My Wife and I were discussing about ways we could get around a bit, once we stopped at a site for a few days. We both have pedal bikes we could take to ride around on, but after a trip down to California in 2012, I'm thinking the heat of summer would be brutal for pedaling any distance. I have been looking at electric bicycles, and thinking they may be the answer. You can pedal them, or simply let the motor do the work, depending on the temps. Be handy for a quick run to the grocery store, or for a little sightseeing.Curious if anyone uses them on their travels, and their pro's and con's, etc? Suggestions on makes or models would also be appreciated. As well, if there may be laws you may be aware of, restricting their use. Thinking that perhaps some states or provinces may class them as a motorcycle, thus needing a m/cycle class drivers license and liability insurance, kind of thing. Hoping to avoid that if possible..Thanks Bill

If you like your existing bikes and want to save some bucks, look into electric kits made for existing bikes. Not all kits are created equal, some of them offer more power and longer range than others. Good luck!

My wife and I have ridden electric bicycles for years averaging 2000 miles per year. We currently ride Schwinn World GSE models that are no longer made but the rumor is that they may come back.If we had to choose a new bike we would lean toward Currie Tech who makes several different models. We like their Path Plus model that is brand new for 2014.On the plus side we could not ride anywhere near as much as we do without having electric bikes. They take approximately half of the effort and with our bad body parts they have saved us.On the down side is the cost. Our batteries cost $600 each which is typical of the lithium ion batteries. Also, they are heavier than the non-electric bikes.We like to ride paved bike trails especially Rails-to-trails that are usually shady and always flat.Send me a PM if you need more info.

Friend has one of the front wheel drive kits off Ebay. About $400 or so and it works great. On my little bucket list. :)

I own one that I bought ready made and one that I electrified from a kit. Honestly, it's hard to get anything that is very good for less than $1000. As mentioned, the lithium battery is the biggest chunk of it. $2000 seems to be the price point for a "good" e-bike.In the range of $1000 give or take, the ready made ones are going to be fairly entry level in terms of all the bike components. I don't have any brands to recommend or avoid per se. If you google electric bike blog, you will find some nice blogs that have reviews of specific models. One thing most people recommend is to make sure you like the bike itself, that it fits you and your riding style.You won't be buying anything that violates any laws here in the US or Canada. They are treated as bicycles.

Electric bicycles? | Good Sam Community

nomad_289
Explorer
Feb 24, 2014
I've been researching this myself...

Mid-drive units are the higher end, Bosch, Panasonic and Kalkhoff are some of the best. mid-drives

E-Bike Brands:
Kalkhoff: German, expensive, presumably well engineered.
Currie: Inexpensive, I-zip & E-zip brands, etc.
Evelo: don't know, but their webpage shows a good comparison to Many of the leading brands. Evelo

If you don't want to pedal much, the Specialized Turbo looks like a screamer!
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Feb 25, 2014
I ride on level ground.. However am currently parked in the land of.. Well.. When my daughter visisted us here about a year ago I had to teach her how to handle red lights at the top of a hill (or part way up) with a stick shift, Something I learned in drivers ed.

Seems in the counties surrounding here there are something like 3 hills

Here in the park,, 3 hills, you have yet to reach the end of the driveway.

Thankfully the other park I stay at in Nov-Feb is flatter. So last week I got the bike down, Oiled everythign, (And I mean OILED, best job of lubrication I have done in years) replaced 3 of the 4 cales (All but rear shifter) and road it around the park several times.. Just for fun.

However if you go out of the park.. You guessed it. HILLS This is after all the foothills of the Blue Ridge.

I keep thinking Id like to do an electric upgrade so that I can ride some of these hills better.
nomad_289
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
way8yxm wrote:
I'd like to do an electric upgrade so that I can ride some of these hills better.

This seems to be the top upgrade kit if you have a compatible bike. Hard-tails are good, full-suspension nada.

BionX
Caveman_Charlie
Explorer II
Feb 25, 2014
In my area any type of motorized vehicle is prohibited on bike trails. And, this includes electric bikes.
nomad_289
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
In my area any type of motorized vehicle is prohibited on bike trails. And, this includes electric bikes.

If you pass a LEO on your e-bike you will likely be ticketed.
Otherwise, maintain normal speeds and it's unlikely you'll be bothered in most jurisdictions.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
I have not bought from this guy, but he seems to be good. The whole ebike scene is pretty new so not many people have much of a pedigree.

Anyway, he sells the Bafang mid drive, which people say makes for a very sweet conversion. You can buy it cheaper direct from China, but his are custom-spec'd and tested, and he is reputed to stand behind them. Whereas buying direct can be a real problem if there is an issue.

I plan to build a Nova Downtube folding bike with one of the Bafang mid drives:
http://lectriccycles.com/collections/all
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
wa8yxm wrote:
I ride on level ground.. However am currently parked in the land of.. Well.. When my daughter visisted us here about a year ago I had to teach her how to handle red lights at the top of a hill (or part way up) with a stick shift, Something I learned in drivers ed.

solve that problem by driving a 1950 studebaker with "hill holder". why don't they use them now days?
bumpy
Caveman_Charlie
Explorer II
Feb 25, 2014
Bumpyroad wrote:
wa8yxm wrote:
I ride on level ground.. However am currently parked in the land of.. Well.. When my daughter visisted us here about a year ago I had to teach her how to handle red lights at the top of a hill (or part way up) with a stick shift, Something I learned in drivers ed.

solve that problem by driving a 1950 studebaker with "hill holder". why don't they use them now days?
bumpy

I just learned from experience. I don't know how you guys do it. I just do. But, when I was a kid I would set the emergency brake and then pop it off as I drove away.
ac_bill1
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
Some really great info.Thanks for the replies.

Obviously I need to do some more research..I never realized batteries for these could be so darn expensive..sheesh!
How long would they last under normal use, before needing replacement? I imagine regularly charging them would be crucial? Let it sit for six months without a charge and I bet they could go downhill petty fast. Least regular batteries seem to suffer from this.

This one caught my eye. I like that it is quite compact, and not a huge initial outlay. I have no idea of the quality though..

http://www.costco.ca/GIO-H2-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Foldable-Electric-Bicycle.product.100057334.html
Snowman9000
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
The lithium batteries will last something like 500-1000 cycles, depending on specific chemistries, usage, and care. They can sit partially or fully charged for a long time with no real damage. You would want to charge them after every use to give them the longest life.

The quality on that bike is entry level, but that is not a bad thing if that's where you fit. :) That's where I am, anyway.

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