Are electric bikes the wheels of the future

[LockH]

... or just the new Segways? Article in the Washington Post (!!!)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...9271da-8328-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html

"All trails have led us to the electric bike" Hehe

Oh, I dunno... are Segways hard to pedal? (Exercise, warmth, extend range per charge, extend life of batteries)

"Riide’s bikes fall firmly within the acceptable range." OH REALLY??? Hehe

 

[MadRhino]

Ebikes are 100 yrs older, sure not the 'new' Segway that had a very limited potential market to start with.

EV silent power has a future of course, but the best way to speed up the American market growth is in higher standards of speed and power, along with quality of design and components. Commercial ebikes are still made by Asian quality and performance standards, very far from the American market requirements.

 

[sonnetg]

It eventually could be, but not until battery gets cheaper or most commercial bikes warrant better quality. I know of a local LBS who stopped selling ebikes because customers had too many complaints after battery draining or BMS malfunctions. They just dont want to deal with so many hassles that ebikes comes with.

Also most who buy bicycles wouldn't want to spend more than $1000 , let alone dropping $2000 or more on an ebike.

One thing is for sure, someone who has ever ridden an ebike, will most definitely be a convert. I just wish ebikes were more affordable. I can't imagine spending $3000 on izip or currie ebike, so i decided to build own after going through hoops.

I hate to say this, but its companies like Sondors who could be making a bigger impact on Ebikes. Most "casual" users seem to want affordability over reliability or quality.

 

[Chalo]

I hate to say this, but its companies like Sondors who could be making a bigger impact on Ebikes. Most "casual" users seem to want affordability over reliability or quality.

It's the same with pedal bikes. People would rather pay $100 for a horrible bike that's unpleasant to ride (and then not ride it) than pay $1000 for a good bike that's a joy to ride and gives them years of pleasure.

Most people are simply too lazy, unimaginative, and submissive to commercial mind control to ride bikes for transportation anyway. Pedal or electric, cheap or expensive.

 

[Ykick]

"...ride bikes for transportation anyway..."

And therein lies the crux of the problem for mass adoption. There've been excellent, reliable, economical motorcycles produced for decades yet they account for only a fraction of hurtling machinery on the roads.

Unfortunately, only a few crackpots like us will ever ride 2 wheels for practical transportation.

 

[MadRhino]

...There've been excellent, reliable, economical motorcycles produced for decades yet they account for only a fraction of hurtling machinery on the roads.

Unfortunately, only a few crackpots like us will ever ride 2 wheels for practical transportation.

Yep, that is why I say that it is in the sport market that ebike brighter future relies. People in America are cheap and chicken for ordinary daily usage, but are willing to blow their credit margin for a toy.

 

[terminus]

I don't think it is fair to compare motorcycles to ebikes.

Motorcycles require special licensing and putting an extra hurdle in front of people is enough to put many off, no matter how inconsequential the hurdle.
For example there was a study done on how often people become organ donors when the program is opt-in versus opt-out. Most people are in favor of it and the choice is just a single checkbox at the DMV so you would think signups would be about the same, right? Well it turns out making people check a box to opt in was more of a hurdle than most were willing to do, so opt-ins were dramatically less. People just don't want to put in extra effort even when it is the right thing to do.

And checking a box is tiny compared to the added requirements of getting a motorcycle license. Quite a contrast compared to ebikes where no license is required at all.

 

[Ykick]

What I’m talking about is that you get just as wet or cold on an eBike as you do a moto. You can only carry so much cargo, etc.

And you be just as dead if/when Oscar Grope doesn’t “see” you.

I don’t give Rat’s ass about license registration….

 

[LockH]

People in America are cheap and chicken for ordinary daily usage, but are willing to blow their credit margin for a toy.

Hehe... Currently, locally, for urban travels (ie 1/2+ of the worlds population) can finance the purchase of one new ebike for slightly less than 1/2 of a monthly pass for pubic transit (sp?). With a thing called a "good credit rating". No more limited schedule, no more "last mile". Etc. Door-to-door service 24/7. A "toy" that gets around faster than a lot of traffic during rush "hours". (Pretty much all day long.) Trips to the grocery store etc? Preferred parking right outside the front entrance.

 

[Tony01]

If electrics could be recharged in just a couple of minutes like filling a tank, they'd definitely be the future. That is the biggest hurdle for me. Range of 30-50mi is cool as long as there is quick recharging at as many places as there are gas stations.

Personally I think a geared gas hub motor is in the near future when this super efficient 5hp rotary engine the size of an iphone 6 comes out:
http://www.gizmag.com/liquidpiston-x-mini-engine/34747/

Not having valves would also make it super quiet.. Possibly approaching the noise of electrics. Near zero vibration, apex seals on the case, 3 combustion chambers, 70cc with 5hp at something like 15krpm. The power of a 2-stroke, but without the mess and noise. Paired with a planetary compound gearbox something like 20:1, you'd get your 50mph @650ish rpm for the 26" wheel with the rest of the bike available for cargo, suspension, whatever

 

[themadhatter106]

Many people simply prefer the ease and convenience of a car. Cars have been ingrained American culture since the turn of the century and its going to be hard to change that unless gas becomes significantly more expensive. Every summer I see more and more mopeds, scooters and motorcycles on the roads but I have only ever seen one other electric bike around where I live. This is a good sign but I think the technology needs to become more mature before electric bikes will become common.

With today's high rate batteries electric bikes could be charged within minutes off of the power a EVSE level 2 can provide. However, the main problem is a 4 kW+ charger is simply too heavy to carry on a bike. What we really need are DC charging stations with wide range voltage output range so that any type of electric vehicle from bikes to motorcycles, to cars can be charged.

 

[LockH]

Hehe... I've usually charged while working. Or sleeping. Partying, etc. So nEVer paid any attention to how long it took to recharge (charger shuts off automatically when batteries "full"). So in that sense, other than plugging in/unplugging, time taken to recharge usually ZERO.

 

[2old]

In general, commutes are too far in CA to consider ebikes (for instance mine is 20 miles, 25 minutes by car, at least an hour by ebike) but acceptance for recreation should explode with the recently passed bill defining certain classes of ebikes as bicycles. Could be a situation for the courts though since I don't imagine the new law will be adopted immediately.

 

[John in CR]

Unless you're restricted to the same speeds an ebike is so much better basic transportation. Near motorcycle performance from an ebike is possible for the same price as a Segway.

 

[Jonathan in Hiram]

Unless you're restricted to the same speeds an ebike is so much better basic transportation. Near motorcycle performance from an ebike is possible for the same price as a Segway.

There are a few places you can get away with riding an unlicensed vehicle that way in the states but not many, sooner or later you're going to end up in some sort of police/legal trouble situation if you keep it up on a consistent basis. I'm trying to keep the unlicensed status of my ebike for as long as possible so I'm careful to try and look as much as possible like an actual pedal vehicle, pedal basically anywhere I would pedal an unassisted bike but I'm going 2-4 times as fast with a very small fraction of the effort.

It's been my experience that what the politicians are unaware of they are unlikely to make silly, nonsensical and counterproductive rules about.

 

[Warren]

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/cycling-climate-boost-19682