Electric assist bicycles. Wife wants one. (ngc)

[bigbikerrick]

Hello Folks, The development where we bought a retirement home south of Tucson, has about 20 miles of paved hiking trails, and we like to take our little Jack Russell terrier for walks( runs) on them. I use an electric mobility scooter for our outings, as my fused ankle makes it tough to do it any other way. My wife uses a "comfort bike" , but some of the hills have gotten to be a bit much for her to negotiate, and she was thinking an electric assist bike would be great. Depending on how it goes for her, with the electric bike, I may even get one for myself.
Anyone here have any experience with these bikes? any  Suggestions, and or Recommendations , as always much appreciated .
This forum Rocks !!   
Rick.

PS; I just noticed ,Yamaha of all companies ,is getting into the electric bicycle fray.

[yogidozer]

I don't have one, but wondering if there is a renal place near you, or if the bike shop will let you test one for a half day?
BAZINGA, how about this place? https://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/dealers/tucson/?gclid=CjwKCAjwma3ZBRBwEiwA-CsblMvDhU1Kok2W3sjTA2hNuxVyxpvsdt99tBziIgvhpRY1mJSyxx_RKxoCFDoQAvD_BwE

Tucson Electric Bike Store | Try an Electric Bike for Free‎
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(520) 441-9782
Pedego Tucson is the very best place for electric bikes. Try one free today! Try a Pedego Free today. Huge Selection of Bikes. Rental & Tours Offered. Friendly Customer Service. Quality Electric Bikes. Models: City Commuter, Interceptor, Platinum Interceptor, Comfort Cruiser, Trail Tracker, Ridge Rider.
4340 N Campbell Ave #107b, Tucson, AZ‎ - ‎Closed now · Hours


Electric Bike info
http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/info/?gclid=CjwKCAjwma3ZBRBwEiwA-CsblASvAtd4tRuhr-Yu5YpKJZmtri8JpPAr6NWiZapC72ccwdidmoJB-hoCsuMQAvD_BwE

[davedel44]

New shop here in Galveston sales and rental.  Big hit.  Ones I have seen seem well built.  Very impressed, with lighting.  Large headlight and strobes on bars.  Dont know brand but they will fly on the flats. 

Dave
Galveston

[Rhodan]

I've test ridden some.  As other folks have mentioned, go for a test ride.  It's fun and it's the best way to figure things out.
Not only do you want the bike to fit you, be aware there are a variety of electric motors and batteries out there which provide different levels of assistance and battery life.  The co$t can also vary quite a bit.  Testing them out can help you determine which brand works best for you.  Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, and Shimano are common drive systems.
They can be great for hills or if you have a bum knee or ankle like you mentioned.  You're still getting exercise but it removes some barriers.

Here's a link to a bunch of reviews.  https://electricbikereview.com/   They have a lot of youtube reviews along with their written reviews.

[Aaron D.]

They are great! Some notes of caution..
Many of the ready-made e-bikes are European, and are somewhat limited in power.
You can buy a 750 watt bike from Luna Cycle at a better price. On bike trails 50 miles are possible with a single battery.
Mid-drive is better than hub drive in my opinion, better balance.
If you use it a lot you may find yourself upgrading components-chain etc-as you go along.

[j.r.r.]

In my opinion I wouldn't take one even if the try to give it away free of charge. Basically speaking, pile of crap. Most components on those bikes are very low end, you can find them on bikes which can be purchase for under $200 at Walmart. They are very heavy so in case of problem(s) I wouldn't want pedal such a monster back home, even pushing will be challenging if the distance is bigger than 3 miles. For the money they charge for those electric bikes I would go to proper LBS (local bike shop) and buy nice hybrid bike. If you are willing to spend $1500.00 for the proper bike it will weight around 25- 28 lbs (not 75 lbs) and shop will fit the bike for you. This fitting process is very important and not many people are aware of that. The proper/professional bike shop will have special room where they will be able to put you on something which kind of looks like a bike but any dimension can be adjusted to the person sitting on it as well as the type of riding given person is going to do. I'm sorry but nobody is going to sell me on electric bicycles, if I have to pay $7,499.00 CAD for this https://www.vespatorontowest.com/vehicles-ruffian-electric-cruiser.html I would spend this money buying this https://www.vespatorontowest.com/vehicles-gts300-my18-sgi.html for $7,995.00 CAD.

[mtiberio]

My e-bike just arrived a couple of days ago. Rad Power Mini, cost $1499. 750 Watt, was limited to 20, I bumped that to 25. It's a folder. Lots of torque, and I figure more exercise flapping my legs about that sitting on a bike. Perfect for my 1.7 mile commute to work. Will never replace a motorcycle for long trips. Not safe (IMHO) on roads without bike lanes. But for short trips, at the beach or in the pits at the track, perfect. Probably Chinese, but the build quality is outstanding. All the welds are a stack of dimes, excellent bracing and fillets. Don't know if it's robots or not, but they have this stuff down.

[Toecutter]

If you are able to find one that someone's offloading... get a Stokemonkey. From what I hear, they're the cat's ass when it comes to electric assist motors.

[Testarossa]

Tiberio's solution is a good one and that's a very good price for a decent-quality bike.

You can buy e-bike kits online -- about $150 to $200 for a wheel-hub motor, controller, all the wiring and accessories -- and another $200 to $300 for a battery.  I built a 250w 36v bike for my wife and a 750w 48v bike for myself, starting with junker frames we already had -- total investment about $800 for the two bikes. Straight bolt-together kits. Wheels are supplied with tires and tubes though the tubes are pretty flimsy so I replaced them. You can probably add a kit to your wife's comfort bike for around $400. She'd probably be happy with a 500w 36v rear-wheel set-up. If her bike has front suspension avoid the front-wheel kits.





Very happy with our bikes.  Quite ugly but very serviceable for shopping trips and around town. Range is about 20 miles if you pedal, less if you rely purely on battery power. Gail uses hers for grocery shopping but we sometimes ride to the park for concerts etc. The motors make short work of the steep hill going home. The kits may be "Chinese junk" but we've found them reliable. In China they sell millions of these every month and know how to make them.

Check out https://www.amazon.com/JAXPETY-Electric-Bicycle-Conversion-Cycling/dp/B0761R9DPF/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1529681819&sr=1-3&keywords=500+watt+ebike+kit

and https://www.amazon.com/Lithium-Battery-Aluminum-Charger-Recharge/dp/B06XC3CHRF/ref=sr_1_8?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1529682022&sr=1-8&keywords=36v+ebike+battery

[leafman60]

There's another huge marketing opportunity for electric assist.

Some of the people at the gym where I work out are often saying that somebody should adapt electric assist to the various weight machines we use. 

One of my older friends often complains about the rowing machine and says an electric motor would make it so much better.  Says he would even pay more for his membership.

.

[Moto]

How about a nice Italjet Ascot, now on sale for "up to 50% off" in Canada. I don't know of a U.S. distributor.



Lots of nice leather and chrome, 53 lb., 250 watts, a range of 30+ miles, and a top speed of 15 mph.

http://italjet.ca/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvLLZBRDrARIsADU6ojCc0UeK0uBQU4GEEeoZkBotGGnA-jLm8npUiEZ48uUbjSgHN9KJ580aAl8cEALw_wcB

https://www.fleamarketinsiders.com/ascot-vintage-electric-bike/

Moto

EDIT: I just clicked all the buttons except the last for ordering one to be delivered in Wisconsin. Free shipping! The Ascot Classic is $2499 Can. on sale, or $1881 U.S. Still a bit rich for my blood, I'm afraid.

ONE MORE EDIT: "In stock in both USA and Canada," it says. So apparently the free delivery would apply. Built in Bologna, with hand-formed aluminum fenders, etc.

[Toecutter]

I really like ^that.

Just perused the website. Damn that's pretty... dare I say, worth the money.

Lessee... and hour and a bit to work, charge at work, an hour and a bit home... save $20 a week in gas over the Guzzi. 24 weeks a year of commuting... I could pay it off in 5.25 years!

But, it is awfully pretty.

[bigbikerrick]

Wow, That Italjet Ascot is a piece of rolling art! Thanks a bunch, Folks for all the  cool links and info. I am going to spend some time checking out all the links provided, and get a bit educated on e bikes. There sure are alot of cool options available including rolling our own like Testarossa did.
The links to the places to test ride in Tucson are great, we will deffinitely go there, thank you!
This is going to be some fun !
Rick.

[Unkept]

Oh.... that Italjet looks fantastic.

Several years ago, my wife and I were at Mackinac Island and saw the "Harley bicycle" there was on display in a store.

I thought it would be a really cool idea to make an electric bicycle that looked like an old fashioned motorcycle.

They've done it!

I'm afraid it's so pretty that in Madison it would be quickly stolen, unless always stored indoors.