Originally Posted by
Brian
You've placed a lot of conditions on that one, but of course I would like to see them use an ebike. I just don't understand why any able-bodied person would want to add the extra weight, if they can ride a bike without all that. I'm also not impressed by some of the dangerous backyard engineering I've seen.
For what it's worth, I have 8 bicycles, a very economical car, and a motorcycle (with an engine larger than the one in my car) that's reasonably economical as well.
I have only 2 bicycles and a nice 550Vtwin motorcycle, and a vintage 67 mustang.
I am quite able bodied, and at nearly fifty years of age I can still run down the street and pull "round off-flip flop-back somersaults" on pavement, to impress my 6 year old grandson, who wants to be a gymnast, so I'll bet I'm more able bodied than you.
I ride my GT fixed gear conversion everyday to and from work (only 12 miles each way) but after trying to haul the better priced size of cat litter in a backpack up our puny freeway overpass, I found myself walking the thing, at about the halfway point,....quite discouraging, I have to say.
So I just built an electric grocery bike out of a typical 36V/ 600Wbrushed hub kit that a friend gave me (that I hadn't ever used) when I lost my drivers license, except I relaced the e-hub to a 32mm alex downhill rim, put a yellow stripe kickback hub on the other 32mm alex, with a pair of maxxis hookworms for stick.
I threw all this on an old steel huffy cruiser frame, with a tektro c324 cruiser front brake for safety reasons. I used the rear rack that came with the kit (steel=STRONG!) to hold the batteries, and used a wald front basket to hold my gettables.
after building it, I was HORRIFIED that it weighed nearly 75LBS!, but after riding it (at 30mph blasting past stopped traffic) I could care less how much it weighs.
now I'm using it for a short hauls only, my farthest grocery store is only 3.5mi away, so I just ride it like a motorcycle, I only peddle to get started.
I have to say I have never had THAT MUCH FUN going to and from the grocery store, especially coming back loaded down with cat litter, and a weeks worth of groceries as I just motored up the freeway overpass at 22mph. (I felt a little victorious, I have to say
)
I agree that e-bikes have some serious drawbacks I.E. range, and weight, and I'll never stop riding my other bikes to and from work, but for my purposes it works SO well I wish wald made a GIANT-ER basket, so I could haul MORE stuff and I'll probably still use the e-grocery-hauler even after I get my drivers license back (only 45 more days!) it's just alot of fun (I find myself making excuses to go out and get stuff with that bike)
so if you wanted to know why an otherwise able bodied person would ride a 70lb bike that'll only go 15 miles before needing a 4 hour re-charge, I'd give the short answer:
because it's alot of fun!