Jmbrown415

Hi there,

Not sure that this is the correct place for this, so I apologise profusely if not!

I recently purchased a tesla to help reduce my footprint on planet earth and I am now looking for some advice on purchasing a bike as the discounts are great on cycle2schemes and I will be using this to commute ( to get somewhat fitter )

My commute is around 19 miles and it varies a tad. I will be commuting from Epping and where I live is rather in the ‘sticks’ so a bit hilly but not too horrific all the way to NW19 ( Highgate area ).

I am looking for an electric/electric assist bike, ideally with at least 35/40 miles of range. I have looked at the cowboy 3 which appeals, especially as the battery is removable. Any other decent bikes that you know of? My one worry with the cowboy 3 is I understand it only has 1 gear so going uphill is quite difficult and the electric assist is not as good going up very steep gradients. I am 27, male and around 188cm in height.

My budget is around the 2/3k mark so ideally, I don’t really want to spend too much over this.

late

If you can't recharge at work, you may need a second battery. They are very expensive.

If you have hills, you want gears.

Cheap ebikes come with a ton of compromises. Compromises that can let you down on that long ride to work.

Leisesturm

You know of this Cowboy 3 bike the o.p. is talking about? I agree with you, of course. Batteries are actually cheap and getting cheaper. I think E-bikers are being ripped off. Tesla batteries that cost $20,000 ten years ago are $1000 now but e-bike batteries have stayed the same. I'm not sure why a new Tesla owner would consider anything less than a Trek or other front line make for a 19mi commute. Aventon and Juiced Bikes are the budget go to's in my casual research.
Edit: Don't know what it costs but a look at the CB3 website answers some questions. I don't think it is cheap as much as unsuitable for the o.p.'s stated purpose. It's Hipster profile won't cut the mustard as the miles rack up. Practical shortlist: Raleigh Redux IE; Giant Quick E+; Trek Anything (Verve, Allant). Batch E-Commuter.

2old

Definitely not a SS for hills. Probably you would receive more assistance at pedelecs.co.uk since many here may not know what's available for you. If it's hilly, a mid-drive would be the best consideration.

late

Never heard of it.

I don't know anything about that, either, but that surprises me not at all. I'm hoping the price does eventually come down, because the battery I have has 3 years on it, and I'm not looking forward to replacing it. At that cost, a new bike would make more sense, in my situation.

Yeah, that was also my thought. Ideally one that comes with 2 batteries standard.

surveyor6

$2/3k is a good budget for a hub motor kit. with battery.
You probably will not enjoy riding a $667 e-bike.

Pop N Wood

A 19 mile each way commute is a pretty significant commute. Especially if it gets cold where you are since cold affects battery range. I would want a nice bike, highly reliable bike for that.

$2k is more than you need for a top end mid drive kit and battery. Put that on a used touring or mountain bike and you are set. Use the left over money for racks and paniers.

If you want a ready built bike you will need to do some research. So many options now. Biggest problem is finding one to test ride. It can also be very difficult to sift through the biases and opinions of people who have never seen the particular bike you are considering.

Pop N Wood

I've never owned a Tesla but regularly think about buying a used battery for different reasons (like off grid RV). Your $1000 estimate made me spend 30 seconds on google search

https://www.thedrive.com/tech/38915/...3-battery-pack

The article, from this year, claim Tesla's invoice price for a remanufactured battery is $13.5k.

One would think battery prices will come down as automakers shift to electric cars. But from what I can tell no one is putting effort into recycling dead batteries. Have to wonder if at some point cars will have a disposal tax levied for each unit, not to mention environmental restrictions on strip mining lithium for billions of batteries a year. Think there will be a limit once the laws catch up to the true costs of lithium batteries.

Hope you are right though, would love to pick up a Tesla sized battery for a grand.

Leisesturm

This isn't the article I read but it does indicate the trend. The article I read was more about the prices companies like Tesla are paying per cell which is like $0.07 when they were once $1.70. Don't hold me to those numbers. I should have multiplied the numbers on both sides of my example by 10. I'm not a numbers guy. I'm a big picture guy. I guess both carmakers and e-bike makers are keeping the profits from the decline in the raw price of the cells for themselves. My e-bike battery cost $575 and the smart charger was $75. I'll be happy to get a few years out of it.

Riveting

For a front hub wheel kit, I picked up the 36v Class 2 HillTopper 250watt for $549, everything included: full wheel with tire, wiring harness, and battery. And it handles the Denver hills on my commute easily. I do have to recharge after each leg of the 15 mile commute.

2old

If you don't charge above 80% and don't let get below 20%, you'll probably get at least five good years (AIR, Tesla guarantees for eight with their system which has this characteristic built in). I got five good years from a 52V, 10 ah battery, then gave it away while it still functioned well.