e-Bikes – Let’s talk

[dasgeh]

@Judd 192654 wrote:

When you do a conversion kit, do you also have to change out your tires to e-bike rated tires?

E-bike rated tires are built to withstand greater forces, and will last longer. For everyone. If you convert, you can stick with your old tires, but when those go, I recommend upgrading to really bomb-proof tires. But I recommend bomb-proof tires to everyone riding for transportation anyways.

[semperiden]

@n18 192652 wrote:

I don’t need a full time EBike, just for some trips.

I have an electron wheel collecting dust in my closet. I used it a couple of times, but decided that electric bikes take out of all the fun of riding a bike. I can sell it if interested.

[Dewey]

Harley-Davidson showed images of prototype ebikes at their Annual Dealers Meeting this week. No details as yet but what we can see are fairly standard high end (>$4,000) ebike features, mid-drive, enviolo cvp hub, belt drive, even a step-through. No details on what motor/battery they are using or if the system is designed/built by Harley. Compared with competitors these Harley’s look closer to the lighter Yamaha Power Assist Bicycles than the heavier long range Fuell ebike from Erik Buell, like the Yamaha’s (except the YDX-Torc eMTB model) the ebikes in the released images don’t have a suspension fork, might this indicate that like the Yamaha’s they will be Class 1 (20mph) rather than Class 3 (28mph)? Hopefully they copy Yamaha’s 3-year transferrable warranty, gas Harley motorcycles have a 2-year transferrable warranty, this is still rare for ebikes but would promote used and trade-in value.

[Dewey]

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signs order directing access for electric bicycles on federal lands including the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and lands managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.

https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/sec_interior_ebike_order.pdf

https://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-coming-national-park-trails-142615810.html?soc_src=newsroom&soc_trk=com.apple.UIKit.activity.PostToFacebook&.tsrc=newsroom

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/apnewsbreak-coming-to-national-park-trails-electric-bikes/2019/08/30/92cff456-cb32-11e9-9615-8f1a32962e04_story.html

National Park Service responds by permitting Class 1-3 ebikes on trails, obey same trail speed limits as pedal bicycles, but no throttle riding
https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/ebikepolicy.htm

[komorebi]

Question for the e-bike experts: my friends have a bike trailer for their 22-month-old twins. But the twins are getting bigger and the hills in Ithaca aren’t getting any flatter, so they’re thinking of getting an e-bike for kid-hauling duties. Is there an e-bike out there that would fit both of them (she’s about 5’4″, he’s about 5’9″) and that would work for pulling a bike trailer? Or should they get a longtail e-bike instead, and if so, which one would you recommend?

[ChristoB50]

@komorebi 192936 wrote:

Question for the e-bike experts … Is there an e-bike out there that would fit both of them (she’s about 5’4″, he’s about 5’9″) and that would work for pulling a bike trailer? Or should they get a longtail e-bike instead, and if so, which one would you recommend?

A great resource for reviews and a pretty vast forum: https://electricbikereview.com/forum/

[dasgeh]

@komorebi 192936 wrote:

Question for the e-bike experts: my friends have a bike trailer for their 22-month-old twins. But the twins are getting bigger and the hills in Ithaca aren’t getting any flatter, so they’re thinking of getting an e-bike for kid-hauling duties. Is there an e-bike out there that would fit both of them (she’s about 5’4″, he’s about 5’9″) and that would work for pulling a bike trailer? Or should they get a longtail e-bike instead, and if so, which one would you recommend?

Yes, there are lots of ebikes that will fit someone 5’4″ & someone 5’9″ and would pull a bike trailer. I would highly recommend buying local if they can, because they’ll be able to get service when they need it.

But I would also recommend a long tail. 2 kids aren’t going to fit in a trailer much past 2 years old. (And I’m generally not a fan of trailers in the city). Long tails are great. If they can buy local, that’s ideal. They want a smaller rear wheel as the kids get older, because having weight near the ground is better (though I didn’t mind so much until the kids were 5+).

It’s possible they could get a normal-tail ebike now and use it with the trailer. Then when the kids outgrow the trailer, buy a long tail – by then, the kids will be happy on the back of the longtail without seats (depends on the kid, but 3-4 seems standard) and one parent gets to use the normal-tail ebike.

[Dewey]

@komorebi 192936 wrote:

Question for the e-bike experts: my friends have a bike trailer for their 22-month-old twins. But the twins are getting bigger and the hills in Ithaca aren’t getting any flatter, so they’re thinking of getting an e-bike for kid-hauling duties. Is there an e-bike out there that would fit both of them (she’s about 5’4″, he’s about 5’9″) and that would work for pulling a bike trailer? Or should they get a longtail e-bike instead, and if so, which one would you recommend?

Most any electric bike can tow a trailer, but New York State law currently does not permit ebikes, and the governor is not willing to sign the ebike legislation that passed the NY State Assembly this year, the exception is the recent regulatory change by the National Park Service who now permit ebikes where bicycles are permitted to ride on National Park land, so your friends should get local advice before proceeding to buy an ebike.

That being said in Ithaca Cayuga ski & cyclery look like they have a nice selection including the Giant LaFree and Civia Parkway step through’s, available in a small frame size, which are Class 1 ebikes with mid-drive pedal-assist motors. For a longtail, if they can wait until November Yuba is replacing their Mundo Classic with a new Kombi model with smaller 24″ wheels which ought to retail for a grand from REI, Yuba offer a ton of child-carrying add-ons. A shop in Ithaca called Boxy Bikes could convert it with a mid-drive kit with a throttle.

Otherwise ChristoB50 is right, check out some suggestions and ask questions on the EBR forum, or a family biking forum.

[Dewey]

Three Jump ebikeshare bikes are parked outside VA Square Metro station this morning, and the Uber app shows JUMP ebikes all around the R-B corridor, so I guess the JUMP Ebikes are now operating in Arlington? I know this was going to happen but hadn’t seen publicity.

[DismalScientist]

I’ll just leave this right here:

https://babylonbee.com/news/motorcycle-that-identifies-as-bicycle-sets-world-cycling-record

[buschwacker]

@DismalScientist 194131 wrote:

I’ll just leave this right here:

https://babylonbee.com/news/motorcycle-that-identifies-as-bicycle-sets-world-cycling-record

Isn’t this just coded transphobia?

[ChristoB50]

It’s like a much snarkier The Onion…

[mstone]

@buschwacker 194133 wrote:

Isn’t this just coded transphobia?

it was coded?

[Sunyata]

@DismalScientist 194131 wrote:

I’ll just leave this right here:

https://babylonbee.com/news/motorcycle-that-identifies-as-bicycle-sets-world-cycling-record

Not cool… Not cool.

I stand with trans cyclists.

[Dewey]

Arlington County Board vote to pass the Micromobility Ordinance. ebikes that meet Virginia state definition of a power assisted electric bicycle (up to 1,000w, 25mph) are permitted to ride on County multi use trails, 20mph trail speed limit, but also a new 6mph speed limit applies to ebikes riding on County sidewalks, and no sidewalk riding where a PBL is in place https://newsroom.arlingtonva.us/release/county-board-votes-to-regulate-e-scooters/

[Author]

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