Thinking about getting an ebike

Lithium-ion batteries are lighter and you can go further distances with them. I have Lithium-ion on one of my bikes and I can go twice the distance and it's half the weight than a lead/acid

 

It has been my experience that the effort and sweating become continuously smaller factors as you become more fit from increasing your activity level. I used to hate being sweaty more than anything else - after a few months of riding my bike, it was barely a consideration.

Hey, whatever gets you active, right???

 

It has been awhile since anyone posted here but I just found this site and I just ordered an eBike. I did quite a bit of Internet searching and settled on an e-Moto Velocity 2.0 from REI. It uses pedal actuation of the motor rather than a hand throttle so you are always "riding" the bike, has 6-speeds from the pedals through a Shimano derailer gear set, uses a 37v Panasonic Lithium Ion battery to give an assisted range of about 35 miles, etc. I thought about the pedal actuated VS throttle bikes but decided that if I want exercise (and I am an old guy of 66) I'd be better off with the pedal actuated system so that I don't just coast along in electric mode. It's electric assist cuts out at 15mph but the bike can go faster under pedal power and it only weighs about 47 pounds with the battery so is light enough to be practical under pedal power. It is built in England by Urban Mover company.

I should have it about the end of next week (Jan 8th) and will try to find this thread to say more after I have tried it out. And I'll go check out efusco's interesting sounding Yahoo site on ebikes.

 

Yeah! it's the razorback graphic on the container on the back that sells this baby to me.

Once in Ireland I saw a moped someone had painted with the same graphics as The Dukes of Hazards' General Lee.

There's just no way you can make anything like a moped look too masculine. But I think it's funny when people try. At best go for sporty and utilitarian.

 

I have had one of these

Electric Scooter Manufacturer

for about 2 years, love it to bits for nipping down to the shops on.

 

Trek now has an Ebike
Trek Bikes | Bikes | Electric Bikes
I would like to add an electric motor to my Trek
Bad knees

I would like add this to my bike http://www.bionx.ca/

 

I'd get one of these:
BRAMMO Enertia powercycle : 100% Electric Motorcycle : Home

 

I may have to look into one of these! My wife has been pining for one for years!

 

Two questions about ebikes:

Are they legal on bike paths or only on streets?

Has anyone calculated miles/kWh?

 

Last time I was in China, they were everywhere. At least 100 million electric bikes and scooters. But they have special lanes between the main road and the sidewalk for them. They are not practical or safe here.

 

i had one of those electric scooter things that i did bomb around in for work and such (back when my work was only a few miles away thru god aweful traffic. (yep, twice got warning from cops for riding it on the sidewalks!!) but this was no more than one of those electric skateboard things. i parked it right next to the coat rack at work. it did like 15 mph.

but i ride a regular bike but only for transportation one day a YEAR and that is on the national car pool day or whatever its called. the rest of the time its for exercise and entertainment for my son. (we have a seat for him right up front and he loves riding around on it)

 

Why are they any less safe here with 300 million of us as opposed to China with over a Billion people? What is the problem with designated bike lanes?

 

wouldnt be a problem at all if we had the bike lanes!!

 

I'm sure laws vary, but around here, motorised vehicles are not permitted on designated bike paths. (I should say 'multi-use paths' because there's no such thing as paths for bikes only.) Ebikes are restricted to a maximum of 30kmh, which ironically makes them slower than pedal bikes in some situations! They're also prohibited from freeways because they can't maintain 40kmh.

 

Yeh, I checked. Not on bike paths in Boulder. They are limited to streets and bike lanes, no highways or bike paths. Makes them somewhat limited in an area with a great bike path system, guess I will just pedal!