Electric bikes

HBAMS

What Electric bikes would you recommened???

CheGuedara

I understand that the Giant ones are pretty good. Called the twist or twister or something.....

SharkWound

there is an electric bike for sale on gumtree

Freewheeling Ed

I have never used one, but I remember talking to a woman who had one, because she siad it was easier. But the impression I got from her, that when the battery ran out (was was regular) you end up pushing a really heavy lump of bike around.
She put me off electrical bikes for ever.
Have I the wrong end of the battery chager ???

Lumen

Freewheeling Ed wrote: »

But the impression I got from her, that when the battery ran out (was was regular) you end up pushing a really heavy lump of bike around.

Cars are a bit like that too. :P

More seriously, I think electric bikes are a nice idea.

Consider a bike with 100 18650 LiIon batteries secreted about it's frame. Each battery gives about 8WH for about 50g and $4.50, so that's 800WH of energy for $450 and 5kg of battery weight. Add another 5kg for powertrain, and you have a 20kg bike. With an 80kg rider, that's 100kg to shift.

I'd want my electric bike to do maybe 1000m of climbing on a spin. I don't mind handling the air resistance, just not the climbing - I'd like to (say) climb up to Sally Gap at 30kph.

Simple E=mgh gives 1 million joules of energy required at 100% efficiency. That's only 278WH.

So my theoretical 20kg electric bike could handle 2800m of climbing at normal "flat" road speeds, before drivetrain losses.

If such a bike exists, I'd buy one. Somehow, I fear that reality doesn't yet meet the theory.

72hundred

Lumen wrote: »

I'd like to (say) climb up to Sally Gap at 30kph.

Does that not just defeat the purpose of cycling ? :rolleyes:

Ghost Rider

Not if you live in the Sally Gap...

72hundred wrote: »

Does that not just defeat the purpose of cycling ? :rolleyes: