A 'Thank You' to Court...

[Jack Tyler]

Looking at the number of members/number of messages here is yet another reason to say 'Thanks!' to Court Rye. As we left 'flatlander' status and began living in Bozeman, MT, we were astounded at the level of bike riding this small community supports: mountain trails everywhere, bike trails (often co-joined with hiking trails) throughout the city, and many competition and fun bike-centric events. So obviously, I wanted to join in! OTOH e-bikes don't enjoy a very positive reputation here generally, since they *appear* to work against the notion that bike riding's purpose and benefits should include fitness. And of course e-bikes offer a supplemental power source, making their owners wieners uncommitted to physical effort. Seems to me there's a counterpoint to this view, and that is Bozeman's location in Gallatin Valley, which is surrounded by mountain ranges (yippee!) and where half of any longer ride is going to be 'Up'. Yet we know every person has a personal limit on how much power/endurance they can push into their bike. So for anyone keen on enjoying bike riding and wanting to use it for city transportation and more distance oriented recreation, it seems there's an obvious trade-off. You can have more distance & destination options by adding to the energy available to the bike, or you can accept your own physical limits as your bike's limits.

I'd rather have more options, which leads me to the amazingly complex task of trying to understand both e-bike products and what it means to sustain an e-bike's physical health. Court's efforts - not just with the reviews but with this entire site - has been tremendously helpful. So thank you, Court. And best wishes on continued success with this grand adventure on our behalf.

Jack

 

[PJungnitsch]

I echo that! Though I've had an electric longboard for a few years and knew the battery and motor tech was there, this site was a great introduction to the complex world of e-bikes, which I have thoroughly enjoyed this year.

On the subject of e-biking, the hard core cyclists who have tried my bike are the most effusive in praising it. I've literally heard 'Wheeeeee.......' as they take off pedaling madly. Assisted pedaling is a whole different ballgame then people expect.

 

[Nirmala]

As for fitness, I often ride my ebike in low to moderate assist for 20-25 miles at a time in hilly terrain, and believe me, I am getting some good exercise. In contrast, if I had to use a regular bike, I would not be as motivated and so would get less exercise or most likely none.

I second the thank you to Court. His reviews were invaluable to me when I was shopping for an ebike, and I still read them out of curiosity to see what else is out there.

 

[George S.]

Montana seems to be another state that throws the electric and gas bikes together:

http://www.motorizedbicyclehq.com/motorized-bicycle-laws-montana/

Ebikes are not bikes. On any grade, you will basically be jammed up between the cyclists and the cars. In this video, I've got a red car behind me, the bike in front, on a curve. The red car finally passes. I decide to let the biker go, and just turn off where I turn...

I don't know if the bikes and ebikes ever get along. You do what you can, but?

 

[Jack Tyler]

George, thanks for posting the link. It's a good example IMO of how the generic term 'motor' is misused. When you see a reference to displacement such as 50cc, you can tell a gasoline (displacement type) *engine* is being mixed up with an electric *motor*. The good news seems to be that the 20 mph limit most e-bike mfgrs honor excludes most e-bikes from being considered "motorized".

Looks to me like G's video shows he and the passing car both handled the circumstance just as any prudent driver/rider would: there was an oncoming car, the red car behind G slowed so it would not pass and endanger the bike riders, and G did the right thing - whether e-assisted or just riding faster than the bike in front of him - by holding back on a 'pass' while the cars cleared.

I finished the rest of the Guides which Court has written. Oh-so much info but also so much value in doing so!

Jack