides, just to keep the two separate.

awm72

thank you. another app to run me ragged.

350htrr

Sure it's possible, but not on an E-Assist bike. A moped like E-Bike would certainly work.. Some can do 50 MPH and you don't need to pedal...

Crazy_Lenny

One of our customers used to commute 30miles each way on his Stromer ST2 ebike.
https://www.strava.com/activities/351824480
I think it is definitely possible to commute 7 miles in 20 minutes if you use higher assist levels.

350htrr

I think it's definitely improbable. Averaging 21MPH is pretty hard on a legal E-assist bike... JMO

FBinNY 

+1 but for a different reason.

There's always lost time in any urban commute. A few minutes lost to red lights, backed up traffic, or simply to enter a busy intersection. Making up that lost time means needing to maintain much higher than average speed for the moving part of the trip. Of course, with a bike, one can maneuver around delayed traffic, and break a few laws, and maybe make the trip in 20 minutes, but not if the top speed of the bike is limited.

dim

get a used Honda C90 .... they are becoming collectors items .... I own property in Athens and other parts of Greece and these are highly sought after ... cheap to run, and lots of power and prices for used ones keep on rising:

Crazy_Lenny

Here is a proof of commuting 20 miles within an hour.
He also mentioned why he doesn't use a scooter.

FBinNY 

I never said it was impossible, just that it depended on traffic and lights because of the problem of making up lost time.

My daily commute used to be 6+ slightly hilly miles, and I routinely did it in 20 minutes without power assist. However, about half was on a single stretch of road without stops or lights, and I routinely regarded lights and stop signs as yields, so not much time was lost to intersections on the slower half.

Even then all it took to kill my time was some bad luck with lights and slightly heavier traffic, especially where I had to make lefts.

Also, keep in ind that a regular bike isn't subject to speed limitations, so I could fly when the opportunity arose.

For the record, the identical commute took longer by car unless I was very lucky with the lights. When driving, it was faster to do a longer route by parkways, except at rush hour when there was no way to beat the clock.

wphamilton

Yes. His problem is that precise time frame, at the school at 8:40 and in a meeting at 9:00. His distance is only approximately 7 miles (which would be 21 mph) but he estimates it at 5 miles + 2.5 miles, which would be 22.5 mph.

It's also going to take time to park, lock up and walk in. It's looking to me like he needs closer to 24 mph, and like you said even one 90 second stop light makes him late. I'm getting skeptical that it's feasible on a daily basis.
@steve2k is the school too fascist to allow your son to be there at 8:35? Five minutes could make all the difference.

chas58

Funny that you say it is improbable, or not doable on an e-assist bike.

Did you see my graph and proof above? 350 watts, 7 miles, 20 minutes, a typical part of my daily commute. My full commute is about 19 miles in 55 minutes.

And yeah, e-assist means I pedal too. ;-)

again, for those that don't read:
Takes me 20 minutes 46 seconds to go 7.1 miles.