“To work on a single battery charge.” When it comes to cycling, that is one of the main things Anthony Albers expects of a battery.

“For work I do take a bike with assistance. An electric bike, that is. Now that I work for KWS Seuren, I have been able to try different types of battery. I no longer need a car, because my commute is easy enough to cover by bike. The Bosch 300 rack battery was unfortunately not enough for this distance, and swapping the empty battery for a full one on the way is far from ideal. I do understand why Bosch, as the manufacturer, chose that range of battery sizes. The 300 was the norm at the time and affordable for many people. Given what consumers want today, the Bosch 300 rack battery is outdated in my opinion. For me it is, at any rate.” Cycling to work has several advantages, according to Anthony: “I don’t have to put more time and energy into exercise once I get home.” My experience with the Bosch 400 rack battery was fine. I had a capacity of 11.6 Ah and 418 Wh. That capacity is enough for a one-way trip. I have about 10 km left over on the bike’s highest setting. In wind you need that spare capacity. No, the Bosch 500 rack battery is the one that suits the way I ride best. The display shows a range that is off, but that is no problem because I can convert the wattage shown on the display into the remaining range without fail. I want to reach my destination as quickly as possible. From A to B as fast as I can. That means I ride on the highest setting. With the 500 I then have about 20 km of range left on one full charge.

Precisely because I live near the fast cycle route between Nijmegen and Arnhem in the Netherlands. For safety I always wear a helmet and always ride with my lights on. I even use an extra headlight. What is also very nice, by the way, is that I can manage with one key. The lock and the battery both work with the same key.

When I bought my electric bike I made sure it had a mid-drive motor. That is practical when the battery needs a repair or a cell replacement, in which all the cells are replaced with new ones. In my opinion, bike manufacturers ought to be able to offer batteries more cheaply from the outset. A bike with a broken battery is worth next to nothing. People are sometimes shocked by the price of a new battery, or can no longer buy a battery for their bike at all. For a customer that is sometimes a reason to get rid of the whole bike. Cycling is about the experience, isn’t it? And then it is a shame to have to get rid of the bike when the rest of it is still fine.

I think Bosch is a very solid brand. The casing is well designed and easy to re-cell. The holders are always good. Everything stays firmly in place and the batteries are hardly affected by water. What I know about e-bike batteries today would stop me from buying a bike with an ION battery. They cannot be re-celled, and new batteries are often very expensive. A bike that rides well and also has a battery that can be re-celled is worth more to me. Swapping batteries may not be convenient, but it does make it possible to cycle longer distances.

When I get home I put my bike (read: the battery) straight on the charger. First the plug into the wall socket and only then into the e-bike battery. After about 2.5 to 3 hours it is full again. I often take the charger with me as a matter of course, so that I always have it to hand for unexpected, longer distances.