|
In response to
"Remind me, that’s an electric bike, yes? My daughter wants to use her summer job money to buy one. What do I need to know? -- nm"
by
Mop
|
It is, yes. It's from a local company, a folding fat-tire step-thru ebike with a 500W Bafang hub-drive motor and a cadence sensor + throttle.
Posted by
Beryllium (aka grayman)
Aug 26 '22, 18:39
|
Downsides:
* It's heavy (78 pounds, including the battery)
* Range is about 40km, which means I can't ride to sailing & back under current conditions
* Because it's a local company, if they go kaput, maintenance/warranty might not be available.
* This hasn't impacted me yet, but the 4" fat tires are kind of easier to puncture than a normal bike. There are workarounds that can mitigate the issue (goo that fills holes), but I haven't had to put any in place yet.
Upsides:
* Pedal assist level 3 (out of 5) is perfect for hill-climbing, it puts hills on easy mode without affecting normal pedalling. Basically gives a higher baseline speed. Normal bike has a baseline speed of about zero.
* Posture is WAY more comfortable than my old mountain bike
* I can detach the battery and bring it upstairs to charge (which may or may not be safer, but I find it gives more peace of mind when I can monitor it - some people mod their stuff or use cheap batteries & it can cause fires)
* Whole thing folds up and fits in the back of my Escape without having to lower the seats
I'm very happy with the purchase. If there was one thing I'd consider changing, it would be the battery size - however, even the current range is enough to let me ride across Victoria and back. I did have an option to get a 750W motor instead, but decided I didn't need the extra power. So far the decision has been accurate. I definitely don't need to be zipping along at motorcycle speeds on a hacked motor, and the 500W has smoothly handled most stuff I've thrown at it. A couple of hills have been steep enough to require shifting down into 2nd or 1st gear & pedalling quickly (but not too effortfully) to assist the motor with some torque.
My mom recently got a Rad Expand 5 bike with similar features. She's liking it. It cost less than what I spent on my bike, but she had to wait a bit for shipping.
So, recommendations:
* If you're not as heavy as I am (about 220), you might not need such a heavy bike
* More battery/range is gooder
* Removable battery provides more charging options
* 500W is a decent power level. Lower is not good. Higher is OK
* Get a good seat and consider a stabilizing seatpost to make it a more comfortable ride
* Make sure it is equipped for carrying cargo - put it to work :)
|
Responses:
|