electric bicycles

[tokugawa]

As a extension of the green vehicle and charging thread-
 I know zip about these- anyone have a electric bike? How useful is it? How long to charge?

In a grid down situation, could it be a viable tool for local travel, say 10 or 20 miles, and be recharged with a spare battery pack that had been sitting on a solar charger or small wind charger? Like a cargo bike concept?

Seems like it would be way easier to replace a small removable battery than having to deal with charging a integral battery pack.


 

[charby]

This may help

https://www.juicedbikes.com/pages/real-world-range-test

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/can-e-bike-batteries-be-charged-with-solar-panels.13951/#:~:text=4*20W%20panels%20with%20max,charge%20deeply%20discharged%20ebike%20battery.

[MillCreek]

I bought one last summer so I could continue riding pending my left hip replacement. I bought a Tern HSD S8i cargo bike.   About $4100 out the door.  I have a crate on the back rack for cargo.  It has a Gates carbon belt drive and a Shimano IGH, so it requires much less maintenance than my chainline bicycles.  It has a step-through frame, so it is great for older riders and/or riders with creaky hips or knees.

If I am riding around town in the hilly Cascade foothills with groceries or beer in the crate, I am getting around 35 miles range.  If I am riding on a flat bike trail, I am getting close to 60 miles range. I am a strong bicyclist so I am often riding with no or minimal electric assist, since bicycling is one of my primary means of exercise. I do use the assist on the hills.  The downside, as with most electric bikes, is they are heavy.  Mine comes in at 64 pounds and you feel that when you are pedaling without the electric assist.  A big difference from my titanium road bike that comes in at 21 pounds.  I hope to start riding my other bicycles again after surgery.

It came with a Bosch rapid charger, and takes about four hours to charge from empty.  I imagine you could plug it into one of the battery generator packs that you in turn charged up from wind or solar.  I have been pondering one of those generator packs. 

[MillCreek]

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/want-a-bike-seattle-shops-say-order-now-as-last-years-covid-19-bike-boom-continues/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TSA_031121161900+Want+a+bike+this+summer+It+may+not+be+easy+to+find._3_11_2021&utm_term=

And this article just hit the Seattle Times website: still very short supply of conventional bicycles, but you might have more luck finding an expensive electric bike.  I was at our local REI the other day, and I was shocked how low the stock of bicycles was.

[sumpnz]

If you technical questions I know an engineering manager at Rad Power Bikes.

[Ron]

If you technical questions I know an engineering manager at Rad Power Bikes.

My father is talking about buying two Rad bikes, one for him and his wife each.

I managed to get a chance to see one similar to the ones he is looking at purchasing. I saw a fat tire version of the one he is looking at buying.

Being just under 6'2" I don't think I would fit on them, and the wheelbase was shorter than a typical bike which would make it bumpier and maybe twitchy.

For him and his wife the smaller frame size wouldn't be bad though.

The fit and finish was pretty nice and the owner (for a year) really loved it, he has put a lot of miles on the bike.

I was at our local REI the other day, and I was shocked how low the stock of bicycles was.

Bikes will start showing up to be built later this month. On hands in the stores will probably not be what you are accustomed to seeing in previous years.

[zahc]

I'm happy that people are jazzed about ebikes. But did you know that even regular bikes can go for miles, don't need charged, have infinite range, are lighter, more repairable, better for the environment, and they are even cheaper!

I'm really not a ebike hater, really I'm not, but talking about an ebike as a shtf vehicle is silly unless you already have a fleet of regular bicycles.

[MillCreek]

Since Rad is in the Seattle area, you see a ton of them up here on local streets.  The version 4.0 of the RadWagon is especially popular.  The only major complaint that I hear about Rad is they can use some very proprietary sizes for components and tires, locking you in to Rad as the only parts source.  Tires especially can be hard to come by.

[Jim147]

Quite cats are being used by hunters to get in the brush without needing to take care of a horse. Not sure about specs maybe I'll look later.

[tokugawa]

I'm happy that people are jazzed about ebikes. But did you know that even regular bikes can go for miles, don't need charged, have infinite range, are lighter, more repairable, better for the environment, and they are even cheaper!

I'm really not a ebike hater, really I'm not, but talking about an ebike as a shtf vehicle is silly unless you already have a fleet of regular bicycles.

I have seen hardcore bikers walking their road bikes up the hill I live on -no way I could pedal up that in my 60's. It is  steep around here.
Ideally, I would take a motorcycle- but they are dependent on gas. And noisy. So something that is powered, but quiet, with a minimal recharge is very interesting.

[HeroHog]

If you like riding "thumpers" (big bore single cylinder motorcycles) E-Bikes are for you as nothing torques like an electric motor.