n4zou

Check out the new Schwinn 2007 Campus Electric bike.
https://www.schwinnbike.com/products/...ail.php?id=889
The electric drive system only adds 10 lbs to the weight of the bike and all the wires are hidden in the frame, forks, and handlebar. The front wheel with the hub motor is easy to remove as well. The battery pack in located beneath the rack and is easily removed by sliding it out via a track and lock system.

Allen

Sweet. I wonder what's the price point.

--A

likeakidagain

thanks.

Elusor

would be good if this could add like a kit

smaller version of hub and smaller battery equals light additional weight

i like much

c

adamtki

I added a bionx 250pl system to my bike and I get about 30-35 miles range at level 3 assist. I use 700x28 wheels, btw. To get an idea of how much assist level 3 gives, that assist level raises my average cruising speed from 18mph to 22 mph. 18mph was what I had before I installed the kit onto the bike. The assist levels go from 1-4.

kf5nd

How is the quality of the Tres Terra products? Any problems with it?

n4zou

Discovered this a few days ago.
ECB Estelle City Electric Bike- CLOSEOUT

https://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_s...ml/page18.html
Looks like a very good deal on a high quality electric bike.

Allen

HERE it is in the flesh. Got one for my Pop recently. The battery is not holding a full charge but Pop gets enough distance to suit his needs. Even with the price of a new battery the bike is cheeper than retail.
I think the bike is a Biria, fitted with an E-kit and rebadged as an Estelle, by Heinzmann, the maker of the electric system.

n4zou

Thanks for the pictures and review! I figured the battery pack might be a little on the old side. I am sure the pack could be opened up and new batteries installed essentially rebuilding it. Considering gasoline is probably going to be around $4.00 a gallon this year… you know why you would want one!

Elusor

Fantastic

I guess Iwill go with Crystalyte in time for the spring biking season

mind you i was there through the snow

i have the battle scars to show for it

so does my horse, i mean bike

Zeuser

WRONG!

They're now legal in every province as of October 2006 (Ontario being the last province to legalize them).

Elusor

i gues at times i worry to about theft of controller

are the bionx easy to remove like quick release for the controller?

Zeuser

I use Bionx on my Mountain bike as a commuter. Yeah yeah.. I know... mountain bike. But part of my commute (midway) is a fun off-road segment that I go out of my way to do every time I get a chance.

I used to have a Strong eBike. That's an entire bike and it was just too damn heavy. too heavy to transport, too heavy to pedal, too heavy to be effective. Sure the motor was a 500W instead of the Bionx 350W I currently have, but it needed all that power just to get it moving. That thing was just not a good bike overall.

With the Strong you almost don't want to be pedaling because of the weight. With the Bionx, it's a joy to pedal.

Most of the time I pedal in assisstance mode 2 (75%). When I'm tired a bit I'll switch to mode 3 (150%). And if I have a hillclimb, even a light grade, I'll switch to mode 4 (300%) so I don't break a sweat.

I sometimes use the thumb throttle off a corner to avoid changing gears and just to get up to a speed where I can start pedaling on my own.

The regen is pretty cool as well. On one of my favorite trails there's a 500M long steep downhill segment. I put the Bionx into regen mode 3 and don't touch the brakes. Sure I don't go very fast, but I do make it to the bottom of the hill without having to use the mechanical brakes to control my speed. Just some taps on +A or -G to switch re-gen levels to control the downhill speed. It works!

While the Bionx is more expensive, it does give a lot back. No need for a cycle computer, it's all built-in. And the light weight truely is a strong selling point. Especially compared to the Strong GTS eBike.

Elusor

I went to Canadian Tire at Bay and Dundas in Toronto to play with the Strong. I picked it up with one arm. It was heavy as sin! It felt like my arm was going to come off. It doesn't even look like an electric bike, more like a moped. And it is on sale now for $899, but not thanks okay. I am considering the new line of Crystalyte, they use NIMH batteries now, so they are much lighter, but more expensive.

Zeuser

That's the Strong I used to have. $899 at Canadian Tire, I bought it in Oakville.
Can you even get Crystalyte in Ontario (local retailers) ?

I know the local bike shops selling bionx weren't that well informed. I got mine in Quebec while I was visiting family over there. They're more informed about things like the proper spoke size give the bike's usage and weight. But then again, the guys in Quebec have had legal eBikes for years so they've had plenty of time to learn how to sell the right system for the specific customer.

Ontario folks are just inexperienced. Not to mention many non-forward thinking bike shop owners just don't like eBikes to start with. So they're not exactly motivated to really push eBike sales. For them it's more of a novelty item than a growing market segment. They fail to understand demographics; our population's mean age is growing older all the time, eBikes will be strong sellers with that crowd.

Elusor

actually i was looking at jvbike in bc and thinking of getting shipment from them
lbs in ontarion don't care too much about them so not too exciting

Caspar_s

Canadian Tire now sells three others - Schwinn male, female and a folder. They seem a lot lighter than the Strong. $499 and $599 I think. Unfortunately I haven't been there while they've tested them.

I work at the Burlington Mall one and they have them in stock if you want to have a look.

Elusor

yeah they don't seem real good though is all

i mean

the one for 200W don't seem like it much

Robert C

I see ones like this in use all over China. There is a pretty steep hill in form of my school but they seem to make it up to the top. That is with only 350W, so I expect that the 600W, or 1KW units would do just fine. The only trouble is that (and this is a China spicific problem) they are beginning to face the same restrictions as bicycles; such as restriction to bicycle facilities and prohibition where bicycles are prohibited. I am also seeing them being required to be walked in places that bicycleists are required to walk (such as facility gates) where previously that were permitted to ride through like motor traffic.

It is interesting that Beijing is being forced to remove bicycle restrictions. They seem to be discovering that trying to eliminate bicycles in favor of private cars was not a brilliant plan.


https://www.werelectrified.com/electric_pedal_bike.html

I do realize that this is more of an electric moped than an electric bicycle; and as such, is not really the item under consideration. I go find it interesting that it has a much smaller motor than the ebikes that we are discussing.

Elusor

okay thanks

squeakywheel

The new moped? I'd race one of those any day with a (pedal bike).

Seriously, from a commuting point of view, I think pedaling is more efficient.

Robert C

ebikes require peadaling. I included the picture of the electric moped just to show what has become popular here. As I stated, and as the pictures clearly show,it is not the same animal that is being discussed as ebikes.

olps

Where in Quebec did you happen to get the bionx system? I was thinking about picking one up for my hybrid bike (for when I go distance, hills, and carry alot of gear). I ask because I've been thinking of picking it up in Ottawa or here in Montreal. Also, when you lock it up or leave it, do you take teh controller and/or the battery off and take it with you? The bionx system looks fantastic.

Zeuser

i got it at bicycles lamothe in Sorel.

Elusor

yeah, the bionx looks great

it is light i hear, but i might go for something cheaper and packs more juice even being heavier

Crystalyte has one out, and they have a lighter battery now