Lightweight AND affordable eBikes

[BenTarassoli]

I believe weight is a big issue when it comes to electric bikes. There are a few under 40 lbs eBikes in the industry, however they are very expensive!

At Propella we are excited to release our new eBike model that weighs under 35 lbs (15.8 kg) using Panasonic High-Density Li-ion cells, with alloy frame and components.

Please visit our blog for updates: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

And sign up to stay tuned on the release date: http://www.propellabikes.com


Thanks,
Ben

 

[Nirmala]

I think it is great that you are pushing the envelope and bringing ebikes with different advantages such as lighter weight to the market. That could be a high priority for some buyers. For example, someone who has to carry their bike up several flights of stairs everyday, or someone who wants the ride feel and responsiveness of a lighter weight bike.

Personally, I have found that my Magnum Ui5 that weighs well over 60 pounds with all of my accessories and gear works very well for a bike that is that heavy. The electric motor makes all of the difference and so the weight matters much less than if I had to pedal all of that weight without an electric assist.

 

[JRA]

The weight of any e system is in the components primarily the battery and the motor itself. The Keith Bontrager saying comes to mind "Cheap, Light and Strong. Pick any two".

The extra weight that more power via a larger wattage motor, a bigger battery, disc brakes and more than one speed to be able to pedal on top of the motor are worth it to me personally. In fact I hardly notice it while underway but does make for getting it over a locked gate harder, but still doable.

 

[ralph cramden]

In 2015 I bought a 37 lb. 7-speed hub electric bike from Prodecotech. They replaced the 250W motor two times. The third one failed 2 days after the expiration of the warranty. I brought it to a local "dealer" who spent a month and half working with Prodecotech to get the motor fixed. The third motor which I got right before the warranty ended lasted 1 week. I am 165 lbs, and experienced bike rider. I never put undue strain on it, if that's what you are thinking.

Bicycle shops and manufacturers try to make the argument, directly and indirectly, that weight doesn't matter that much. But I can tell you from experience, if you are standing by the road in Western Pennsylvania, in early Spring (about 30 deg. F), with a discharged cellphone and a broken bike, pedaling a 60 lb. bicycle up hills to get to the next town matters very much. Weight is the final frontier for electric bicycles, and we are not there yet.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I have a Pedego Ridgerider that weighs somewhere around 55 pounds, which includes a rack, bag, fenders, and a few other odds and ends. I've ridden the bike 20 miles straight without power and I can tell you no fun was had (and my knees hurt like hell the next day).
I was riding with a casual group of senior riders, so even the low power setting was too fast, so I did the entire ride with the power off.

The next bike I buy will be an e-road bike and it will have to be under 3o pounds. I'm willing to pay extra for the lightness......to a point.

 

[bob armani]

I believe weight is a big issue when it comes to electric bikes. There are a few under 40 lbs eBikes in the industry, however they are very expensive!

At Propella we are excited to release our new eBike model that weighs under 35 lbs (15.8 kg) using Panasonic High-Density Li-ion cells, with alloy frame and components.

Please visit our blog for updates: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

And sign up to stay tuned on the release date: http://www.propellabikes.com


Thanks,
Ben

Hi Ben-Would be nice to see what the interface looks like (if you have a pic, that would great). Thanks.

 

[bob armani]

I believe weight is a big issue when it comes to electric bikes. There are a few under 40 lbs eBikes in the industry, however they are very expensive!

At Propella we are excited to release our new eBike model that weighs under 35 lbs (15.8 kg) using Panasonic High-Density Li-ion cells, with alloy frame and components.

Please visit our blog for updates: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

And sign up to stay tuned on the release date: http://www.propellabikes.com


Thanks,
Ben

Ben-I watched the videos and this bike looks pretty nice, however, if you look at the design and the specs of the Easy Motion Easy Go Race, they are very similar in weight, battery size, etc at around the same price point or even less. Looks like you are competing with a company that has been making bikes for over 100 years. In addition, I own a couple of Easy Motions, and they have excellent build quality. Good Luck with your campaign!

 

[Deacon Blues]

The Easy Motion Rebel Gravel X also looks nice, but for stealthiness I'd still probably go with the Orbea Gain D10.

 

[JRA]

As much as I have come to like a mid drive for mtb use I still maintain that a hub motor is better for use on the road and Orbea stands out in that regard. Mid drives get too vague feeling above 80rpm and the stock bikes don't provide high enough gear ratios for the rider to have pedal resistance at speeds above 20. I personally like to vary my cadence some while road riding and you can't do that as easily with a PAS without changing speed at the same time.

I totally eschew the whole "stealth" thing. Who cares, its an e bike so what? I am after the performance and forward compatibility with new technology as it comes along. Also the difference between my 52lb bike and my 45lb bike handling, performance and distance wise is negligible. Certainly one with less weight would be nice but I don't see the need to spend $$$ to get there and it would be mostly in the bicycle components themselves not the motor/battery/controller.

 

[Over50]

I have been interested in finding an e-bike that is mostly bike and less e-bike. Something along the lines of the Budnitz Model E. And the only reason I haven't considered that bike any further is it has been out for over a year and there hasn't been a peep in terms of user feedback or reviews. And also because it is a single speed. But I'd like a city commuter that is light, has a belt drive, maybe 7 or 8 speed, has quality components and is only mildly electric. Enough to offer some assistance with start/stop and hill climbing but which is say 80% rider and 20% motor and can be ridden without electric assist as a normal bike. And if the electrical system is 'light' then it probably relies on a dynamo hub for lighting. And finally it would ideally be close to silent when assist is used and the electrics blended very well with the bike such that it is quite stealthy. And under 40 pounds. I suspect such a bike would come in well over $2K and perhaps closer to $3k and up. My Spot Champa (human powered), steel frame, belt drive, Shimano 8 speed was about $1,400 new and then I added rack, fenders, dynamo hub, upgraded the pedals. So lets say $2K for a well made belt drive bike and then add an electrical system so I could see having to pay in excess of $3k for my ideal city/commuter stealth electric bike.

 

[Steve Barsby]

Last year I converted my 2002 Cannondale RS800 to an ebike using a Bafang 250W front wheel motor, a Cycle Analyst from Grin Technologies, and a 48V 17.5Ah battery on my down tube. Total setup is about 38 lbs. My average speed over 4,000 miles of riding is a bit over 19MPH. My fastest longer ride was 100K at 25MPH, with about 20% battery capacity remaining (I’ll admit that there was some drafting behind “A” riders.). Not so bad for a 77 year-old. On most rides I use from 10-12 Wh per mile (I have 840Wh to use). My tires are specialized All Condition Armadillos 32. If one can stand a somewhat dishelved appearance, (lots of wires showing) I’d suggest exploring the DIY approach. My average pedaling RPM is always between 85 and 90, with my HR usually in the 120s (at my age, that’s about 80% of max.). So I’m getting lots of work.

 

[ralph cramden]

I believe weight is a big issue when it comes to electric bikes. There are a few under 40 lbs eBikes in the industry, however they are very expensive!

At Propella we are excited to release our new eBike model that weighs under 35 lbs (15.8 kg) using Panasonic High-Density Li-ion cells, with alloy frame and components.

Please visit our blog for updates: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

And sign up to stay tuned on the release date: http://www.propellabikes.com


Thanks,
Ben

I like your design and its focus on weight. 250 watts is the right motor to reduce weight. But your low range number is a problem. My current e-bike, went from a 9.3AH battery to a 10.5AH battery in the same form factor and weight. So I believe you could and should increase from the current 6.8AH. Make it an option. Most people would want the upgrade.

 

[Captain Slow]

I like the idea of a lightweight, lower power ebike and I think that's what my next ebike will be.

 

[Diarmuid]

I like the idea but for me, 250W is too weak.

 

[bob armani]

I like the idea but for me, 250W is too weak.

I agree, I have both a 250W and 350W rear hub motor driven E-bikes. The 250W is nice, however, you start losing power from the motor's output at approx 15.5 mph. The rest is all human power from there. The motor is not all that zippy compared to the 350W or a 500W for that matter. They both have TMM4 torque sensors which makes startup speed smooth and not too jerky from the get go. If you are not carrying too much weight on the 250W, you should be fine for a slower moving experience overall.

 

[rannyv]

I agree that although an e-bike motor might compensate for heavy weight, having a lighter bike is a good thing. I recently purchased a Riese and Muller Roadster because of the lighter weight (~47 lbs). Granted, this is not a bike with a discount price, but it is their least expensive model. I looked at many other bikes, including more expensive models / brands and more fully featured bikes, but in the end, the responsiveness of the lighter bike won out and I have NO regrets on my choice. My prior bike was one I built up myself using a BBS-HD motor and 52V battery and I liked that bike a lot. I used it for the first time in several weeks yesterday and was amazed at how much difference the increased weight and less responsive pedal assist was. Of course at 1000 watts, the BBS mid-drive is ultimately faster than the Bosch system, but the Bosch is responsive and if the throttle isn't used, the BBS takes a while after pedaling for the power to kick in. In stop and go conditions, that initial unpowered lag on a heavy bike matters. I was thinking about hanging on to the old bike. It's got a nice front rack that doesn't turn with the steering, but after yesterday's ride, I think it's time to re-home the old bike.

I would emphatically agree that unless the user has special needs - like carrying cargo - bike weight really matters. And a decent ride. Bumps at e-bike speeds on stout, aluminum e-bike frames can be unpleasant. Keep that in mind when doing your test rides.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I see that Orbea is now offering a very light e-road bike in the North American market.
The motor is only 250W, but the bike only weighs 11.3kg (25 pounds), (carbon version).

Since the bike is so light electric assist isn't needed on the flats, which is a good thing, since the battery is on the small size.

This bike really interests me, but the full carbon bike is pricey. The aluminum framed model, with a Shimano 105 drive train, is considerably cheaper, but also heavier.

I like this bike!

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...e-bike-gets-carbon-frame-11-3kg-weight-384423

 

[rannyv]

Don't forget Faraday bikes. They are only around 40lbs without any baskets. For a bike < $3500, that's pretty good.

 

[Captain Slow]

That Orbea is very interesting and the bike I've been wanting to get. I traded emails with them and it led me to believe the bike wouldn't be available in North America until 2019.

Deacon, do you know where the Orbea Gain is available in North America.

 

[Deacon Blues]

From what I can gather they will be available for the 2019 model. I think they're already available in Europe, but I don't know when they will be available in North America.
When they do arrive I wonder if Orbea will increase the top end slightly. 25 kph seems a bit on the low side.

I'd be interested, but I just bought a new road bike (Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0). It will take me a couple of years to convince my wife that I need another expensive bike.