Electric bicycles in AZ

[Fibb222]

Wow, $300 bucks is a great price for 30 miles. I have a Bionx kit on my hybrid bicycle that cost me $1700 (not including the bicycle).

http://www.bionx.ca/en/main/default/31.shtml

[kabin]

The 3 gears work pretty well when the batteries are more fully charged and you can feel a slight speed increase in 2nd or 3rd. When less fully charged, 2nd and 3rd gears go slightly slower than 1st gear. We're talking maybe a 1-2mph difference so not a big deal.

Wonder if the lithium batteries can replace the regular batteries at a later point (i.e. a couple of hundred charges)?

[jstack]

They now have the 2010 models in just in time for Holiday shopping.
They have even more improvments. A 50-60 mile range model with 20 amp hour batteries vs standard 12 amp hour.
A better seat with longer post for taller riders.
The rear light is now a running light as well as turn signals and brake lights.
Heavier front fork and shocks.
A better LED head light with better focus.

Items still on my wish list,
-a 26 inch/700 cm tire so any location would have spares instead of odd 22 inch
-lithium battery option.
-different styling , more like a mens bike instead of gebder neutral scooter look. This would look more like a normal bicycle and stops by police thinking you a motor cycle would drop.
-a 6 speed hub so you can keep up with electric and help range

Prices are still the best in the USA. Reapirs also and even replacement battereies are lower than any nationwide.

Check them out at Central and Lincoln in Downtown Phoenix at Phoenix Produce.

[kabin]

Yuck, those 22x2.125 tires/tubes are hard to come by! He's charging $5 for regular tubes and $10 for thorn resistant. My experience is pinching tubes over hard bumps.

[folkdancer]

Sorry, I am late to this thread about inexpensive electric bikes in the Phoenix area.

Channel 3 doesn't seem to have the videos available anymore, the phone number givin in the first post isn't answered, and Lincoln Road and Central Avenues don't meet in Phoenix so I am confused where this bike source is.

Can someone provide a working phone (maybe when I called at 6 PM it was too late in the day) and an address for this outlet?

Thank you,

[folkdancer]

I saw the name Phoenix Produce from reading JStacks 7-11-2008 post, found their web site, and I will visit this business soon. Bikes look very interesting and seem to be what I want for communting 8 miles each way to work. And I can travel along the bike and canal paths most of the the way.

I have been having fun researching the electric conversion kits and wonder if the HUB or the CHAIN drive kits are the best? Not sure if I have enough room in my tiny condo for a third bike but buying the ready made e-bike from Phoenix Produce would be the simplest way to go.

Do I need the 48 volt motor to pull a trailer or would the 36 volt be sufficient?

[folkdancer]

I guess this thread is dead but I will ask anyway.

I visited Phoenix Produce at 522 South Central Avenue (a strange name for an importer of Chinese herbs and electric bikes) and looked over and test rode a 2009 model Aowa.

I like them and they would get me to and from my job which is 8 miles away but the short test ride in the parking lot didn't help me with how the pedals and strange 3 speed transmission work.

On a previous electric bike with only one very low chain pedal speed I could help the bike get started by pedaling but when going up a hill as the bike slowed say from 15 mph to 8 mph the one low pedal speed meant that I couldn't pedal fast enough to help the bike up the hill.

Can I help the Aowa up hills by pedaling? It has a strange automatic 3 speed transmission. When the button is pushed to change "gears" are gears really being changed and would this gear changing from 1 to 2 to 3 also effect the pedal speed?

There is only one sprocket on the rear hub and I couldn't see if there was more than one sprocket on the pedal axle.

If I can get reassurance that I can pedal at 8 to 15 mph speeds, actually help the motor, and save battery power on hills I will be buying one of these bikes.

[kabin]

You can use pedals but they aren't real functional. For normal bikes, the rider's legs are almost fully extended when rotating the pedals. These bikes are tiny and pedaling feels different - less leg strength per stroke.

The transmission is funky, it's an electric internal shift somehow related to the electric motor, there might be a couple mph difference between gears. I put a speedo on mine and the fastest I could go was about 19mph. Over time the batteries loose oomph and so too does max speed. Tires are metric, hard to find replacements. Might be good to have them install durable, thorn-proof inner tubes if you're using it for regular transportation. Otherwise I'm not sure I'd trust these things as a regular commuter to work.

[kabin]

Originally Posted by folkdancer

I saw the name Phoenix Produce from reading JStacks 7-11-2008 post, found their web site, and I will visit this business soon. Bikes look very interesting and seem to be what I want for communting 8 miles each way to work. And I can travel along the bike and canal paths most of the the way.

I have been having fun researching the electric conversion kits and wonder if the HUB or the CHAIN drive kits are the best? Not sure if I have enough room in my tiny condo for a third bike but buying the ready made e-bike from Phoenix Produce would be the simplest way to go.

Do I need the 48 volt motor to pull a trailer or would the 36 volt be sufficient?

The 48v has more torque and better for towing. I'd do the 48v for a trailer setup. Downside to the 48v is heavier, more expensive, and more batteries to change when they go bad.

[hyo silver]

I'm still not convinced electric bicycles are a good idea. On paper, they sound alright, but the current battery technology is just too heavy. With regenerative braking and some kind of lightweight capacitor to store electricity, they'd be awesome. But as it is, part way up the first big hill, you're out of juice and carrying dead weight the rest of the way. For anything but puttering around town, a plain old pedal bike is way better.

Muscles are the original batteries. You can go further and faster, and the range and power get better with use. The warranty sucks, but if you take good care of them, they'll last 100 years. Plugging in to recharge is kinda fun, too.