Ten Things to Watch

[George S.]

1. Will Accell and BH get traction from their low priced ebikes, in general.

2. Can a sub 2k mid drive from Currie take on Bafang? What does Bafang get from Max and HD?

3. What will the $2500 Haibike do for the label?

4. Can low margin importers take control of Speed Ped? How well will the Cross Current work/sell?

5. Can Accell make the brand-o-rama functional? Haibike is just one brand and Hai has 50 odd models. And Haibike has an identity.

6. Will we get the definitive auto shift mid drive where you just ride and never think about the drivetrain?

7. Will people, mostly young, go for 28 mph and make the Cal standards seem like a watershed?

8. The $300 ebike battery is here, whether Luna Cycle, or Ebay, or Aliexpress. Is it going to hold up for people? It makes building a basic ebike very affordable.

9. Will CF spawn more refined designs at decent prices?

10. Can the past dramas of the Saga O' Sondors be worked out

 

[George S.]

Some combination of internal gearing, or continuous variable gearing, etc, with a bit of electronics, actuators, would make it happen. I just wonder when it will be so refined that no one has to think about it.

If you want to ride a 350 watt mid-drive, this is the way to make it work. It's just going to do what you need to do, and maybe the rider picks a level of assist. I'd like to know what the riding experience would be.

It's interesting that Bosch, Shimano, maybe Panasonic are all involved. If Bafang has a weakness, it is probably not having any presence along these lines.

Of course, with my 800 watt hub motor, I shift maybe a half dozen times, just to get more exercise, really. A 350 watt hub motor would be more of a chore. Sorry, EU.

 

[Cameron Newland]

My question about #1: Are you saying that Accell has low priced ebikes? I know BH is selling the EasyGo for $1,299, but I assumed the cheapest Accell bike was ~$2,000.

 

[George S.]

E3 Vibe Plus is $1800

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I've seen a Raleigh for about that price, but discounted. Kind of similar?

http://www.ebikesofne.com

Given these are mid-drives, it's down in Bafang BBS territory. I think the push for value in mid-drives matters more than $1300 hubs, which is just free for all territory. What can you say but these things should climb hills.

Compare it to a BBS02 ebike. Compare it to the Yamahaibike. Let me know.

 

[MLB]

I'm pretty blown away by BH's wonderfully varied assortment of bikes with all kinds of setups. Haibike may have 50 models, but 45 of them look like all the others (hard tail or rear suspension).
The dual drive bikes are cool as heck and I dont' see how they don't get very popular this year.