Electric Assist Bicycle

[Jake930]

Wondering if anyone owns an electric assist Bicycle. If so what brand, how do you like it, and any other information you think I should know. They are substantial cost wise.
I miss cursing around on my bikes. Used to tour when I was younger. But old injuries have come back to haunt me And knees are not what they use to be. No where near ready for knee replacements yet. So just considering options.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by Jake930

Wondering if anyone owns an electric assist Bicycle. If so what brand, how do you like it, and any other information you think I should know. They are substantial cost wise.
I miss cursing around on my bikes. Used to tour when I was younger. But old injuries have come back to haunt me And knees are not what they use to be. No where near ready for knee replacements yet. So just considering options.

My wife loves hers. It is a Chinese bike so no help on model. Go into a couple of good bike shops and start riding bikes and asking questions, most shops have them now and many are from bike manufacturers you would recognize. Yes they are expensive but get a good one and it will last.

[Mary F]

A friend has gotten the Copenhagen Wheel.

I have no idea how expensive it is, but my friend likes it.

MIT report on Copenhagen Wheel - turn an ordinary bike into a hybrid e-bike

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Mary F

A friend has gotten the Copenhagen Wheel.

Hey Mary. And Ches has a Volt Bike and seems to really like it: Electric bikes. Voltbike Yukon is the most affordable electric fat bike. VoltBike is consumer direct ebike company.

[Steven M]

My wife and I have the Stow model from Volton Bicycles. I was on the website and they don't seem to have that model anymore. It's a folding model. The other models are nice but we were looking for easy storage.


https://voltonbicycles.com/


An edit: For transparency I should state that the company is owned by my nephew.

[Fox hunt]

i have a Rad bike love it really fun -mine folds. the new ones have a lower bar so easier to step over to get on for those that have limited mobility wish i had that one mine is a little difficult to get on -I'm very short..

[Bobbie54]

I'm planning to get a Rad bike soon. Have ridden several and like them. The bikes are heavy but the power assist takes care of that as long as you aren't hauling them around much.

[Fox hunt]

yes they are heavy- i carry mine on my bike rack I got bigger tire holders for the fat tires works great.

[StarvingHyena]

I too have a Rad bike … my model is called a Rad Rover. Costs about $1500, weighs about 63 lbs, is quite amazing with how fast and far it can go - typically ~ about 20 mph and ~ 20 miles between charges (weight of rider and terrain effects both). It can be either all electric or power assist at various levels.


My Rover is a fixed frame - I'm happy with it but wished I had looked harder at the Mini which is a folding bike. My Rover lives on a bike rack ( 1-Up) on the back of my trailer and I struggle with it being out in the weather. The Mini can likely fold up and fit under a canopy in the back of a pick up = more security and weather protection. Basically the same battery, motor and running gear. Rad makes several models and I have liked dealing with this company. I'd buy another bike from them.


Traveling through Baja Mexico last winter, my bike was a magnet for attention - especially from younger Mexicans. I was a bit nervous but nothing was stolen or damaged …. on bike or trailer. A fat tired electric bike was a real curiosity!

www.radpowerbikes.com


Tom

[Jake930]

https://electricbikereview.com/ In researching electric assist bikes I came across this web site for anyone interested. They do a review on 183 different electric bikes. A write up and a 15 min video on each one. Very well done. I can see that I’m going to be on this for days. I like to be well informed before I go shopping and trying. Never knew there were so many out there. I guess they are really popular in Europe, just catching on over here. Thanks for all the replies.

[Fox hunt]

mine is the rad mini

[sunrisetrucker]

Originally Posted by Jake930

I miss cursing around on my bikes.

Personally i would rather be cruising around with my bike than cursing around with it.
I don't want my mouth washed out with soap. (again)

[Jake930]

Originally Posted by sunrisetrucker

Personally i would rather be cruising around with my bike than cursing around with it.
I don't want my mouth washed out with soap. (again)

I guess it will depend if I pick a good one good catch though, don’t ya just love spell check.

[Eggscape]

I love my Voltbike Mariner folding fat tire electric bike. Pedal or use the twistgip throttle. Great on trails or gravel when camping. Beautifully welded aluminum frame and brand name components. Includes front suspension, fenders, rear carrier, folding pedals and free helmet. $49 shipping anywhere and a great price. If your looking at a Rad bike...check this out before you buy.
Good for any size person.
To make it lighter you can slip off the seat and slip out the battery.
Here it is in the back of my 2017 F150.

[rotateclockwise]

eBikes are a lot of fun! My wife and I each ride a Trek Verve+. They are hybrid style bikes, so they have an upright riding position which are more comfortable to us. We really like the Bosch motors because the are super quiet and efficient. We've only had them about a month, but have put around 120 miles on them. This is coming from not having ridden a bike in about 10 years. Being able to select the assist levels really helps with hills and doesn't wear you out. It really makes it fun again. Our goal with the bikes is to take them with us as we travel so we can see more and also ride the "rails to trails" bike paths we have locally. I've also charged the batteries off our solar/inverter setup on our escape and it works fine, but does draw about 30% of the batteries to charge one from empty to full, so planning is required. I'm hoping adding a portable solar panel will help when we boondock. So far so good, though I do recommend paying attention to the weights as eBikes are heaver and won't fit on all bike racks.

[yardsale]

What average speed do folks with ebikes travel?

[rotateclockwise]

We average 11-12 mph.

[Jim Bennett]

As someone who loves riding a bike and enjoys the exercise it gets me, I have to wonder what the draw is to an electric bike. Not only does it feel good to get the exercise, I must admit to actually need it to help stay reasonably in shape.

I know many trails around here are banning electric, or electric assist bikes. It would be a bummer if one could not do some trail riding.

[Steven M]

Some early ebikes could reach 30mph. I'm not sure what the current top speed allowed.

Originally Posted by yardsale

What average speed do folks with ebikes travel?

[Mike Lewis]

Cursing around the BWI bike trail when I lived in Maryland is exactly what I did. I just never could enjoy it, and since then my bike has sat unridden for years. To each his own.