RALEIGH E-BIKES
Let the experts at Raleigh and Cycling Weekly guide you to discovering your ideal e-bike!
What is an e-bike? An e-bike is simply a bicycle with an electric motor to boost your pedalling. In the UK, an e-bike can legally assist you up to 15.5mph, so once you reach that speed, the assistance backs off and you’ll be riding completely under your own steam. The motor is allowed a maximum power of 250W and a Uk-legal e-bike has to have two pedals as its main form of propulsion. The electric assist function has to be activated by you turning those pedals, rather than twisting a throttle. So that’s the basics. But like conventional bikes, there are a lot of categories of e-bike to choose from, all designed for different types of riding and different types of terrain. As with conventional bikes, you can expect to find specific features, such as suspension, bigger tyres and a more rugged build, if you’re heading off-road, whereas an e-bike designed for use on Tarmac will generally be fully rigid, lighter and nippier.
Who is Raleigh? You can’t fail to have heard of Raleigh: whether you used to ride one of its bikes when you were a child, or simply associate the brand with brilliant bicycles, it’s a name that everyone in the UK knows and loves. That’s because Raleigh is British through and through – founded in Nottingham in 1887 by Sir Frank Bowden, the company’s headquarters remain in the city to this day. Of course, the company is very different now from when it was founded, but one thing hasn’t changed: every Raleigh cycle is built with precision and care, to give you the best bike possible for your money. And with 130 years of experience in each model, too, you’ll know that you can trust your bike to take you on brilliant adventures, whether you’re going near or far.
Who is Sam Gupta? Sam (pictured below) is Video Manager of Practical Caravan’s sister title, Cycling Weekly. He’s an expert in everything bike-related, so we asked him to contribute to this special feature, to tell us all about what’s so great in Raleigh’s electric bike range. After discovering his love of cycling while studying at college, Sam has always kept two wheels very close. Having spent over five years working in local bike shops, it’s also fair to say he enjoys being hands on! He loves to push himself to ride for ever longer distances and to explore as many new places as possible.