Electric powered bicycles or scooters.... let's see them!

I did tons of research on this before buying my electric kit.

Many times I came across a speed limit max before tags were required because the speed and motor size enabled it to become a motor bike rather than electric assisted bicycle.

The speed demons have created havoc in New York City to the point that ALL electric bicycles were banned.

Many senior citizens and handicapped are up in arms about this because the 15mph and under crowd relied on this newfangled form of transportation to make their life a bit more hospitable.

My electric bicycle doesn't go over 15mph on electric without a really good tail wind and perfect pavement.

I hate to see the speed demons complicate matters for those who need electric assistance at a sedate  sane speed.

Because of my own ongoing complications, I seriously need my electric assist to enable me to get out often on my bicycle. I don't own a car and I sometimes do use my bicycle to shop for provisions. Coming home with the front basket and both rear baskets full of cargo is much easier with the electric assist if I get tired.

Electric assist also helps me cross busy intersections much quicker which makes me safer and the drivers are thrilled to have me out of the way again.

Everyone has to do their own research on their state's laws. I just hope that I can continue to use mine without hassle. I mostly try to pedal and exercise, but the electric assist gives me freedom to test my limits yet still make it back home.

Here in BC as long as the pedals are on the bike it is considered a bike, remove the pedals and it is a motorized vehicle. There are a lot of laws on the books that were written before the arrival of ebikes that have to more to do with the motorcycle style of e rides.

On the other side of the pond ebikes are very main stream, and if I remember correctly the average age of purchasers has risin to  55+.

The main problem that I see on some bikes is the use of a throttle as opposed to pedal assist.

Back when I looked for local e-bike rules, I remember something like; maximum 600W motor and 20mph unassisted. One good reason to have what I called my valet switch that limits the output power. Perfect for letting other people ride the bike or having some appearance of being in the rules if ever needed. Presumably going above 20mph might be ok with pedaled assistance, so the pedals would need to move accordingly. A large chainring increases the ability to assist at higher speeds and if nothing else provide some illusion of potentially being within the rules. I found 51t and 52t chainrings for a couple of my e-bikes and they worked great for providing assist for speeds above 20.

Other aspects; silence and clutter ... Those that make the least noise and look like a normal bike are least noticed.

rickeoni said:

Here in BC as long as the pedals are on the bike it is considered a bike, remove the pedals and it is a motorized vehicle. There are a lot of laws on the books that were written before the arrival of ebikes that have to more to do with the motorcycle style of e rides.

On the other side of the pond ebikes are very main stream, and if I remember correctly the average age of purchasers has risin to  55+.

The main problem that I see on some bikes is the use of a throttle as opposed to pedal assist.

Click to expand...

Mine has both... a throttle for your right hand to use the power however you want to....push a button and it switches it to pedal assist mode where it will only accelerate when pedaling......cuts off when brakes are applied........it's a decent system.... I only use it in throttle mode.

I've been wanting a better camper bike for a while now.
I like the look of that foot forward Day 6 Miss Mermaid!  I've seen the townies, but didn't like them so much with not enough caster angle I guess in the forks, so they didn't feel stable.

I love the idea of these electrics too!....
but I'm torn, wanting a better but cheap bike that I don't have to feel concerned about if I park it at a SP bathhouse or someplace for a bit without locking it up.
and the price is steep for what I have seen
So sadly, I think electrics are out for me

blw2 said:

I've been wanting a better camper bike for a while now.
I like the look of that foot forward Day 6 Miss Mermaid!  I've seen the townies, but didn't like them so much with not enough caster angle I guess in the forks, so they didn't feel stable.

I love the idea of these electrics too!....
but I'm torn, wanting a better but cheap bike that I don't have to feel concerned about if I park it at a SP bathhouse or someplace for a bit without locking it up.
and the price is steep for what I have seen
So sadly, I think electrics are out for me

Click to expand...

You can get a new ebike with decent power for as low as $500..... Mine shipped was $800....it is easy to spend several thousand on one as well.

Greetings,

Just took a 22 mile ride the other day. Felt better than I thought I would after the ride and the next day. Took some shots with my camera that I thought might be of interest to people. Like a lot of communities, we have a number of bike trails. The pictures are on the bike trail and include an old bridge at one end, and the other end of trail where I started (after riding into town). I hide the battery cleverly under the carrying bags. Best!

blw2 said:

I've been wanting a better camper bike for a while now.
I like the look of that foot forward Day 6 Miss Mermaid!  I've seen the townies, but didn't like them so much with not enough caster angle I guess in the forks, so they didn't feel stable.

I love the idea of these electrics too!....
but I'm torn, wanting a better but cheap bike that I don't have to feel concerned about if I park it at a SP bathhouse or someplace for a bit without locking it up.
and the price is steep for what I have seen
So sadly, I think electrics are out for me

Click to expand...

The Day 6 is AWESOME. I travel with a lock on my bicycle and wrist thing I wear that holds the key to bike and motorhome. I lock it outside bath houses and when shopping plus I lock it in the campsite.

Most camps are 99% crime free but in one certain area where I camp, fools are looking to steal bicycles to sell for scrap metal to support curious habits. I lock mine up so the thieves will have to work super hard to take it.

The electric assist bikes or in my case bike plus kit, are SO worth it. I went from riding my bicycle once in awhile to riding it EVERY day. Even now in the heat of summer, I get up insanely early, drink a cup of java then hop on my bicycle in the cool morning for fun and exercise.

The electric has given me the confidence to get up and GO GO GO! The funny thing is I now ride more, pedal more and have super tiny ankles... go laugh oh and I have pretty sturdy legs now too. I have a zillion health problems, but I find bicycle exercising to be much easier than walking.

Then there is the FUN part... at the beach where I camped a month, I could load up my bicycle with doggy, toys, chair, umbrella, water, picnic, towel, book, dog treat, frisbee, beach ball and what ever else I felt like taking that day. We could pedal down the beach away from the crowds and set up our "outpost" which we enjoyed immensely. (I had company.)

If you are not riding your bicycle 6 days a week... then you need electric assist. Also my Day 6 has the back rest so I can seriously put some torque into my pedaling. Awesome!  When I stop I don't have to leave the seat, both my feet hit the ground.

I have 2 rear panniers on my bike so I can haul out the garbage and haul in the provisions. The doggy typically rides in the front basket. Sometimes I stop to exercise him and I just lock up to a tree or sign post or bike rack.

My rear baskets lift off, so I put them in a shopping buggy and know how much in groceries I can buy. The folks at the farmers market got a real kick of me riding from stall to stall tossing in produce.

I see my bicycle as an investment in my HEALTH.

My stamina has improved, my leg muscles are sturdier and this is coming from someone who spent over a year learning to walk again with walkers, canes, cranes and pure torture at physical therapy.

By the way... I had a 40 year hiatus when I did not ride a bicycle at all! So yes, you can teach and old dog new tricks.

DearMissMermaid - I love the setup on your Day 6.  Could you share a bit on the various additions you have - like the seat back and the wicker baskets?

And where do you stow the bike when you move, do you need a special setup for it?

And lastly, by doing the bike kit on a traditional bike, do you have the same "must stay dry" concerns as some of the other bikes?

I bought a Day6 myself (http://day6bikes.com) for my wife for Christmas after seeing DearMissMermaid's post last year. It's really tremendous. I added electricity with a Clean Republic motor. It was a lot less expensive than the ones offered my Day6 and was relatively easy to install. The seat back, as you'll see on the web site, comes with the bike.
Bob

Hi Bob - did you buy direct from day6bikes or somewhere else.  It looks amazing, but the price on the website is scaring me

The closest dealer was about 300 miles away--Houston from north of Dallas so they sold directly to me but insisted that a local bicycle shop do the assembly. (Another $93)

A bit pricey for sure but an excellent bike.
Another $500 for the electric motor. Adds up.
Bob

Thanks!

TyCreek said:

I urge anyone thinking about building/retrofitting a bicycle powered at city street speeds, to use the best parts possible and design it for the purpose. People don't expect bicycles to be moving that fast so the need for defensive riding increases greatly. I also suggest skipping even the best bicycle frame and think motorcycle parts for speeds above 35mph.

Click to expand...

There's a group of old Hot Rod builders around here that are building these cool old 1940's and 50's Schwinn's with full race Wizzer engine kits, They've been clocked at 70 mph through a local canyon.      Many things that are a lot of fun,  are a little dangerous.