Anyone have a theory on this?

[Beetlebomb]

The first electric bikes I ever saw (lots of them) were in Zurich, Switzerland some ten years ago. A friendly looking man in his 60’s or so came out of a store and was gearing up to take off on his E-bike so I went over and struck up a conversation.

He amazed me when he said: “Would you believe this bike is made in the U.S”!

I live in Michigan and even now they are very uncommon? There has to be a story here…..?

 

[AHicks]

Just a WAG, but thinking possibly that areas with longer biking seasons are going to be jumping on this concept earlier. Not that I never see an e-bike while "up home" (in Mi.), but here in FL. ("down home") we see them much more often.

 

[Feliz]

That's how it is with motorcycles or flying drones, my two other hobbies.

 

[Beetlebomb]

Just a WAG, but thinking possibly that areas with longer biking seasons are going to be jumping on this concept earlier. Not that I never see an e-bike while "up home" (in Mi.), but here in FL. ("down home") we see them much more often.

In the early 2000's we spent 3 winters in Kissimmee, FL and then 5 years in Charlotte, NC and I don't recall any E-bikes from those years. And I checked my photos and found our first trip to Zurich (we had a son living there) was in 2003 so that would be 15 years ago I saw E-bikes there.

 

[JRA]

E bikes might not have made the front page in 2000 but they were here in the US:

http://electrifyingtimes.com/newth!nks.html

And actually quite a bit earlier:

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)