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10-04-08, 01:49 PM
Recently installed the eZee kit on a Bianchi Avenue and thought that my experience might help potential buyers make a decision. I purchased the kit from ebikes.ca. Excellent service and very quick shipping (arrived in 3 days). Ebikes.ca provides clear and precise installation directions on their web site. The process turned out to be straightforward and took about an hour. Most of the time was spent routing and tying down the wires. I purchased the pedelec options: a throttle one can set for various levels of power (similar to a thermostat), and an device that electrically runs from the pedal crank to the controller. With this option, one does not get the thumb throttle. In 90 percent of my trips thus far, I've kept the throttle set at "4", and made adjustments using the gears. The throttle levels ranges between 0 and 9. Prior to purchase I was concerned about how this pedelec feature might work, but in practice it's great for my purposes. I wanted a kit that assisted my biking, not a full scale electrical vehicle. The set feature of the throttle compensates very well for the variations in energy that one normally would have to make in a non-ebike. In essence, the pedelec throttle helps levels the terrain. Most of my riding occurs in what might be called rolling terrain (minor up and down grades). Here the eZee kit with the pedelec option excels. Set at "4", and travelling around 12-14 mph, the throttle draws no (or very little) juice from the motor. But when one encounters a rise, more energy is drawn from the motor to compensate for the physical energy one normally would have to expend in climbing. On downhills, of course, no energy is drawn from the motor. If one wants to work harder, set the throttle lower; and vice versa, set it higher to work less. "4" works well in my area (mostly rolling terrain) and for me at my age (69). Now to hill climbing. I primarily purchased the kit for the last 1/3 mile of any ride I do: up the hill to our house. The hill is steep even for young, 20 year old riders. Most have to get out of the saddle to make the climb at 5 plus miles per hour. Prior to purchasing the eZee kit, I could make the climb, but it required great effort and the speed was slower than walking. Most of the time, I walked the bike up that hill. Now, with the eZee kit, I can climb the hill at 8-9 mph, without changing the gear I normally use on level terrain. It requires some effort, but I barely work up a sweat. If I wanted to I could avoid the sweat entirely by adjusting the throttle to a higher level. Thus far, I haven't tried the kit on a long extended hill. My impression is that the motor isn't really designed for extended steep hill climbing; nor does the kit provide sufficient battery power (9ah) for that purpose. I doubt if it is a kit to climb a mountain. But for riding in rolling terrain, and steep hills of short duration, the kit performs admirably. It works better than I expected. It also makes riding in urban areas safer: quick and fast acceleration allow one to get across intersections quickly. An important consideration in the area where I live because many drivers will not give the right away (or slow down) for a bike rider. On most trips, I leave the throttle set a "4" from start to finish. A few final points: When using the eZee kit on the terrain I've described, the battery draw is approximately 1ah per 3.5 to 4 miles. The kit comes with a high quality 9.6 or .8 battery (I forget which), and has plenty of juice left after my normal ride of 15-20 miles. The battery recharges in 3-4 hours. The battery hangs on the side of the rear carrier. Prior to purchase, I was concerned that this position might make the bike feel lopsided or unstable. But that's a concern that vanished after the first ride. The front hub with the rear battery makes for a very stable platform. I really like the ergonomics of the entire kit. My bike has a cro-moly fork and I've had no problem with hub bending the fork. The nuts and attachments for securing the hub to the bike work fine. The hub freewheels when the motor is not running, so there is no drag. The noise of the gears in the hub are not objectionable, and I'm sensitive to noise. Road noise of cars and the urban environment drown out the noise the motor makes. In a very quiet environment (a country road), the sound emitted is something like a low pitched hum. For me, it doesn't break the aesthetics of riding a bike, a problem I was concerned about prior to getting the kit. Another concern I had was the 700c wheels that are on my bike, and the effect on its hill climbing ability. Again, that's not turned out to be a problem for the riding I've described. In summary, this is a very well made kit that will extend the years of enjoyable bike riding for someone who needs a bit of electrical assist.