electric bikes?

September 1, 2007 1:36 PM

Experiences with an electric bike?

I have been considering on buying an electric bike for my daily commute to work but, amazingly, I have not been able to find a lot of feedback about them on the web. Does anyone here have positive or negative stories to share about electric assisted bicycles?

This bike from Mongoose on Target.com is the type of bike I am referring to.

posted by cowmix to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

I have ridden an electric bike here and there and find them useful but not really necessary for my needs. It's a frontal loader with electric assist, and I ride in city traffic. I used the electric mostly to accelerate out of dodgy situations with cars (the way I'd use turbo on a car), or for some hills when I have a load up front. It's more of a luxury since my distances are so short--I don't really need it to help with my endurance or speed. They tend to be heavier than the usual bikes I ride, so that's always a trade off.
posted by cocoagirl at 2:00 PM on September 1, 2007

There's an electric bikes forum at bikeforums.net that you should find useful.
posted by gum at 4:34 PM on September 1, 2007

I've had a Synergy cycle for a couple years now, and I like it a lot. I have a short (3.5 mile) but hilly commute to work, and the Synergy allows me to ride to work and not require a shower. The electric boost makes almost any hill seem like level ground. The battery is easily detachable, so I just take it into my office with me. I've had no problem with battery life; they claim 15-25 miles on a charge, obviously depending on how much you use the motor. I've had no problem with my 7-mile round trip. The bike is quite heavy, as you might expect, with the battery pack and motor. One of the things I like about it though is that other than the battery and motor it's a standard bike-- parts and maintenance are easy and locally-available if necessary. Bottom line, it works for me.
posted by ChromeDome at 6:55 PM on September 1, 2007

I've had a Giant LA Free Lite (discontinued a few years ago) electric bike since early 2003. In the last year or so I've gotten in better shape, which has allowed me to switch to a non-assisted bike, but I still highly recommend the electric experience. ChromeDome's experience matches mine. I think they're a great idea.

The store I bought mine from was Electric Bikes Northwest--they have some good information on their site for prospective buyers. (They're local for me, so I didn't have to deal with shipping.)
posted by hades at 9:25 PM on September 1, 2007

i've been riding one to and from work for about 18 months now, and i absolutely adore my bike. by now i probably could handle the ride without using the motor (though i definitely couldn't have when i first started riding) i must admit i do still use it, especially on the ride home after the last nightshift.

the only negative thing i'd have to say about my bike (here) is that the battery is pretty expensive to replace, and upgrading to a lithium one for longevity, even more expensive.but really this is offset by the fact that it's much cheaper than petrol, registration, servicing etc. i haven't had to do any tricky repairs beyond patching a tyre and changing a lightglobe (rear light) so all in all i am very happy.
posted by sleep_walker at 12:22 AM on September 2, 2007

Why are you considering an electric bike?
posted by zippy at 1:30 AM on September 2, 2007