Rosie8

Thought I'd kick start a thread and ask people who own or wish they owned an electric bike what their reasons are.

I've seen other threads where people talk about having the security of assist for hills or if they have some type of disability which makes them tire suddenly, etc. So what are other reasons for Ebikes?

Zeuser

I'm a tech geek. That's one reason I jumped onto an eBike.
I also like to use my bike to commute. If it's really hot outside, I increase the assist level on my Bion-x and I can get to the office without breaking a sweat.

And it also helps when climbing really steep hills. I have one really steep hill to climb on my way to work; assist really helps.

Even on the flat, if I suddenly had to brake and didn't have time to shift to a lower gear, I can use the thumb throttle just to get up to a decent speed where I can shift without damaging the gears.

Elusor

remember the feeling of being little boy and ride bike?

remember the feelign of being little again?

remember newness of fun of why you bike?

remember that, it is the fun of ebike, the nostalgai the piece and piece of understanding

it is all together there

that is why i ddo and that is why it exists for me

eldenh

I would like to have a drive that can absorb excess energy on steep downs hills of when slowing and return it later. Am trying to figure how to do it on my velomobile with Rohloff hub.

Zeuser

My Bion-x system does that. It does it too well in fact.

What you may need is to change your controller on your velomobile.

workingbike

Here is why I am looking at electric.
I gave up my car because otherwise I wouldn't do ANY exercise and it was affecting my health. I joined a carsharing group so I had access to a vehicle when I *had* to have it but its enough of a pain that I don't do it often. I can carry a fair bit if I have to but its not convenient. Hence, I am going for an Xtracycle, which takes care of the convenience factor and allows ridiculous cargo capabilities and will fit a Stokemonkey electric assist to help me get it up the hill I live on and give me more ability to stay with traffic and encourage greater range. I will still get exercise ( cant run stokemonkey without pedaling ) and will have the ability to most things car drivers can.
www.xtracycle.com
www.cleverchimp.com

hotbike

I have been working on an electric moped since 1986.
The reasons go back to when I was riding a twelve speed bicycle and my friends were riding 50cc gasoline mopeds.

#1 reason is Quiet. We can hold a conversation, between a bicyclist and an E-bike rider.

#2 reason is Clean. A bicycle can draft behind an E-bike without choking on fumes. When I drafted my friend's Honda mopeds 20 years ago, I had to stick my head up and down for breath (stick to swimming) and my clothes were almost black from the soot.

Example, the experimental electric moped, (possibly the first in North America):


My intent in working on experimental electric mopeds since 1986 has been to create an escort vehicle for bicycle clubs.

To escort a bicycle peloton through an area where there is a lot of auto traffic, with lights and horns, and carry water for the cyclists.

I had no intent of using an electric bike for everyday transportation of an individual. Power required to escort a group of bicyclists is inherently limited by the speed and power of bicyclists.

adamtki

These are reason I prefer an ebike over a regular bike:

Saves a LOT of time - It goes a little faster of course. Take roads instead of sidewalks when I would otherwise not have the energy or strength to. Some roads are tight or congested or traffic is too fast or there's a slight hill, etc. Less need for showers. Pass other cyclists faster (instead of tailing behind until a big gap opens).

Definitely safer - Drivers have more time to see you. You have less number of cars that do pass you per minute. You tend to use the road more instead of sidewalks and bike lanes so you're more visible and be less likely to get doored. Being faster, there's less of a chance you'll irritate impatient drivers. Less likely to get right hooked since drivers will tend to follow you instead of trying to beat you to their turn. You're less fatigued so you pay attention better and have better control.

Good for the environment - More car trips are replaced with bike trips without emitting any pollution (except the relatively tiny amount of electricity your local power plant generates).

Better health - I have a bad back, so I don't need to strain myself on certain segments of my ride. The exercise is more even so less stress on your legs. You're not huffing and puffing in the car exhaust as they pass you as much. You can use softer tires so the ride is less jolting on your body.

mlh122

who wouldn't want to make a big hill a little (or a lot) easier. who wouldn't want to go a little faster with the same amount of effort, and (depending on how much power your bike has) who wouldn't want to do a whole bike ride without getting tired/sweaty/sore.

they also allow people that can't quite go on a normal bike ride (my mom with arthritis for example) to be able to ride right along with me. or allow people that can ride a bike, to go on a longer ride than they previously could.

roadCruiser76

I can understand people with health problems riding an electric bike. But for able bodied people, it seems like the best way to go on a longer ride than they previously could would simply be to get out there and practice more. Then you would accomplish the goal of going further, faster, while improving your health more than if you come to rely on a motor.

Zeuser

Perhaps you m issed the part about not being all sweaty? End of paragraph 1 in mlh122's post that you quoted.

dwainedibbly

^ exactly.

In the warmer months I commute on an ebike so that I can get to work without being sweaty. On the ride home I pedal my @ss off, getting just as much exercise (at least on the ride home) as I do when I ride my other "normal" bike during cool/cold weather.

Krow

I've been commuting on a Giant Lite for the last two months. I have the same bike rigged with a hitch for an Adams Trail-a-Bike to take my six-year-old to t-ball or the library. I have a second hitch for a trailer to carry 6 bags of groceries.

With the commuting, the grocery hauling and the kid-toting, I've almost completely stopped using my car. I'm not as cool as the guys and gals in lycra and spiffy road bikes, but I'm plugging along consistently. The electric assist makes it much easier to use this bike for all the daily chores without doing a lot of prep or building myself into a Lance Armstrong level cyclist. For me, the question has flipped from "Why should I take my bike?" to "Why *shouldn't* I take my bike?"

I meet lots of other 40-something types who are pretty interested in having just enough help to make cycling fun again. If I had a dollar for every question I've answered, I'd have already paid off this contraption.

I think a well-designed and integrated electric assist would sell very well if they could bring it in for $500-700. Every nickel more at the gas pump makes this option even better.

Oh, and as a bonus, I've lost about 10 pounds and am in much better shape than I was a few months ago. It's an electric assist, but I still do a lot of work on this thing.