Commuter Bike + Weekend Child Carrier

[ElectronGarden]

Hi everyone - First post here… I'm looking to buy my first electric bike and I'm super amazed at the creativity and technical knowledge on this forum. So I've been doing a bit of reading and I think that a kit with a second-hand bike might be the way to go. I used to do a fair amount of cycling until my bike was stolen 7 years ago.

Here's are the basics about the journeys I will regularly take:
1. Just started a new job and I have a 6 mile commute. There are some ups and downs, but the only challenge would be the final hill coming back home. I would like an electric bike to speed up the commute and not arrive at work too sweaty.
2. I have a 2.5 year old son who is soon going to be 30 lbs. On weekends I would like to take him down to the beach in a carrier on the back - I think that he's too big for those mid frame carriers. I weigh 220 lbs so the bike is going to carry quite a load. Heading down to the beach is only 2 miles, but getting back up the hills will be difficult. The most direct route would have a 5.7% grade.
3. Taking longer trips with my son, would be fun, but I don't see us exceeding 10 miles roundtrip anytime soon. We're expecting another child so we won't be doing full family trips for 2 years.

Here are my concerns:
1. I worry about the brakes on the bikes given the hills and the weight. Are disc brakes a must have for city biking or just recommended for the load? On my old bike with cantilever brakes I never had a problem (but then the load was lower).
2. I also worry about a battery fire when charging, I will definitely be looking for a safe chemistry and I think that I will have more piece of mind knowing that a pack has been professionally put together in a nice battery case. I have never soldered anything.
3. I need to be able to physically remove the battery to charge it at work and home.
4. Since I will need a child carrier, I think that it would be best not to have the extra weight of the battery on the back
5. Between work and family life, I can only spend about 15 hours on a bike project.
6. My budget is about 1.5K.
7. While I won't leave the bike on the street overnight, on my previous bike I have had stuff ripped off that wasn't secured (a screwed on back light and bobbling hula dancer…)

Some background:
Last week I went into a local bike shop and tried out the Eneloop and the Ohm bikes. I found the Eneloop a little weak going up a San Francisco hill and the Ohm was way out of my price range. I looked up Bionx and it seemed to be a nice system for a kit but really, really expensive for the actual power that you get. One thing that I liked was the pedal assist - I want to bike, just with a little help.

Option 1:
1. Get a MTB (like http://www.rematchsports.com/products/Bikes-Mountain_Bikes/Maruishi-CT15-MTN-Bike-19 or http://www.rematchsports.com/products/Bikes-Mountain_Bikes/Trek-Singletrack)
2. Get a rear brushless 350W geared hub
3. Get a 36V/13A LiFePo4 Battery
Since I am going to have my son in the back, I would like to have a secure battery box that I fasten to the bottle holder holes like http://www.falconev.com/battery_box_36v-13A_or_48v-9A.jpg. I am not sure which of the merchants (besides FalconEV) can actually do this.

Option 2:
1. Wait to find a cargo bike, so that in 2 years time I can have both kid riding on back. It sounds fun but 2 years is pretty far away. Has anyone tried tossing onto the front rack of a bus. It might work with the Kona Minute. We would do it regularly - it just could be a nice option.

Option 3:
1. Buy a basic bike like (http://www.falconev.com/europa_op_768x576.jpg) for 1K (48V, 10A, 500W brushed motor) or get a cheap underpowered bike like (http://www.rematchsports.com/products/Bikes-Other-NA/Wentz-Electric-Cruiser-Bicycle-Haleys-Comet-Model-603-Blue) for $595 (36V, 250W, 10A). Maybe just start basic and upgrade components.

So…what are your opinions on the options and if you like option #1, then which dealer would you turn to? I'm especially interested in what creative people have done for schlepping kids around especially regarding bike type, battery placement, weight distribution, and safety.

Thanks for helping a newb!

 

[dogman dan]

Well, your weight, plus the kid, plus San Francisco is a deal that calls for more power than 350w in my opinion.

Not that a 350 watt planetary gearmotor won't climb a 6% grade, it will. But it will really slow down. Slow enough, the motor makes lots of heat and can destroy itself if the hill is long enough.

I think a low power gearmotor, plus smallish battery that is affordable and comes in a nice container is still a good start. Particularly good for the commute needs. But I also think you might be happiest with a similar motor with more power. A Mac, or BMC with more wattage will climb much better. The flip side, is it needs a larger more expensive battery. You should be able to do the Mac, and a battery from cellman, if you skimp enough on the price of the bike. http://www.emissions-free.com/catalog/i22.html

For the bike itself, a good choice for you may be a beach cruiser with a 5-7 speed rear derailur. Why? Because even though cheap, they have a very strong frame in many cases. This is because of the extra brace on each side of the frame. They come with better brakes nowdays, but do be sure to look for the v brake type, not side pull calipers. The strong frame is going to flex less from side to side, allowing you to attach some stout panniers or child carrier very secure, and the center of the bike usually is quite roomy for a larger battery if that is your choice.
Look at the schwinn point beach on this page. They can ship it to your nearest store.
http://www.walmart.com/browse/Bikes-Skates-Skateboards-Adult-Bikes/_/N-981jZ1yzm5rm?_refineresult=true&catNavId=1081404&ic=48_0&ref=430327+4292452786&_mm=5up

But for hauling the whole family, something more expensive and heavier duty is what you really need. Thinking of cargo bikes, like the yuba mundo, then a stokemonkey kit put on to that. Or a regular bike with the surly attactment and stokemonkey. No good at all for putting on the bus rack though. For that, I had problems fitting a bike that was just slightly longer on the racks on my local bus.

Do not, buy the europa with the brushed motor.

Some other choices in the bikes. The schwinn in steel, The old school steel frames tend to be even stronger than the alu one. Weight doesn't matter anymore, with a motor. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-Clairmont-26-Men-s-Cruiser-Bike/15711185

Dont get a coaster brake cruiser, or even one with no rear gears. You need the gears for the steepest hills.

Two years from now, you could move the motor kit to one of these. At about age 5, your kid could hang on by then. http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Kulana-Lua-Tandem-Bike/4745116

Bikes like this may tempt you, but seriously, the frames tend to have a lot of side to side flex, and the battery carry area is much much smaller. Fine for just you, but as a cargo hauler the cruiser with the extra frame pieces are much better. So don't get this. http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Kulana-Lua-Tandem-Bike/4745116