Electric Bikes?

Would you use one and why? 

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Permalink Reply by Larry Frank on September 11, 2014 at 11:15am

Recently I took an old Raleigh Record Ace and converted it to an electric bike. I bought the e-bike kit on ebay. It is 36v motor mounted in a 28/700c front wheel, with a controller & battery pack that I put on a rear wheel rack. I have three 12 volt 8 amp hour SLA batteries. Has a thumb control throttle that also indicates the battery status. I spent about $500 for the kit, batteries, 12v charger, rack, tire and tube. I estimate a full charge will give me 20 miles. The down side, the bike is really heavy.

Riding this thing is a real blast! I have a 6 mile commute from my home in Glenview to Northbrook and back. I have peddled this distance for years, but now with my ebike its a real hoot. I can go 16 mph and never break a sweat.

I will convert a bike to an e-bike for anyone that can't do it, minimum $$ my labor. 

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 11, 2014 at 5:37pm

This makes me sad.



Larry Frank said:

Recently I took an old Raleigh Record Ace and converted it to an electric bike. I bought the e-bike kit on ebay. It is 36v motor mounted in a 28/700c front wheel, with a controller & battery pack that I put on a rear wheel rack. I have three 12 volt 8 amp hour SLA batteries. Has a thumb control throttle that also indicates the battery status. I spent about $500 for the kit, batteries, 12v charger, rack, tire and tube. I estimate a full charge will give me 20 miles. The down side, the bike is really heavy.

Riding this thing is a real blast! I have a 6 mile commute from my home in Glenview to Northbrook and back. I have peddled this distance for years, but now with my ebike its a real hoot. I can go 16 mph and never break a sweat.

I will convert a bike to an e-bike for anyone that can't do it, minimum $$ my labor. 

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on September 11, 2014 at 6:16pm

Call me a troglodyte, call me a crusty old man, but I can't go there.  Why?  First of all, the term "electric bike" is a contradiction in terms.  The Oxford English dictionary defines a bicycle as follows:  "A vehicle composed of two wheels held in a frame one behind the other, propelled by pedals and steered with handlebars attached to the front wheel."  The key phrase is "propelled by pedals."  So called "electric bikes," to the extent there is an "electric," are not bicycles.  I have no problem with the concept of motor-powered, two-wheeled forms of transportation.  Call them mopeds.  Call them motorbikes.  Call them motorcycles.  Even call them scooters.  But they all rely on motors, and they should all be called motor-somethings or some other term not including "bike" or "bicycle."  The term "electric bike" is just a euphemism trying to conceal the fact that such vehicles are largely powered by motors, not human muscles.  There's nothing evil about motors, but let's not try to pretend that a motor scooter that can also be pedaled is any kind of bicycle.  A bicycle, by definition, is a purely human-powered and human-pedaled mechanism.  When you put a motor on it, it is no longer a bicycle.  Let's not try to pretend otherwise.  

Other than that, I think these electric scooters are a pretty good idea, within limits.           

Permalink Reply by yai danche on September 12, 2014 at 2:18am

UGH.  Thank you!  

Jeff Schneider said:

Pedaled.

Permalink Reply by Larry Frank on September 13, 2014 at 3:25am

This is my Ral-E 36V has a 20 mile range, if the battery runs down I still have a backup power source, me.

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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 13, 2014 at 1:25pm

More weight, more speed and the same marginal brakes; sounds like a great idea.

Now this makes me even sadder.

Larry Frank said:

This is my Ral-E 36V has a 20 mile range, if the battery runs down I still have a backup power source, me.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Markus on September 13, 2014 at 8:37pm

As an old fart that still wanted to commute by bike I bought a e-bike for my 9mile each way commute and if I'd just wauited a couple of years more for the technology to mature a bit I'd be a real happy camper. As it is my bike (one of several in my stable and the only e-bike I own) does the work well, enables my 60 yr old body to do a 14-16 MPH average as a vehicular cyclist and allow me to then work 10 hours on my feet and still ride home. The 350Kw motor on flat land takes me to 20mph as I pedal and gets me up to speed faster without the strain from stop lights and signs. 

Wewre it not for this bikes sensitivity to even a light rain I would ride it much more. At a little over 2yrs old I am noticing some degradation in chrage performance but I will go after market for cell replacement soon and if possible upgrade for more weather resistance and power...

Jeff

Permalink Reply by Jeff Markus on September 13, 2014 at 8:52pm

I ride a Prodeco Storm. It has been a lithany of problems and difficulties from basic engineering thru customer service. I have a 3rd battery system in it due to its fragile mounting method and lack of weather resistance. The motor was poorly assembled to the brake disc and replacement parts sent from the manufacturer caused damage to the motor. When they tried to void the warranty due to their error I protested and tho they covered the cost I was warned of legal action if I continued to relate my tale of woe in web sites for e-bike info. I wonder if even now should they get wind of this post if they will once again threaten me with damaging the 'Marketability' of their product.

Jeff

Rudolf G Burger said:

Has anyone had any experience with the Prodeco line of e-bikes?  I was talking to a rider who had a Phantom X2, been riding it for a few years and loves it.  Not a bad looking bike, esp as it's a folder with what looks like 26" wheels.  They also make a non-electric model as well as others.

http://prodecotech.com/bikes/category/electric-bikes/

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