Has anyone checked out this electric bike from Scwhinn - 60 mile range, 20 min charge time, goes on

commuter trains.. $3,000

http://www.schwinnelectricbikes.com/tailwind/electric_bike_technology.html

you can get most ebikes for under 2K. or used for under 1K.

Another model: http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&productId=1073449&cm_mmc=$(referrer)$-_--_-SCHWINN-_-30-0159-CHA-019&mr:trackingCode=FA769846-A681-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Used would be great.....

I've never ridden an ebike, but I've decided to go bike only for a while, and I like the fact that I can put an ebike on the train.

i've got a great commuter bike now, but this would extend my range by 10-20 miles....

I just don't know if I'd like it. Have you ever ridden one?

But of course they're biased since they don't sell E-bikes.

I honestly don't get the appeal. I doubt they do well in rain and I'm usually capable of going as fast as I want on a bike without the assist.

It could be a personal transportation option for folks who don't regularly ride bicycles due to poor health or disability. How many people drive to work and back each day to have their cars sitting on the street or in a parking lot all day? Reduce that number by 10%, and I'll bet we'd see a marked improvement in our air.

They are also very nice in hot weather when hard pedaling can bring on an overheated body very quickly.

For a relative beginner or an older person going up a long hill in hot weather an ebike can be a real boon.

Keep in mind also that higher speed on a bike means less speed differential between you and the cars whizzing by six inches from your left elbow, crawling up a long steep hill in the second or third lowest of twenty four gears can be a frightening experience as well as an exhausting one.

The motor wattage of this bike is only 180 watts continuous which is only a little more than I can put out for about a half hour and I'm near sixty and not in really excellent shape. The 180 watts plus the 75 - 150 watts that an average non-athlete rider can put out will take you about an average speed of probably about 22 mph on this style bike with a 200 lb rider..

http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/ProdDiss/Bicycle/bikecalc1.htm

Edited to add: Also, since this bike motor does not work through the gear system it only reaches peak efficiency near maximum speed, at lower speeds climbing hills the motor efficiency will drop markedly. The very best ebikes use the motor to drive through the same gears which the pedals drive through thus maximizing efficiency at all speed ranges.

Something like an Optibike is the really high performance ebike, but they are quite expensive.

http://shop.optibike.com/

I had another thought on the Schwinn model, the battery is probably quite heavy and is mounted fairly high up and to the rear, right over the rear tire, this is going to strongly effect the weight distribution of the bike and make it handle less well than it otherwise might. Now if you put a set of rear panniers (saddlebags) on the bike to carry cargo, that weight will also be right at the rear tire but perhaps a bit lower down, this won't help the handling qualities at all.

If you look at the Optibike picture I posted, you'll see that the battery and motor are built into the frame, keeping the weight under the rider and lower down, this is done to help the handling be as good as possible. When you are on two wheels, handling is everything, you don't want a bike that is hard to control due to the weight distribution being unbalanced.

There is a huge amount of engineering that goes into a really good ebike, just slapping batteries and a motor on a regular bicycle works but at the speeds you can reach on even relatively low powered ebikes on a downhill poor handling can get you in trouble remarkably quickly.

For the average person that just wants to tool around to work and the store the ebike has a distinct advantage.

Yes, they are heavier but they also reduce pedaling effort by a considerable amount, something the commuter/shopper will find distinctly pleasant, particularly in hot weather and up hills.

But apparently I do have stronger than average legs.

And if I encounter a daunting hill I just take a cigarette break.

I believe you don't have a car, is that so?

When I was in my mid twenties even through mid thirties I could do a century and not even be tired at the end..

Today thirty miles kicks my butt for the rest of the day.. Unless I really take it easy and I'm not psychologically constituted for that to happen very often, I tend to push myself nearly as hard as I can go unless I make a conscious effort not to.

that are too far for a leisurely ride. I only average about 13 miles an hour, so if i could increase that to 20+ with the ebike, then I could really expand my range, especially since i can get the bike on the train.

I stop having fun on the bike after about 45 minutes.... then it turns into a workout.

45 minutes at 20mph would give me a 15 mile range from any train station.

I still want to get some exercise while i ride, as well.

Try this website.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=d3c9fd33431924db34825fbae0bcff09

That is the ebike General Discussion forum and there is a ton of info, n00bs are welcome and questions are encouraged.

There is a dizzying array of products, and there is an excellent chance you can electrify the bike you already have.. Kits are available and much discussed. Getting it right the first time will save you a bunch of time and money in the long run so don't rush in.

i can't keep up with her if there's even the slightest incline. she rides it because she doesn't want to get sweaty or muss the makeup going to work.

or even distance, but for hills.

I'm not promoting e, just reporting. I use my $300 Trek 7100 and it works just fine. Except that I hit a hard bump the other day and flattened my rear tire. Costing me $15 to fix.

http://www.nycewheels.com/ezee-sprint-lds-electric-bike.html

I do all my local errands and shopping with it, it probably cut about 1/3 of my car use.

A 350 watt motor with a 700 watt peak means it has over twice the power of the Schwinn in the OP..

And the battery placement is good for handling, lower down and not so far to the rear as the Schwinn.

and with NYC roads that's a big thing.

Personally I look at an ebike as an instant hybrid upgrade to your car, when you combine your bike mileage with your car mileage and average out your MPG you can basically turn any car with fairly good mileage into Prius numbers and get an exercise benefit too.

2000 I think? It was great, cost $2K.

Sold it for $600 recently, batteries dead otherwise OK for a 9 year-old bike.

For the money a 250cc motorcycle that got 78 mpg made more sense for me, as I could take it on the highway. :shrug: