Recent content by Rick Imby

My problem is the gearing---Can you keep up with the pedals at 20 or 24 mph? I haven't pulled up a chart and figured it out but with a 27.5 wheel and 11 tooth on the back and 14 up front I would bet you are about 120 cadence. Most casual riders are much more comfortable at a 60 cadence. I...

This gearing shows how out of touch the Bosch is. Bosch uses a 14, 16, 18 front gear. Match that with an 11 tooth rear cog and most people cannot ride this over 8-10 miles per hour. I want to be able to comfortably pedal at 14-20 miles per hour with a 60-90 cadence. Most comfort/city bike...

Absolutely Ann M, I agree the crowd funded bikes are often cutting corners on their ebikes. The lack of support and the lack of warranty are a huge factor in why the bikes are significantly lower priced than dealer bikes. Hopefully the flood of these often very low quality bikes will not...

The cargo bike with a electric booster is the ultimate bike especially if you have hills around.

This is an interesting challenge. Charging while camping would be my question. Also with the commitment to an electric bike you will have a very tough time pedaling it with dead batteries. The advantages of a mid drive --simpler flat fixes--easier mounting the trailer to the back wheel. Hub...

The 48v vs 36v view you have is interesting. However with adjustment to the programming of most the 48/52v machines you can get it to boost you a little instead of rocket off. Like you , I just want a little boost, many of the stock setups on 52v give too much boost to comfortably pedal.

I think you will find many dealers scared to buy electric bikes that sell for $4k or so. I am pretty certain there are a few shops with a couple of 2 year old electric bikes sitting in a corner gathering dust. The next few years will be interesting.

The Avid cyclists who are buying $4k bicycles is not at this time interested in $4k electric bikes. There are big advantages for Europeans to be buying $4k electric bikes over motorcycles. They get to ride on bike paths which they cannot do with a motorcycle or a moped, they can store it...

Several issues at play here folks. 1. The crowdfunding bikes are 40% cheaaper because they are paid for before they are built and no retailers are involved. 2. The elimination of dealer margin makes everything much less expensive. Most retail businesses (brick and Mortar) need at least...