Electric Bikes - Walmart E-zip?

I don't know if this is in fact the same as the Schwinn Izip or what. I saw one in wal-mart last weekend and liked how it had an optional second battery spot, and up to 40mile range with both batteries.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6339293

I might get one for those days I am not up to riding but must to get around. And maybe my dad will get back into riding with an easier method.

I wouldn't expect a lot of performance or longevity out of it, but thats the cheapest complete e-bike i've ever seen.

There's been a couple of posts here about these currie equipped kits as having problems once they get to your door. Controllers fried, dented parts, etc. Customer service is good about getting parts to you, but you can count on a delay of 1-2 weeks for every part that they have to get to you.

most of the curries are pretty much the same,i have that ezip but im now converting mine to get more speed and range and that gunna cost just as much as new bike,the curries are cheap if you only want to do short trips on flat ground they are ok my ezip cost me $450 aussie,it runs ok but like i said if you want to get serious buy something with a bit more power and range,the ezip is a very heavy bike with those two 24 volt lead acid batteries

man, this thing's been hit with an ugly stick. though the price is right.

Wow went to the new highland village walmart and they had 7+ iZIPs in 2 or 3 different models/prices. They also had a $249 tandem!?! $1800 road bikes and a full bike shop. One of the people in there I know wrenched at a LBS. Their iZips were cheap enough to cannabilize and still be far ahead $$s. It looked pretty decent actually and when we go tonight to get dunkin donuts I might try it out. (haven't had DD since leaving Connecticut 3 years ago I want my bostom creme!!)

I believe I have convinced my girlfriend to get me the bike for Christmas. Atleast I am pretty sure since she recently put something on layaway at walmart. I'll be in Albuquerque till Christmas break however, so I am guarenteed to not be able to play with the bike.

Save your money buy a nice road bike. The bugger weighs a ton on your own effort you can hit 15 mph and the motor will give you another 3 mph for a total of 18 mph?

yeah i thought i would have been better spending my dough on a fast light road bike but then again i could not go to the shop without having to pedal and thats the fun of these ebike,but i agree a road bike will get you there faster.

Please to let me know if u get the walmart bike..I have been looking at the "e-trike" they have for sale to run errands around town..according to the ad it would do nicely as I have 1 miles to go both ways to do everything I need..I have yet to know of a person who has purchased one..the only two catches I can think of is that Walmart items arent known as "quality" goods..and if they break down ..they dont repair them there..so the bike will be shipped off and repaired somewhere and it could take months if its anything like their mowers being repaired....a few ppl I know have had experience with walmart mowers being repaired and they unloaded the mowers at bargain basement prices when they finally got them back...to get a brand that has its own service..but you cant beat the walmart prices out th door..the only experiences I have read about with the "trikes is one lady is pleased with it..and another lady bought one and the rear axle broke on her..these ladies are both senior citizens..these r "comments" I read supposely on the trikes by the ladies..the thing with me and where I live...the nearest dealer for an ebike dealer is 90 miles away one way so if I did go to a "dealer"bought one and and it did break down..I can figure a 3 hr drive round trip taking the bike back to them for repairs..and if Im really lucky..they can fix it that day..so I can count on a whole day shot probably..if not..then it will be 6hrs round trip to pick it up and get it when its ready..and feeding a f-250 ford gas for a 6 hr ride + the repair bill for the bike if not under a warrantee..could add up quickly..and then u know if these ebikes catch on the govt will have to get their fingers in the pie somewhere..I better stop before I talk myself out of the idea of getting one

Hmm. Looks interesting in writing at least. The question begs to be asked - why a mountain bike? Think of all the juice being used to shlug those heavy tires. Since it isn't actually designed for off-road, why not switch over to lighter, more efficient wheel? My guess is that it would extend the range at least.

What are the grey boxes hanging off of the rear carrier? Are those batteries? If so, a 15 mile range for those honking batteries doesn't seem like much. Again, maybe lighter more efficient wheels/tires would improve the range.

I too am looking forward to hearing some feedback from owners of these machines.

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/69/40/27/19/0069402719371_500X500.jpg

Mike, Im not sure if this is the 2008 eZip now avail from walmart. I did buy the 2007 model and had site-to-store shipping(free shipping). then called Currie directly and bought the 2nd battery. They do slide and lock into the rear carriers as the picture illustrates. I have only performed one test on a kinda windy day..Im guessing about 10 miles and I really did NO pedalling. then I switched to battery 2. Ill be putting a speedo on it for a few more tests, I still say go for it !! The 2008 model at walmart looks good. Side note, My 2007 has road tires w/o the usual mountain bike tread so the bike does roll good. Im liking it !

Mike -

I also have access to a 2007 E-Zip Mountain Trailz purchased online from Wal-Mart. Since the bike is mostly preassembled, your odds of receiving a quality bike from the manufacturer is much better than receiving one assembled at your local store. The bike is solid, weighs about 70 lbs. with ONE battery pack, and works fairly reliably. This bike's power comes from a 24v 450W, brushed motor driven by 2 12V SLA batteries wired in series in each case. Each battery pack will normally transport you about 10 miles in a wind speed of about 20mph if you assist by peddling, but the pack will be drained beyond recommendations for a SLA. Consider a range of 7-8 miles the limit for each pack if you drain them to about 1/4 capacity, or 3/4s of their full charge. For the price, the bike is worth it, but only you can say for sure and remember, YMMV. ;) Good luck.

I have already built an Ebike but for this price i could use this as a backup for commuting. My thoughts are to replace the battery pack with my LifepO4 battery to get back the range needed.

But when i follow the link it says "Not Available Online", "Not Available In Stores".
Does someone now of another way i could get 1?

thx jim......

I have already built an Ebike but for this price i could use this as a backup for commuting. My thoughts are to replace the battery pack with my LifepO4 battery to get back the range needed.

But when i follow the link it says "Not Available Online", "Not Available In Stores".
Does someone now of another way i could get 1?

thx jim......

Forget buying the 2007 model from Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is now selling the 2008 model of the E-Zip, but at substantially higher price, $348 versus $299 for the 2007 model. However, the price is still reasonable.

Some differences between these two models, e.g. tires, seat:
MTB- http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8467094 (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8467094)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8467096

Mike -

I also have access to a 2007 E-Zip Mountain Trailz purchased online from Wal-Mart. Since the bike is mostly preassembled, your odds of receiving a quality bike from the manufacturer is much better than receiving one assembled at your local store. The bike is solid, weighs about 70 lbs. with ONE battery pack, and works fairly reliably. This bike's power comes from a 24v 450W, brushed motor driven by 2 12V SLA batteries wired in series in each case. Each battery pack will normally transport you about 10 miles in a wind speed of about 20mph if you assist by peddling, but the pack will be drained beyond recommendations for a SLA. Consider a range of 7-8 miles the limit for each pack if you drain them to about 1/4 capacity, or 3/4s of their full charge. For the price, the bike is worth it, but only you can say for sure and remember, YMMV. ;) Good luck.

Good info. Thanks.

I wonder why the bike weighs 70 lbs? Is the battery and motor/drive that heavy? I am thinking that the total battery+Motor/drive+drive-train hardware can't be more than say 20 lbs. That leaves 50 lbs for the bike. HEAVY.

You would think that they could pare it down a bit to save weight and improve efficiency. Even if they kept the low-cost Chinese steel bike construction, they should be able to knock off at least 10 to 15 lbs.

Mike,

The bike is heavy, but it's pretty solid to accommodate the additional weight of the electrical system, e.g. the size of spokes, rims, etc. BTW, if I get a chance to measure the current voltage on the fully charged battery pack ( I don't know if I'll be permitted to open the pack to test each battery separately), it might help to give one an indication of their possible lifespan. From my understanding, the batteries (an additional pack was purchased later) have been well maintained, i.e. never left more than 3 hours in a semi-discharged state including the time on the bike. The original battery pack will be about 5 months old and the newer one about 3 months old. I'll try to get the tests done by next week. I suspect that one could commute on this heavier (80+ lbs with both packs) beast if the distance were no more than 15 miles each way and the bike was equipped with TWO battery packs and TWO 24v chargers. At work, the rider would simply plug BOTH battery packs into an outlet at the SAME time which would prevent one of the packs remaining in a semi-discharged state while the other one charged which takes about 4 hours.

Both battery packs measure about 27.5V * after charging and then sitting for about 3 hours before testing.

The E-Zip's rack has a tendency to bend in shipping so be prepared to do a little body work with a two foot board placed diagonally through the rack to bend it so the packs fit snug, but not too tight. Each pack needs a periodic (every week at least) examination of the electrical contacts and cleaning them with your fingernail generally suffices. Also, the bottom bracket has a tendency to loosen and it should be checked about every couple of weeks and tightened as necessary to protect the bearings. BTW, the bearings are well packed with grease from the manufacturer and with care an owner shouldn't need to worry about them for the first year of operation.

* On average, the bike has probably been ridden about every other day for about 7-8 miles over the past 6 months.

Also, the bike will probably be ridden daily throughout the summer so we're hoping that the original batteries last through September, but I doubt it. Maybe, I'll post another update around September on the condition of the bike and their batteries.

Currie Technologies' customer service says that the rack bending is due to distributors like Wal-Mart improperly stacking the bicycles which leads to warping. Seemingly, the warehouse chaps don't understand, "This side up". ;)

BTW, the E-Zip uses aluminum for wiring which doesn't pose a problem generally. However, the E-Zip which I bought for someone had a harness in which the wires were too short to the battery packs. Within 4 months, one connection on each side of the bike broke. Since the wires were so short (which lead to the failure), we had to buy some copper wire and solder it to the broken wire on each side in order to lengthen them and to reattach connectors. The splice was shrink wrapped and I don't foresee any problem adding copper to aluminum in this case. The bike's been running better than ever since these changes. However, Currie needs to pay a little more attention to packaging these bikes since they know that distributors won't necessarily do the right thing, and Currie needs to ensure quality control allows a harness of sufficient length in case some connectors break. The bike has been selling itself even after I mention some of the problems so it's a great value.

Whats the size of the frame?

I have had this bike for about 5 weeks and I am quite happy with it, especially considering that all other electric bikes I've seen were over $1000. I live 13.5 miles from work, and it is hilly. I am in decent shape, but on a regular bike, the trip exhausts me, I'm slow due to the hills, and I would need a shower upon getting to work. With the ebike, I still get some exercise, but I can keep my speed on the uphills over 14 or 15 mph and I don't get totally burnt out. I weigh 127 pounds, and the battery lasts 14 miles to work, with me putting in a decent effort - I am helping the motor by pedaling on the uphills enough to get tired, but not so tired that I can't bike home again. I take the battery off and charge it at work. A few times, it does seem like the battery is petering out right at the end, so based on how hilly my commute is (significantly), how much I weigh, and how much I'm willing to help the motor by pedaling (a decent amount), 14 or 15 miles is about the limit of the battery. So, in short, this is what I wanted it to do - allow me to ride to work in less than an hour (about 15 mph average), without getting totally exhausted.

My only complaints so far is that the bike is heavy (but then I knew it would be when I ordered), and also I don't find the handlebar grips to be very comfortable. They seem rough (including the shifter on the left) and not very padded. I wouldn't mind if it had one more higher gear - when I'm going downhill and the speed gets much over 20 mph, I can't really add any more speed by pedaling because the highest gear isn't high enough.

One important note - the battery charger says the charge time is 6-8 hrs, but it also says red light = charging, green light = done charging. I unplugged it when it was green, and then had the battery die on me on my commute. Turn out you need to leave it plugged in longer even after the light is green.

So, for the price, as an entry-level electric bike, I'm quite happy with it. It's a win win situation - I save gas, save the planet, get some exercise, and have fun.

I bought it in April, from Walmart, and it said 2008 model, and mine is black. I think the blue version is the MOUNTAIN Trailz Hybrid which had nubbier tires, I think. My tires are pretty smooth.

One important note - the battery charger says the charge time is 6-8 hrs, but it also says red light = charging, green light = done charging. I unplugged it when it was green, and then had the battery die on me on my commute. Turn out you need to leave it plugged in longer even after the light is green.


In our experience, 8 miles is about maximum for the battery with slight hills and good wind (20+mph). Your comments about leaving the battery on the charger after it's green is interesting, but we probably will continue to leave it on until the green light remains steady which is normally about 3 1/2 to 4 hours of recharging. We still have good voltage on the batteries, but your experience might help someone search for the absolute maximum distance from a battery pack. For a 15 mile commute, I, personally, would have TWO battery packs since I don't want to discharge the batteries over 75% which will shorten life considerably, and I try to be frugal with my money so I can help others and still carry on my work in other areas, e.g. on-board solar designs. From my experience with Currie's e-Zip, I'm thinking of buying one for myself this time. ;) Although the e-Zip has its problems, it's a solid value and you're using it wisely, i.e. making money without spending much, getting exercise, and mainly enjoying the refreshing commute. :)

In our experience, 8 miles is about maximum for the battery with slight hills and good wind (20+mph). Your comments about leaving the battery on the charger after it's green is interesting, but we probably will continue to leave it on until the green light remains steady which is normally about 3 1/2 to 4 hours of recharging.

Maybe you're right, but it's not just my imagination. I just got to work today and it was SOO much better with the battery having charged for over 6 hours, rather than 3.5 or so. It made a huge difference - I just barely noticed it getting a little weak towards the end, as opposed to two days ago when it totally crapped out and I literally walked the bike up the last hill and was exhausted. It is a pain not knowing when to unplug it, but I reviewed my high school electricity formulas, and even with it plugged in 8 hours, I think it would use less than 2 KWH which is less than 25 cents for me.

And just for the record, a lot of people talk about the distance the bike will go with just the motor - little to no pedaling, but I am pedaling a LOT. For a lot of the time, I am just putzing along in a low gear, just pedaling, at 12 mph or so. And even on hills, if it isn't too steep, I'll use the motor a little (with pedaling), then just pedal a little, etc.

Cathy

Maybe you're right, but it's not just my imagination. I just got to work today and it was SOO much better with the battery having charged for over 6 hours, rather than 3.5 or so. It made a huge difference - I just barely noticed it getting a little weak towards the end, as opposed to two days ago when it totally crapped out and I literally walked the bike up the last hill and was exhausted.

Cathy

No, you're probably right about leaving the battery on the charger longer as these low cost, "smart" chargers aren't all that smart. We haven't ruled out checking further, but you'd likely notice the reduced charge earlier than us since you have steeper hills and a longer distance to travel. If we test (possibility), we'll use your target of 7 hours on the charger as a baseline.

I am seriously considering this bike. One question if you please:

Do you think I can change over the drivetrain over to another frame? I have my full suspension wal-mart special and was hoping I could use that....

I know there are other issues, like location of other components, etc. I am not affraid of fabbing a couple mounts, etc.

I just want to know is this system integrated into the chassis, or mostly removable?

Great info here, thank you all for contributing so noobs like me can make an educated decision!!

I am seriously considering this bike. One question if you please:

Do you think I can change over the drivetrain over to another frame? I have my full suspension wal-mart special and was hoping I could use that....

I know there are other issues, like location of other components, etc. I am not affraid of fabbing a couple mounts, etc.

I just want to know is this system integrated into the chassis, or mostly removable?

Great info here, thank you all for contributing so noobs like me can make an educated decision!!

I have access to a 2007 model, but the 2008 model is somewhat different from the pictures so you'll have to wait for owners of the 2008 model to respond.

I am seriously considering this bike. One question if you please:

Do you think I can change over the drivetrain over to another frame? I have my full suspension wal-mart special and was hoping I could use that....


I'm just wondering why you'd bother switching it all over from one cheap bike (the Currie bike it comes on) to another cheap bike (Walmart). The Currie (ezip) bike does have a front suspension. I believe my bike is the 2008 model, and it does look like it's fairly "take-apartable" but I'm no expert. It just doesn't seem worth the effort unless you are trying to put it onto some great, fantastic bike.

Cathy

understood. My current bike is a Mongoose I got from Wal-Mart, at least it has front disc brakes and rear "suspension";)

Looks like Ill be getting it regardless and cross that bridge when I get there.

My 5 week old KMart eZip has 628 miles on the odometer. I ride it 30 or 40 miles every day (work? days) depending. My rides are probably nearly as hilly as Vermont, Finger Lakes NY, riding East and West, my needs, are not what the glacier made easy.

I have put on a three wheel crank and front derailleur on it so I can pedal at 30+ mph to keep up the momentum for the following uphill.

My next project, parts in the mail to me (yes, Nashbar, they are a supporter, right) is a chain to drive from the motor mounted behind the back wheel up to a stokers crank on the left side, so the motor power goes through the bottom bracket and sees 21 gears. I'm thinkin' this will help with battery life. Hills take torque = current = spent battery.

The eZip is everything I thought it would be: heavy, noisy ) the internal gear reduction and a good value for the dollar.

Everyting I buy should meet expectations so well, please.

Just a note on chargers. Most chargers switch to green on 80% charge and the charger switches to a lower charge rate. So leave it on the charger after it changes green for at least another hour or longer to get that 20%.

My next project, parts in the mail to me (yes, Nashbar, they are a supporter, right) is a chain to drive from the motor mounted behind the back wheel up to a stokers crank on the left side, so the motor power goes through the bottom bracket and sees 21 gears. I'm thinkin' this will help with battery life. Hills take torque = current = spent battery.

The eZip is everything I thought it would be: heavy, noisy ) the internal gear reduction and a good value for the dollar.

I'd be very interested to read about this project and how it works out.
I kinda of like the noise of the motor. On bike paths it warns pedestrians I'm approaching. When a couple is walking hand in hand, they always free up the left side of the path.

Toyfountain, I'll keep you informed, concerns
I'm just getting the chain for now and using a crank I already have. Ideally the crank would have only 20 teeth to be consistent with the 20 teeth on the rear wheel, to keep overall gear ratio constant.
Before I search for a 20T Stokers crank, I want to find out if it's workable having the pedals and motor locked together. There wont be a freewheel so pedaling will turn the motor and the motor will move the pedals. Is that a concern? Don't know.

Also about the idea of taking parts of

Also about the idea of taking parts of... I'm not sure what happened my partially finished note got posted. Anyway, I don't think stripping an eZip and adding stuff to a Mongoose would gain much. You'd have to move the rear wheel, with motor mount (and find a way to attach the mount to the mongoose). And you'd have to move the rack and the battery or batteries. The batteries packs are what makes the eZip heavy. They weigh 16 lbs a piece. I carry one pack on each side so that adds 32 lbs to the not too terrible 58 lbs the eZip, by itself, weighs. It's that 90 number that makes me say HEAVY. If I were Cathy, 127 lbs even that 16 lbs single pack is a pretty significant % increase.
I weigh about 225 but am in pretty good shape, I regularly get 25 miles from the two batt packs on HILLY roads with considerable exercise. That 225 is 10 lbs less than when I got the bike. It does allow more exercise because you can use it for transport.

I mounted two battery packs too. I posted pics in the ebikes pictures thread. I weight 240 lbs and it gets me to work and back with pedalling for 30 km (20 miles), sometimes with head winds both ways along the St-Lawrence river. I haven't tried it yet with the batteries connected in parallel yet. I just switched the connector to the second battery before.

I was wondering if a 20 teeth crank would make the pedals turn too fast if the throttle was at maximum.
I wonder if a larger crank should indeed be used to limit the rotations of the pedals to a safe level in case the throttle is too fast at maximum. You'll be able to see this with your testing.

I don't expect freewheeling would be a problem. If the throttle is at off, the motor should not move if the pedals aren't used. Pedalling will turn the motor, but again if the throttle is at off, there should be no force exerted on the pedals. It shouldn't be worse then when the motor turns with the wheel when the motor is off as it is now.

toyfountain: maybe more info than you want

Writing helps me think things thru. After writing, I realized I don't want to match the ratio of motor to first chain wheel. What I really probably should do is arrange things so that the midpoint of my 21 gears puts the motor in the same relationship to the wheel that it has as designed. That way I could shift for more speed from the motor (if the controller doesn't object) or more torque to the wheel.
The chain wheel to do that would have 55 teeth if I did the arithmatic right. That makes sense somehow so I think I did my devision close to right. Anyhow the crank I have has 44 teeth, probably the most I'd find reasonably is 48. So my 44 teeth chain wheel will say my range of gears is biased a bit toward more speed, less torque.
The proof is in the puddin. No chain in the mail box, yet.

Oh, I don't have the batt packs in parallel. I use the eZip's double pole, double pole switch. I find there is gain to be had (more useful charge) by resting a battery pack by switching to the other after a big climb . Battery cools, internal resistance goes down, more torque for your $.

take care

toyfountain
A followup, just for clarity, as designed the wheel doesn't turn the motor. There is a freewheel in the sprocket on the wheel. Motors often don't like being driven, especially those with an internal hear reduction.

Darn it.

Wal mart is out of stock online.

haha, I noticed they went out of stock shortly after I placed my order. It's supposed to arive this Tuesday... can't wait.

how long ago did you place your order?

I am hoping there will be more soon. Also noticed they don't offer the Mountain Trail anymore?????

damn.

Amazon has the women's bike, $399, no tax, free shipping. They say 2 in stock. They have the Mountain Trailz - it says available June 11. I wonder why these bikes are not available in more places? Did Currie decide to just sell them at Walmart and Amazon (Currie's website links to Amazon when you click on the "store" link)

I placed the order on 5/29/08, it's giving delivery estimate to local store between 6/10 and 6/13. You're right about the mountain version not appearing anymore... interesting. I ended up going for the non mountain version.

I placed the order on 5/29/08, it's giving delivery estimate to local store between 6/10 and 6/13. You're right about the mountain version not appearing anymore... interesting. I ended up going for the non mountain version.

Looks like I am part of that last group of people who've ordered. I've ordered on 6/5 and it says it will be delivered to the store on 6/20.

Question, where did everyone get their 2nd battery. I'm want to get one before the bike comes, but I haven't found one. Let me know. Thanks

Hello, I ordered the Women's Ezip from Amazon last week and it is on it's way. Should be here Friday. Purchased the bike for small trips to karate class, library, local grocery store, just to get out a bit. I have a non-e bike that we taking camping. Husband will get the heavier tubes in the wheels and get them slimed for me.

Just a note: Bought an electric Schwinn Stingray bike for my 10-year-old son on ebay for 130 plus 70 shipping. So he can keep up with me! He goes to karate class, library, grocery with me as he is homeschooled.

Neat bike with good reviews. You can see them on ebay.

CK

Question, where did everyone get their 2nd battery. I'm want to get one before the bike comes, but I haven't found one. Let me know. Thanks


You need to call Currie directly.

www.currietech.com

1 800 377 4532

Amazon has the women's bike, $399, no tax, free shipping. They say 2 in stock. They have the Mountain Trailz - it says available June 11. I wonder why these bikes are not available in more places? Did Currie decide to just sell them at Walmart and Amazon (Currie's website links to Amazon when you click on the "store" link)

*Goes to Amazon.com*

Thanks!

You need to call Currie directly.

www.currietech.com

1 800 377 4532

I ordered mine on 6/1 and just picked it up today.
I have the battery charging as I write this.
My second battery should arrive from Currie on Thursday.
Just realized that I will need a second charger too.

I figured I would buy a 24v 1.8 amp from these guys for 25 bux, but they are out of stock.
Should I get the 2 amp version or has someone another reccomendation?
http://www.electricscooterparts.com/chargers.html#24volt

You need to call Currie directly.

www.currietech.com

1 800 377 4532

Stupid Ezip. Just picked it up today but it looks like charger is DOA. I plug the battery and see the green going to red and seconds later, it turns green. I'll have to visit radioshack in the morning.

Also, called Currie to get the 2nd battery and they are back-ordered until mid-July.

It appears the battery is already charged. Check the voltage of the battery. My charger works exactly as you have described when a fully charged battery is plugged in.

It appears the battery is already charged. Check the voltage of the battery. My charger works exactly as you have described when a fully charged battery is plugged in.


You're right, it was charged. I used the multi-meter and it does show juice.

I've played with some of the cables and it looks like one that goes into the control box was loose. I'd pushed in and it worked. Gotta love these precision machine!

Also, called Currie to get the 2nd battery and they are back-ordered until mid-July.


Weaksauce. I am always 5 minutes too late.

I guess Ill have to tackle the hill with just one and see where that leaves me.

Looks like Ill be getting more exercise alot sooner than I planned!