Electric bicycles
 

I've been doing a little research on electric assist bicycles out of sheer curiosity.

Would it be cheating to use one on the next group ride? Does anybody know what the range on these bicycles happens to be? Fascinating transportation alternative in my view. Beats a friggin Segway.

Please don't turn this into a 'Pcad's 50 now so he needs an electric bike' thread or I'll come over there and hammer you all into monkey puss.

those things don't go much faster than 15 kp/h

http://www.hetrijwielpaleis.nl/uploads/48/padova07.bmp

now adays about 10 miles without pedaling. and 20-30 with pedaling. more or less depending on weight of rider, knobby vs slicks, weight of frame, rider position ect.

There are better batteries that would give you about 25 miles without pedaling and 40 with pedaling

the expensive part is the batteries. I preffer these myself though http://www.staton-inc.com/Details.asp?ProductID=2747

not electric but gas powered. they meet regulation and CA's pullution standards and get about 160-220 mpg. the little canister on them will get me about 70miles

A couple of websites I looked at claimed top speeds of 20mph.

Several years ago I was doing a crit when the organizer (a shop owner) decided to use one of the electric bikes he'd just gotten in as the front marker for 3 neutral laps. Basically he was going to ride at the front of the group as we paraded around for 3 laps and then when he pulled off the race was on.

Thing was he forgot to charge the batteries.

Once we realized this we got right on his rear wheel and kept slapping his back tire and yelling for him to go faster which he would do until we had pushed the pace up to almost 40. He absolutely destroyed himself pedaling that thing around the course.

Good fun.

That's hilarious...:roflmao2:

They are a kick to ride...pedal and they take off...problem is once the battery wears out, it's like a 60 pound bike.

Not necessarily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvxaQD6KYmQ

And that guy isn't even pedalling. :D

:innocent: That was my initial thought next to: What's next? Pcad is asking for assisted living? Only out of curiosity of course :lol:

I am glad to see you didn't post this in the electric bike forum. Your pal gstein would be pleased :D.

I do think these bikes make a lot of sense for folks who don't live too far from work, but live far enough that they are nervous about commuting.

I'm betting that you see huge improvements now that more people are commuting......
But, all you need is a 12V battery, a car starter, and a push button......

Vespa all the way!!!

There's an electric bike forum?

What kind of Nerd Convention is this place?

ciao....


Technically these are supposed to be ridden in bike lanes here - fortunately they aren't. Instead pensioners run down pedestrians with them. (it's a real problem!)
http://www.mobilitymegastore.co.uk/M...0Altea%204.jpg

The top speed of most electric bikes is 20MPH, why bother? I pedal faster than that. Range, 15 miles on one charge.

Not only pedestrians, but cyclists as well.
I had an incident last year when some 70yr old dude in his golf cart was yelling at me, while I was riding on a marked bicycle lane that I should get the f' off the sidewalk as these are for golf carts only! It right next to a golf course, maybe that's why he was stating that claim.

I was so baffled, astonished and bewildered that I wasn't able to say a word. I just kept on riding with my jaw dropped on the top tube.

I built an electric for the daily commuter bike.

I got tired of the:
dress to ride,
ride to work,
shower
dress for work
change to ride home
ride home
shower
change
etc etc.

Now i ride in my dockers and pass roadies while climbing the hills each way.
I built it stealth, so it looks like a beater mtb with 2.5" slicks.

A big question mark floats above their head when i pedal past them in my dockers and work shirt. LoL

BTW..It goes better than 20mph and has 50+ mile range.

Your reign of terror on this forum should expand, for sure.

http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...ysprune=&f=258

I thought about getting an electric bike. My commute to work involves a 15% grade hill, which is super fun when you're not even properly awake.

Then I decided what I really needed to do was HTFU. So I've been HTFU-ing and limping - I mean, powering up that hill.

Now my knees hurt. Well, not hurt exactly, just...I'm aware of them, in a way I'm not aware of my elbows, for instance.

So I'm thinking, once more, about an electric bike. I can HTFU on the weekends and evenings, when I'm fully warmed up and awake.

Pcad. I ride with a handicapped friend who has a gas motor on his bike, and an electric bike. It is somewhat difficult to ride with him. The normal ups and down of speed that a normal bike encounters (even just 1-2mph) while riding don't happen the same when I ride with him. Where a group of bikes might make a little more/less speed on small hills, the powered bikes stay about the same. And long hills are tough. I feel pretty fast at 15mph up the local 3 mile hill. But his gas bike can go 25 up the hill. And God help you, if you are 10 miles from home when his 75 pound electric bikes battery runs down. 5 mph the whole way home.

we just started carrying the europa and A2B electric bikes at our shop in PHX. My boss took one out for a 25 mile club ride and was pushing about 20 or so- albiet flat arizona style