Does anyone else have an electric bicycle?

[sealybobo]

FAT TIRES: They are not what I would have chosen if I were designing my own bike, but I've grown to like them. I lock out the suspension for road riding, and the 4" tires still manage to soften road imperfections and make them tolerable. And with the motor, the added rolling resistance is not an issue. I like how the bike looks. I call it "Butch."

RANGE: After a couple hours on the bike, I am exhausted. I do most of the work myself, which is the point of riding. I haven't come anywhere running out of battery before I have personally run out of gas.

PERFORMANCE: I don't get it. My Goldwing will do three digit speeds; I have no need for a bicycle to go more than 25, ever. I get into the 30's on downhills, but that's because I don't like to ride the brakes.

Getting an aftermarket softer seat.

The most fun I've every got for $1,500.

1. Fat tires are not ideal for the roads but occasionally we go off road. When we do I'm jealous my friend has tougher tires. But get this. He's gotten flat tires and I haven't yet. So fat tires don't mean you won't get a flat. I heard that we can take our tires in and have them filled up with this stuff so you never have to fill up your tires again and they never go flat. I think we are all going to get this done. I'm going to wait until I get a flat before I do it though.

2. My $1500 bike doesn't have suspension. So when I go over a rough part of the road my bike rattles and my buddy has suspension so he doesn't even feel it. But he paid a lot more so I'm happy with what I got. Just got to be careful when you see a pot hole don't ride over it.

3. Your Goldwing will go 100 mph? Are you kidding?

4. We ride 6 hours. We go through 2 batteries. I almost wish I had a 3rd battery but it's true I'm pooped after 1.5 batteries. I drive from my house to this park called Hines Park and back home. I've also drove my car to Hines Park and drove it all the way to my brothers house and back. What I want to try is drive from my house to my brothers. It will for sure take more than 1 battery to get there but not much more. So then when I get to my brothers house I'll bring the charger and charge the first battery for 4 hours then drive home. I may spend the night and leave the next morning though because I don't know if I can go both ways in 1 day. It would be a long ass trip. I wish I would have got a throttle for when I'm sick of peddling. Even with the battery I've gone up some hills that are so long and steep I get sick of peddling.

5. My buddy has a bigger/softer seat. If it was easy to put on I'd try it but it's not so I'm just going to stick with my original seat. It's not bad and I'm getting used to it.

6. Yes, it is the best thing I ever bought. At least that's what I say right now. Before this the best thing I ever bought was my pontoon. Before that it was my quad. Before that it was my stand up jetski. Love toys. Right now my bike is my favorite toy.

Please check more thoroughly before filling your inner tubes with that stuff. From what I've read, it makes them very heavy and the ride isn't very nice.
Glad to hear you're enjoying your machines. I still enjoy my pure muscle bicycles, but the electric serves me well, too, especially with big shopping or carrying jobs.

I could see wiping out with those filled tires if I'm on a dirt path going fast.

 

[DGS49]

Change of subject: I have a patch kit for my (e) bike, but no real way to inflate a tire/tube if I do get a flat. The pumps that I see that are small enough to carry around on a bike have such low volume that they would take half an hour to inflate a 4" tire to a reasonable pressure.

Is this the solution: Hurry! This offer won't last forever.

I have a "trunk" that could easily accommodate this thing, and since the bike weighs 85 lbs already, I'll not sweat the weight of it. Any thoughts?

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

Thats not a bike, it's a moped/scooter.

 

[DGS49]

It is something between a moped and a bicycle.

To illustrate, this afternoon I rode around for a couple hours, up hills down hills, etc., then found myself exhausted, but still 3-4 miles away from my home base. I was able to raise my assist level from "1" to "2," at which setting the bike will propel me at 15mph, and all I have to do is keep turning the pedals...almost no effort at all. I'm told that at level "5" the bike will go 22mph with minimal effort, and that speed can be raised to 28 using electronic tools on the dashboard.

As I have said previously in this space, the intensity of my workout is entirely up to me.

 

[DGS49]

I just passed 500 miles on my e-bike, and my personal thinking is, Don't get rid of your regular bike when you buy an e-bike.

They are not the same thing. I've actually experienced a loss of conditioning since I got the e-bike. It's just too easy to crank up the motor when the going gets tough - and too difficult to pedal that monster up even a mild hill.

On the Himiway site I read lots of stories about how people who were sedentary and are now "getting into shape." I rather doubt it. From an exercise standpoint, unless you seriously try to propel yourself as much as possible, and e-bike is only a little more strenuous than a walk in the park, and maybe even less so if you use the motor exclusively. Don't kid yourself.

Still, as an alternative to real biking, it is fun to have and I don't regret buying it.

 

[there4eyeM]

With over 4000 km on the bike I transformed into electric, it has become the "go to" for heavy hauling and simple transportation around town. The other conventional bikes still serve for pleasure and touring. For pleasure only, the lightness and handling of my customized hybrid is wonderful.