My New Electric Bike

E

Elbata

Full time employment: Posting here.
Joined
Dec 23, 2012
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656
After reading "Why Not Drive A Tesla" thread, I'm inspired to write about my new electric bicycle.

I've never been inside a Tesla, but from reading the Tesla thread, it's easy to see, the owners love their cars.

Not on par with a Tesla, but I'm also excited about my new electric bike. I bought the Haibike brand, and from my understanding, it's popular in Europe. Unlike many electric bikes where a throttle can be pushed to move the bike, the Haibike is peddle-assist, which still ensures a work-out.

My buddy also bought one and we biked together from Seal Beach to Huntington Beach and back. A few days later (my buddy let me borrow his battery (same as mine)) and I rode from Laguna Beach to San Diego, (took the train back home).

When my wife and I take trips, I can see taking the bike with us so that I can explore the city we're visiting. In the past I've taken a scooter, but need to have a trailer and things get more complicated. The bike I could put in a hotel room.

Going up the hills of La Jolla can be challenging on a regular bike, but with the electric bike, it's a piece of cake. I'd pass some bikers huffing/puffing and standing on the pedals to get up the hill, and I'd be sitting on my seat slowly peddling, passing them up. Of course, my bike is a lot heavier, but the guys on the bikes I passed up must've been wondering, "What the hell?".

To sum up, I really enjoy my electric bike and will ride it much more often than a bike that's non-electric. If you have an electric bike dealer near you, go in and take a test drive, you'll be amazed.
 
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I think DH would love this. Would you mind sharing the price range?
 
I enjoy bicycling and am intrigued by the idea of electric option to help with hills. Would love to hear more about how u selected the brand/model.
 
What kind of electric bike? What is the speed ?, range? Etc. sounds fun. I assume you can still pedal it?
 
They look interesting. I like the S-Pedelecs Trekking S. Not ready for one yet but as I approach 70 I wonder when I will cross over. The rapid development augurs well for a broad selection of options by the time I need one.
 
@ age 80, would love to have some assist on my 78 Motobecane... but... when I looked at one of the Haibike websites, the second bike on the page was $16,999, with others down to as low as $5000.

Steeper than the hills that I now walk up. :(

Am thinking of a DIY for about $200, here:

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=electric+motor+bike+kit&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=190507335308&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8308652784293897495&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021973&hvtargid=kwd-297295900223&ref=pd_sl_oajmirpw8_b
 
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Every year we go on a bike trip with a group of friends. Normally about 12 people. Two of these are now using e bikes. I'm not ready for one yet but they sure seem to work well. Peddle assisted. They often pass me on the hills. I'm thinking ebikes could extend my bike tripping to close to 80?
 
imoldernu said:
@ age 80, would love to have some assist on my 78 Motobecane... but... when I looked at one of the Haibike websites, the second bike on the page was $16,999, with others down to as low as $5000.

Steeper than the hills that I now walk up. :(

Am thinking of a DIY for about $200, here:

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=electric+motor+bike+kit&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=190507335308&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8308652784293897495&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021973&hvtargid=kwd-297295900223&ref=pd_sl_oajmirpw8_b
Click to expand...

Careful, sir. That kit doesn't include the battery. And a high end, rechargeable battery can cost quite a bit more than $200, unless prices have dropped a lot since last I checked.
 
Elbata said:
After reading "Why Not Drive A Tesla" thread, I'm inspired to write about my new electric bicycle.

I've never been inside a Tesla, but from reading the Tesla thread, it's easy to see, the owners love their cars.

Not on par with a Tesla, but I'm also excited about my new electric bike. I bought the Haibike brand, and from my understanding, it's popular in Europe. Unlike many electric bikes where a throttle can be pushed to move the bike, the Haibike is peddle-assist, which still ensures a work-out.

My buddy also bought one and we biked together from Seal Beach to Huntington Beach and back. A few days later (my buddy let me borrow his battery (same as mine)) and I rode from Laguna Beach to San Diego, (took the train back home).

When my wife and I take trips, I can see taking the bike with us so that I can explore the city we're visiting. In the past I've taken a scooter, but need to have a trailer and things get more complicated. The bike I could put in a hotel room.

Going up the hills of La Jolla can be challenging on a regular bike, but with the electric bike, it's a piece of cake. I'd pass some bikers huffing/puffing and standing on the pedals to get up the hill, and I'd be sitting on my seat slowly peddling, passing them up. Of course, my bike is a lot heavier, but the guys on the bikes I passed up must've been wondering, "What the hell?".

To sum up, I really enjoy my electric bike and will ride it much more often than a bike that's non-electric. If you have an electric bike dealer near you, go in and take a test drive, you'll be amazed.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a sweet ride. Enjoyed reading. Feel free to post a picture of your new baby :).
 
I also purchased a peddle assist electric bike and love it. It is one of my early retired things to do that keeps me busy and in better shape. I enjoy being outside and riding in the neighborhood or on a trail in a park. If I hit a lot of wind, a hill or get tired, I increase the peddle assist or use the throttle. If I want to get more exercise I put it in eco-mode and do more pedaling (but it is still easier than a normal bike) and I can obviously go much further.

I bought a Juiced Bike for $1,500 - which is on the low end cost of e-bikes. Here is the link: Juiced Bikes - Cross Current.

There is a guy that does outstanding detailed reviews of ebikes including videos so you can see many different models. IMO, he is entertaining to watch and knowledgeable. Here is the link: https://electricbikereview.com/category/bikes/.
 
Earl E Retyre said:
I also purchased a peddle assist electric bike and love it. It is one of my early retired things to do that keeps me busy and in better shape. I enjoy being outside and riding in the neighborhood or on a trail in a park. If I hit a lot of wind, a hill or get tired, I increase the peddle assist or use the throttle. If I want to get more exercise I put it in eco-mode and do more pedaling (but it is still easier than a normal bike) and I can obviously go much further.

I bought a Juiced Bike for $1,500 - which is on the low end cost of e-bikes. Here is the link: Juiced Bikes - Cross Current.

There is a guy that does outstanding detailed reviews of ebikes including videos so you can see many different models. IMO, he is entertaining to watch and knowledgeable. Here is the link: https://electricbikereview.com/category/bikes/.
Click to expand...

I've been looking at that bike. Can you tell me the approximate range you get, assist level, and battery capacity you have?

Thanks.
 
I remember watching the 'Tour de France' bike race last year and they discussed that someone manufacturers a small motor that slides inside the seat tube and connects to the pedal bottom bracket. They were actually examining some of the racers bikes for it to make sure nobody was cheating. Would be a nice retrofit to an existing bike but probably expensive as hell.
 
Ex BIL biked to work and added an electric assist hub to his bike... any years ago but it looked like a neat set-up.
 
jimbee said:
I've been looking at that bike. Can you tell me the approximate range you get, assist level, and battery capacity you have?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Hmmm ... not sure how well I can answer your questions ...

Being a relatively low cost ebike, it does not come with an odometer so I am not sure how many miles I ride. If I go for a 2 hour ride, I do not even put a dent in the battery capacity. It has a battery meter with about 5 bars indicating how full the battery is. After a few rides I might see it go down 1 bar and then I charge it overnight. I could not say how many hours I could ride before draining the battery but I am guessing I could ride all day for 8 hours and still not completely drain the battery. It has a 48 volt battery which I think is fairly large for an ebike. I think it also depends how much you use peddle assist vs throttle. The more you peddle the less battery you will use.

It has 5 assist levels from eco (more pedaling needed) to sport (lots of assist power). I usually use level 1 so I can get exercise and only put it on sport if I am going up hill or just want to go fast. It peaks at about 28 miles per hour (but there is no speedometer).
 
Ronstar said:
Hopefully well past 80. I imagine there is an age when falls become a problem.
Click to expand...

This would be my concern already, at age 69, although the age at which falls become a problem is probably highly individual. At any rate, falls can be pretty serious as we grow older.
 
Do you need a motorcycle license, or insurance or have register it? Im going to investigate my questions see if i can find those answers, ill report a follow up.
 
OK that was quick, Despite the illegal status in the state of New York, enforcement of this law varies at the local level. New York City enforces the bike ban with fines and vehicle confiscation for throttle activated electric bikes. Great, id go for a ride and i would get nailed. New York City has repeatedly drawn media attention for its enforcement of a ban on electric bicycles in certain neighborhoods, with fines of up to $3,000. Check you state and local laws before you buy one.,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws#New_York
 
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Ronstar said:
Hopefully well past 80. I imagine there is an age when falls become a problem.
Click to expand...
I got slammed down on my 68th birthday last summer and broke my hip. The up side is that biking kept me in good enough shape that I recovered well. I have become a bit more cautious. With each passing year falls become more scary.
 
We bought a pair of folding "fatbikes" - great bikes, tons of fun!!

Voltbike Mariner

The manufacturer is using our photo on their web page:

ray_mariner_3.jpg
 
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