Electric Assist Bicycle

[Catchlight]

You're posing the questions that need to be asked before making an expensive switch from 100% human power to a motor assist, Jim. I'd be sticking with my hybrid if I still enjoyed riding it.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Catchlight

You're posing the questions that need to be asked before making an expensive switch from 100% human power to a motor assist, Jim. I'd be sticking with my hybrid if I still enjoyed riding it.

And for now, I am enjoying my regular type bikes, though I don't use my drop handled road bike too much any more. I really like the feel of the burn after a hard ride. I use my full suspension MTB exclusively for it's intended use, trail bashing, and an older MTB with no suspension kinda like a hybrid. The latter is what I usually take with the trailer.

[yardsale]

Well reasoned discussion of both points of view. I still worry about managing a 60 lb bike on/off a rack. For now (67) Jim and I will stick with our 1/4 horsepower bikes. I like being mistaken for a 47 year old (at least until they see my face up close).

[Eggscape]

A person goes out and buys a $5,000 manual bike and everybody goes wow, they must be a real serious rider. I fact what they are doing is making the bike riding easier on them by means of cash.
If a person goes out and buys a $2,000 e-bike... the person that bought the easy ride $5,000 bike will be the first person to say that it is not real bike riding...as if a $5,000 bike is.

It is weird stuff like that that drives me crazy. Like people fighting over the closest parking spot to the fitness center so they don’t have to walk as far.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

A person goes out and buys a $5,000 manual bike and everybody goes wow, they must be a real serious rider. I fact what they are doing is making the bike riding easier on them by means of cash.

I personally do not see anything wrong with that as long as they have the money and are not sacrificing quality of life for their family. Besides, I bought a previous year model an only paid $3,700. I am also a firm believer in buying quality as it usually pays dividends in lack of maintenance, ergonomics, and longevity. You would have to spend that $8, 000 I mentioned to do the same riding and have the same quality of components with an e-bike. There is no way a consumer priced e-bike would do the same trails.

I spent $1,700 on a range for our trailer, it doesn't make us better cooks, but it gives us pride of ownership and is way nicer to cook on.

I could have bought a much cheaper trailer and made good memories, but chose to make things a little easier on us and bought an Escape.

[Moaboy]

I have 3 bikes and ride a lot be it road, trails or running errands around town. I did a long ride recently on a fat tire Rad and really enjoyed it, especially when going up hill. I’m not going electric yet, but one of these days u better believe it!

[bobotrailer100]

I have been looking/trying/not buying e-bikes for several years. You really need to consider the terrain where you'll use it; more uphill > bigger motor > better battery > more money.

A few years ago, for a hilly commute (600' elevation gain) the A2B bike with the big motor was probably the best value for a bike that would really do the duty. (20mph, 230lb load). Now there are a dozen.

Unless you really know your stuff, I would avoid any bike with a throttle: pedal assist only; just for safety.

[Eggscape]

The Voltbike throttle has a handy red switch to disconnect it from use.
The throttle I find is a great safety feature...more than once on a ride I will find myself in top gear when having to stop quickly for a red light. The throttle allows me to safely continue when the light goes green.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by bobotrailer100

...Unless you really know your stuff, I would avoid any bike with a throttle: pedal assist only; just for safety.

My ebike has both pedal assist as well as a throttle. Can use either as desired. I don't see any greater safety concerns with using the throttle over the pedal assist, they both require you to operate them correctly.

[JT33]

I've had a Rad City for one year plus love it would recommend the Rad, they sell in Canada now through Vancouver for the best price could find for any e-bike close to the quality of the Rad

[Red]

Hi Jake

I hope you are still following this thread. I have a Surface 604 Rook model and just came off of a 3 week camping trip in British Columbia where i used it daily. It has really made me a believer for the following reasons.

It is not a bicycle with a battery assist. It is powered transportation. It is capable of replacing your bicycle and your tow vehicle.

It gives me much more range than a conventional bike while still allowing me to get as much exercise as i want when I want.

Generally they are more expensive than your Walmart specials but I find that they typically have much better components. Mine has hydralic disk brakes, a great 9 speed gear set, fenders, good seating, sturdy frame, LED lighting front and back and many other cool standard features. It cost $2000 Canadian.

In BC we have mountains and are either going up or down hills. I have never had to get off and push it up a hill.

I can go shopping and can carry a considerable amount of supplies without worry and get there and back just as fast as my tow vehicle. I was in Anacortes Washington recently and was able to keep up to local traffic speed limited to 25MPH. No need to ride on sidewalks.

I carry it on the back of our 19 ft Escape using a Swagman rack and can get it on and off by myself but it is easier with two people. It weighs 55lbs. I do use a cover to keep it dry and clean.

I use a lock system everywhere as it draws a good deal of attention.

The new batteries are very strong and long lasting. I can easily go 20 miles on a charge.

Stop making comparisons to bicycles as the new ebikes and etrikes are a new form of transportation that really extend open air opportunities.

[shrncnddck]

We have two Voltbike Urbans and we love them. We both have medical issues but are now able to ride without worrying about hills and distance. We've never run out the batteries and usually recharge after about 60 kms, with the batteries showing 60% left (although it's probably less.

[Ron in BC]

Today we explored a little lake that we'd never been to before. Turned out to be more like a pond. Then we headed off to find some pizza and then, because it was such a hot day, some ice cream, like we needed an excuse.

Stopped beside a gaggle of Canada geese. Glad we weren't on foot because there's a reason there's an expression "slippery as.............."

Bottom line; never used the electric assist at all but it was there if our wandering turned into unexpected distance.

Ron

[padlin]

From the looks of them, the bikes have smaller tires and are something like double the weight of a regular bike, doesn't that make them a lot harder to pedal without using the assist?

[Bobbie54]

They are harder to pedal without the assist. But with it you are getting the same level of exercise as a regular bike, as long as you don't try to do everything on the top assist level. Plus you don't have to walk up hills. Some have larger wheels, but the folding ones (regular or ebike) tend to have small ones.

[Ron in BC]

I have a regular mountain bike, a "beach cruiser", a folding bike and a folding e-bike. Since getting the e-bike I haven't ridden the others. It's a bike, full stop. I get on, pedal and go places, mostly without using the electric assist. Because it's much easier to transport I do more biking than I'd do if I was only using a full size bike.

The major differences between folding bikes of yesteryear which I carried on boats until they rusted away is that modern bikes are aluminum alloy and have much stronger seat and handle bar extensions. They have a much more solid feel allowing for the seat and handle bars to be at a "normal" comfortable height.

So, do I care if the wheel's smaller than a full size bike, do I care if, technically, it takes a bit more effort to pedal in non-electric mode? No, to me, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Ron

[Dave Walter]

I don't understand the negativity and disdain that some people have for e-bikes. Some seem to feel that by riding an electric bike, you are "cheating" in some way. I have used mine mostly for commuting, which turns a (one way) ride to work that takes about one hour with my non electric bike into about a 35 min ride with my e-bike using pedal assist and me working hard the entire time. I don't use the e-bike as a sole source of excercise, but it is fun to ride and makes a daily bicycle commute much more workable for me.

[Greg A]

Originally Posted by Dave Walter

I don't understand the negativity and disdain that some people have for e-bikes. Some seem to feel that by riding an electric bike, you are "cheating" in some way. I have used mine mostly for commuting, which turns a (one way) ride to work that takes about one hour with my non electric bike into about a 35 min ride with my e-bike using pedal assist and me working hard the entire time. I don't use the e-bike as a sole source of excercise, but it is fun to ride and makes a daily bicycle commute much more workable for me.

Dave,
I knew you Albertan's were tough but I have this image of you riding your e-bike into a snow drift when commuting. Does it have chains for the winter months?

[MikeS]

Originally Posted by Dave Walter

I don't understand the negativity and disdain that some people have for e-bikes. Some seem to feel that by riding an electric bike, you are "cheating" in some way. I have used mine mostly for commuting, which turns a (one way) ride to work that takes about one hour with my non electric bike into about a 35 min ride with my e-bike using pedal assist and me working hard the entire time. I don't use the e-bike as a sole source of excercise, but it is fun to ride and makes a daily bicycle commute much more workable for me.

Where does it stop? Pretty soon we will have people justifying a trailer over a tent!

[rpgoldwing]

Read the electric bike review. I bought a HaiBike from a reseller in MN. Yamaha Motor and battery. Motor is central at the pedals, I love it.