Electric Bikes

[retro-man]

I am interested in purchasing an electric bike. I love to bike ride but the winds this year have been incredible on the coast. A few times I have had to get off and walk the bike back home because the wind is hitting you so hard that even on my mountain bike in low gears it is almost impossible to keep going. Have any members have one of these and if so what are your thoughts and experiences. Esp with charging life of batteries and which ones are better.
Thanks

Jon

 

[coldspot66]

Consumer Reports did an article on electric bikes last month.

 

[foraloysius]

I have two of those at the moment and had an other one before that didn't give the assistance I needed. What are you looking for in an e-bike? And what types are available in your country? Is there a choice in the position of the motor? Personally I always chose the one with the biggest battery, just to be on the safe side.

 

[mattl]

My relatives own a few of them and really like them. One pair collapse down to a backpack size others are full size. Don't know the brands, will check next time I see any of them.

 

[philcobendixduo]

iZip

I bought an iZip E3 Peak mountain bike from a friend of mine.
I am the third owner.
Thankfully, the friend I bought the bike from had just sent the battery out for "reconditioning".
That was $600 according the website of the company he sent it to.
I paid him $1100 for the bike.
The iZip E3 Peak has a "mid-drive" set up (motor in the pedal crank housing) which, in my opinion, is superior to hub drive bikes.
I only ride on paved roads but the bike is great for that despite the knobby tires. Front suspension is soft - rear is hard.
It's a great bike and I enjoy riding it. Assist can be varied from 0 - 4. I usually use 1. If it's windy, 2 will really help.
There is also a "throttle" on the right handgrip that allows for instant full-power assist.
That's handy for taking off from a stop or pedaling up an incline.
Hydraulic disc brakes stop it on a dime.
The bike IS heavy at 50 pounds - about 20 of that the battery, which can be removed with a key lock.
Once you ride a e-bike, it's tough going back to a "manual" pedal bike!

 

[jamiel]

We saw a e-bike vendor in Palm Springs last year at Pride who couldn't answer a very simple question for snowbirds: can you either leave it unplugged (to discharge) or remaining plugged in (to keep charged) while it's in a hot-tish (90-95 degree) environment for 6-7 months without jeopardizing battery life/performance? I probed him but he didn't know/wouldn't commit. We'd love to have 1 or 2 out in PSP to provide reasonable mobility even if my husband has the car.

 

[foraloysius]

Yes, the mid-drive is indeed the superior one to the other types. However, it needs a bit more effort too. That's why I changed from a mid-drive to a frontwheel drive system because I have muscle problems. The mid-drive system is indirect, it doesn't put out it's power directly on a wheel, there is some loss of energy in that system. Besides that it's more expensive and also more repair prone. The front-wheel system is simpler and most likely the system with the least repairs. That said, most people find that the mid-type drive gives the most natural support. Important is what you prefer, but also what you need. Because of that it's necessary to test an e-bike before you buy one.

As for battery life, advice overhere is to keep batteries out of the sun, so having them in a warm climate me also be an issue, but I'm not an expert on batteries. If a battery is removable, you could keep it in an airconditioned space.

 

[retro-man]

Thanks all for this information. Next question that I will look into today is, where do you purchase or test drive them. Do bike shops carry these? Where does one go to test drive one. Also saw a little online about charging. Some charge at home on regular voltage, which is what I am looking for, then others you go to a charging station.

Jon

 

[countryguy]

I bought a Daymak e-bike 2 years ago. It has a 48v system. The motor is in the rear wheel The bike folds in half so I can easily put it in the back of my car which eliminates the need for a bike carrier if I want to take it anywhere. The battery is on the seat post and easily removes just by flipping the seat and pulling the battery out. With the battery installed, the key can be removed which prevents the battery from being removed. To charge the battery, I remove it and bring it inside, and plug in the charger...takes about 3 hours to fully charge. It is supposed to go about 40 km on a charge but I've never gone that far. The first summer and most of last summer it worked flawlessly but then at the end of last summer there were a couple of times where the motor just quit while pedalling. It happened again once this summer. Unfortunately the Daymak service centre is in Toronto...3 hours from me so I haven't been able to have it looked at. When the motor quits it is VERY difficult to pedal without the electric assist. The motor has 5 power levels and there are 5 gears with front/rear disc brakes.

Gary