a cpl thoughts after using one for the 1st time, a cpl days ago, on Martha's Vineyard, a vacation destination
OMG these are amazing
we love "the button"
it allowed us to visit a spot w/o a car that would otherwise have been outside our ideal paired cycling desires. meaning while we could cycle to this particular spot, we wouldn't. I might on my own but not w/ Wifey. what the electric bikes did for us is take the physical burden off the trip. the motor helps you eat up the hills
you can almost always keep the shifter in high gear, because the motor helps you get up to speed
I cranked up the power setting but the bike seems to like to top out at 20mph
when you are traveling faster, just like w/ regular bikes, it sometimes makes it harder for cars to figure out when to pass you. when just pedaling a regular bike, you don't pose this issue to the cars & they can just pass you easily. but if the speed limit is 25 & you're going 20, finding the right opportunity to pass you, against oncoming traffic, requires more planning by the driver & I can understand why this might be annoying. so I slowed down in some spots, to let the cars pass easily. Wifey on the other hand, was blissfully humming along waaay ahead of me.
I haven't thought of a use back at home. meaning I wouldn't buy one to replace what I have now, for the rides I do now. the only exception might be the 22 mile work commute. having an electric bike, would make me more likely to bike commute. it can cut down the travel time & it would be less of a physical effort. so it would be a good fuel saving device, reducing car usage. I live in a condo, so storing it on my patio would be OK, as opposed to a gas or electric scooter, because we have only 2 parking spaces
using electric bikes will definitely help with schlepping to & from the ferry to a house or a hotel. no one has to come pick you up & a taxi isn't needed. added benefit of that is, you're less likely to pack extra stuff, knowing you'll be limited to what you can carry on a bike. altho, as I was walking, with my partner, w/2 backpacks, a duffle & a broken rolling suitcase, I was thinking about an electric bike with a cargo trailer! oh boy don't get me started!
I would prefer a bike that was more like what I ride now, but just with the added benefit of the motor. the electric bikes we rode were a bit more upright & the saddle was a bit wide. I pedaled as much as I could but was limited by the geometry of the frame
