The challenge
A few months ago, thanks to the nice people at Ebco, the British Cycling web team laid their sweaty palms on an Ebco Eagle LSR-50 electric bike, with the intention of giving it a thorough commuting test.
In the spirit of taking things to the absurd degree, we thought we’d test the Eagle out on Web Manager Phil Ingham’s regular commute across the Pennines, starting out in Manchester at British Cycling HQ and ending in an undisclosed location near Halifax. In short, 22 hilly miles through the urban sprawl of Greater Manchester and up over the desolate moors of the Pennines. We pitted the Ebco Eagle against Phil and his trusty Kona Jake the Snake and took the handheld video camera (hence the sometimes dodgy audio!) along for the ride, to capture the rather interesting story that unfolded.
We were both unsure of the outcome. Phil was unsure if his ego was about to take a hammering. The author was unsure whether his electrics would give-out somewhere on the moors above Oldham. However, there was only one way to find out, so one afternoon, we rolled out of Manchester under heavy skies for a date with destiny...
VIDEO
The verdict
Above left: Flat battery. Above right: Watt's the problem?
In short a slam-dunk for the electric bike. After excelling throughout an extended test period on regular commuting duty, the electric bike kicked human butt on the Pennine challenge, going way beyond its intended remit and still having enough battery life for the commute the next day. Highly recommended.
The lowdown
Model: Ebco Eagle Lifestyle LSR-50
Price: £1599
Weight: 26.8kg (inc battery)
Frame: 6061-T6 Aluminium
Fork: Custom allow with 35mm headstock suspension
Wheels: 20 inch one piece cast alloy
Tyres: Kenda 20x2.0
Size: One size from 26-35inch inside leg
Motor: TranzX PST 36 volt 250 watt brushless front hub motor
Battery: Lithium polymer 36 volt 10ah
Brakes: Tektro mechanical
Gears: Shimano Alivio/Revoshift
Full specs at www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk
Above: The Ebco Eagle Lifestyle LSR-50
