After looking through hundreds of websites and finding a really good resource in
http://www.motoredbikes.com, I have settled on using electric, after all. I'll just have to pedal more. After going through the options of the nice electric bikes on Spookytooth.com, all of the various hub motors, and every other type from $300 to $3000, I've decided go with the Currie Electro-Drive-powered e-zip Trailz from Amazon, Walmart, or Northern Tool. I didn't really want to go bargain basement, but the izip Trailz on Spookytooth is the way I was headed, and the electric drives between the two are the same (the difference being the izip Trailz is a nicer base bicycle and costs $250 more). Other options were a cheap bike with a more expensive hub motor, but that wouldn't have gotten me much more power, would have had the disadvantage of being front wheel driven and would have cost more. I still have the option of hacking the system to run it at 36v at a later time.