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Anyone like to ride? After researching and shopping around a couple months for a bike, I decided to go with an electric. Nice way to get around when you don't need a car. When you get tired of pedaling press the button and go up to 30 miles in electric mode. Which lets you to bike to work or school without arriving all tired and sweaty. Also folds up quickly for storage. Had mine for three months now. This thing is pretty awesome and super-fun.
I don't own an electric bike, but I can certainly see the appeal. I'd like to see someone make a lightweight, small plug-in electric "car", with a bicycle drivetrain for back up if you run out of charge. I put the word car in quotation marks because what I'm envisioning might have four wheels and perhaps a body/shell, but otherwise would have more in common with a recumbent bicycle, but for two people.
They're too expensive for a commuter bike... I've had a few old road bikes I've used as commuters, but those have shot up in price recently. You used to be able to pick one up for $25-50. They usually need a bit of work, maybe a new cassette and usually a chain and tires, but you could get one for under a hundred. Hipsters drove the price up though. Most aren't very fast, ~15 mph which I can cruise at easily. The other problem is they weigh a ton... like 50 pounds. I'd kind of like a folding bicycle for taking on BART... or I would if I still lived in San Francisco anyway. Probably not electric. 50 pounds doesn't sound fun to lug down to BART or contort onto a bus.
The top speed on this one is 18 mph. It hasn't given me any problems on some moderate inclines. Goes up moderate hills without slowing down much. I weigh 160. Don't know how well it would do in a very hilly area like San Francisco or in the country. You might want a beefier motor for the more hilly areas. Maybe five or six hundred watt. Taking your weight and the weight of the bicycle into consideration.
What kind of bike do you have? I came very close to getting this one but at the last minute wanted to take a quick peek at the electrics, just out of curiosity, and ended up buying one.
Anyone like to ride? After researching and shopping around a couple months for a bike, I decided to go with an electric. Nice way to get around when you don't need a car. When you get tired of pedaling press the button and go up to 30 miles in electric mode. Which lets you to bike to work or school without arriving all tired and sweaty. Also folds up quickly for storage. Had mine for three months now. This thing is pretty awesome and super-fun.
The top speed on this one is 18 mph. It hasn't given me any problems on some moderate inclines. Goes up moderate hills without slowing down much. I weigh 160. Don't know how well it would do in a very hilly area like San Francisco or in the country. You might want a beefier motor for the more hilly areas. Maybe five or six hundred watt. Taking your weight and the weight of the bicycle into consideration.
I can see a purpose in an electric bike, but I'm not really interested. I sit a lot, so for me part of the point of bicycling is to be moving my muscles around (unlike sitting on the bus or car). And I like the idea of being self-propelled.
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What kind of bike do you have? I came very close to getting this one but at the last minute wanted to take a quick peek at the electrics, just out of curiosity, and ended up buying one.
I have a road bike but it's a heavier frame than most with wider tires. Called a "touring bike" it's good for commuting, carrying loads or just any long riding where top speed isn't the goal. It's a Jamis Aurora. My odometer has 17896 miles but 2500 is on an old bike. Most of my car miles is for road trips rather than local trips (usually by foot, bike or bus).
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