Electric Bikes

[Danddd]

That bike is heavier than I thought it would be @ 60lbs. Being a roadie, I'm not there yet on the electric motor.

 

[Pio1980]

Watching, but not for me right now.

 

[50nstillhifi]

Electric "bike"... I thought the post was about this!?



Now that's E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C.. !

 

[sKiZo]

That bike is heavier than I thought it would be @ 60lbs. Being a roadie, I'm not there yet on the electric motor.

Yah ... weight would be an issue for a standard peddler, but that's where the power assist comes in. A lot of the extra pounds are the battery and hub motor, as well as the suspension front end. RadRover also went with solid wheels which adds a pound but allows you to go tubeless if you like.

Just for comparison - an average mid grade fat bike without assist is pushing 40 pounds ... just the nature of the beast. You want lighter, you'll pay for the privilege. Was just talking to someone on the trail, and his "lightweight" peddle machine was tipping around 35 and set him back more bucks than the eBike.

Worth mentioning (if I haven't done so already) I'd mostly be riding the rails to trails network here. For freight arteries, you're looking at a 2.5 - 3% grade at most ... them trains didn't much like anything steeper. I can handle those on the old mountain bike ... but I'd rather not. <G>

PS ... a lot of it is due to a very admirable attempt to keep the sticker price down. Less dollars = more weight. More power = more weight. The European bikes tend to be lighter, but then they're kinda wimpy in comparison due to smaller motors and battery capacity.

 

[Redikilowatt]

https://goo.gl/images/3HuOau

ELF is made in North Carolina. Solar and pedal powered but not made for trails. Base model is about $5000.

 

[sKiZo]

Electric "bike"... I thought the post was about this!?

View attachment 857067

Now that's E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C.. !

Nahhhh ... THIS is electric!

110mph, baby cakes ...

 

[50nstillhifi]

Yeh......

Nahhhh ... THIS is electric!

110mph, baby cakes ...

Yeh......... that is

 

[Wildcat]

How about $9,500? The S-Works Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie:



Costs almost as much as the last car I bought.

 

[sKiZo]

$1500 including shipping don't sound so bad right about now ... <G>

That was another incentive to buy now. There's normally a flat $175 shipping from the left coast, but they were running a slack time special ... Black January!

 

[Wildcat]

I'll be waiting to read your impressions on the new rig. I don't know anyone personally who owns one!

 

[Danddd]

Worth mentioning (if I haven't done so already) I'd mostly be riding the rails to trails network here. For freight arteries, you're looking at a 2.5 - 3% grade at most ... them trains didn't much like anything steeper. I can handle those on the old mountain bike ... but I'd rather not.

For gravel trails around the western burbs of Chicago I use a 13 yr old Specialized Sequoia comfort road bike. 25ilbs with 700x32 all purpose Continental tires. I didn't realize fat tire bikes weighed so much. I have a 35 year old Stumpjumper mtn bike that also only pushes 25 lbs or so.

 

[Pio1980]

My Trek chromoly trainer is 27 lbs on 100lb psi skinny tires.

 

[sKiZo]

Long as we're talking numbers, my knees are missing a good 30 degrees range of motion ... I'll put up with the additional weight for the privilege of not peddling any more than I have to. <G>

Remember all that money I saved going with the RadRover? My current wishlist should eat up a good sized chunk of that. Oh. And add another 20 pounds to the rolling weight ... somebody stops me! <G>

Keni Bike Cycling Taillights, Intelligent Anti-Theft Bicycle Alarm
Premium Bike Bungee Cargo Net
Pyramid Tech Seven Locking Bicycle Brake Lever Set
Zefal "Cristophe" Mountain Bicycle Half Toe Clips
Bicycle Alloy Lightweight Water Bottle Holder (x2)
CO2 Inflator Kit by BICYKIT w/three cartridges
4ucycling Unisex padded Bicycle Cycling Shorts
Wilson Sleek Pro Skull Catcher's Cap
WingLights Fixed - Turning Signals for Bike / Blinkers for bicycle
Hollywood Crossbar X/Long Adapter BoomerPro Car Rack
ASG Sports Heavy Duty Swing Away 2" Hitch Mount Bike Rack
Towever 84192 Trailer 2" Dual Hitch Extension, Multi-use Ball Mount
BlueCraft Easy USB Pocket Digital Multimeter
RockBros Cycling Bicycle Handlebar Multifunction Light Bracket
Aosom Enclosed Bicycle Cargo Trailer - Black
Night Provision™ ULTRA BRIGHT BX-550 USB Rechargeable LED Bike Headlight
Pyramid Heavy Duty 11.5-Inch Arm Mirror, Silver
Third Eye Eyeglass Bicycle Mirror
The Club UTL800 Utility Lock
Nite Ize Gear Tie Reusable Rubber Twist Tie, 24-Inch, Bright Orange, 2-pack
Tancendes Bike Rear Bag Bicycle Seat Trunk Bag with Raincoat
Outtag Retractable Aluminum Alloy Rear Seat Post Rack
BV Bike Bag Bicycle Panniers with Adjustable Hooks
Ibera PakRak Bicycle Touring Carrier Plus+ Carrier Rack IB-RA5
Fat Bike Tire Tube Protectors - Mr. Tuffy 4xl (Fits: 26"/29" X 4.1"-5")
XLC Suspension Alloy Seatpost

 

[Danddd]

I definitely understand the knee range of motion. I had an IT Band issue that kept me from riding for 2 years until the acupuncturist took care of it. Enjoy that fat tire bike. Looks like you got your eyes on a lot of customization.

 

[sKiZo]

Biggest problem for me right now is a bunch of gravel in the joint where I had a major rebuild and partial replacement some years back. Any bit of bone dust left just keeps growing and growing and growing ... Anyway, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, depending on what all shifts where, so it's GOOD to have a backup plan.

And ya ... I figure to deck it out good for ... whatever. On the bright side, I think I'm (almost) past the "crazy stage" where grandiose plans include things like cross country trips, and landing the first RadRover on the moon before the end of the decade ... <G>

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. sKiZo January 2017

PS ... I know a guy who actually did the cross country thing on a moped way back then. Even got a comic book out of the deal. Enjoy, and don't forget to buy the t-shirt!

The Adventures of the Moped Cowboy

 

[Lavane]

Speaking of NOT being green, im seeing more and more small single cyl. Gas motor kits on bikes around here. They even come with a cute little peanut tank, looks like one gallon. It can be disengaged to pedal if your into that kind of thing. I love burning gas!!!

 

[sKiZo]

I love burning gas too ... here's my Sunday Goin' ta Meeting" car ...

Problem being, those add on gas motors qualify as mopeds and are definitely NOT allowed on any restricted trails, and would have to be licensed in a lot of areas, depending on if law enforcement (or other jealous riders) are paying attention ...

Not a new concept though ... those have been around for ages. Here's an old two wheeler (circa mid '50's?) with a bolt on friction motor that was hell on wheels ...

One of the biggest problems with those is they tend to be top heavy. Big plus to keep the weight down low. Plus, they sound like a kazoo on steroids ... <G>

PS ... you want an eBike that looks kinda sorta motorcyclish, The Oto might be your cuppa tea.

There again though, all the heavy stuff is on the top rail ...

 

[usedto]

I thought the idea of a bicycle nowadays was to get exercise.

 

[sKiZo]

bicycle

• A vehicle consisting of two wheels held in a frame one behind the other, propelled by pedals and steered with handlebars attached to the front wheel.

And yes, it can be propelled by pedals, or in this case, with the motor assist. Either way, I'm still peddling - or not. Way I figure it, even dragging it out of the shed is more exercise than I might otherwise get. <G>

In any case, recreational riding is nice for exercise and fresh air, but a lot of folk are now using these things for the daily commute. Weaving between lanes during gridlock may not go over well with the cagers stuck in traffic, but hey ... they can get one too.

PS ... just peddled my butt around the bedroom a few laps on the Schwinn AirDyne (That's got around 3500 miles on it), so I'm not adverse to exercise. In my case, call the RadRover insurance that I'll be able to get back from wherever I'm going. Truth be told, I'll usually do a mile or two on the AirDyne before heading out on the bicycle anyway, just to loosen up.

** Just checked for shitzengiggles ... the AirDyne (pro model like you'd see in a gym, not the cheap consumer crap) lists for around a grand nowadays ... and it just sits there, no matter how fast I pedal. ;- {

 

[Wildcat]

Problem being, those add on gas motors qualify as mopeds and are definitely NOT allowed on any restricted trails, and would have to be licensed in a lot of areas, depending on if law enforcement (or other jealous riders) are paying attention ...

Those add-on kits are just plain dangerous, especially the cheap ones sold on eBay which are unfortunately popular. They are supposed to stick to a 49cc or smaller engine in order to keep it street legal (hence all of those 49cc kits), but that doesn't stop anyone from trying to go larger, or get speeds higher than 20MPH out of them. If you think about it, a standard bicycle was never designed for an engine. Especially...the brakes. You're adding weight and speed to the bicycle, both of which the bicycle brakes were never designed for. I spent some time looking at the kits and then after reading all the negatives, decided not to try one on my old bike. I suppose the same would apply for e-bike add-on packages also. The purpose-built e-bikes are beefier for a reason, just like mopeds have thicker frames than bicycles.

I figure if I ever want motorized fun, I'll get a scooter.

And yes, it can be propelled by pedals, or in this case, with the motor assist. Either way, I'm still peddling - or not. Way I figure it, even dragging it out of the shed is more exercise than I might otherwise get. <G>

Plus, I figure if I ever visited the trails out your way, I'd just have you tow me back to town when I get tired.