I received a 1500 dollar grant to build an ebike. Advice re
- Thread starter MikeFairbanks
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jmygann
100 kW
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http://electricwheelstore.reachlocal.com/coupon/?scid=1915748&cid=640426&tc=10103115280167252&rl_key=479046a4ff3999926a5dd071f6db202f&kw=13672617&dynamic_proxy=1&primary_serv=electricwheelstore1.reachlocal.net&pub_cr_id=5810347538
$900
http://www.urbanarrow.com/index.html
$900
http://www.urbanarrow.com/index.html
auraslip
10 MW
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- Mar 5, 2010
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- 3,535
This is all you need. I just came back from walmart with $40 in groceries in my topeak rack and bag. I can easily fit 36 beer cans in the bags.
A trike will be expensive, hard to store, and cumbersome on small paths.
ebike.ca will set you up with everything you need. You could save money or get more power for the same price, but it will take a LOT of time researching. Also the potential for trial and error and over running your budget.
Believe me if I could go back and spend the extra money I would.
I've wasted far to much time trying to take the cheap routes.
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
auraslip said:
You have very valid points, except for the trike being expensive. The Schwinn Meridian is still rated at 4.5 stars out of 5 after hundreds of reviews. That's a pretty consistent rating. It's all steel, stable, strong, and has lots of storage.
But, that said, the two-wheeled variety has a lot of advantages as well.
I've noticed a lot of referrals to e-bikes.ca and http://www.e-bikekit.com/
So far I'm leaning in their direction.
liveforphysics
100 TW
MikeFairbanks said:
These things are common fallacy.
Greatly reduced handling and handling limits.
Rougher ride.
Off-road is off-limits.
Width restrictions to slip through points and obstacles.
3-separate vehicle wheel paths makes it hit a lot more things you can avoid on a bicycle. Everything from slipping between the 6" gap between curbs in a parking-lot to missing speed bumps becomes impossible.
And most important, you don't feel like you're flying when you ride a tricycle. The loss of the leaning axis is the loss of free feeling you get from a bicycle or motorcycle that a kart/trike/car etc can't provide. (except maybe a leaning trike? I've not tried one)
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
auraslip said:
Good news: They sent me an email last night stating that they will begin selling 48v batteries in two weeks. They are also going to start what they called a Holiday Sale on their gear.
John in CR
100 TW
I'm with Liveforphysics. A trike is only more stable than a bike when stopped or at less than 3mph. That's why they have to make those recumbent trikes so low, to get the center of gravity low enough to have good handling. With perfect riding surfaces, no curbs, and speeds of 10mph or less, a granny trike might be okay, but at 20mph it's going require serious body english to turn, and any kind of emergency evasive maneuver will be an impossibility. Give one a test ride first, and since you're a cyclist, you'll immediately know that a granny delta trike just doesn't "feel" right.
A cargo bike is what you want. There are some tadpole trikes that may work for you, but they'll be out of your budget, and you give up that "flying" sensation that LFP mentioned. Find a cheap steel bike to recycle and have its wheelbase stretched 16-18" for some nice cargo space and more safety and stability. I firmly believe that electric cargo bikes will quickly become the SUVs of this decade. The enhanced cargo and/or passenger space make them a far more useful vehicle than typical electric bikes or even electric scooters.
John
A cargo bike is what you want. There are some tadpole trikes that may work for you, but they'll be out of your budget, and you give up that "flying" sensation that LFP mentioned. Find a cheap steel bike to recycle and have its wheelbase stretched 16-18" for some nice cargo space and more safety and stability. I firmly believe that electric cargo bikes will quickly become the SUVs of this decade. The enhanced cargo and/or passenger space make them a far more useful vehicle than typical electric bikes or even electric scooters.
John
dogman dan
1 PW
When I was riding the trike, it was nice at the stoplights. Just sit there relaxed. But I had a few problems with it. Adult upright trike, not a tadpole recumbent.
Hard to steer above 15 mph. Not just around a corner, but even just to jink over avoiding a piece of glass.
Riding on a tilted shoulder makes the trike dive into the ditch.
Could not be carried on a bike rack, on the bus, or car if broken down.
Those were the biggies. The rest was small stuff, things launching out of the basket unless tied down, bending wheels since I was packing lots of lead batteries at the time. those issues were solvable. the others not.
But if your route is all nice bike path, a trike might work great for you. My bike path had too many big bumps for water channels. Like hitting a curb every 1/4 mile. So I went full suspended mtb and have been happy since.
Hard to steer above 15 mph. Not just around a corner, but even just to jink over avoiding a piece of glass.
Riding on a tilted shoulder makes the trike dive into the ditch.
Could not be carried on a bike rack, on the bus, or car if broken down.
Those were the biggies. The rest was small stuff, things launching out of the basket unless tied down, bending wheels since I was packing lots of lead batteries at the time. those issues were solvable. the others not.
But if your route is all nice bike path, a trike might work great for you. My bike path had too many big bumps for water channels. Like hitting a curb every 1/4 mile. So I went full suspended mtb and have been happy since.
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
Well, you guys have me convinced. Seriously.
I'll start morphing from the Trike thought-process to the two-wheeled variety (which is what I'm used to).
Many of you brought up some really good points, like curbs, ditches, sloped road shoulders, and three lines instead of one. It sounds like a two-wheeler is much easier to manage than a three-wheeler, especially since I plan to hit dirt trails to work occasionally (there are a lot of mild dirt roads that provide shortcuts when the ground is dry and mud-free).
I also have a perfectly good bike that I can use in the project: 2010 Trek Pure. It's like one of those Electra Townies. Very easy, very upright, and very fun. Like a chopper you can put both feet on the ground when you're at a complete stop. Plus the front forks are steel.
This is the bike I have, and it's pretty much brand new. I've had it for about eight months:
Endless Sphere is an awesome website.
I'll start morphing from the Trike thought-process to the two-wheeled variety (which is what I'm used to).
Many of you brought up some really good points, like curbs, ditches, sloped road shoulders, and three lines instead of one. It sounds like a two-wheeler is much easier to manage than a three-wheeler, especially since I plan to hit dirt trails to work occasionally (there are a lot of mild dirt roads that provide shortcuts when the ground is dry and mud-free).
I also have a perfectly good bike that I can use in the project: 2010 Trek Pure. It's like one of those Electra Townies. Very easy, very upright, and very fun. Like a chopper you can put both feet on the ground when you're at a complete stop. Plus the front forks are steel.
This is the bike I have, and it's pretty much brand new. I've had it for about eight months:
Endless Sphere is an awesome website.
John in CR
100 TW
Something else I thought of is that carving up the world on a 2 wheel EV, essentially flying at ground level is surprisingly fun, something you have to experience to fully understand. Cyclists grimace, but e-cyclists have a big shlt eating grin all the time. I'm sure the guys with their low recumbent trikes or the leaner type trikes get it too, but as good a work horse that I'm sure an electric granny trike can be, I think you'd be missing out on some of the fun quotient. Especially in your case we all want you to get the full ebike experience, and then hopefully you can communicate the unique feeling of freedom in your end of test report comparing a car month vs ebike month.
To give you some perspective, I have a family of 5, and for 23 months my ebike has replaced use of the family car by over 90%. That's coming from someone who's had a car for 35 years and loves to drive. Even if there were no cars on the road and gas was free with hydrogen as the fuel, I would still use my ebikes unless the weather or load prevents it. Unless some flying mode of personal transportation comes along, an ebike will always be my primary form of transportion, and money or helping the environment have almost nothing to do with it. It's just plain fun. When is the last time you got in a car to ride around just for the fun of the ride? I look for excuses to run errands now.
Get us some pics of your bike so the group can make recommendations for how to proceed, and you pick and choose the ideas you like best, though I still think a garage sale cheapie may be a better starting point. Then you won't worry about mods, and you'll still have your pedal bike for exercise.
John
To give you some perspective, I have a family of 5, and for 23 months my ebike has replaced use of the family car by over 90%. That's coming from someone who's had a car for 35 years and loves to drive. Even if there were no cars on the road and gas was free with hydrogen as the fuel, I would still use my ebikes unless the weather or load prevents it. Unless some flying mode of personal transportation comes along, an ebike will always be my primary form of transportion, and money or helping the environment have almost nothing to do with it. It's just plain fun. When is the last time you got in a car to ride around just for the fun of the ride? I look for excuses to run errands now.
Get us some pics of your bike so the group can make recommendations for how to proceed, and you pick and choose the ideas you like best, though I still think a garage sale cheapie may be a better starting point. Then you won't worry about mods, and you'll still have your pedal bike for exercise.
John
spinningmagnets
100 TW
Trek Pure is listed as $450, so not bad at all. I was a fan of the similar Electra Townie series, but these are more affordable (coincidence?), and it has a lot of triangle space to mount a large battery pack. edit: just found out that Giant makes the "Suede" model which is very similar to the Trek Pure. Slightly lower price, and it comes with front suspension. Both have the comfort "beach-cruiser" posture.
For a higher price you can get a Nexus 3-speed internally geared hub. The headset is listed as "Threaded, semi-cartridge bearings, sealed" so that would be nice if that meant it accepts 1-1/8" steer tubes, which allow a wide selection of aftermarket suspension forks. Forks are listed as steel, the frame is hydro-formed aluminum.
I would add a Thudbuster suspension seat-post, and suspension forks with a disc brake to make it a serious commuter, but those are things that can easily be added later.
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/bike_path/pure/puredlx/
For a higher price you can get a Nexus 3-speed internally geared hub. The headset is listed as "Threaded, semi-cartridge bearings, sealed" so that would be nice if that meant it accepts 1-1/8" steer tubes, which allow a wide selection of aftermarket suspension forks. Forks are listed as steel, the frame is hydro-formed aluminum.
I would add a Thudbuster suspension seat-post, and suspension forks with a disc brake to make it a serious commuter, but those are things that can easily be added later.
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/bike_path/pure/puredlx/
HighTekBikes
100 W
I'm liking trikes more and more all the time. I have built several for customers using the Schwinn Meridan that someone else mentioned.
http://www.hightekbikes.com/trike.html
The frame is aluminum, by the way. I like this model because it has two hand operated brakes (I hate coaster brakes), strong frame, looks good, and is very reasonably priced. It has a beefy front fork, perfect for hub motors. The best part about a trike is the cargo capacity and large basket. Sure you can cram stuff in panier bags if you take enough time and the stuff is not very large. With a trike, you throw the stuff in and go. You can also build an even larger cargo area very easy. I have one of these for my own use and do my grocery shopping and pickup and deliver packages to the UPS store. Let see you put a motor kit box into a panier bag! I've even towed a 60 pound box (another Meridian) home from UPS (see below). You would have trouble doing that even with a car. If this will be used for the school after the test, a trike would be more useful. Yes, at 20mph, you do not want to make sharp turns, other than that you can't beat a trike for hauling stuff. That paved path you mentioned is an ideal environment for one.
http://www.hightekbikes.com/trike.html
The frame is aluminum, by the way. I like this model because it has two hand operated brakes (I hate coaster brakes), strong frame, looks good, and is very reasonably priced. It has a beefy front fork, perfect for hub motors. The best part about a trike is the cargo capacity and large basket. Sure you can cram stuff in panier bags if you take enough time and the stuff is not very large. With a trike, you throw the stuff in and go. You can also build an even larger cargo area very easy. I have one of these for my own use and do my grocery shopping and pickup and deliver packages to the UPS store. Let see you put a motor kit box into a panier bag! I've even towed a 60 pound box (another Meridian) home from UPS (see below). You would have trouble doing that even with a car. If this will be used for the school after the test, a trike would be more useful. Yes, at 20mph, you do not want to make sharp turns, other than that you can't beat a trike for hauling stuff. That paved path you mentioned is an ideal environment for one.
Got to throw my vote in for Justin and the crew at ebikes.ca. First time I needed advise about building my bike I posted the question at 9:30 pm. At ten minutes to ten I had an answer. We e-mailed back and forth for almost an hour even though I said tomorrow was good for me. Justin just wanted my questions answered as soon as possible.
I do have the benefit of being 35 miles south of them and can drive up and get the parts I need. The store is a beehive when I get there and the phone is going constantly but the staff still stop and give me all the time I need to get what I'm buying. First rate, knowledgeble people and high quality parts.
Steve.
I do have the benefit of being 35 miles south of them and can drive up and get the parts I need. The store is a beehive when I get there and the phone is going constantly but the staff still stop and give me all the time I need to get what I'm buying. First rate, knowledgeble people and high quality parts.
Steve.
Uncle Ron
100 W
dogman said:
Hi Dogman,
I don't have these problems that you report, so I'm wondering how long you rode the trike. Was it over time or just a test ride? I could understand for a test ride. These problems are not trike problems, but rider problems caused by autonomic body responses to years of balancing on a 2 wheeler. A few rides solves the problems and you can go back and forth between 2 and 3 wheelers and your body automatically knows how to deal with each.
While I agree that a 2 wheeler is more fun, a 3 wheeler can be out of the box much more functional. I'd hate to see trikes get a bad reputation from someone's test ride.
The only real advantage of a trike over a bike as far as cargo and hills is that you can gear down as low as you like, and go as slow as needed to keep that torque for pulling really heavy loads up a hill, without overloading the motor (or you) and without falling over. 
However, to take advantage of that advantage, you'd have to be running a thru-the-gears motor system that used the bike's drivetrain. A hub motor setup or a left-side-drive system would be unable to be geared down for hills, and as such you might as well be on a bike anyway.
I use CrazyBike2 and DayGlo Avenger to haul quite a bit of pretty heavy stuff, and when there is bigger and/or more stuff than can be hauled on them, I pull a trailer. But here in Phoenix, there are only a few hills worth mentioning that I have to deal with, other than the underpasses on the canal paths, which I don't typically use when hauling the trailer anyway, specifically because it would be hard to go fast enough to stay upright.
The key to hauling cargo on any bike is to keep it low and between the wheel axles. The longer the bike the easier it is to do that, such as with an Xtracycle addon to a regular bike; and that also gives you options for things like the StokeMonkey and similar thru-the-gears drives that need space inside the frame for the motor and batteries and whatnot. (it's a little like how my CrazyBike2 was setup until recently, and eventually will be again).
So...pick out a few bikes (or trikes) that are comfortable for you and fit you, first. Then see if they are compatible with the Xtracycle and such, and add one on there, with the side cargo racks and other addons, and you will have a good cargo bike that is also just a fun commuter, whether you use a hub motor or a thru-the-gears setup.
As for who to go thru, both e-bikekit.com and ebikes.ca are good, but if I had to pick one I'd go with ebikes.ca, especially for the kind of project you are trying to do. I just think Justin probably has more direct experience and practical knowledge to help you find a solution that will really work for you.
However, to take advantage of that advantage
, you'd have to be running a thru-the-gears motor system that used the bike's drivetrain. A hub motor setup or a left-side-drive system would be unable to be geared down for hills, and as such you might as well be on a bike anyway. I use CrazyBike2 and DayGlo Avenger to haul quite a bit of pretty heavy stuff, and when there is bigger and/or more stuff than can be hauled on them, I pull a trailer. But here in Phoenix, there are only a few hills worth mentioning that I have to deal with, other than the underpasses on the canal paths, which I don't typically use when hauling the trailer anyway, specifically because it would be hard to go fast enough to stay upright.
The key to hauling cargo on any bike is to keep it low and between the wheel axles. The longer the bike the easier it is to do that, such as with an Xtracycle addon to a regular bike; and that also gives you options for things like the StokeMonkey and similar thru-the-gears drives that need space inside the frame for the motor and batteries and whatnot. (it's a little like how my CrazyBike2 was setup until recently, and eventually will be again).
So...pick out a few bikes (or trikes) that are comfortable for you and fit you, first. Then see if they are compatible with the Xtracycle and such, and add one on there, with the side cargo racks and other addons, and you will have a good cargo bike that is also just a fun commuter, whether you use a hub motor or a thru-the-gears setup.
As for who to go thru, both e-bikekit.com and ebikes.ca are good, but if I had to pick one I'd go with ebikes.ca, especially for the kind of project you are trying to do. I just think Justin probably has more direct experience and practical knowledge to help you find a solution that will really work for you.
Uncle Ron
100 W
liveforphysics said:
Physics,
Your fallacies are for the most part much ado about little or a bias for fun over function. They should not go unanswered even if some of the answers are agreement. Handling at slow or no speed on a trike is far superior to a bike, unless you are a trick rider. You can turn a trike on a dime at slow speeds. Medium speed the bikes have it. At higher speeds over 15 mph they're both dangerous if you don't pay attention. Yeah you can corner harder and faster on a bike, but the difference isn't that dramatic in normal riding once your body learns to lean onto the turn on a trike and you are less liable to end up on your side in a turn on a trike if you hit gravel or other aggregate.
In the budget category a rougher ride will most likely be true, but there are corrective measures you can take with improved seats and stem shock absorber.
True off road is next to impossible with a budget trike, but not so much with those trikes designed to take that sort of punishment. You aren't gonna jump from rock to rock on a trike, but I can't imagine anyone who thinks about a trike wanting to do that. A frequently used path is not likely to be a big problem for the narrower trikes which at 30" are scarcely wider than I am. I'm not saying its anything like ideal, but its doable.
Sure there are some width restriction in some instances, but hey, it's an e-trike, so you can go around, no sweat. It's not a deal breaker, and you aren't tempted to do stupid things like dodging between cars or missing that narrow opening and ending up on the ground, or getting your tires through but not yourself. Having 3 point contact on the ground is a deal maker in a Northern winter and it's not too shabby for no hassle parking anywhere, anytime.
And most important might not be the fun of flying, but the easy ability to carry a week's worth of a family's groceries with the big basket and two bungee chords with less work than putting those groceries into and getting them out of a car.
liveforphysics
100 TW
Well stated Uncle Ron, and you did a great job of showing the advantageous side of choosing a trike.
I agree with everything that you wrote there, and I think the strongest point is stability on ice, which is hell to ride on for a bicycle, and if I lived in an icy area, I would likely be on 3 wheels as well (but tadpole).
I also enjoyed your videos and you builds. (it would be hard not to! you did such a nice job. )
I agree with everything that you wrote there, and I think the strongest point is stability on ice, which is hell to ride on for a bicycle, and if I lived in an icy area, I would likely be on 3 wheels as well (but tadpole).
I also enjoyed your videos and you builds. (it would be hard not to! you did such a nice job.
)
dogman dan
1 PW
You are right Ron, and so am I. I may have not explained enough, an odd problem for me, who writes/talks too much. Been riding two wheels and trikes daily for almost three years now.
I have three schwinn meridians. Two are in daily use at work. At my condo maintenance job I always said I needed a pickup truck three feet wide. (narrow streets) I haul incredible loads every day, often using a garden cart as a trailer. When on foot, we have a saying at the condo's, two laps around the place is an hours pay. The trikes at work increased the maintenence workers productivity incredibly. At slow speeds on flat streets in the condo's they are the ideal vehicle.
But those trikes don't haul ass all over town.
The third trike was my very first electric bike. Choosing poorly in ignorance, I put a fairly fast brushed motor on it. To increase range and ability to climb a hill, I put a 48v lead acid battery on it. So right from the get go I had 40 pounds of cargo. This no doubt made it easier to bend rims, etc. It may have also affected the handling. In any case, 30 mph on it was not too safe. When you needed to swerve, glass in the road, jackass parked long at the stop sign, whatever. It just was difficult, not impossible, just difficult to get over enough to not decorate a jerks hood.
So in a way, you betcha, the problem was the rider not the bike. Same thing with the sloped shoulder, a much bigger problem with more speed. I took the trike kit off that bike, installed a rear derailur, and had a fairly nice beach cruiser instead. But on my 30 mile rountrip to work, my back just couldn't stand those big bumps on the bike trail without suspension, and I was still bending the rim and breaking spokes on the rear wheel. Again, hauling ass was the culprit, combined with the route.
So it just depends on exactly what the original posters needs are, how he'll use the bike, how fast the motor will make it go, etc that makes the difference.
The trikes can be incredibly usefull machines, and it sounds like he has the trail system to make it good for a trike. Just choose a motor system that has lots of low speed power, and not one that goes 30 mph is all. 20 mph is fine on the trike on level ground with nobody in a car backing out into your path. I always thought a gearmotor on the trikes would be perfect. High Teck Bikes, (HTB Terry) sells a good one. Especially if you can get a three speed switch controller.
Then you have good pull, but not excessive speed for a meridian trike.
The Schwinn meridian is a good bargain on a trike, but fwiw, the rear wheels are crap. After 3 years use, even the ones at work that never ran more than 10 mph are bent to hell, despite many retruings. We do have speed bumps there at work though.
So put 100 pounds in the basket, and rims get bent. A worksman trike, at three times the cost, has much stouter wheels. So maybe figure on needing to relace the rims on a meridian at some time.
I have three schwinn meridians. Two are in daily use at work. At my condo maintenance job I always said I needed a pickup truck three feet wide. (narrow streets) I haul incredible loads every day, often using a garden cart as a trailer. When on foot, we have a saying at the condo's, two laps around the place is an hours pay. The trikes at work increased the maintenence workers productivity incredibly. At slow speeds on flat streets in the condo's they are the ideal vehicle.
But those trikes don't haul ass all over town.
The third trike was my very first electric bike. Choosing poorly in ignorance, I put a fairly fast brushed motor on it. To increase range and ability to climb a hill, I put a 48v lead acid battery on it. So right from the get go I had 40 pounds of cargo. This no doubt made it easier to bend rims, etc. It may have also affected the handling. In any case, 30 mph on it was not too safe. When you needed to swerve, glass in the road, jackass parked long at the stop sign, whatever. It just was difficult, not impossible, just difficult to get over enough to not decorate a jerks hood.
So in a way, you betcha, the problem was the rider not the bike. Same thing with the sloped shoulder, a much bigger problem with more speed. I took the trike kit off that bike, installed a rear derailur, and had a fairly nice beach cruiser instead. But on my 30 mile rountrip to work, my back just couldn't stand those big bumps on the bike trail without suspension, and I was still bending the rim and breaking spokes on the rear wheel. Again, hauling ass was the culprit, combined with the route.
So it just depends on exactly what the original posters needs are, how he'll use the bike, how fast the motor will make it go, etc that makes the difference.
The trikes can be incredibly usefull machines, and it sounds like he has the trail system to make it good for a trike. Just choose a motor system that has lots of low speed power, and not one that goes 30 mph is all. 20 mph is fine on the trike on level ground with nobody in a car backing out into your path. I always thought a gearmotor on the trikes would be perfect. High Teck Bikes, (HTB Terry) sells a good one. Especially if you can get a three speed switch controller.
Then you have good pull, but not excessive speed for a meridian trike.
The Schwinn meridian is a good bargain on a trike, but fwiw, the rear wheels are crap. After 3 years use, even the ones at work that never ran more than 10 mph are bent to hell, despite many retruings. We do have speed bumps there at work though.
So put 100 pounds in the basket, and rims get bent. A worksman trike, at three times the cost, has much stouter wheels. So maybe figure on needing to relace the rims on a meridian at some time.
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
Lots of good advice.
I think I'm pretty convinced that I'm going to go with a bike instead of trike, and one of the reasons is the hills.
I live in the Piedmont (interpreted means foot of the mountains) and we have a few hills here that are a bit of a doozie. It's nothing like San Francisco, but we have some hills that will getcha. The ability to help the motor along is important, and the bike I have is geare in the back but only uses one front sprocket, so it's a seven-speed.
So, what do you guys make of using a rear hub on a bike vs. a front hub? I know that the front is easier to install, but with the back wheel having gears that must help the motor on the hills.
Back to bike vs. trike: I can actually make it all the way around town on smooth paths. You guys should see this place to believe it. The town is eleven miles long and six miles wide. We have over 125 miles of cart paths. We call them cart paths because the dominant form of transportation is electric golf cart. It's very safe and all but the teenagers drive with courtesy (the teenagers drive terribly--the don't slow down for corners or head-on passing). But you can see people coming a long way off, and the narrowest paths are about six feet wide, and some are a good 12-15 feet wide in some areas. Most are very smooth and all are asphalt. Cars and golf carts don't mix (except in the rarest of circumstances), and ice is seldom a problem. We sometimes go an entire winter without any snow or ice on the ground, and even in bad years we get about two inches of snow once or twice, and within a day or two it's all gone.
Like I mentioned before, every single house, business, school, church, etc. is on the path system, and it makes getting around town a true joy. I've had a four-seater electric golf cart for five years, and it's still fun to drive every time I'm in it.
We have two cars (a minivan and a Honda Civic) and the minivan sits in the driveway for days (sometimes weeks) at a time without getting used (sometimes the battery is dead). In the summer I go weeks without using my car. Currently I use my Civic everyday for the 6.5 mile drive to work. It's an easy drive, takes twenty minutes and the heat/AC helps for comfort, and I enjoy listening to the news on NPR as I drive to work.
BUT, once I get the e-bike up and running, my family will be entirely on electrical power seven days a week, with only the occasional minivan usage.
I'll still drive my car on rainy days. That's where I draw the line. Cold is fine, but not rain. I don't like getting wet. Heck, it drives me crazy if I wear socks in the house and step on a drop of water. The only water I like is warm and hot water.
I think I'm pretty convinced that I'm going to go with a bike instead of trike, and one of the reasons is the hills.
I live in the Piedmont (interpreted means foot of the mountains) and we have a few hills here that are a bit of a doozie. It's nothing like San Francisco, but we have some hills that will getcha. The ability to help the motor along is important, and the bike I have is geare in the back but only uses one front sprocket, so it's a seven-speed.
So, what do you guys make of using a rear hub on a bike vs. a front hub? I know that the front is easier to install, but with the back wheel having gears that must help the motor on the hills.
Back to bike vs. trike: I can actually make it all the way around town on smooth paths. You guys should see this place to believe it. The town is eleven miles long and six miles wide. We have over 125 miles of cart paths. We call them cart paths because the dominant form of transportation is electric golf cart. It's very safe and all but the teenagers drive with courtesy (the teenagers drive terribly--the don't slow down for corners or head-on passing). But you can see people coming a long way off, and the narrowest paths are about six feet wide, and some are a good 12-15 feet wide in some areas. Most are very smooth and all are asphalt. Cars and golf carts don't mix (except in the rarest of circumstances), and ice is seldom a problem. We sometimes go an entire winter without any snow or ice on the ground, and even in bad years we get about two inches of snow once or twice, and within a day or two it's all gone.
Like I mentioned before, every single house, business, school, church, etc. is on the path system, and it makes getting around town a true joy. I've had a four-seater electric golf cart for five years, and it's still fun to drive every time I'm in it.
We have two cars (a minivan and a Honda Civic) and the minivan sits in the driveway for days (sometimes weeks) at a time without getting used (sometimes the battery is dead). In the summer I go weeks without using my car. Currently I use my Civic everyday for the 6.5 mile drive to work. It's an easy drive, takes twenty minutes and the heat/AC helps for comfort, and I enjoy listening to the news on NPR as I drive to work.
BUT, once I get the e-bike up and running, my family will be entirely on electrical power seven days a week, with only the occasional minivan usage.
I'll still drive my car on rainy days. That's where I draw the line. Cold is fine, but not rain. I don't like getting wet. Heck, it drives me crazy if I wear socks in the house and step on a drop of water. The only water I like is warm and hot water.
liveforphysics
100 TW
If you've got the mechanical skills to mount it correctly, rear hub has all the advantages.
