cat0020

If only ditching your car for an utility ebike is that easy..


You don’t need an SUV. You need a (much) cheaper electric cargo bike. Here’s why:
https://electrek.co/2022/12/30/you-d...ic-cargo-bike/

tds101 

One of these days I'm going to have to meet up with you. I need to see all the bikes you have. My bike envy is enormous!!!

cat0020

Not all my bikes are in one location.
For nearly the last decade, I’ve been commuting by bicycles, motorcycle & scooter in NYC metro, because it’s the easier way to get around in NYC.
Prior to that, my official (current) residence is in PA.
with rail trail access 1/2 mi from my driveway, protected/preserved open space within 3/4 mi. and a federal national park within 6 mi.
With MTB & downhill ski trail access within 10 miles.
22 years ago I picked my resident property specifically to suit my cycling activities, and the area has protected lands so development is unlikely within the immediate lands.
Some people drink, some smoke or do other substances to get by, I’m into bikes. I guess it’s an addiction.

tds101 

cat0020 I live on Long Island, NY, I'm from Queens, NY, and I work in Queens & Bklyn (on the J, M, L and 3 lines). I live in an area with protected wetlands, I have access to mountain bikes trails (unfortunately not in easy bike range), I live 3 miles away from the LIRR, and there's not really much for me to do out here. There's deer hunting, of which I'm just not into, and I'm in a boating/fishing community area. I own a multitude of bikes too, but all are on location. LoL! I do drink, but my chosen drug is being outdoors and biking, walking, and finding parks for calisthenics. I love being outside. My wife is more of a homebody, but she's cool with my outdoor shenanigans. Personally I'd rather bike/hike then do almost anything else. A bike tour vacation is in my planned future. Ebike tour that is.

cat0020

During the weekdays I'm based in Hoboken/Jersey City and do my business near Sheephead Bay.
I ride to visit the in-laws in Forrest Hills couple of times a week to take them to PT or drop off groceries.

When it's not too windy, I enjoy riding along the Belt Pkwy, sometimes even take the long way around towards the Verrazzano or opposite direction to Queen.
Within the Boroughs I ride through Marine Park, Prospect Park and Central Park just to keep myself sane during the week.
Bad weather days I just take public transport with my acoustic folding bike.
As I get older, I find driving less & less appealing, being out on a bike just cruising along without worry of time is simply priceless, but very difficult to do in NYC.

My residence in PA is where I prefer, maybe I can build a mull hill and start my own shooting range in the backyard, along with the reload kit in my basement.
But I'm putting up rain barrels, solar panels/tracker & battery storage instead; trying to get my house off-grid when the zombies start to show up.

cat0020

Maybe not Chinese, but cargo ebike is getting costly:

https://electrek.co/2023/01/05/cake-...bike-unveiled/

tds101 

Hard PASS on this one for me,...

cat0020

$1499 for a folding e-trike, I would get one for my in-law for sure:

https://electrek.co/2023/01/09/lectr...aser-revealed/

cat0020

For sure I'll get one for the in-laws: Lectric eBikes fully reveals $1,499 XP Trike as latest salvo in the e-trike wars

https://electrek.co/2023/01/13/lectric-ebikes-xp-trike-specs-revealed/

tds101 

The fact that they've kept the price point lower than what most people would expect is fantastic.

cat0020

Video preview of the Lectric Trike:

Calsun

A trike with two wheels at the front is a safe alternative to a two-wheel bicycle. A lot of human drive tricycles with large baskets for groceries were sold to people in retirement communities and they were fine if kept on level ground. Going down a hill and making a turn it is very easy to flip the trike if there is only one wheel at the front. Cargo bikes need the load at the rear for visibility for the driver but for normal use it is far better to buy a trike with the solo wheel at the rear of the bike.

Something overlooked with most of these e-bikes which a rear hub motoor drive is the difficulty in fixing a flat tire. What I like about the REI e-bikes is that they use tires sized for city or mountain bikes and so no need for a special bike rack and fixing a flat tire is no more difficult than with a regular bike.

cat0020

Not everyone looking for a trike is capable of sitting down to a trike that is low to the ground.
Not every has the balance nor the reflexes to ride a two wheel ebike.
Just as the video stated: These delta e-trikes are not for performance cycling, that's why they are mostly single speed.
I plan on getting the Lectric etrike for my in-laws (in their mid 80's), who are not going to be riding more than a few miles at a time and likely not go over 15 mph top speed, ever.
Just because Lectric Etrike doesn't fit your cycling purpose, doesn't mean that others can not benefit from it.

cat0020

ordered this cargo ebike from Alibaba on Black Friday, received the ebike in my driveway on 27 DEC 2022.
Finally got it out of the box last weekend and go it out for a 20 mile ride.

It looks to me a direct competition vs RadRunner Plus.
It has 7-speed, 750w motor, two batteries 14 & 22 Ah totaling 36Ah capacity, hydraulic fork & disc brakes, 5 level PAS, fenders, F & R LED lights, brake activated rear light regardless if the lights are on or off.
Throttle only operation get is up to about 22 mph, PAS seems to get up higher to 28 mph. Not sure if it actually have torque sensor PAS, but the motor output seems to be well managed when pedaling.

Harhir

Enjoy riding it. $900 for a bike with two batteries. Pretty cool. That shows how much margin Rad, Lectric and similar manufacturers must have on their e-bikes. They all have their very similar bikes made in China as well.
That also makes me wonder if a price for a bike like the Cake bike at $6.5K is really justified.

cat0020

I'd imagine majority of ebikes, including Rad, Lectric, etc.. are all made in China somewhere.
Manufacturers can make variations to your specific designs, specs, components, paint, decals.
You place a large enough orders they will make the ebike to your specifications and ship them to you for import.
Companies like Cake bike have their own proprietary frame designs, their own battery capacity, way too different from the majority of ebikes that are already in the market and way low in numbers of production run. Of course they are going to be way expensive to import.. and Cake would need to make a profit, too.

cat0020

Placed my order for the Lectric Etrike.
APR 2023 delivery.

cat0020

New video, about how the Lectric XP Trike came about:

cat0020

Interview with Lectric CEO about the development is quite interesting:

cat0020

Lectric XP Trike first ride: Testing the low-cost electric trike made for everyone
https://electrek.co/2023/02/09/lectr...lectric-trike/

cat0020

Folks have started to take deliveries of their Lectric XP Trike.
Mine is scheduled to be delivered on tomorrow FRI 05 MAY 2023.
Pictures from FB Trike Group:

Smaug1

What are you gonna use it for, cat? I thought you said before they're too wide for filtering through NYC traffic...

It will be clunky and/or illegal on city sidewalks.

That leaves only bike paths and "taking your lane" which is going to cause road rage.

cat0020

The XP trike will be for my in-laws, they are elderly.
FIL in his mid 80's used to ride his fat tire ebike to his fav fishing spot (2 mile from their house in Queen, NY) prior to the pandemic.
Both in-laws have diminished their outdoor activities since their neighborhood was one of the hardest hit by COVID, the new TV footage that showed hospital with semi-trailer full of dead bodies, that was the hospital that my wife was born in.
The in-laws used to enjoy outdoor activities, now they have very low stamina, poor balance, poor flexibility and generally weak physically.
Their neighborhood have plenty of room on the streets, besides, their operation of the trike will likely be very limited and heavily supervised.
The XP Trike is just an activity to get them out of the house, I don't think they will use it more than a handful of times in a year.

cat0020

XP Trike received. here parked next to my wife's Fiido T1 PRO for size comparison, Wife's T1 is modified for rider below 5'.









The rear fenders on the trike was bent up during shipping, upon arrival they were resting against the rear tires, preventing the wheels from turning.

Took me about 20 seconds to straighten them out to allow the rear tires to clear.

Besides the fenders, the packaging was top notch, assembly & prep for first ride was very simple & easy.

Clear out the packing/protective materials on the trike, plug one wire to the digital display and push the on button and it comes to life.



Trike riding is very different from bicycling; I learned from riding motorcycle sidecar rigs & recumbent trikes.

Any uneven pavement can require a rider to compensate by shifting bodyweight, even at a stop.

I took the trike out for about 1 mile before breakfast, will have to wait until next weekend for a longer ride.

cat0020

Looks like there is a new benchmark for cheap e-mopeds.

2000w hub motor, 60V 20Ah battery, under $2k

https://wiredebikes.com/products/wired-freedom-black