e-bike

 

Any Factory members into electric biking? I recently traded in my conventional 24 speed Giant bike for a Gazelle Arroyo e-bike with a Bosch electric assist motor. I ride mostly on urban streets, paved trails and packed limestone trails. As I get older and experience shortness of breath and generally decreasing stamina for endurance, I found myself avoiding hills, long rides and windy days. My worries about getting stranded have been mostly unfounded, but sometimes stopped me from going as far or to places that my riding partners wanted to go. So I am hoping the e-bike will actually give me more exercise by increasing my confidence to ride more often and on longer and more difficult trails.

The Bosch Performance Line motor is mounted on the crank. It still requires you to pedal at all time. There are 4 levels of assist that increase your peddling power from about 50% to 260%. The maximum speed is 20 MPH. The battery range, depending on weight, wind, terrain and assist level, is from 25 miles up to about 90 miles.

So far the only ride I have taken on the Gazelle is to the drug store to pick up a prescription ... about a 10 mile round trip. It sure was fun being able to kick up the assist when coming to a hill or heading into the wind. I hope the weather warms up soon so I can get it out the the trail and give it a real test.

My wife has an e-bike that she bought last summer. Hers is a Blix Aveny which has a hub mounted motor with a throttle, so you can actually ride it without peddling. It also has a max speed of 20 MPH, but the range on battery is considerably less (15 to 35 miles).

On my old Giant bike that I traded in, I had my Garmin Oregon 550 mounted on the handle bar. This not only told me where I was on the trail map, but also gave me a speedometer, odometer, trip distance, elevation changes, etc. The Gazelle display has its own speedometer. odometer, and trip meter, but I will probably still use the Oregon for the map and elevation. It is too bad that Bosch doesn't include a GPS chip and barometric altimeter in their control system.

I would like to hear about the experiences other Factory members have with e-bikes.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon
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A Better Man Than I

alandb wrote:

I took a ride to a local park today ... mostly city streets and sidewalks. It had cooled down to 86 today, so I thought it would be OK. But after a 13 mile round trip ride I was worn out and dripping with sweat, so I had to stop, drink some water and cool off. Checked the local weather and the heat index is still 98 ... much too hot for me. On the trip home, i bumped the assist up to the second level (Sport setting) on a couple of hills. I was glad to have the extra boost as I was pretty well worn out by then.

Who says e-bikes are cheating? It still gives you one heck of a workout.

I have gone 42 miles on this charge cycle now ... still shows 3 of 5 bars on the battery meter, and display shows I still could go 38 miles more in eco mode. I am pretty satisfied with the range I am getting on a battery charge. I realize as the battery ages this will go down.

Two miles was all I was able to do yesterday on the private road near my house. It was 85 with the heat index at 96. It was in direct sun though which didn't help. IMO, the humidity is the culprit, not necessarily the temp.

The accuracy of the battery gauge was one of the questions I asked the folks at Pedego before buying. Like the fuel gauges in many vehicles, battery gauges are not always linear. I was advised that I may not get the same range with the second half of the battery charge that I did with the first. Each "bar" on the gauge does not represent an equal amount of stored energy.

Allowing the battery to rest between rides or cool during a ride may boost the voltage slightly but not the capacity. This can also cause an inaccuracy in the gauge. They told me this is the reason they do not include a "Miles Remaining" readout on their display. If reasonably accurate, IMO such a readout would be valuable. I'd like to know how this works out with your Bosch system.

Of course this will vary with different battery and gauge manufacturers and also, as you point out, battery age.

Since I haven't yet been able to use up a full charge on a single ride, I don't have a good estimate on the Pedego product.

Range display.

The Bosch system display of range is a dynamic calculation. It changes constantly as you ride based on the assist level and amount of power you are using at a given time. For example, if you ride up a 1/2 mile hill, the range estimate may drop 5 miles. I also noticed it decreases faster on gravel than it does on pavement. The other day, I was riding a gravel trail. It seemed flat and was an easy ride. I only rode about 7 miles, and the range estimate went down by about 25 miles! I wondered what was going on. But when I turned around for the return trip, I realized the trail had a slight incline, so the range estmate started going back up. By the time I got back to where I started, I had gained back about 8 of the 25 miles.

So I think the display of the range measure is useful to some degree, but you have to realize that the riding conditions (road surface, wind, assist level, grade, weight) can change it in a hurry.

This is the lowest I have run the battery down so far (3 of 5 bars left after 42 miles from 3 rides on different days). I may take one more ride before I recharge to see what happens on the bottom "half" of the charge. In any case, I am quite happy with the 42 mile range I got out if it on a single charge and still have some capacity remaining. Again, most of those 42 miles were on the lowest assist level, so this is probably "best case".

I do wish the Bosch system had a battery % remaining measure instead of the simple 5 bar display. It is better than nothing, but as you said, not very accurate.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Planned ride tomorrow!

It is supposed to be a good weather day tomorrow (Saturday) ,,, 81 with lower humidity! So we are planning a ride. I guess I will top off my battery tonight in case we decide to take a somewhat longer ride than I indicated in the previous post. My test of running the battery down lower to test range will have to wait for another time.

@bdhsfz6 ... hope you will be out enjoying your e-bikes tomorrow too.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Unfortunately...

I have a few outdoor chores to do today which I postponed due to the heat. A short ride on Saturday afternoon or Sunday is more likely.

The trails on weekends are usually crowded in my area especially during good weather. I find myself passing many pedestrians and conventional bikers which is always nerve wracking on a narrow trail. I much prefer to ride during the week.

Taking the lead from posters in E-bike forums, I bought a second battery for each of our bikes. There is always the question as to whether there is enough juice in the battery to handle a planned ride. When in doubt, use a fresh one.

Pedego recommends fully charging the battery after every use. While this insures starting every ride with a fresh battery, this is contrary to many battery manufacturer recommendations. Most suggest storing a lithium battery at 75% of full charge. Since the number of charge cycles is a factor in overall battery life, I'm not sure what the best approach is at this point.

In any case, I hope you have a pleasant ride!

Demo'd one but......

I demo'd an electric bike, but at the time I was restoring a 1978-81 Peugeot U09, and had 2 motorcycles.... so I passed on another powered 2 wheeled vehicle....
And Now that motorcycles are gone,
and Peugeot is finished...

(I replaced all bearings with Ceramics.... Most of hardware on bike --that has datecodes, or can be deciphered via dated pictures-- are 1979-80.. Fully restored, is my only bicycle)

I still don't have an interest in powered bikes... Especially so since we live in mountains...

Maybe if I was younger....

--
A 2689LMT in both our cars that we love... and a Nuvi 660 with Lifetime Maps that we have had literally forever.... And a 2011 Ford Escape with Nav System that is totally ignored!

Interesting...

JanJ wrote:

I demo'd an electric bike, but at the time I was restoring a 1978-81 Peugeot U09, and had 2 motorcycles.... so I passed on another powered 2 wheeled vehicle....
And Now that motorcycles are gone,
and Peugeot is finished...

(I replaced all bearings with Ceramics.... Most of hardware on bike --that has datecodes, or can be deciphered via dated pictures-- are 1979-80.. Fully restored, is my only bicycle)

I still don't have an interest in powered bikes... Especially so since we live in mountains...

Maybe if I was younger....

My experiences have been similar. I fully restored a 1957 Chevy convertible and helped a friend restore his 1965 MGB GT. I spent many of my younger years on a motorcycle but gave it up after too many acquaintances were involved in accidents. Bicycling became my passion after that. I've been doing it for over 30 years now.

IMO, unless you are a bicyclist, the E-bike experience is like riding an under powered motorcycle and not much of a thrill. It certainly isn't for everyone, especially considering the serious $$ involved.

I live in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, perhaps not as rugged as where you are, but I was surprised at how easily an E-bike handles our hills.

No rides this week ... too hot.

I didn't get any ride time this week as we had 90 to 96 temperatures and high humidity all week with the heat index between 100 to 110. We had a little rain shower tonight that cooled things down somewhat. If that holds, maybe I can get back on the trail in the next couple of days. I am now up to 160 miles on my odo. A couple more rides and I should get up to 200.

I wouldn't have been able to ride this week anyway because I had my bike in the shop for repair ... have it back home now so all set to go again.

What happened was my own fault. On my last ride, I stopped for a snack and beverage at one of the local "watering holes" along the trail and locked my bike in one of those bike racks where the front tire sticks through the upright bars. I don't know if I didn't have it in strait or if someone bumped it, but when I went to get it, the front wheel had turned sideways and the heavy back end of the bike was laying on the ground. The front tire and wheel were wedged between the bars of the rack. The tire was still up, but the wheel was pretty badly sprung and wobbly. I was able to ride the 10 miles back to my starting point by not using the front brake, but it was not a pleasant ride.

So long story short, I had to have a new rim put on the front wheel The tire, tube, spokes, hub and brake were still OK. Glad to have the bike back, and it seems to ride good as new again. Lesson learned! I will not use that type of bike rack again.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Got a Break Here

I managed to get in a 34 mile ride on Tuesday due to a break in the humidity here.
Got up early and made the 90 minute drive to one of my favorites, the Lehigh Gorge trail in nearby Carbon County.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/40703

If anyone's interested.

It was 68 degrees at 8AM when I started and 79 when I finished at 11. It was comfortable but didn't remain that way as the temp climbed to 86 by mid afternoon.
At my age, early morning in the shade or late evenings are the only safe ways to ride this time of year.

I did the ride specifically to do a battery test. for future planning, I wanted to know just how far a single charge would take me using a "worst case scenario". I rode 24 of the 34 miles using the maximum pedal assist (PAS 5) at 15 to 20 MPH exerting only minimum effort on my part. I varied between PAS 1 and PAS 4 contributing a bit more muscle for the remaining 10 miles. The battery indicator was just entering the red zone when I finished the ride.
According to the manual, the battery probably had a few more miles in it but too much discharge can shorten it's life.

Based on these results, a range of 40 to 60 miles can be achieved with my Pedego using light to moderate pedal effort.

I've also run afoul of those iron bike racks and generally avoid them if possible. Unfortunately, they are sometimes the only way to lock up a bike. If my wife is with me, we usually just cable lock the bikes together.

Great Range.

It sounds like you are getting great range out of your bike. I think I would be lucky to get 20 or 25 miles with maximum assist. My wife tends it use the throttle quite a bit on her Blix (rear hub drive) bike, and she only gets about 20 to 30 miles range.

We are supposed to have a couple of cooler days here next week (low 80's) so I hope to get back out then.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Great riding weather.

We have had a late July cool down in Iowa with temperatures in the low 70's and low humidity ... perfect riding weather! Yesterday my wife and I rode a 25 mile round trip on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail from Robins IA to Center Point IA and back. We started about 5 pm, stopped at the Sag Wagon Bar and Grill in Center Point for a cold brewski and supper, then rode back returning before 8 pm. There were some older motercycle bikers enjoying some beers in the Sag Wagon patio and they took a real interest in my e-bike when I was locking it to the rail near them. One guy said "I gotta have one of those!".

Weather is about the same today, so we hope to get out again this afternoon. It sure is a lot more pleasant riding when the humidity is low. I think I could have easily gone another 25 miles if time had permitted. Great fun!

Incidentally, this week is RAGBRAI in iowa ... 10,000 bicycles riding from border to border (Missouri river to Mississippi river) over 7 days. It would be interesting to know how many e-bikes made the trip. Not many I would guess, but I bet there were a few. The biggest challenge would be making sure you have a place to recharge every night.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

270 miles.

I am up to 270 miles on my e-bike odometer now. For my friend bdhsfz6, I know that is pretty unimpressive, but for "overweight-and-terribly-out-of-shape" me, it is pretty significant. My wife and I actually rode 58 miles last week in reasonably comfortable weather ... a record for us! My goal is to get 500 miles before winter, but that may be pushing it ... depends on weather. My local bike shop does a free tightening/lube/adjustment after 500, so that is why I want to meet that goal.

Unfortunately, the heat/humidity is on the rise again, so we will probably not be able to keep the pace up until we get another cool spell.

What I really want to do is ride the Root River trail in MN, so if my wife's health is up to it, maybe we can put that on the agenda for this fall. She did take kind of a nasty fall when we were out today. Didn't get hurt but it kind of set back her confidence level ... need to work that back up again.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Catching Up

alandb wrote:

I am up to 270 miles on my e-bike odometer now. For my friend bdhsfz6, I know that is pretty unimpressive, but for "overweight-and-terribly-out-of-shape" me, it is pretty significant. My wife and I actually rode 58 miles last week in reasonably comfortable weather ... a record for us! My goal is to get 500 miles before winter, but that may be pushing it ... depends on weather. My local bike shop does a free tightening/lube/adjustment after 500, so that is why I want to meet that goal.

Unfortunately, the heat/humidity is on the rise again, so we will probably not be able to keep the pace up until we get another cool spell.

What I really want to do is ride the Root River trail in MN, so if my wife's health is up to it, maybe we can put that on the agenda for this fall. She did take kind of a nasty fall when we were out today. Didn't get hurt but it kind of set back her confidence level ... need to work that back up again.

You're catching up to me Alan. I haven't cracked 500 yet but I'm close. It's been almost 2 weeks since I've been able to ride. We're expecting our nephew and his family this week and there is a lot to do around the house.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, weather is the biggest enemy to riding this time of year. Cooler, less humid days are rare around here in late July.

Get out early or go late are the only ways to do it at present. Unfortunately, there are no suitable places to ride nearby so I don't have the luxury of being able to ride from home.

We're hoping to do an overnighter next week and ride the Pine Creek trail in central PA.

Back on the trail again!

We finally have another break in the heat and humidity, so the wife and I were back out on the trail today for another 25 mile ride on our e-bikes. It sure felt good to get back out after a couple of hot weeks. The cool weather without rain is supposed to hold for the next couple of days, so we plan to make the best of it.

Have any other POI Factory members (besides bdhsfz6 and me) decided to take the leap into e-biking this summer? I can't say enough about what great exercise it is and how enabling it has been for an old fat fart like me!

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Finally Got A Break!

alandb wrote:

We finally have another break in the heat and humidity, so the wife and I were back out on the trail today for another 25 mile ride on our e-bikes. It sure felt good to get back out after a couple of hot weeks. The cool weather without rain is supposed to hold for the next couple of days, so we plan to make the best of it.

Have any other POI Factory members (besides bdhsfz6 and me) decided to take the leap into e-biking this summer? I can't say enough about what great exercise it is and how enabling it has been for an old fat fart like me!

+1 Alan!

It hasn't been the heat so much as the rain here in the east. Finally got a dry day yesterday and was able to do 37 miles on my favorite "local" (90 minute drive) Lehigh Gorge Trail.

I've talked to quite a few people in my travels who would like to get into E-biking. Many are concerned about laws which govern where E-bikes can be legally used.

I find it interesting that E-bikes are sold in every state but only about half allow their use on public roads & multi use paths.

Thankfully, the laws are slowly evolving to favor E-bike use but who knows when and if they will be legal everywhere. Also, the price increase due to the recent tariff imposed on imported Chinese E-bikes will have a bearing on the popularity of the sport.

60 miles.

Got 60 miles in this week in 3 consecutive days of cooler weather. It is raining today, and the heat/humidity is supposed to be back starting tomorrow, but it was nice to get out on the trails while we could.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Way Ahead Of Me!

alandb wrote:

Got 60 miles in this week in 3 consecutive days of cooler weather. It is raining today, and the heat/humidity is supposed to be back starting tomorrow, but it was nice to get out on the trails while we could.

You're leaving me in the dust Alan! My wife and I managed only 35 miles this week.

We would be riding today (Saturday) due to the good weather but we have to drive down and pick up another E-bike. We decided to buy a third one to have for friends and visiting relatives to use. I wanted to wait until next year but we bought now, just in time to avoid the steep price increase due to new tarrifs on E-bikes.

Rain tomorrow and the heat & humidity will likely keep us out of the saddle until late next week.

great ride

alandb wrote:

I am up to 270 miles on my e-bike odometer now. For my friend bdhsfz6, I know that is pretty unimpressive, but for "overweight-and-terribly-out-of-shape" me, it is pretty significant. My wife and I actually rode 58 miles last week in reasonably comfortable weather ... a record for us! My goal is to get 500 miles before winter, but that may be pushing it ... depends on weather. My local bike shop does a free tightening/lube/adjustment after 500, so that is why I want to meet that goal.

Unfortunately, the heat/humidity is on the rise again, so we will probably not be able to keep the pace up until we get another cool spell.

What I really want to do is ride the Root River trail in MN, so if my wife's health is up to it, maybe we can put that on the agenda for this fall. She did take kind of a nasty fall when we were out today. Didn't get hurt but it kind of set back her confidence level ... need to work that back up again.

I am so impressed. I am trying to get motivated to buy one. I don't want to put out the money and then find I am not happy with it.

Rental?

bsp131 wrote:

I am so impressed. I am trying to get motivated to buy one. I don't want to put out the money and then find I am not happy with it.

See if you can find an e-bike rental business in your location. Renting would be a good activity to see how much you like it. If rentals aren't available, go to some local bike shops and take some test rides on various brands and styles (you should do that anyway before buying). Ask at the bike shops if they have any kind of return policy (most don't, but you never know unless you ask.)

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Bicycling?

bsp131 wrote:
alandb wrote:

I am up to 270 miles on my e-bike odometer now. For my friend bdhsfz6, I know that is pretty unimpressive, but for "overweight-and-terribly-out-of-shape" me, it is pretty significant. My wife and I actually rode 58 miles last week in reasonably comfortable weather ... a record for us! My goal is to get 500 miles before winter, but that may be pushing it ... depends on weather. My local bike shop does a free tightening/lube/adjustment after 500, so that is why I want to meet that goal.

Unfortunately, the heat/humidity is on the rise again, so we will probably not be able to keep the pace up until we get another cool spell.

What I really want to do is ride the Root River trail in MN, so if my wife's health is up to it, maybe we can put that on the agenda for this fall. She did take kind of a nasty fall when we were out today. Didn't get hurt but it kind of set back her confidence level ... need to work that back up again.

I am so impressed. I am trying to get motivated to buy one. I don't want to put out the money and then find I am not happy with it.

Have you used a bicycle in the past? If so, did you enjoy riding? Do you have bike trails or bike friendly parks nearby? If the answer is yes to all three, I would be very surprised if you weren't happy with an ebike. IMO, ebiking is twice the fun of using a conventional bike.

As Alan suggests, renting or test riding an ebike first is the best approach. If there are no rentals or dealers in your area, consider doing what I did and plan a trip to visit one.

Selecting the right ebike is also important. Check out the EBR forum:

https://electricbikereview.com/forum/

There is a wealth of information there and many friendly folk who would be glad to help you choose one that suits your needs.

Riding my e-bike.

We have had some nice weather days lately, so I am now up to 450 riding miles this summer (well, 448.5 to be exact) so unless something untoward happens, it looks like I will meet or exceed my goal of 500 miles before winter. I plan to go riding again tomorrow, so that will add another 20 to 25 miles.

I have had enough experience with my e-bike now that I am pretty confident in the range I can expect on a battery charge. I have never run the battery completely down, but on two occasions I rode over 55 miles on a single charge. In both cases my battery meter still had 2 of 5 bars. On one occasion, the bike display showed I still had an estimated range of 22 miles left on the battery, the other occasion it said I had 36 miles left. So that tells me my maximum range on a single battery charge is somewhere between 70 and 80 miles. I ride almost exclusively on the lowest assist level, called "Eco" mode on the Bosch system. And most of my rides are on paved rail trails ... so this is pretty much ideal conditions for maximum range. If I do come to a steeper incline like an overpass, I will sometimes bump up to the second or third assist level until I get past the incline. I almost never ride without assistance ... it is just too much fun using the motor, and I feel like I am still getting a good workout.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

I did

Quite a few years back I bought a conversion kit to make an e-bike out of a mountain bike. Had that for 2-3 years and then bought an e-scooter (with pedals). The pedals are really only to make it a legal e-bike, cannot pedal worth a hoot with them. Even bought Li-Ion batteries for that to cut down on the weight. But I have given up on that now too.

Where I live you cannot legally ride an e-bike in/on bicycle paths! You cannot ride on any park pathways!

Legally you MUST ride on the street with all the idiot car drivers who sometimes can barely see another car, never mind a 2 wheeler of any description.

We have had 3 killed on e-bikes and one seriously injured here in the last 2-3 weeks.

I feel safer riding my motorcycle in Mexico in the winter !

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

e-biking.

Sounds like you are an e-bike veteran Melaqueman! It is too bad you live in an area with the restrictive e-bike laws. Here in the US there are places with those restrictions too, although the regulations are constantly changing, vary a lot from state to state, and generally are not actively enforced except in some large cities like NYC. In Iowa where I live, any e-bike with pedals that is restricted to 20 MPH or less without pedal assist or up to 28 MPH with pedal assist is classified as a bicycle and subject to the same regulations as non powered bicycles. In other words, you don't have to license or insure them, you don't need a drivers license and you can ride them where ever bicycles can be legally ridden (trails, streets, sidewalks, etc.) You of course still have to obey traffic laws, just like any other bicycle.

I have no knowledge of e-bike regulations in Mexico, but keep checking. The laws may be changing like they are in many US states.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Unfortunate

Although I live in Pennsylvania, which is an ebike friendly state, there are no places nearby that are suitable for riding safely. Like you, I avoid public roads whenever possible.

Being retired gives me the freedom to travel, often out of state, to ride some of the best trails the northeast has to offer. The lack of local riding places didn't stop me from getting into ebiking and to me anyway, it was well worth the investment.

Every situation is different though so as Alan suggests, keep an eye on your local laws. You might also get involved with groups that are lobbying to change them.

Any new POI Factory e-bikers this summer?

Since spring weather is just around the corner (FINALLY!) I thought I would resurrect this thread to see if any forum members have plans or are thinking about adding an e-bike to their list of interests/activities this year.

For me, I am anxious to get back out on the trail on my e-bike after a long hard winter. I do have a new toy to play with on my e-bike. It is called a Nyon. The Nyon replaces the standard e-bike electronic display and controls with a bike computer and GPS navigation for Bosch powered e-bikes. It has some exercise monitoring, mapping, routing, tracking and many other functions similar to Garmin's Edge devices, but also ties into the Bosch motor controls for using the power assist features of the Bosch motor.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

I Wish

alandb wrote:

Since spring weather is just around the corner (FINALLY!) I thought I would resurrect this thread to see if any forum members have plans or are thinking about adding an e-bike to their list of interests/activities this year.

For me, I am anxious to get back out on the trail on my e-bike after a long hard winter. I do have a new toy to play with on my e-bike. It is called a Nyon. The Nyon replaces the standard e-bike electronic display and controls with a bike computer and GPS navigation for Bosch powered e-bikes. It has some exercise monitoring, mapping, routing, tracking and many other functions similar to Garmin's Edge devices, but also ties into the Bosch motor controls for using the power assist features of the Bosch motor.

I wish a display option like that were available for brands other than Bosch. I rely on my handlebar mounted Montana and Oregon GPS'rs to display data but it can't interact with the bike's operating system.

The closest I've been able to get to that is the ESB app for my smartphone. ESB connects via bluetooth to many ebike battery systems.

http://www.esb.bike/app/

ESB provides useful data including accurate battery voltage displayed in millivolts, distance remaining on the current charge, number of charge cycles, overall battery health, etc. It also has a crude map / routing feature.

It requires having a smartphone mounted to the handlebar to be effective though. It would be less cumbersome to have these features incorporated into the bike display like the Bosch / Nyon.

Sorry.... Duplicate Post....

I posted earlier, and forgot I did it! .... Well......

During the time I was restoring the two French bikes Peugeot and Gitane, I visited a bike shop to go through his old parts, and I did take a demo ride on an e-bike... Forgot the model, but it was one that as you pedaled harder, acceleration increased...

Now I've ridden Motorcycles since early 1960's, from 250cc to 1520cc's, so I'm familiar with the whole idea of powered 2 wheeled vehicles.. and their acceleration...

But the acceleration of that e-bike was actually a bit scary -- out of proportion for the weight of the bike... To me it seemed that acceleration could easily get away from you.... Maybe I'd have been better with a motorcycle style twist grip to control the speed...
As much as I was familiar with that 2 wheeled feeling, it seemed a bit scary.... I spent next two hours rummaging through boxes finding used, obsolete parts to finish my derailleur rebuild, and then picked up ball bearing idlers, which greatly improved the overall pedaling resistance..

I can see how someone who had no background of this feeling could easily find themselves going faster than their brakes or turning could compensate for...

I did finish the restoration of the two bicycles.... Actually improved my Peugeot a lot, replacing sleeved idlers with ball bearing units, and metal balls with ceramic... Still looks like a 1980 unit, but pedals easier...

Retired from Motorcycling, I'm very happy at 5 MPH... on my 1980 Peugeot U09

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A 2689LMT in both our cars that we love... and a Nuvi 660 with Lifetime Maps that we have had literally forever.... And a 2011 Ford Escape with Nav System that is totally ignored!

cadence vs torque.

It is possible you were riding a bike that had power assist based on cadence (how fast you pedal) vs torque (how hard you push on the pedals). I have heard others comment about this with bikes (primarily hub drive motors) that are just too "hot" in their power assist, particularly at start up.

My mid drive Bosch (motor on the pedals, not the hub) primarily uses torque (pressure on the pedals) to control the amount of motor assist. This gives a very natural feel to riding the bike … just like riding a normal non powered bike. It also uses standard gearing (derailleur or internal hub shifter) in the same way a regular bike does. So in any given gear as you gain speed and the cadence increases, the motor power diminishes and you need to shift to a higher gear, which again changes the torque required to keep moving and/or gain speed. So this response is very natural, it just makes you feel like your leg muscles are much stronger than they really are.

The well designed ebikes, whether hub drive or mid drive, have sensors for both cadence and torque built into their electronics and do a good job of giving a controlled natural feeling power assist.

If anyone is considering an e-bike purchase and haven't ridden an e-bike before, it is very important to find a bike shop that sells them and do some test rides on different frame, shifter and motor designs to see what you like and what works well for you.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Just ordered electric trike.

My wife and I both enjoy our e-bikes, but because of the medications she is taking, my wife no longer has the balance control to be safe on her bike. That has kept us off the bike trails so far this summer and is a big disappointment for both of us.

She just had a birthday last week, so I ordered an e-trike for her as a birthday present … supposed to be here in early July. We are really looking forward to getting back out on our favorite trails.

https://www.evelo.com/electric-bicycles/compass/

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Electric trike

When you had a chance to get some time on it, please post a review, I'd love something I could stay upright on

--
the title of my autiobiography "Mistakes have been made"

Will do!

I certainly will do that almostbob. This particular trike has a couple of features that many (most) electric trikes don't have. One is the disc brakes both front and rear which is important on a trike because you need to be able to slow down quickly for turns, especially on downhill. You can't "lean" a trike like you do a bike, so they tip over easy on turns if you are going too fast. Most electric trikes are front hub drive (the motor is on the front wheel, and that has several problems. This model has a mid drive (motor on the crank) which drives both rear wheels. Many etrikes with rear wheel drive only drive one wheel, which can cause something called torque steer when you apply motor power, and also can make the drive wheel spin if you try to start on gravel (that is also one of the problems with the front hub drive because not much weight is on the front tire). The rear disc brake also brakes both rear wheels which is quite unusual for a trike. The brakes have a "locking" mechanism, sort of like a parking brake on a car. This can be important if you need to park your trike on an incline.

That is just some of the features that made me pick this trike over its less expensive competitors. But I will definitely post my observations after we have had a chance to use it for a while.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Thank you.

bdhsfz6 wrote:
bsp131 wrote:

Thanks for your post. I was thinking about buying a new bike this year but will look at the ebikes. The only concern that I have is that they are so much heavier than the regular bikes.

There is no question that E-bikes are heavier than conventionals. In some cases, as much as 30%. While the battery represents most of the increased weight, some is due to heavier gauge material for increased strength in key areas of the frame.

There is a bit of a learning curve associated with the heavier E-bikes especially when starting and stopping. In my case, I find the step through frame design to be a big help here.

Another problem with the added weight is transport. You must be sure the bike rack you're using is up to the task. I've found that the weight of the average E-bike is within the design limits of most name brand quality racks. The exception here are racks designed to carry more than 3 bikes.

For us older folks, this added weight can be a factor in lifting the bike onto the rack. My advice here is to look at E-bikes with removable batteries. Some weigh more than 10 pounds and it's a big help to remove it from the bike before loading.

Thank you for the tip. I didn't know you could get one with a removable battery. It is a nice option.

I was wondering about that

If they came with removable Battery, that's a good idea, have 40 volt Lawnmower and 5AH battery, spare is $140 but worth it if you run out on job. Wonder what your battery would cost, be nice to have but probably cost prohibitive?

e-bike batteries.

The battery is the most expensive part of most e-bikes. Replacement batteries tend to run in the $750 to $1000 range. Unfortunately, the battery design, shape and mounting method are proprietary and tend to be unique for each brand of bike or motor. If they would standardize the e-bike battery form factor, that would create competition and bring the prices down. But as it stands right now, the battery is very expensive.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Evelo Compass Electric Trike.

almostbob wrote:

When you had a chance to get some time on it, please post a review, I'd love something I could stay upright on

As I promised in an earlier post, I will give some quick observations about the Evelo Compass electric trike. We received the trike a couple of weeks ago, but weren't able to do much with it the first few days because of the excessive heat wave (which broke last weekend). We have been out 3 times now, and my wife already loves her new Compass trike. Evelo sent the trike to our local bike shop for assembly (their cost, no extra charge to me). Our local shop did an excellent job of putting the bike together and spent a good hour with us going over its features. I was quite impressed that they were willing to do that with a bike they didn't sell.

All of the components on the Evelo seem to be very high quality. It is solid, smooth and quite attractive. It has a very large and sturdy basket (on the rear between the wheels) that could easily hold a large order of groceries. It has disk brakes front and rear which can be locked so the bike won't roll away when parked. The braking is very natural and makes you feel in control at all times. The bike has front and rear lights, plus a brake light that operates with both the front and rear brakes.

It has a 3 speed internal geared hub for shifting, plus 5 motor assist levels, and a throttle that you can use if you don't want to pedal at all. It is plenty powerful, even on the lower assist levels, so I don't think there will be any problem with hills. It is also quite fast for a trike. It is easy to get it up to 15 MPH or even more. But you have to be careful with a trike because they can tip over easily if you try to turn at speed (you can't "lean" a trike like you do a bike).

We are still experimenting with the range on a battery charge. Our longest ride so far (on a paved rail trail) has been 16 miles. The display still showed 45% charge, so I think we could go about 25 miles on a charge. The bike came with one battery, but is equipped with a dock for a second battery, and that would increase the range considerably. The second battery isn't cheap ($800), so I am still considering whether to make that investment. As with all ebikes, you could increase the range by pedaling harder (less motor assist) and using the throttle sparingly. On our three rides we have taken so far, my wife has kept the assist level on level 2 (out of 5) and has used the throttle quite a bit (to catch up with me when I get ahead of her on my ebike).

Well, that is a quick review … will post more after we have had some more experience with the Evelo trike. So far it is definitely two thumbs up.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Any Factory members with a new ebike?

I thought I would resurrect this old thread to see if any members have recently gotten into e-biking. I read in another forum where the COVID-19 "stay at home" restrictions have caused a surge in bike sales, including and specifically in electric bikes. I suppose people are giving up vacations and looking for fun and safe activities they can do closer to home. Our local bike shop that sells ebikes has remained open during the pandemic with "by appointment" sales and curb side delivery/pickup for service. I have been there a couple of times and they do seem to be busier than I expected they would be. It took them a full week to do the annual maintenance/tune-up on my ebike because they were so booked up.

My wife and I have been out on our ebikes a few times this spring, and there is definitely an increase in bike traffic on our local rail trail, enough so that maintaining the social distancing protocol can become difficult.

So, are they any new e-bike customers here at POI Factory? If so, tell us about your ebike and your ebiking experiences.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

E-Bikes

alandb wrote:

...So, are they any new e-bike customers here at POI Factory?...

Not yet, but I have been giving it some strong consideration.

e-bike.

Jim1348 wrote:

Not yet, but I have been giving it some strong consideration.

Hey Jim1348 ... if you are serious, spend some time on the EBR forum. Lots to learn there. Keep us posted on where you are in your decision process.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

E-Bike

Yep

That's the one. As Alan says, it's a great site to learn about ebikes.

I'm also a member there.

End of Ebike season for me.

Unless we happen to get an unseasonably warm November or December day, I think I am done with my ebike rides until spring. I hung the bikes and bike carrier up in the garage for winter storage, but I can get them down again if we have some nice riding weather come along ... probably not much chance of that until March or April. I didn't get as much riding done this summer as I wanted because of wife's health issues and too many hot humid days this summer. Hope to do better next year.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

E-Bikes

My youngest son and I took a test ride yesterday on an e-bike. I didn't know that some bicycles are now using belts, instead of chains.

ebikes

Jim1348 wrote:

My youngest son and I took a test ride yesterday on an e-bike. I didn't know that some bicycles are now using belts, instead of chains.

Yeah, some of the higher end bikes have switched to belts with internal geared hubs instead of derailleurs. My Gazelle ebike has an Shimano internal geared hub but still uses a chain. I really like the internal geared hub because you can shift it any time, even when stopped.

What brand of ebike did you test ride?

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Memories

alandb wrote:

My Gazelle ebike has a Shimano internal geared hub but still uses a chain.

When I was a lad in the late 50s, Sturmey-Archer 3-speed internal geared hubs were standard equipment on what we called "English bikes". I still have an English bicycle I bought in graduate school which sports one. Those gears were too widely spaced in ratio to my taste, and the cable length adjustment was a bit fiddly. I don't think we were supposed to shift them at a standstill.

The S-A 3-speed hubs seem to have been gradually pushed out by derailleur setups.

Are the modern Shimano ones drastically different from the classic S-A?

--
personal GPS user since 1992

Internal geared hub.

Yes, as a kid I also had a 3 speed "English" bike with a Sturmey Archer shifter. It was very finicky and eventually failed.

My Shimano Nexus hub is an 8 speed so it has plenty of shifting range. Unlike a derailleur where you keep pedaling with reduced torque when you shift, on an internal geared hub, you momentarily stop pedaling to shift. You can shift throughout the entire range skipping gears when needed. even going from 1st gear to 8th gear (or 8th to 1st) in a single shift if needed. I have about 1600 miles on my bike and the Shimano hub still works perfectly. It is much more reliable and smooth than the old Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. I think Sturmey Archer is still around and I bet their newer hubs have also improved over the years.

NuVinci, Enviolo and a few other companies now have continuously variable transmission hubs which work similar to automatic transmissions. I have never ridden a bike with one of these, but they seem to be gaining in popularity (but are expensive).

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Ebikes

alandb wrote:
Jim1348 wrote:

...What brand of ebike did you test ride?

This was the store, but I didn't pay close enough attention to the brand.

I am very sorry about that.

https://www.powerbikes.com/about/st-louis-park-pg141.htm

fires in e-bikes and other lithium-ion equipment

Recently there was a serious fire on the 4th floor of a New York City housing project, a fireproof apartment building.

As you will see from the video, there would have been two fatalities except for the existence of a large vertical pipe outside the building and the agility of two occupants.

As a NY firefighter, this is one of the hottest fires I have ever seen on video or in person.

The fire was started from a large number of e-bikes being charged overnight:

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/6174461-fire-investigator...

Here are two other fires:

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/9-year-old-boy-killed-...

https://abc7ny.com/fire-manhattan-amsterdam-avenue-e-bike/53...

dobs108 shock

E-Bikes

alandb wrote:

...What brand of ebike did you test ride?

It may have been a Harley Davidson Electric Bicycle.

https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/products/bikes/future-...

E-Bikes

Did anyone see on the news about an apt fire that was causes by to many E-bikes being plugged in for a recharge.

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johnm405 660 & MSS&T

look up on this page

johnm405 wrote:

Did anyone see on the news about an apt fire that was causes by to many E-bikes being plugged in for a recharge.

Look up on this page.

dobs108 smile

My Goof

Read it and looked right over it redface

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johnm405 660 & MSS&T
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