Anyone into electric cycling? Electric Bicycles

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LeftieBiker said:
Stoaty said:
Interesting article on the "Copenhagen Wheel" (replace the back wheel with this product and you have an electric bike). Now available to order with shipment in first quarter of 2014 for $699. Be sure to watch the video:

http://insideevs.com/video-mit-backed-copenhagen-wheel-on-sale-now-gives-your-bike-30-miles-of-range/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pre-order here:

https://www.superpedestrian.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It uses a small but heavy lead-acid battery. That equals low range (30 miles would be like the Leaf's 100 mile range), high weight, and lower performance. This thing seems to be a solution in vain search of a problem.
Really? I saw the spec on their website and it says the battery is rechargeable lithium, not lead-acid. Why do you think it's lead-acid?
 
LeftieBiker said:
It uses a small but heavy lead-acid battery. That equals low range (30 miles would be like the Leaf's 100 mile range), high weight, and lower performance.
Do you need reading glasses? ;)
 

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Oops, no - I read another piece on it that said lead-acid. Either it's available with both or one of the articles is wrong. Anyway, the idea of putting the battery in the wheel has problems - mainly the range and power available. The US version is 350 watts, and that's kind of anemic for a hubmotor. A geared motor could work with that little power, but unless this has both a battery pack and a transmission in it (unlikely with regen), it will most likely underwhelm.
 
Man, this site can be a PITA, especially finding and posting to older topics... anyway, has anyone else been doing Winter riding? I have bad circulation, so I go out wearing two or three layers of clothes (including two pairs of socks), electric inner soles, electric lithium powered heated gloves, and a pair of foot warmers on my inner socks. Oh, and a ski visor over my heavy balaclava. ;-) It's quite rewarding, though, cycling past snow and ice-covered fields, and watching the deer, eagles and other wildlife ignore me. It's getting a bit old doing it like this in mid-March, mind you, but I can still get 10-14 miles in. Still, I will definitely be welcoming Spring!
 
LeftieBiker said:
Man, this site can be a PITA, especially finding and posting to older topics... anyway, has anyone else been doing Winter riding? I have bad circulation, so I go out wearing two or three layers of clothes (including two pairs of socks), electric inner soles, electric lithium powered heated gloves, and a pair of foot warmers on my inner socks. Oh, and a ski visor over my heavy balaclava. ;-) It's quite rewarding, though, cycling past snow and ice-covered fields, and watching the deer, eagles and other wildlife ignore me. It's getting a bit old doing it like this in mid-March, mind you, but I can still get 10-14 miles in. Still, I will definitely be welcoming Spring!

You have my admiration for your dedication and my sympathies for the cold weather. It must be beautiful out there in the snow, though.

Though we have drought and earthquakes, and sometimes bad brush fires, winter riding here on the left coast is generally pretty easy. I've been riding almost daily, but all I've needed is a windbreaker on some days. We're already enjoying Spring, and my favorite canyon destination is greening up quite nicely.

Ride on!
 

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We had a heat wave come through Michigan yesterday. It was 39F and I broke out my eBike and rode to work. I need to find my headlight charger though. Riding in the dark isn't fun.
 
kubel said:
We had a heat wave come through Michigan yesterday. It was 39F and I broke out my eBike and rode to work. I need to find my headlight charger though. Riding in the dark isn't fun.

That's why I like AA/AAA battery lights. Easy to carry spares.
 
Does anyone here know more about the GoCycle G2R folding e-bike? http://www.gocycle.com/category_s/90.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It's only 34 lbs and does 40 miles on one charge. Best thing, it's foldable.

I read some articles with a bit of google but I can't find anything about purchasing it in San Francisco.
 
mxp said:
Does anyone here know more about the GoCycle G2R folding e-bike? http://www.gocycle.com/category_s/90.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It's only 34 lbs and does 40 miles on one charge. Best thing, it's foldable.

I read some articles with a bit of google but I can't find anything about purchasing it in San Francisco.
Their web site doesn't show any licensed dealer in the U.S., so probably pretty difficult to get it here.
 
Stoaty said:
mxp said:
Does anyone here know more about the GoCycle G2R folding e-bike? http://www.gocycle.com/category_s/90.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It's only 34 lbs and does 40 miles on one charge. Best thing, it's foldable.

I read some articles with a bit of google but I can't find anything about purchasing it in San Francisco.
Their web site doesn't show any licensed dealer in the U.S., so probably pretty difficult to get it here.

It looks very cool. I'm not much into folding bikes, but the design of this one is very cool looking. A nice fit with an EV.
 
It's only 34 lbs and does 40 miles on one charge.

Please don't be a dupe for the manufacturer. That "up to 40 miles", (not what you wrote), means that with the motor barely running, and only when absolutely needed, it *may* go 40 miles with a light rider, on level ground. 20 miles is probably the real *upper limit* for normal riding. My EZIP Trailz came with a 10AH rated lead-acid battery pack. That means only about 6-7 usable amp-hours, and the most I ever got from it, riding like a miser, was 15 miles when it was fairly new. Most EZIP riders get 8-10 miles from the pack. From what I know of lithium packs, looking at the photos of the bike I doubt it is more than a 10AH pack, which means 8-9 usable AHs. Even with regenerative braking it just isn't large enough to go 40 miles.
 
LeftieBiker said:
It's only 34 lbs and does 40 miles on one charge.

Please don't be a dupe for the manufacturer. That "up to 40 miles", (not what you wrote), means that with the motor barely running, and only when absolutely needed, it *may* go 40 miles with a light rider, on level ground. 20 miles is probably the real *upper limit* for normal riding. My EZIP Trailz came with a 10AH rated lead-acid battery pack. That means only about 6-7 usable amp-hours, and the most I ever got from it, riding like a miser, was 15 miles when it was fairly new. Most EZIP riders get 8-10 miles from the pack. From what I know of lithium packs, looking at the photos of the bike I doubt it is more than a 10AH pack, which means 8-9 usable AHs. Even with regenerative braking it just isn't large enough to go 40 miles.

Thanks for sharing your experience! So, is it normally "electric-ride-assist" in any e-bike discussions (in your description above) until the battery is depleted ?
 
So, is it normally "electric-ride-assist" in any e-bike discussions (in your description above) until the battery is depleted ?

I'm not sure what you are asking, so I'll try a couple of answers. Manufacturers always over-estimate the range (sound familiar?) of their bikes, and range estimates are usually based on riding unassisted some of the time. If you are asking what form the assist takes, there are two common forms: "PAS" ( automatic pedal assist) which produces motor assist as long as you keep pedaling, and "TAG" (Twist and Go) in which the bike acts more like a small scooter, controlled by a throttle - pedaling is often optional. The EZIP Trailz comes with both options, controlled by a button or rocker switch, while many bikes offer only PAS, because it gives more range for typical riders* while also reducing cost and the likelihood of running afoul of local laws.

* TAG actually offers the most range when used by an experienced rider, because you can add assist only when you need it, and only as much as you need it.
 
Before my wife decided she wanted an electric car, she had several electric bikes, starting with the venerable but extinct EV Warrior, back in 1996. It was the brainchild of Malcolm Bricklin and was sold out of the showroom by the local Cadillac dealer. I think it cost us $1300 back then. It weighed a ton and had two 12V lead-acid batteries and a drum-drive friction motor turning the back tire. Needless to say, this was nearly useless in wet conditions, which fortunately are rare around here. I outfitted it with baskets and saddlebags, and she did nearly all of her shopping around town with it for many years.

When it finally broke down in the mid-2000s, she bought two Synergy Cycle bikes and kept one at work for getting around campus, and one at home for shopping. This bike was a huge improvement over the EV Warrior, but still a heavy dog, with full suspension, 12V LA batteries, and an external geared hub motor w/ chain drive to the rear wheel, w/thumb throttle. I put front and rear baskets on it as well, with saddlebags on the rack under the rear basket, and she could carry about 5 bags of groceries home in it (and often did) up until this last month, when it finally gave up the ghost. These bikes were built in China and sold out of a shop in Santa Cruz, CA, for about $700 each, shipped.

Last week, she went out and bought an e-JOE bike with LI battery, pedal-assist, e-throttle, disk brakes, etc., and it is a really cool bike, a huge improvement over the earlier ones--lighter, stronger, smoother, faster, more range, etc. It's an Anggun 2.0, from Willy Suwandy in San Marcos, CA. He has some nice folding bikes, too, if anyone is interested in those. This was a demo model, so she got it for $1500. She's got me thinking about one now, but I'm still pedaling my old $50 customized Raleigh Citysport 12-speed. I fitted her old rear basket and saddlebags to it, but no front basket for now. She has always decorated all her bikes (and her helmet) with artificial flowers, and is notorious around town as "the flower lady" to all the kids who see her riding by.
6b4d89fe-e14a-404a-a378-288320cfe0c3_zpsd98ec9c5.jpg
 
Nice bike, and a decent-sized battery pack, although 42 miles would surprise me. That rear hubmotor is *tiny*, though! I'd be careful loading it in hot weather.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Nice bike, and a decent-sized battery pack, although 42 miles would surprise me. That rear hubmotor is *tiny*, though! I'd be careful loading it in hot weather.

Leftie, What do you think about the Epik Lite? (same manufacturer e-Joe as the Anggun)

http://ejoebike.com/epiklite" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If the e-bike is lighter overall (37 lbs), will it also affect the performance of the rear hubmotor? It's also a single speed bike.

Thanks!
 
You never know how a bike will turn out by reading the advertisement for it, but it looks like a nice little bike. The price is a little high for the size, but if you want an E-bike you can actually pick up and carry without removing the pack it might be just the thing. It really comes down to the quality of the components and the build quality, especially the battery pack and motor. I'm not sure what they mean by "fixed gear" unless it's just a restatement of "one speed". It must have a freewheel to let you coast...
 
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