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Electric bikes selling briskly as gas prices climb—More commuters use electric bikes…

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Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Environment/Energy

OKIsItJustMe

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Fri Aug-15-08 09:31 AM
Original message

Electric bikes selling briskly as gas prices climb—More commuters use electric bikes…

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080815/electric_bikes.html?.v=11

AP

Electric bikes selling briskly as gas prices climb

Friday August 15, 8:48 am ET
By Dan Strumpf, AP Business Writer

More commuters use electric bikes to take some sweat out of cycling, relieve pain at the pump

NEW YORK (AP) -- When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colo., she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city.

Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle. It gets her to work quickly, is easy on her arthritis and is better for the environment than a car.

"I'm not out to win any races," she said. "I want to get a little fresh air and exercise, and cut my carbon footprint, and spend less money on gas. And where I live, I can ride my bike seven months out of the year."

The surging cost of gasoline and a desire for a greener commute are turning more people to electric bikes as an unconventional form of transportation. They function like a typical two-wheeler but with a battery-powered assist, and bike dealers, riders and experts say they are flying off the racks.

…

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Warpy

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Fri Aug-15-08 09:34 AM
Response to Original message

1. I've had an electric moped for five years

and I use it for short hops when I don't have to haul more than 2 big canvas bags of groceries. It's great for a gimp who can't bike any more.

Adding electricity gives it the fun of biking minus the un fun part of arriving bathed in stinky sweat.

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SmokingJacket

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Fri Aug-15-08 09:38 AM
Response to Original message

2. I wonder if these would work on extremely steep hills.

I'd love to bike to work, and getting there is fine. But on the way home is a steep mile-long hill and another slightly more gradual mile long one. I'm in okay shape, but not THAT great.

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OKIsItJustMe

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Fri Aug-15-08 09:44 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. The Giant electric bikes are designed to work as an assist

Edited on Fri Aug-15-08 09:45 AM by OKIsItJustMe

That means you could provide part of the hill climbing power by peddling, while the bike filled in.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/lifestyle/1272/29755/

I too have a steep incline to welcome me home (but no electric assist) part of it, I simply walk.

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lfairban

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Sat Aug-16-08 03:00 AM
Response to Reply #2

14. e-bikes do great on hills

I have had an 3-bike for about 8 years now, and I have no idea what has taken people so long to discover them.

I have a 17 foot block long hill at the end of my driveway. Without the electric assist, it is hard to talk myself into taking a bike out of the garage. I usually climb at 9-11 mph, because pinning the throttle on a hill depletes the battery unnecessarily. It is great to keep up with traffic when pulling away from a stop sign, but with a top end of 18mph the cars pass me eventually.

It is more fun than a bicycle and less trouble than a motorcycle.

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elocs

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Fri Aug-15-08 09:40 AM
Response to Original message

3. My trouble is living in Wisconsin, with our winters, there is only about 3 months left

of riding anything on 2 wheels. That is, unless you have a death wish or simply love freezing your ass off and getting frostbit.

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OKIsItJustMe

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Fri Aug-15-08 09:47 AM
Response to Reply #3

5. When I was a lad

I loved to ride my bike in new-fallen snow. (Maybe because my first bike was a Christmas present?)

Nowadays, I'd be thinking all the way to work and back of some horrible death involving a motorist who'd lost control. (Mind you, I know a few Winter bike commuters.)

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SmokingJacket

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Fri Aug-15-08 01:09 PM
Response to Reply #5

10. I remember delivering newspapers in a blizzard.

I parked my bike by shoving it into a snowbank. Ah, good times.

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OKIsItJustMe

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Fri Aug-15-08 01:18 PM
Response to Reply #10

11. I remember a "snow day" when they closed the roads

To celebrate the "day off" from school, I rode 10 miles "into town" and up a ฝ mile long hill to visit my friend. He and his Father couldn't believe it when they saw me cranking up the hill. (Oh… to be young and foolish again.)

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SmokingJacket

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Sat Aug-16-08 05:08 PM
Response to Reply #11

20. Yep, upstate New York!

We get the serious snow.

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hlthe2b

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Fri Aug-15-08 10:25 AM
Response to Reply #3

8. Yes... I am amazed at some who try to go out in the snow...

or ice on a bike--not me.

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elocs

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Fri Aug-15-08 10:36 AM
Response to Reply #8

9. Trying to ride on 2 wheels in the winter ice and snow is treacherous.

There is nothing like riding on ice with a dusting of snow to keep your heart in your throat. My city is bike friendly, but in the winter the streets get more narrow with each snowfall and visibility gets poor. In non-winter weather it is an easy matter to ride on the sidewalks, but in winter the sidewalks don't even get cleaned as much as the streets. Then there is the fact that it gets bitterly cold here, sometimes well below zero. I would walk in the dead of winter here before I would ever attempt to ride anything on 2 wheels.

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happyslug

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Fri Aug-15-08 11:55 PM
Response to Reply #3

13. Some previous threads on Winter biking

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=324x1029
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=324x1407#1410

If you do decide to bike during the winter I recommend getting some studded tires. Peter White out of New Hampshire sells them:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/

White's Studded Tire page:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

I have used studded tires over the last 5-6 years. Last winter I used them from January till March. The previous two years not enough snow hit Johnstown Pa to justify they use so I did not used them but the previous 3-4 years I used them. Studded tires give you a lot more traction on ice and snow, through at the cost of a noticeable increase in roll resistance (i.e. you till notice a significant but slight, on my opinion, increase is how much you peddle).

As to clothing see my comment in the above threads.

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lfairban

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Sat Aug-16-08 03:05 AM
Response to Reply #3

15. After riding a motorcycle in the cold,

I don't have trouble with the temperature, you just need to dress for it.

I find wearing a motorcycle helmet with a visor is one of the best ways to keep warm in cold weather. With a bike, you are generating enough body heat to keep warm most of the time.

I have only run it once on snow covered streets, and it did surprisingly well.

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elocs

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Sat Aug-16-08 08:41 AM
Response to Reply #15

17. Motorcycle or bicycle, hit some ice while riding and you will be doing surprisingly poorly.

Fishtailing in a car on ice is one thing, but on 2 wheels it is a recipe for disaster and the outcomes are usually not good. If you are lucky you may limp away, what you are riding may not survive as well.

Yes, one can dress warmly for the cold while riding, but that's only part of it. The danger of falling because of ice or snow is very real as is getting hit by a car or truck after you have fallen. That's why in the winter here I don't see any motorcycles and only the rare bike. My bicycle cost $1000, so why would I want to risk taking it out into the ice and snow and salt and I would feel the same way if it was a motorcycle? I have lived here in Wisconsin for over 50 years and in my opinion riding anything on 2 wheels in the winter is not worth the discomfort or the risk to life and limb.

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lfairban

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Sat Aug-16-08 03:33 PM
Response to Reply #17

18. OTOH

It was a mountain bike with knobby tires, and it was snowy not icy.

I have heard of people using studded tires. They must have a higher risk tolerance.

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Greyskye

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Fri Aug-15-08 10:14 AM
Response to Original message

6. Electric Motorcycles as well

I really, really am thinking about this... it would be a perfect commuter vehicle for me.

http://www.electricmotorsport.com/store/ems_electric_motorcycle_gpr-s.php

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4dsc

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Fri Aug-15-08 10:18 AM
Response to Original message

7. Nice little scotter here

http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/imoto2-verde-moto

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CRF450

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Fri Aug-15-08 06:08 PM
Response to Original message

12. I want an electric dirtbike

Weight and performance needs to match my YZ450f.

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lfairban

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Sat Aug-16-08 03:16 AM
Response to Reply #12

16. That's a tall order, but . . .

. . . this one might come close.

At 140 lbs., it might take some getting used to.

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CRF450

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Sat Aug-16-08 04:48 PM
Response to Reply #16

19. Now thats a cool machine! But only a 10 mile range?

Another example of battery limitations. Going by the Trailtech computer I have on mine (which is fairly accurate too) I get about 60 miles per tank. With a 2 gallon gas tank, that means its getting around 30mpg. This is on regular trails, but on a motocross track it would generally get about half that. 140 pounds is similar to a 85cc motocross mini bike though, and thats damn light! Mine weighs in at 225lbs.

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lfairban

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Sun Aug-17-08 01:11 AM
Response to Reply #19

21. Riding an electric bike means doing without.

Edited on Sun Aug-17-08 01:13 AM by lfairban

Without the gears, without the clutch, without the noise, without the fumes, and without the weight.

I liked this part:

The controller is adjusted by hooking a cable up to your computer and running a software program that is provided. The software is easy to use and the controller can even record data as you ride so you can see where you’ve got the throttle open and where you haven’t.

Go On!

They are also developing Li-poly batteries to improve the range. That will about double the range.

Remember, electric motors have maximum torque at 0 rpm. They accelerate very well from a standing start.

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Greyskye

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Mon Aug-18-08 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #12

22. How about this one?

Electric Super Motard
$5800 w/ SLA Batteries

100% Street Legal
Dual Sport
Electric Motorcycle

DOT Certified
Motor: Etek, Perm-132 or AC induction
Power: 15 -19 peak horse power
Top Speed : 45 to 62 mph (adjustable with gearing)
Range: 20/40 miles (SLA / LiFePO4)
Brakes: Front and rear hydraulic disk
Charge Time: 1.5 hours

http://www.electricmotorsport.com/store/ems_electric_motorcycle_super_motard.php

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