RidingMatthew

I rode the trek super commuter this weekend it was my first https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/e.../1367000-2017/experience with an electric bike.

It was fun but fairly heavy.
It was pretty heavy bike but it sure did move quick with the electric on turbo. The guy at shop who bought one and uses it to commute said he charges it once a week.

mattia76

I saw a ton of different E-Treks at my LBS this last weekend. They look sweet, but why would one choose to ever actually pedal them (being so heavy) when they have the electric turbo at their fingertips?

General Geoff

For a little more money, you could have a Zero FXS electric motorcycle. *shrug*

ThermionicScott 

If you hopped on one and "chose not to actually pedal" you'd look pretty dumb since it would fall over.

ThermionicScott 

$5000 is still a little rich for my blood, but I see the potential for these things. Maybe when I'm a little older.

acidfast7

About time you guys (in the US) started using properly integrated Bosch motors on e-bikes (pedelec in Germany).

However, for less than that much money, it should have a Bosch motor, a proper IGH, fender guard, racks and lights.

Something more like this:

Koga Miyata

RidingMatthew

The one I rode had fenders, rack, and lights. But I had no idea that is cost that much.

corrado33

$5000??? Jeebus. You can tell who the target market for this bike is. (Old, rich people.)

Even the dutch bike above is $3800.

You could build an e-bike out of an old mountain bike for less than $1000 (probably significantly less)... with fenders, and everything you'd need... My friend bought one of those e-bay special e-bike kits. It worked well! Have no idea about the longevity or battery life, but it was super fast (and also definitely not legal since you could go almost 30 MPH on it without pedaling.)

Sure, you don't get "pedal assist" but you do get the "I get to where I want to go faster with less effort."

phughes

But these you actually have to pedal. You are still getting a workout, but you go faster. I rode one from Specialized a few times when my LBS had one. Myself and the manager rode it quite a lot. It felt like riding my regular bike effort-wise, but my speed was much higher. I was able to get out into traffic quicker, and keep up fairly easily, at 30 mph.

You still make the effort, but the motor just makes you go faster, you cannot coast and simply run on electric with most of these, you have to be pedaling.

noglider 

E-bikes are taking off like crazy here in NYC. I hope they are made legal quickly, though I'm not optimistic about that.

RidingMatthew

true this one did not provide any electric help unless you were pedaling but pedaling in a fast gear I hit 25 no problem felt like I was riding at 10-12 mph effort too.

cyccommute 

You have to "pedal" electric bicycles because that's what the laws say you have to do in order for them to be considered "bicycles". From Wikipedia

I'd be more concerned about the bicycle's range (for the price) than anything else. Their range is 18 to 80 miles probably depending on how much you use the battery. If they are anything like most electric bicycles I've seen, you need the motor to keep them moving but using the motor means you wear out the battery faster and the bike turns into a lead brick that leaves you struggling up every hill or you have to wait 2 hours to charge the battery.

Meh. Too much money to be a commuter bike you park outside. Not enough range to be that useful. 'Tis and expensive toy.

alan s 

When I am too out of shape or old to pedal, I might consider an electric bike. By then they should be able to hit 50 mph and take you 300 miles on a single charge. And cost maybe $1,000.

GeneO 

I am sorry, that is one fugly bike, electric or not .

FenderTL5

I test Rode the Giant Quick-E+ (linked) earlier this year. It lists at 3k. I was impressed and if I had 3k I would've brought it home.

I've considered a $300~ bike and a copenhagen wheel as a cost effective alternative but nothing beyond the passing thought.

cyccommute 

My question on the Giant and Trek is how that rack thing is supposed to work. How do you keep the rack from rotating off the back of the bike in the case of both bikes and how do you keep the rack on the Trek from bending under even a moderate load? The Trek has a picture of panniers that are larger than I carry for weeks of self-sustained touring but the rack doesn't look like it would carry the weight of the panniers much any additional weight. The Giant, on the other hand, locks you into only carrying panniers since you don't have a rack deck to mount anything to.

I wouldn't call either of these bikes "commuter" bikes and neither is versatile enough to use for much of anything else. And, in 5 years when the propriety battery packs go south, they will be expensive scrap.

noglider 

Considering how commonly I see e-bikes in NYC, I have to guess they're pretty useful, whether we like them or not.

I have no desire to get one for myself, but I have no problem with their gaining popularity. If it gets people out of cars, it's a wonderful thing, as they are nearly silent and use very little fossil fuel compared with just about every other motorized form of transport.

FenderTL5

I would presume they are supposed to work by using brand specific accessories. That is just a guess.
Maintenance concerns are another reason I won't drop 3K on one of these bikes yet. There's battery life, but also chains derailleurs, cranks etc that wear out regularly on my pedal bike. How does this play-out on an e-bike?
I don't know but I would presume maintenance is more of a concern and more in terms of costs.

chas58

Not exactly. It has to have operational pedals, but you don't have to pedal. Do you remember those 100+lb mopeds from the '70's that had pedals that were totally worthless, but had to be there because of regulations?

Besides, that is a requirement for CPSC consumer product regulations for a bicycle. , not for what you can buy/sell/own/license...

chas58

I build several ebikes I've been riding for many years. It is wonderful for commuting over longer distances (more than 10 miles).

My requirements were a bit different:

1. Light weight (less than 30 lbs, or about the same as a basic mountain bike).
2. Low cost (<$500 + donor bike)
3. Higher speed (25-27mph).

It is a heck of a lot of fun to get to work on, and really surprises cars with its speed...

RidingMatthew

@chas58 I would love to see a video or picture of this bike you have made.


that sounds better for me. if I had electric it would cut down my commuting time.

noglider 

Some ebikes have throttles, and some require pedaling for the motor to kick in. And some have been modified after purchase.

chas58

Klein, Specialized, Bianchi donner bikes. The silver specialized is my daily commuter (~25+ mph).

phughes

Well, the one I rode only provided assist, and for some people, that would be nice. If you didn't pedal, you would go nowhere. For people with a longer commute, with less time to do it, the higher speed might be nice. The Specialized I rode has a range of 35-60 miles, depending on how you ride. It recharges in 3 1/2 hours so it can easily be charged while at work, if necessary. My friend was able to ride it from work and back, and his commute is 18 miles one way. He did it without recharging, and the hills in Western Pennsylvania are steep and plenty.

I won't knock them. They may not be for everyone, but you do have to actually pedal, and I mean you have to make an effort, the more effort you make, the faster you go. You can take it easy too, the only difference is, you won't go as fast. This type of bike can help a lot of people commute in areas like mine, where many would struggle with the steep hills. I won't begrudge them anything if they choose to use one.

Right now, a good friend of mine is at the end of a tour he did this year on an electric assist bike. I won't knock him for it, because he has done many unsupported tours cross country, with a standard bike. I met him while I was on tour, he was finishing a cross country trip, he began in San Francisco, and I was doing a puny Pittsburgh to Washington DC, he was 67 and I was 46 or 47. At age 70, he rode from Iowa, to the Florida Keys, up to the tip of Maine, then back to Iowa, covering 7,000 miles to celebrate his 70th. He has been doing long tours like that every year since I met him, all fully loaded, on standard bikes. This year, he's on an electric assist bike. I think he's earned it.

blakcloud

I love to try the Trek someday. The only thing I worry about is the weight. That thing weighs in at 52 pounds! You would be hard pressed carrying that up a flight a stairs everyday. Though in the ad it makes a good point, "Goodbye Car". It certainly could be that for many people and you don't have to have insurance to run it.