Rob's Electric Bike
I live about 6 - 7 Km from my work. There is an uphill climb from downtown, which starts at 350 Meters (~1,150 ft.) above sea level, to 550 Meters (~1,800 ft.) in the Industrial Park. This is an ascent of 650 feet in less than 2 miles. Even the fittest cyclers have a difficult time with this climb. I'm not the fittest cycler, so I need some help to get to work by bicycle.
In March 2006, I bought an electric bicycle (E-bike) from Canadian Tire that was made in China by STRONG BICYCLES. You can visit the Strong Bicycle web site, but it's not very well designed. To see the web site and a picture of my E-bike click this link, then click 'photoview'. My bike looks exactly the same except it has regular spoked wheels.
For several months, I was looking for an alternative to driving everywhere. The goal is to get excersize and save some money on gas - helping the environment is a cool bonus. As of this posting, local gas prices are at $1.15 per Liter - higher than prices after Hurricane Katrina.
This E-bike is an interesting concept. The rear wheel has an electric motor in the hub. The battery sits in the frame between the riders legs. Otherwise, it's a mountain bike with 21 speeds, front & rear suspension, front & rear disk brakes, knobbie tires that are puncture resistant, rust proof paint, two sets of fenders (rain & offroad), a rear bike rack and a bright headlight.The motor automatically kicks in when you pedal, until you hit the brakes or stop pedaling. There is also an accelerator that allows the rider to coast along at nearly 30 Km per hour (~18 MPH) using just the motor.
Overall the E-bike is an excellent alternative to cars. There is no license or insurance required, they can be used on all roads and trails (in British Columbia, but not all provinces), they're good in the rain and they last up to 100 hours per charge. My E-bike is well built and solid. When I go downhill, the bike can easily handle speeds of 40 to 60 Km per hour (25 - 38 MPH). There is a small storage box on the bike rack, but it's flimsy and noisy while riding. The bike has a lock for the rear wheel (when parked) and the battery locks in place.
I had my E-bike for about two weeks and it worked very well. Then, one day, the bike's motor stopped working. I was half way to work (just reached the top of the hill) when it died on me. Pedaling without the motor is difficult. The E-bike weighs more than normal bikes and there seems to be a drag or resistance from the motor if it's not turned on. The folks at Canadian Tire were very accommodating when I brought it back to them, but I had to wait two weeks to get parts from China.
My E-bike gets plenty of looks as I ride around. Some folks seem to like it a lot and some ask me lots of questions. Some people will look and look, but can't see the where the motor is. Everybody knows where the battery is.
Some people just don't seem to get it. I've had people in cars drive by and, seeing that I'm riding an electric bike, will say something like, "Lazy". I guess they don't see the irony as they're driving in a car pointing to a guy on a bike calling him lazy - OK?!?!
Really, I don't care if people get it or not. I'm in my mid forties and keeping fit, I'm helping to sustain the environment and I'm not paying $1.15 per Liter for gas. If you think I'm a kook because of that, then I'm a happy kook.
In March 2006, I bought an electric bicycle (E-bike) from Canadian Tire that was made in China by STRONG BICYCLES. You can visit the Strong Bicycle web site, but it's not very well designed. To see the web site and a picture of my E-bike click this link, then click 'photoview'. My bike looks exactly the same except it has regular spoked wheels.
For several months, I was looking for an alternative to driving everywhere. The goal is to get excersize and save some money on gas - helping the environment is a cool bonus. As of this posting, local gas prices are at $1.15 per Liter - higher than prices after Hurricane Katrina.
This E-bike is an interesting concept. The rear wheel has an electric motor in the hub. The battery sits in the frame between the riders legs. Otherwise, it's a mountain bike with 21 speeds, front & rear suspension, front & rear disk brakes, knobbie tires that are puncture resistant, rust proof paint, two sets of fenders (rain & offroad), a rear bike rack and a bright headlight.The motor automatically kicks in when you pedal, until you hit the brakes or stop pedaling. There is also an accelerator that allows the rider to coast along at nearly 30 Km per hour (~18 MPH) using just the motor.
Overall the E-bike is an excellent alternative to cars. There is no license or insurance required, they can be used on all roads and trails (in British Columbia, but not all provinces), they're good in the rain and they last up to 100 hours per charge. My E-bike is well built and solid. When I go downhill, the bike can easily handle speeds of 40 to 60 Km per hour (25 - 38 MPH). There is a small storage box on the bike rack, but it's flimsy and noisy while riding. The bike has a lock for the rear wheel (when parked) and the battery locks in place.
I had my E-bike for about two weeks and it worked very well. Then, one day, the bike's motor stopped working. I was half way to work (just reached the top of the hill) when it died on me. Pedaling without the motor is difficult. The E-bike weighs more than normal bikes and there seems to be a drag or resistance from the motor if it's not turned on. The folks at Canadian Tire were very accommodating when I brought it back to them, but I had to wait two weeks to get parts from China.
My E-bike gets plenty of looks as I ride around. Some folks seem to like it a lot and some ask me lots of questions. Some people will look and look, but can't see the where the motor is. Everybody knows where the battery is.
Some people just don't seem to get it. I've had people in cars drive by and, seeing that I'm riding an electric bike, will say something like, "Lazy". I guess they don't see the irony as they're driving in a car pointing to a guy on a bike calling him lazy - OK?!?!
Really, I don't care if people get it or not. I'm in my mid forties and keeping fit, I'm helping to sustain the environment and I'm not paying $1.15 per Liter for gas. If you think I'm a kook because of that, then I'm a happy kook.
posted by Interfacer | 10:48 AM
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