Does one eBike stand out as best?

[benend]

Sorry for the obvious newbie question, but I'm trying to find the best manufactured eBikes made. There doesn't seem to be one leader in the pack. The Giant Suede seems to be a good compromise between cost and performance. What are some others that I should consider? My criteria are - somewhere around $1000 or less, very good reliability, pedal assist (speed not so important), and easy maintenance.

Thanks!

 

[Ypedal]

1st - Welcome to the forum ! 8) ( Man.. this place sure is growing quickly )

If you were rich, i'd recommend an optibike ! lol..

But for 1000 $.. an eZee kit http://www.ebikes.ca might be an option.


There are many others.. WE.. Crystalyte..Cyclone.. BMC.. Kits that you bolt to an existing bicycle...

What is your terrain like ? hills.. distance between charging opertunity.. etc..

 

[benend]

It's for commuting only, and the ride is 6 miles each way, fairly flat, ideal riding actually and short, as Saturday rides go, but a hair long for a daily commute. I just need an extra push up the few small hills on the way. I rode today in slacks and pressed shirt, and sweat doesn't make me popular at work.

I'll charge at work :wink:, and while I can tear down a bike and rebuild it, I don't have the time any more for involved mechanical projects and would prefer a completed bike that I simply maintain. Unless, of course, if the kit-type conversions are much better than an already-assembled bike.

Optibike - might be fun to own, but I'm looking for a more traditional look. I'll already stand out as a cyclegeek in slacks. It would be nice if the bike didn't shout "look at me!" The Schwinn vapor-bike would have been nice, had they actually made them (World GSE).

 

[EMF]

The Schwinn vapor-bike would have been nice, had they actually made them (World GSE).

Here's the driveshaft model for sale- but it's over 2 grand.

http://www.harborcountrybike.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CONTINENTAL&click=2

Here are the rest- I guess other people sell them, this was just the first hit on google

http://www.harborcountrybike.com/Schwinn_Electric_Bikes_s/77.htm

 

[jondoh]

A 6 mile commute isn't bad and can be handled by just about any e-bike out there-- especially if you can charge at work. You are luckly that your only consideration is cost and the type of bike you want to ride. You don't have to spend money on lithium batteries unless you want a fast and/or light bike. My preference is the hub motor kits but it will take some effort on your part to install it.

 

[benend]

Driveshaft - interesting. I think I'd rather stick with a chain - something I know how to fix. Come to think of it, I wonder where the motor is on those Schwinns. If it's inside the frame, that might be a reason not to get one - if it's some odd Schwinn proprietary model that costs $800 to replace.

 

[benend]

World GSE Sale Price: $1,899.99

Nice sale. The MSRP is $1699.99.

The sites I've seen show them as available in the summer of 2008, and no where near me (California) has any for any price.

 

[benend]

I just called from A-Z and found only ONE shop that even carries ebikes, but they don't have any, and the Giant Suedes aren't being offered this year. I know that last year the Schwinns were promised also but never appeared. I'll have to go to the Bay Area to find any actual ebikes.

You'd think by now shops would carry just one - if only for display.

 

[Ypedal]

Do you currently have a bicycle ?

 

[benend]

I have 7 bikes (down from 10).

The more I look around, the more it sounds like I'm going to do a conversion kit. I can get a decent used bike from craigslist and convert it - I don't want to convert any of my other bikes, except an old, steel framed road bike with 27" racing wheels, but I don't think those 1" rims are suitable for torque.

Here's a list I found on this forum that sums up what I think I need - although I noticed he didn't mention a charger:

$ 70.00 Cheap Steel frame bike (Target, Wal-Mart)
$ 255.00 Crystalyte 26 inch 406 Front Wheel (http://www.ebikes.ca/store/)
$ 100.00 36V 20A Start Immediate Brushless Controller (http://www.ebikes.ca/store/)
$ 12.00 Crystalyte Throttle (http://www.ebikes.ca/store/)
$ 75.00 12V 8Ah Battery ($25 each x3 for 36 volts)(http://www.electricscooterparts.com/batteries.html)
$ 512.00 Total

 

[Link]

If you have a bike, kits seem to be the best way to go. And the cheapest. My setup only cost me like $500 not including batteries, and half of that was the bike. You'd still have a margin for probably about 30 miles of lithium batteries.

Most of the (cheap) commercially available ebikes seem to be lacking. Mostly in power 8).

 

[monster]

good question benend. i don't know much about standard off the shelf ebike. my lightning from ebikes direct was good for the money. they all come from the same factory in china so my approach was just to buy the cheapest and upgrade/fix from there.

tidalforce looks good

 

[benend]

Now I'm starting to look at the Crystalyte Cannon:

http://www.ativsolutions.com/products/crystalyte-cannon-conversion-kit.htm

Seems like a good package.

 

[deardancer3]

You might also consider the Bionx 250w Nimh kit; easy installation, lots of nice features, about $1k.

http://www.bionx.ca
http://www.birdrv.com
lots of dealers.

dick

 

[fechter]

The 8Ah lead acid batteries will be pretty disappointing in the range department. I'd suggest a bit more capacity, or save up for some lithium.

 

[kyakdiver]

Benend,

The kit from ATIV is a decent off the shelf kit. Comes with everything you need at a very reasonable price of $695 with a decent Nimh pack and charger. Eric at ATIV has been helpful and backs up what he sells. I had a rim go bad and he sent me out a new one.... No problem free of charge. I'm not sure if the wheel was the problem or me but he wanted a happy customer and he has one.

For the person who wants one off the shelf that comes with good directions. I would say go for it. I would not run it on a 700C wheel though. This is what I have and it's lacking for hills. On a 26 wheel I would think it would be great. It's a great kit if you like to actually use some human power along with the motor. If you just want to sit back and not do any work I would suggest a higher Amp contoller.

kyakdiver

 

[vanilla ice]

Do they still sell lead powered curries for like $300 to 400? I know you can pickup the bmx discounted (target buyer not legally able to ride?), but I mean to ask about the full size bikes. I think for a newb you can't go wrong with cheap upgradable instant gradification. That's my definition of best. If you out grow it and get something else, makes a good riding buddy bike.

 

[Drunkskunk]

The cannon is a good kit, but its SLA batteries will disapoint pretty fast. the good news is swapping to a better battery is not complicated, the bad news is that added cost.

The cannon Motor is the equivilent of a 408 Crystalyte motor. I would stay away from the 406 if you want to climb hills. I run a 4012 on a 27 inch rim (700c) and find it much better for hills.

If you want to piece together a kit your self, its fairly easy. Someplace like Ebikes.ca has all the parts, and a wide selection. I converted my bike in an afternoon, and its been very reliable. Infact, I've driven the thing home on the motor only when a wreck left the derailer destroyed and the chain useless.




Oh, and on the Schwinn, you asked where the motor was from the driveshaft post? Look real carefully at the front wheel. its the wheel's hub.

 

[benend]

You can still buy the Currie equipped bike from Walmart for $350. I prefer a hub-based system.

What's the life expectancy of NiMh batteries?

I like the idea of a kit, because I know it has everything I need and that they all fit together. If I piece it together myself, it opens up the possibility of user error.

Now contemplating putting a rack on a really light bike and go motorless. I went to buy a new tube for my 700x1 tire and found they are $6 EACH. It hasn't been THAT long since I bought a tube.

 

[kyakdiver]

Skunk,
The Cannon from ATIV comes with nimh 36V 10ah pack. Nice clean kit for the for a first time ebiker. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it worth the $695 with Nimh battery I would have to say yes. For me the first kit I purchased needed to be easy and work. I'm now moving in a different direction but in the process learned a lot and have put well over 1000 miles on the Cannon kit. The customer service from ATIV is also first rate.

kyakdiver

 

[kyakdiver]

As for the life expectancy.... ATIV says approx 500 or so full cycles. One of my packs has over a 100 now and is going strong. Time will tell if I reach the 500 cycles or not.

Keep in mind that if your making short trips and such your not using a full cycle. In real world riding with ups and downs I'm good for about 12 miles full throttle and pedaling easy. You could get much more if you live in the flats or back off the throttle some.

kyakdiver

 

[Drunkskunk]

Skunk,
The Cannon from ATIV comes with nimh 36V 10ah pack. Nice clean kit for the for a first time ebiker. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it worth the $695 with Nimh battery I would have to say yes. For me the first kit I purchased needed to be easy and work. I'm now moving in a different direction but in the process learned a lot and have put well over 1000 miles on the Cannon kit. The customer service from ATIV is also first rate.

kyakdiver

They are offering the Cannon at that price with NiMh now? Nice! I paid close to that for my SLA 408 kit. Is that a rear drive?

 

[kyakdiver]

Drunkskunk,

Yes it is.... ATIV offers it for $695 plus shipping. That inlcudes the nice nimh 10Ah pack and charger. Rear drive kit with 7 speed cassette and twist throttle. It really is a decent turn key kit for the money.

kyakdiver

 

[Ypedal]

Quote ATiv site

" The battery discharge rating is for 500 cycles at 80% percent depth of discharge

Caution: Do not fully discharge the pack, this may drive cells into reversal and cause permanent battery damage. The controller has a minimum voltage to operate so a full discharge would be difficult to do.

As battery voltage drops off top speed will taper from 21mph to 18mph on flat level ground. This is expected and is better than Lead-Acid batteries of similar capacity. Self-discharge is significant compared to other battery chemistries. It is always good to keep the battery on the charger before riding. Although only 30% self-discharge is expected per month, it's worth keeping the battery topped up just in case. "



----------

That, in my opinion is very well written and well put.. i wish more vendors would follow this example !

Edit : Oh. and 700 for the whole kit plus shipping is a good deal, double check the dimentions of the battery box as it may not fit into all frames.. but if you find a suitable bicycle for this kit it's a nice setup.. easily bumped up to 48v.. and parts are easy to find ( controllers.. throttles.. and the motor will run for ever. )

Edit 2 : Oh, worth mentioning, 9mm axle.. vs the usual 10mm on the X5 and 4 series..

 

[Aldby]

Fo me it has to be the Panasonic powered range of bikes manufacutured in Germany. They are sold in Europe under different brand names, Kalkhoff, Rixe, Raleigh and Simplex. Check out the links below:-
http://www.kalkhoff.de/html/bike_detail.asp?kat=Allround&ID=254363&G=8G
http://www.kalkhoff.de/html/bike_detail.asp?kat=Allround&ID=254337&G=7G
http://www.rixe-bikes.de/bikes.asp?ProjektNr=256136
http://www.raleigh-bikes.de/bikes/start.htm
http://www.raleigh-bikes.de/bikes/start.htm
Kalkhoff Pro Connect http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2076/2321285040_8196652dff.jpg?v=0

These are the modern equivalent of the Giant Lafree with improved motors and batteries and excellent build quality. I have a Kalkhoff Agattu wave frame with a diamond frame version on order, these are without a doubt the best crank driven bikes available.

In my opinion the best tri modal hub motor bike currently available is the Wisper Works 905se, previously, I would have said it was the Ezee Torq, but their Phylion batteries have a short lifespan.
My 905se http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2415/2320601934_a4e918906f_m.jpg

John