Is there's too much emphasis on speed in the industry ?

[e-boy]

"When it comes to e-bikes, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that faster is better. But just as a McLaren or a Ferrari would be overkill for basic grocery runs, the e-bike equivalent feels excessive for everyday riding. Enter the Cannondale Quick Neo, a bike that hits the sweet spot of practicality and price, and one that’s closer to a Fiesta or an Accord: less go-go-go, more get-it-done."

https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/cannondale-quick-neo-for-everyday-riding-and-commuting

I'd like to see a Bosch Performance Cruise version of this one , for the higher torque , and shift sensing .

 

[indianajo]

I was up to ~25 mph on my converted Savamah cruiser last week, and I only want to go that fast on glass smooth pavement with NO traffic.
Or trade my bike in for one with suspension.
It turns out I look at every bump in the road, and steer to avoid them. Above ~10 mph I can't do that. Hitting a gas valve hole at 20 mph on 50 PSI tires, even 1.9", is very jarring. And lower pressure hits the rim on ledges with the supplies I carry.
My goal for an e-bike is 10 mph into a 30 mph wind, which happens a lot here. That kind of adverse wind can drag me down to 5 mph pedalling and make my 3.5 hour commute a 6 hour ordeal.
No dangers this week, the powered wheel motor or controller burned out at 60 miles. Other than reliability, I really liked a geared power wheel. The chain tool I bought was completely useless for splitting & splicing chains, and ~1000 miles per chain life of a mid drive would make me do that twice a year. I've professionally split & spliced a lot of industrial chain using a Dodge tool, and this bike chain tool from Schwinn is a ripoff. The industrial chain works on 10 speeds but is too wide for any gear cluster over 5 cogs. (Post 1985?)

 

[rich c]

To answer your question? NO! I have two 28mph ebikes. I hardly ever get to 28, but often ride at 23-24. Today's bike is perfect for the way I like to ride.

 

[BVC]

I have a fat tire e-bike. A rad rover to be exact.

I'd be happy with 30-35mph on my ebike but would only use it while on the beach or on a smooth bike trail/roadway. I wouldn't abuse the speed or power - no different than my twin turbo F150 and having to obey the laws of the roadways.

I typically hang out around the 20mph mark. Sometimes up to 25 mph if conditions are good. Busy trail with walkers I typically slow down to around 10mph or so.

 

[JRA]

Variety is the spice of life. My ride time slots vary and sometimes an e bike that has some chops works to get in a quick ride while the same bike can be ridden for longer ones also.

 

[pmac]

Yes. This is essentially the issue that divides the ebike community from the rest of the cycling community. If you a riding a bike, as opposed to a moped, 20 mph is considered pretty fast and 28 mph, except downhill, is incredibly fast. Keep in mind that most recreational bikers are riding 14 to 16 and the "lycra guys" in a group are generally 18-20. I think the Europeans have it right by focusing on riding and not on the speed.

 

[rich c]

Yes. This is essentially the issue that divides the ebike community from the rest of the cycling community. If you a riding a bike, as opposed to a moped, 20 mph is considered pretty fast and 28 mph, except downhill, is incredibly fast. Keep in mind that most recreational bikers are riding 14 to 16 and the "lycra guys" in a group are generally 18-20. I think the Europeans have it right by focusing on riding and not on the speed.

You ever read a European eBike forum? At least a third of them are asking how to add a dongle to up the speed. Hacking and dongles are big business over there.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Yes.

The sweet spot for efficiency in terms of travel time and battery usage seems to be around 15mph. Beyond that speed most of your electrons are being used to push air around.

On most of the roads I ride on, any speed over 35mph is terrifyingly fast. On long downhills my mantra is "don't hit a deer."

 

[Barry S]

If the planets align correctly, I'll have my first ebike by the end of the year. In the interim, I've been taking notice of the speeds I'm going on my Trek FX fitness bike during my daily commute to determine if the Class 2 ebikes I've been looking at with their throttle-only cap of 20 mph is going to be satisfactory. According to my cyclometer, I'm averaging 12-13 mph on my 8-mile one-way commute. While that speed isn't anything to boast about, for me getting an ebike is more about flattening out the hills along my route, or not dreading a week of 25+ mph headwinds than getting to work any quicker. Too many times I've caught myself saying, "I don't want to pedal to work/home." If my Class 2 ebike gets me up that hill or through that headwind with a smile on my face then it's fast enough for me.

If riders demand more speed out of their ebikes, some manufacturer is going to rise to the challenge as long as there isn't a law prohibiting them from doing so. There will also be those more mechanical savvy riders that will look for ways to tweak more out of their bike than its original design or build their own that satisfies their need for speed. I don't have an issue with any of this as long as these riders don't take to the city bike lane or greenways with their rocket. Ebikes are already in the crosshairs of many municipalities because purist cyclists don't like being overtaken and pedestrians just hate all cyclists to begin with. In Honolulu, the head of the Hawaii Bicycling League said in an on-camera interview that ebikes aren't bikes and shouldn't be in the bike lanes. When you can't even get the head of the local bicycling league to get onboard with ebikes, you're fighting an uphill battle. Having the local news filming kamikaze ebike riders swerving around pedestrians trying to beat yesterday's time to work isn't helping the ebike movement. Just my 2-cents.

 

[JRA]

Yes.

The sweet spot for efficiency in terms of travel time and battery usage seems to be around 15mph. "

I agree with you but I can average 15mph on a light road bike and ride an e bike because I find tooling along at 15 mph to be somewhat boring. Not only that but most of the roads I ride are a mix of pavé and gravé and being able to average more like 20 mph, which is hard for me to do on a road bike unassisted, also helps to soften the ride so my range/efficiency sweet spot is more in that range and depending on terrain/headwinds usually in the 10-15wh/mi zone.

Almost any car will go well over the speed limit but most don’t go there often and although an e bike is able to also it doesn’t mean you need to go there all the time either.

 

[Nutella]

I think the interest in speed is inverse to age. It's mostly older folks who are happy to cruise around at 15-20, since they can see how well that fits in with existing cycling or pedestrian pathways. If you want to capture the younger market, just like in selling bicycles, you need to sell excitement, which means speed.

 

[opimax]

at what age do I have to slow down, 61 , just broke my leg falling of my bike at a slow spreed due to pedestrians , cant wait to get back on and go 28mph and faster downhill...at some point i will have take in account my vision and balance but hopefully no where near that yet.years away. there are time when you go slow and there are time when you dont , very similar to driving a car to me. If i go slow in general I don't get as much exercise as much and i don't make good use of my time.

My 11 year old Subie Baja will still go at least 90...but not down my 25 mph street

 

[e-boy]

I think the interest in speed is inverse to age. It's mostly older folks who are happy to cruise around at 15-20, since they can see how well that fits in with existing cycling or pedestrian pathways. If you want to capture the younger market, just like in selling bicycles, you need to sell excitement, which means speed.

I thought the larger percentage of ebike buyers were aging baby boomers .

 

[Camac]

I think the interest in speed is inverse to age. It's mostly older folks who are happy to cruise around at 15-20, since they can see how well that fits in with existing cycling or pedestrian pathways. If you want to capture the younger market, just like in selling bicycles, you need to sell excitement, which means speed.

Hey.. I resemble that remark.. I was out yesterday on a 35km ride and max speed was 43km (downhill assist) Turned 80 in July.

 

[rich c]

I think the interest in speed is inverse to age. It's mostly older folks who are happy to cruise around at 15-20, since they can see how well that fits in with existing cycling or pedestrian pathways. If you want to capture the younger market, just like in selling bicycles, you need to sell excitement, which means speed.

I'm 65 years old and own 2, 28mph Haibikes. Since Bosch captures the high speed, I can tell you I've gone 41.8mph on the XDURO Full Seven S RX. Maybe I'm not old enough to slow down?

 

[Bingxie Zhang]

If you plan to go above 30mph, you are really in the motorcycle, scooter territory. You need to choose the tire, brake, safety gear, suspension maybe even the bike frame accordingly. It is just common sense.

 

[emco5]

The question about eBike speed will not be answered by the myopic consumer. When accidents, injuries, and lawsuits start costing businesses and insurance companies money, expect a rewrite of the current eBike classes, strict use regulation, inspections and licensing.

 

[indianajo]

I've been over the handlebars onto my chin 3 times in the last 5 years. Nothing broken yet, due to it happening at ~5 mph. I don't want to do that at 28 mph.
I've discussed the difference between modern bikes, that do that to me, and my Mother's 1946 Firestone bike with the same 26x2 tires, which was completely stable, in another forum. The answer there is hold onto the handlebars tighter. My hands already go to sleep in 30 minutes, not happening. My arm strength is too light, I'm not European, African, or even Asian. Surgeon told me after seeing the MRI to limit weight lifting to 5 lb.
Besides, the brakes on my Huffy Savannah are dodgy at 15 mph, and the disk rotors wouldn't fit in the fork. Time to pony up $2000 for a real e-bike frame. Not happening this year, still pouring $$$$$ into the house damaged by a basement flood. Maybe next year some e-bike with a bad battery or motor will show up on craigslist for $100.
When the bike throws me, the fork whips to the side on a pavement separator, an unseen speed bump, or a gravel pile, the tire going sideways grabs, and over I go. I think fork geometry rake and light wheel weight are at fault. I put the 18 lb battery on the front to avoid this on the Savannah, and to balence the 28 lb rear basket and 50 lb groceries I carry in them frequently.

 

[rich c]

If you plan to go above 30mph, you are really in the motorcycle, scooter territory. You need to choose the tire, break, safety gear, suspension maybe even the bike frame accordingly. It is just common sense.

I did use common sense to choose those features, in the form of Haibike. Top quality tires, big disc rotors with hydraulic brakes (not breaks) and full suspension. I also choose to only go that speed on one hill on the detour connector on the rail trail. There is something about this mtb that makes it more stable than the trekking bike at speed.