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Electric Bike FAQ - All your eBike questions answered!

Electric bikes have seen a surge in popularity lately, and it’s for good reason. Not only are eBikes a fun way to get around, they are also eco-friendly and definitely still count as exercise! They are also the perfect option for those of us that live in the city, as they are compact and easy to store, and have far less running costs that a car.

If you are completely new to the world of electric bikes, then this blog post will explain how they work and why we love them so much here at Bike Otago!

What exactly is an eBike?

An eBike or electric bike looks much like your regular bike except that it is equipped with a battery. This allows the bike to be propelled both by pedal power and battery power, making going up hills much easier! You can choose how much battery assist you would like to benefit from as you ride.

How fast can they go?

Depending on the brand and model of eBike, some can reach speeds of 35km per hour.  Generally a bike with a 300kw motor, like the eCity 300, will go between 25-30kph.

How long does the battery last and how long does it take to charge?

This does depend on varying brands and models, as well as factors like the weight of the rider and the amount of assist given. Typically a bike can go anywhere from 50 to 200kms before it needs to be recharged. Your average battery charge will take between 3-6 hours, depending on the bike.

If the battery runs out, what happens?

Never fear, if the battery runs out while you are out riding, you won’t have to push your bike! Your bike will still function like a normal pedal power bike. 

Are the bikes waterproof? Can I ride them in the rain?

Electric bikes can definitely be ridden in the rain and are deemed to be splash proof. While you won’t have any issues riding in the rain, we wouldn’t recommend riding your eBike through any significant amount of water like a river etc, as they are not completely waterproof.

Do I need a motorbike or car license to ride one?

No, as long as the bike is under 300 watts, you do not need a license. Anything over 300 watts is required to be registered as a moped here in NZ.

What brands are available?

At Bike Otago we stock Smartmotion, Lapierre, and Giant and Liv brands. Come in store and check out our range and we can find the perfect eBike for you. We also offer a free demo on some models, so you can ride the bike home and try it out before you buy!

If you have any other questions about eBikes, feel free to get in touch with our team here at Bike Otago. We are Dunedin’s electric bike experts!

Giant Demo Days - Dunedin

We're excited to announce that we will be hosting a Giant Demo Day right here in Dunedin with the help of Torpedo 7 and Giant Bicycles. 

The demo day will take place on Sunday, 13th November at Redwoods/Wakari from 9:00am to 2:45pm. Riders are asked to please bring along a Photo I.D., a New Zealand Standards approved helmet, and their own set of pedals. 

Bikes available for demos will be:

• Anthem 27.5 1
• Anthem Advanced 27.5 1
• Liv Pique 1
• Liv Pique Advanced 1
• Trance 27.5 2
• Reign Advanced 1

While not required, it is recommended that those interested fill out a booking form ahead of time to confirm a bike in their size. Bookings can be made here.

The Facebook event for the demo can be found here.

Introducing: Giant Mountain Bike Hire

They're here! A few weeks back we announced that we would be unveiling a small fleet of mountain bikes available for hire in the near future, and that time has come.

Our fleet consists of 6 brand new 2017 Giant Anthem 1 mountain bikes. A quick and agile bike on Giant's XC lineup, the Anthem 1 provides great performance on an impressive spec sheet. Rolling on 27.5" Schwalbe tyres and sitting on 110mm of Fox suspension in the rear and 120mm up front, this bike will take on nearly any trail you point it at, up or down. 

Pricing is set at $90 for a full day and $50 for a half day. If you're looking to rent for longer, shoot us an email or a phone call and we'd be happy to figure something out. 

Click here for the Hire Bike page and Booking Form.

Coming Soon: Giant Mountain Bike Hire

Always wanted to ride one of the newest bikes on the market but don't have the money to drop into a brand new bike? Well, you're in luck. Hopefully by next month, we will be rolling out a fleet of 2017 Giant Anthem 1 mountain bikes for hire. 

Updated for 2017, The Anthem 1 is Giant's performance XC Ninja, tackling everything from steep climbs to technical descents with ease. Its new trunnion-mount Maestro rear suspension system delivers you 110mm of rear travel, with 120mm of Fox 34 Performance Elite suspension up front. Sitting on a 27.5" wheelset and driven by a Shimano Deore XT drivetrain, the Anthem 1 is sure to take on any trail you put in its way.

Our rental fleet will consist of two Mediums, two Larges, a Small, and an Extra Large. We are still in the process of figuring out pricing and some other more specific details, but keep your eyes out for future news about our new rental fleet!

2016 Bike Clearance Sale

Prime biking season is right around the corner, and with it a new fleet of 2017 bikes will be arriving soon. So if you're looking for a great deal on a 2016 bike, we're having a massive clearance sale on all last year's Giant, Liv, Norco and Yeti models we have in stock.

We have a whole range of Norcos from the Storm 7.2 hard tail, on sale for just $650, to the entry level full suspension Fluid 7.2, coming in at just $2,000, a great investment for those looking to step up their mountain biking game.

All 2016 Norcos are on sale for up to 35% off. 

Liv is the first cycling brand dedicated completely to women, and offer up some amazing road and mountain bikes. The Lust Advanced is one of the gems of the Liv lineup, providing the perfect XC bike for females. This 650B 100mm bike is going for $7,255, an amazing deal compared to its retail $10,699.

 On the men's side, Giant's Reign Advanced 27.5 is a beast on the trails. Designed as the perfect enduro all mountain machine, the Reign Advanced 27.5 is built for burly climbs and technical descents. Retailing at $9,199, we're getting rid of the rest of our stock for just $6,300. 

 We also have a handful of 2016 Yetis on clearance, from this SB5c XT build, to an incredible Limited Edition 30th Anniversary SB6c.

We've got bikes for every type of rider, so be sure to stop into the shop or check the clearance page on our website to check out all the great deals on our 2016 stock!

2017 Giant/Liv Product Launch - Gold Coast

Jeremy and Kashi have just had a trip to Surfers Paradise to see the new range of Giant and Liv bikes for 2017.

They were welcomed with a balmy 27dC... not much different from Dunedin ;)

 Our hotel had its own lagoon, complete with tropical fish to swim with.

Yum Yum Passionfruits! 

The official part of the launch began with a few of Giant Taiwan's lead product developers and marketing managers giving an overview of the brands directions and some great insights. 

The LIV presentations were particularly interesting, as the talked a lot about the research that's gone behind the development of the women's specific bikes and the advantages for women of the various subtle changes we now see on these bikes.

After the presentations we finally got to see the bikes... and there were many! This entire room was purely focused on LIV bikes.

One of the highlights in the Giant performance range was the new Trance Advance 1... The spec on this bike is unreal and its price is just $6299. 

The new linkage system and shock mount on all Trance and Anthem bikes creates a stiffer rear end and allows for a longer stroke shock... meaning better performance and in particular, small bump sensitivity.

The TCR now comes in a disk version, including this beautiful model with SRAM Red here (we have ordered one of these as a show piece... its unreal to see in person)

While the frame's on the Giant Reign is unchanged for 2017, the components have. Carbon rims are now standard on the high end models and this model, the Advanced 1, comes with X2 rear shock, Fox 36 Performance fork... and the colour is out of this world. Its hard to really see in a photo... but its HOT !!!

Many of these bikes will be making there way into Bike Otago over the coming weeks, so make sure to come in for a look. 

For an indepth reveiw of the MTB range... have a look here at Flow Magazines overview. We aim to have our website updated in a few weeks time too.

Please comment and tell us your impressions on the range HERE 

Giant and Liv bikes... at Bike Otago !

With the new store comes a new brand, or two... Giant and Liv (click on links to see product ranges!)

These are bikes we have always believed in. Our store manager, Jeremy, has worked with the brand for over 15 years and knows the brand better then almost anyone nation wide.

For us, its all about offering our loyal customers a really good bike for a really good price. With Giant, we have the best bike brand in the world, period. From an awesome range of kids bikes (from 2yr up), commuters, road bikes, mountain bikes and many other categories, we have a large range on our new showroom floor right now.