I'm looking for an e-bike for errands and exercise in my neighborhood (up to 6-7 mile radius). I live in a hilly area of the southeast Appalachian piedmont and the hills are long and occasionally steep. My house is at the top of a .25 mile 10%+ grade hill, not easy -- even in granny gear. I grew up riding 1 and 3 speed cruisers on the east coast and, ideally, I'd like a bike that turns the forbidding hills around here into large sand dunes. I want to get exercise, go casual bike speeds, and enjoy myself, while determining whether I want to make a larger commitment to a kid-hauling longtail e-bike in the fall for the 5.5 mile (one way) hilly ride to the girls' school. My dream choice is an Edgerunner Electric (http://www.xtracycle.com/edgerunner-electric), either self-built or off-the-shelf. It is not available in the US off-the-shelf until late summer/early fall. I am working with a LBS on possibly acquiring one in the future. If I get an Edgerunner, the 'old bike' would become either my ride on solo/family outings or son's 'school bike' if he hates taking the bus. He starts public high school in the fall -- 3 miles, one major intersection. Riding a bike would be possible, if a bit dicey.
At the moment I'm considering two inexpensive off-the-shelf bikes for solo trips, the Currie Trailz Lo-step ($500, available through Amazon, no shipping cost) and a Geoby Volt Tour ($800+~$75 shipping). You can get a peek at the Geoby here (http://www.tuckahoebikeshop.com/shop/electric-bikes/259-geoby-beast-electric-bicyle.html) and here (http://imgur.com/a/T9stp#li1fecj). They are very different bikes, and I perceive multiple pros and cons to each. But I would like more experienced input from the boards.
Pros (Currie)
Cheap, no shipping cost (relative)
Plenty of reviews, both on-line and youtube
Reputation is that it's indestructable (except for the battery )
Can have a second slide-in battery
7 speed (better for the local hills?)
Looks like a 'real' bike
Cons (Currie)
HEAVY -- 50+ pounds, steel frame
SLA batteries (24W) sound high-maintenance, proprietary (would pay the difference in price between two bikes to upgrade to lithium battery)
if I ride to 6 mi to LYS, knit 2-3 hours and ride home, I may not be able to fully recharge SLA battery while knitting, and I'm pushing my range.
Boxy external motor may make hauling a grocery or kid trailer impossible
Comes disassembled -- learning experience, yes , do I want to do that at this point in the game, not really :|
Minor issues -- no rims, lights -- I would immediately invest $50 and annoyance installing these
Pros (Geoby)
Lithium batteries standard (36W, 8A -- is this reasonable to my purposes -- will it get me up Home Hill?)
Comes mostly assembled -- add handlebars, pedals, and you're riding
35 pounds - light (I think it's cute. YMMV)
Fenders! Basket! Lights! Rear Light! -- Bell? not a bad thing
Three levels of pedal assist (Currie has only one)
One speed (simple -- again, will it get me up local hills with pedaling?)
Brushless motor inside rear wheel (can mount grocery/kid trailer -- will it pull? Don't know.)
Trivial -- May be able to get that cute rear seatpad/back I see in Vietnamese/Chinese pics and seat a kid (2?) back there for park trips.
Hardware is not proprietary like Currie
Appears to have awesome kickstand -- good for loading groceries into panniers
Cons (Geoby)
Not a lot of reviews/info -- it's new to US -- anyone on the boards know much?
Can it handle my hills with pedaling?
The rear architecture is odd -- locking up may be tricky (I'm not sure if that's a problem around here -- not a high-crime area. But I will invest in a Kryptonite ulock anyway.)
The rear rack is built into frame -- may be large diameter, can I use panniers on this bike? I suppose I can ask bike shop to measure it, and compare against pannier specs.
If I want a second battery, I'll have to carry it in a pannier or the basket.
Trivial -- the seat post is not quick release (guessing from pictures). a $15 fix -- I think, only matters if multiple riders
Wiring is inside frame -- I don't know gauge. If I want to 'fix it up' (motor, battery) could be a pain.
I'm leaning towards the Geoby. The bike shop, while not local, is friendly and responsive. But, I'm still learning. Am I asking the right questions? Any input from more experienced e-bikers?
(moderator edit: merged your duplicate threads. Please do not create multiple threads for the same thing. Be patient and wait for and read replies to your original question instead of creating a new identical thread in a different forum.)
At the moment I'm considering two inexpensive off-the-shelf bikes for solo trips, the Currie Trailz Lo-step ($500, available through Amazon, no shipping cost) and a Geoby Volt Tour ($800+~$75 shipping). You can get a peek at the Geoby here (http://www.tuckahoebikeshop.com/shop/electric-bikes/259-geoby-beast-electric-bicyle.html) and here (http://imgur.com/a/T9stp#li1fecj). They are very different bikes, and I perceive multiple pros and cons to each. But I would like more experienced input from the boards.
Pros (Currie)
Cheap, no shipping cost (relative)
Plenty of reviews, both on-line and youtube
Reputation is that it's indestructable (except for the battery )
Can have a second slide-in battery
7 speed (better for the local hills?)
Looks like a 'real' bike
Cons (Currie)
HEAVY -- 50+ pounds, steel frame
SLA batteries (24W) sound high-maintenance, proprietary (would pay the difference in price between two bikes to upgrade to lithium battery)
if I ride to 6 mi to LYS, knit 2-3 hours and ride home, I may not be able to fully recharge SLA battery while knitting, and I'm pushing my range.
Boxy external motor may make hauling a grocery or kid trailer impossible
Comes disassembled -- learning experience, yes , do I want to do that at this point in the game, not really :|
Minor issues -- no rims, lights -- I would immediately invest $50 and annoyance installing these
Pros (Geoby)
Lithium batteries standard (36W, 8A -- is this reasonable to my purposes -- will it get me up Home Hill?)
Comes mostly assembled -- add handlebars, pedals, and you're riding
35 pounds - light (I think it's cute. YMMV)
Fenders! Basket! Lights! Rear Light! -- Bell? not a bad thing
Three levels of pedal assist (Currie has only one)
One speed (simple -- again, will it get me up local hills with pedaling?)
Brushless motor inside rear wheel (can mount grocery/kid trailer -- will it pull? Don't know.)
Trivial -- May be able to get that cute rear seatpad/back I see in Vietnamese/Chinese pics and seat a kid (2?) back there for park trips.
Hardware is not proprietary like Currie
Appears to have awesome kickstand -- good for loading groceries into panniers
Cons (Geoby)
Not a lot of reviews/info -- it's new to US -- anyone on the boards know much?
Can it handle my hills with pedaling?
The rear architecture is odd -- locking up may be tricky (I'm not sure if that's a problem around here -- not a high-crime area. But I will invest in a Kryptonite ulock anyway.)
The rear rack is built into frame -- may be large diameter, can I use panniers on this bike? I suppose I can ask bike shop to measure it, and compare against pannier specs.
If I want a second battery, I'll have to carry it in a pannier or the basket.
Trivial -- the seat post is not quick release (guessing from pictures). a $15 fix -- I think, only matters if multiple riders
Wiring is inside frame -- I don't know gauge. If I want to 'fix it up' (motor, battery) could be a pain.
I'm leaning towards the Geoby. The bike shop, while not local, is friendly and responsive. But, I'm still learning. Am I asking the right questions? Any input from more experienced e-bikers?
(moderator edit: merged your duplicate threads. Please do not create multiple threads for the same thing. Be patient and wait for and read replies to your original question instead of creating a new identical thread in a different forum.)