Electric bikes

[moosedog]

I've started to look at electric bikes and was wondering if I can hear from any members who have experience with them.
I want one that ideally lets me pedal and still get exercise but can be switched onto electric assist on hills, riding against the wind etc.

 

[bigwheelzip]

No personal experience with them, but they are everywhere in Brooklyn. Almost all food deliveries arrive on them. Judging by the high speed they almost silently go by in dense urban areas, I'd be shocked if they were not involved in numerous accidents with injuries.

 

[JJEH]

I've started to look at electric bikes and was wondering if I can hear from any members who have experience with them.
I want one that ideally lets me pedal and still get exercise but can be switched onto electric assist on hills, riding against the wind etc.

No experience but Jim Shockey uses Quietcat;

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTuzm_k8cv0[/ame]

They also make a JEEP bike

https://quietkat.com/

 

[TTSH]

I've started to look at electric bikes and was wondering if I can hear from any members who have experience with them.
I want one that ideally lets me pedal and still get exercise but can be switched onto electric assist on hills, riding against the wind etc.

I've thought about buying an electric 3-wheeler strictly for use on old rail trails. I am much too old and decrepit to walk the trails very far and I can no longer keep my balance reliably on conventional bicycles. I'd get a non-electric old man's 3-wheeler, but it would be just my luck for the old legs to give out 2 or 3 miles in.

The problem is that the laws are complex in regard to use of electric cycles on old rail trails. Apparently, I could use the electric 3-wheeler on some trails, but not all. Until I get a clearer picture on the legal side, I'm out.

 

[Onomea]

They're quite popular in Japan. I bought one for my daughter-in-law and son in Tokyo to take my grandson to daycare, go shopping, etc. They like it a lot. Think it cost about $1,400 or so.

Every now and then I'll see someone sitting on their bike and casually pedaling uphill and do a double take before realizing it's one of those electric bicycles.

 

[Old_Cop]

The silent operation of electric vehicles is a concern for this old man.

 

[Onomea]

This old man can't hear regular bicycles coming either....

 

[oddshooter]

My wife and I just got a gift of (2) Sun electric 3-wheelers, 2 weeks ago.

It was quite a surprise and shock.
It may have been the most incredible gift of my life. A protege/friend of mine for several years, and his family, gave them to us. No occasion, just a recognition of their gratitude of what we had done for them over the years. I was CEO and my lady was CFO of a small, elite software company for 30 years. We helped people blossom. It was a difficult time for me last year when we sold the corporation and I lost my "second family". and the meaning of life.

They were a little concerned we weren't getting out and into enough exercise, as well as not doing enough stuff together.

I thought the debt was in the other direction ! We feel we owe them for making us successful. We really love these people. They have huge hearts. We are trying to honor their gift with lots of riding.

Our bikes are like all trikes I've ridden; they ride fantastic on flat, straight terrain, up or down. The issue with all 3 wheelers is that if you tip them outside in a turn, it's very hard to recover. Like all bikes, you need to lean into a turn, or slow down.

For testing, I tried to sit upright in a tight turn doing about 15 mph, and I was able to lift the inside tire off the ground.
That caused my weight to be thrown outside the curve, not into a curve like you need. If I leaned like I'm supposed to, into the curve, all was well. If I leaned "really hard" into the curve, I could take the outside tire off the ground.

If one of your 2 back tires hit something, it can cause a throwing of your weight to the side very quickly. A 2 wheel bike tends to go straight up. Not so with 3 wheelers.
I don't think a country trail could be safely ridden with a 3 wheeler at anything but SLOW speed. Still, that's better than not going.

I've gotten the hang of it, but my lady may take a few more days.

Prescut

 

[Czechvar]

We got a Raleigh 3 Wheeler last year for our son. It works very well, except it bogs down a bit on steeper hills. It's so fast you have to be careful going around turns so you don't flip over. Range is about 50 km on a full charge, and more if you peddle some. Batteries run about $500 if you want a spare. Expensive though...$2500…

Raleigh Tristar iE Review - Prices, Specs, Videos, Photos

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Thought about it for a while. Then I considered the fact that charging the batteries would place additional load on the power grid, which is powered 100% by fossil fuels, thus I would be much less than a good green citizen for having such a contraption.

At least when I fire up my 390-HP V8 pickup in my 4 wheel drive truck there are no self-delusions involved.

Every little bit of energy comes from the conversion of some form of fuel, and every transfer of energy requires net energy losses. Whether the source is fossil fuels, animal power, or human power the net result is the same for the environment. Nuclear power may offer some net advantages, but there are also negatives that need to be dealt with (at additional net cost).

 

[Darkenfast]

I rely on bikes for transport and exercise. I was at a point last September where I needed to either put some money into fixing up my old Trek 520 or buying the new model Trek 520 that I had been lusting after. I noticed that I was no longer doing the fun out-in-the-country rides that I used to and that I was only using the bike for errands in town. I was also avoiding hills more (I regularly go to meetings up on a hill, while hauling books and binders). After some research, I bought a Haibike (German brand that only makes e-bikes). It is a very-well made Type I pedelec. That means that you have to pedal, but can choose levels of assist and that assist cuts out at 20mph. In Oregon, it is legally a bicycle. Since late September, I have put over 800 miles on it. It has turned back the clock on my cycling to about where I was ten years ago on lighter bikes. I have a 480Wh battery, which I charge between once a week (nice weather) and once a month (just running errands in the winter). I've never had the battery below about 30%. Normally, I leave it in the lowest level of assist, where it lasts a ridiculously long time. I can haul a bunch of books and scripts to my composer's house on that hill without going higher than the third level of assist (there are four levels). I see no noticeable difference in my electric bill from the little juice this thing uses. I'm getting a lot more exercise and feel better.

I am sold on the concept. I know you can get more powerful types, but I recommend sticking to the Type I limitations and staying in the bicycle category. At least in my area, which is bike-friendly, I have received no negative feedback from the regular bike crowd but have gotten a lot of questions from interested people.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I'd love to have one, I think. I sold my last motorcycle in 1998, and haven't been on two wheels since then. It's only about 2 miles to the local one-employee Post Office, but they're hilly country miles. I usually only go once a week when I travel the 25 miles into town for vittles, as I try not to take short trips in my car. With an electric bike I could check my mail more often.

 

[susieqz]

i bot an electric bike but i have put less than a mile on it.
it has mountain bike tires but is just too fast for rutty country roads.
i fall a lot.

speed is nice, but only on pavement.
wanna buy mine?

 

[Sgt 45]

I had my Montague "electrified" and it's great for getting around town. It went from an 18 speed to 6 speed on the pedals, but with the motor I usually run it in 6th gear and 4th (out of 9) level of assist

 

[Warren Sear]

Electric? What fun is that? 2 cycle gasoline engine for me, please.

Here is what I did last summer to a bike that someone gave me. I bought the 49 cc motorizing kit on line for less than $100.

I still get plenty of exercise on it even with the motor, and it is a lot of fun. Top speed on flat ground is about 22 MPH...

 

[moosedog]

Thanks for some of the info so far. A couple of those e-bikes brands I was unaware of. In my case I need the electric assist as my days of 20 mile bike trips on a conventional bike are long gone.
I've already got more steel in me than the front of a 56 Caddy and will be getting another knee replacement after this corn hole thing blows over.
Looking into a fat tire one as I live in the country and have some beautiful hard packed dirt roads surrounding me.
I've got some nice vintage Schwinn Bikes for short rides but need that power assist.

 

[susieqz]

go find an electric bike guy.
he might be able to just add
an electric motor to your bike.