Electric Bicycles
by Roedy Green ©1996-2008 Canadian Mind Products
Introduction
Circa 1975 I gave away my 3-year old Renault 12 Canadian-made car and have
either used a bicycle or gone on foot ever since. Most people are not willing to
go that far to cut their greenhouse gas footprint. They don't have the money for
a new Tesla electric
sports car or Prius
hybrid car, or maybe not even enough for a fuel efficient diesel Smart
Car. There is yet another option — an electric-assisted bicycle.
My partner just bought one on 2008-04-19, a low cost
250 watt model from GWEV (Green World
Electric Vehicles), similar to the one in the picture. Most models
are twice as powerful. Of course I got to ride it.
click for a larger image.
What It Is Like To Ride One
The bike is much heavier than a regular bike (about 60 pounds) because of the
lead-acid gel batteries. However, unlike a motorcycle or scooter, it offers
little resistance to being walked along. Because of its weight, when you turn
off the electric assist, it feels a bit like riding a tandem bike. When you turn
it on, it is like having an eager strong pedaler on the back of your tandem who
gives you a big boost when you are accelerating from a stop, or when you are
climbing a hill. Otherwise, it is pretty much as if the assist is not there. You
pedal all the time. It gives you illusion of being fitter than you are. You just
zip along like a teenager. This is not a scooter, where you sit passively. I got
used to it very quickly. It made be feel a lot safer at intersections to be able
to accelerate and get through them so quickly.
Bad Weather Use
It comes with a complicated bike poncho that covers you, your legs, and much of
the bike for riding in the rain. It has special holes for the mirrors and a
clear panel for the light. With its massive gel cells, it comes with integrated
lights.
Specifications
This model has a 250 watt motor. A professional cyclist, on the back of your
tandem could pump out about 775 watts, but then they would add an additional
dead weight of perhaps 175 pounds, considerably more than your battery pack. A
recreational cyclist would do well to sustain 150 watts.
The bike has a rated range of 30 km. More expensive models are in the range of
80 km. I would expect it depends just how much you use the assist. You plug the
bike into the wall to charge any time it is not in use, and the charger
automatically shuts off when the cells are fully charged.
This one is fitted with a large front carrying basket and two detachable saddle
bags in the rear. Its main function will be fetching groceries.
Gears
The bike has derailleur gears, like a standard bike. These are purely for human
power. The electric motor bypasses them. You don't need them much since motor
gives you such a boost at slow speeds. You could easily leave the bike in high
gear all the time. Electric motors have great torque and acceleration at low
speeds.
Theft
The salespeople spent considerable effort persuading us the bike was less likely
to be stolen than a regular bike. Bike theft is only a misdeamenor, even if the
thief steals hundreds of bikes and the bikes are worth over
each, there is zero risk of jail time. In contrast, electric bike theft is
considered a form of car theft with jail time. There are no quick release
components to tempt thieves. Joyriders can’t do anything without the key
and such a bike is a bit of a klunker, less fun than a standard bike for speed.
Integration of specialised components make them worthless on the resale market.
The bike is distinctive and hence harder to resell discreetly. There are not
that many electric bikes sold legitimately. They tend to klunky styling, perhaps
designed to appear to older people, which again discourages theft. Other models
look more like tiny motorcycles or scooters.
Summary
It is not the sort of thing that turns heads like an electric sports car, though
some kids did mention how cool the bike was as I rode past on its inaugural run.
Half the exercise of cycling comes from the muscles used for balance. You might
find yourself getting even more exercise than with a regular bike, if you got in
the habit of using it for commuting and errands. This is nothing like a
motorcycle. You won't be doing wheelies with it.
click for a larger image.
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