Interested in a E Bike

[Step N. Mud]

These e bikes can get more expensive than a motorcycle in a hurry. Just thinking for use mainly as a pleasure/emergency vehicle from our west Tx. isolated property approx. 10 miles from nearest small community with a ems station and currently 2 miles from reliable cell phone connection. Might not be the most realistic situation, but wanting some sort of backup transportation in case of primary vehicle breakdown. Walking 10 miles to the small community is possible but would take me all day.
Anyhow there is such a wide variety of e bikes available and searching I have found a outfit I like called Bolton E Bikes. Having zero experience with e bikes and can only guess as to what I'd like, one would be customer service, long enough range 30 miles, power assist to climb a couple steep hills on hard rocky roads.The cost of the one I'm liking so far is he's 1000w Foxbat and found several other sources at less than half Bolton's cost but get what you pay for as the saying goes. Would be happiest to pay once and cry once.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...nebikes.com/&usg=AOvVaw1iJOCG0pYA-VCQhK6TsmWd

 

[pawngal]

Why not an ATV of some type?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

True E bikes are not electric mopeds! To be called an e bike it can only do 60% of the work max! As to using it for pleasure cycling, they are considerably heavier than a similar aluminum road or hybrid bike.

I'm 64 and in reasonable health, I can do 10 to 15 MPH for 2 to 3 hours on a bike pretty well at 75 degrees F, but at 85 an hour is a tough ride at 90 an hour is not quite suicidal! You are talking an hour each way, in Texas heat & sun!

I bet a small used pickup is cheaper than a fair e bike!

Ivan

 

[Step N. Mud]

Considered a ATV ,but like the lighter weight of e bike that can be easily transported on a 2" receiver hitch mount and not need gas or necessarily battery power. As to the west Texas heat, no way to beat it except for cooler evening hours or early morning or cooler months of the year. I'd likely just sit in my cool shaded stock tank until I felt I could make the 35 minutes to the community store or other.

 

[Onomea]

I find electric bicycles intriguing. They do look fun. And I understand the pleasure part of your interest. But I wonder about the emergency part...

If you have a regular car or truck, surely in an emergency that would be better. If we’re talkin’ about the zombie apocalypse, no way to repair or charge up, wouldn’t a regular pedal bike be a better bet?

(Or a horse, or mule, or a well built, strong and accommodating spouse? They all — horses, mules and spouses — do take a lot more maintenance though, for sure, than a bicycle. )

 

[smoothshooter]

Why not get a scooter?
Way cheaper than one of those e-bikes, and will go many miles on a quart of gas.

 

[Fishinfool]

Was looking at an "E-Bike" at Bass Pro a couple months ago. Kind of interesting as an off road hunting transport. Millage / speed specs were impressive. Cost was over 4K.

Larry

 

[Darkenfast]

I bought a Haibike (German company) Sduro Trekking 2.0 about 10 months ago and have put 1400 miles on it. It is a pedal-assist, is legally a bicycle and can go anywhere they can (in Oregon). Bicycling is my primary mode of transportation. I get far more exercise now than I did before, when I had a regular bike. I could have gotten a lightweight road bike, but too often I'm hauling books and shopping around and I often have to handle hills. This bike has taken ten years off my (bike) life! I go for long rides for fun again and I don't duck hills like I had been doing more and more. I normally keep the assist on the lowest level and can get over 200 miles on a full charge that way (although I don't run the battery (480wh) down that far, usually.

Multiple studies have shown that people who switch to pedelecs (that's the type I have: pedal assist, no throttle) get more exercise than before. Sounds strange, but it's true.

 

[bigwheelzip]

The E-bikes are everywhere in the part of Brooklyn I come from. They are very fast and stealthy quiet, with a potentially greater threat of motor vehicle drivers unaware of their presence. High visibility clothing might be a good idea for the rider.

 

[Farmer17]

I have rode bikes for decades and we have Lake Hefner nearby which has a bicycle trail around it that's about 11 miles and that's a perfect ride for me. On a mountain bike it's a decent workout for a 61 year old but on a road bike a lot of guys don't even break a sweat doing 11 miles. There is a team of guys on road bikes at the lake that look like Olympic athletes and have all the fancy racing gear and sponsored lycra clothing and they might do 10 laps or more at high speed and many times there's this beach bum looking stoner guy with a big belly and wearing baggy shorts and flip flops and he's barely pedaling and riding right behind them on an electric bike. I may get an electric assisted bike some day but I'll continue to ride a traditional bike until I can't any more.

 

[oddshooter]

My lady and I were given two electric trikes with the giant tires. They look like trikes on Steriods; very cool and always get comments.
I'm guessing about $2k each.

My lady is a recovering stroke victim and her balance is shaky at best. A 3 wheeler is almost required. I'm in cardiac surgery recovery and the trikes have proven themselves as excellent tools.

It gets me out of the house and exercising. That's good.
I try to pedal all the time, but going up a hill could take my knees out for good. The power assist is perfect for a few moments. I'm also no longer afraid of going too far and fighting the wind all the way back. Now that is no longer a concern.

For seniors, they work great.

Prescut

 

[bigwheelzip]

There is a team of guys on road bikes out there that have all the fancy racing gear and sponsored lycra clothing and they might do 10 laps or more at high speed .....

In 1991 we would ride the beach path on weekends in Los Angeles, and there was a cycling team like you describe, that used to blow by us. On several occasions a senior citizen would easily pass us, and then pass the cycle team, riding a recumbent bicycle with an aerodynamic shell like this one.


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnzkD3YZRgU[/ame]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jWCsCVMY4Q[/ame]

 

[Rodan]

I've been looking at E-bikes as an option for when we are traveling in our truck camper, and want something to get around on that's a bit more capable than a pedal bike. I had been considering a small dual sport motorcycle, but I think the E-bikes will be more versatile, depending on our destination.

I've run across Bolton Bikes, and they seem to have some good choices. I've also been looking at CSC's (California Scooter Company) offerings. CSC is known for importing some of the new Asian motorcycles and scooters, and they are developing a pretty good reputation. I like their E-bikes, because they're set up like a motorcycle with the throttle and front brake on the right bar... after 35+ years of riding motorcycles, that's important!

 

[max]

For about $100 you can get a 2 cycle engine and kit to make a regular bike into a motor bike. You could probably pay someone to install the thing. That might make more sense and be cheaper than an e bike.

 

[Step N. Mud]

My 27 yr. old son spent many hours tinkering with his home made motor bike last year and the 212 cc engine was free and turned out pretty cool, but still has issues making it too un-reliable to take anywhere without back up support. I'm 68 and kinda lazy and just want stuff that works.

 

[Onomea]

Here’s a tandem e-bike: Pedego Tandem - Electric Bicycle Built for Two | Pedego Electric Bikes

 

[Maddog 521]

My 27 yr. old son spent many hours tinkering with his home made motor bike last year and the 212 cc engine was free and turned out pretty cool, but still has issues making it too un-reliable to take anywhere without back up support. I'm 68 and kinda lazy and just want stuff that works.

Very unique. Reminds me of an early Norton.

 

[Injunbro]

I suppose a E bike could be charged w/ a solar panel & be somewhat useful. An electric 4 wheel quad would serve as well & be able to carry more.

 

[Rodan]

For about $100 you can get a 2 cycle engine and kit to make a regular bike into a motor bike. You could probably pay someone to install the thing. That might make more sense and be cheaper than an e bike.

These are definitely cheaper... around here we call them "suspended driver bikes" because all the dirtbags with suspended licenses have them.

The downside is you sound like an unmuffled weed whacker everywhere you go, and stink of two-cycle gas/oil mix.

 

[Rodan]

My 27 yr. old son spent many hours tinkering with his home made motor bike last year and the 212 cc engine was free and turned out pretty cool, but still has issues making it too un-reliable to take anywhere without back up support. I'm 68 and kinda lazy and just want stuff that works.

That's pretty cool... very steampunk!