A friend recently loaned me the above bike. It's a 48v 500w machine with both a throttle and pedal assist. (Details: "Rad Power Bikes" RadExpand model.)
I just finished 3 weeks with it, and while I always thought I would EVENTUALLY get an e-bike (when I got old), I can see how one works in my life RIGHT NOW.
My previous only long-term exposure to e-bikes was when my parents had this 24v, 200w lead-acid machine a hundred years ago:
Thread:
New hybrid in the family: e-bike by Schwinn ... or Currie
It was pretty terrible, partly because the bicycle was terrible: single speed. Technology wasn't great either (battery chemistry, power, range).
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The newer Rad bike is better technology, but it's a pig -- 75 lbs!!
The weight is its biggest problem - it's almost unusable as a regular (non-powered) bicycle on anything other than flat land. But even at that weight, its electric range & power makes it a practical car replacement for local trips.
I thought an e-bike would make me lazy -- it definitely has that potential! But at least during the honeymoon phase, I still rode my regular bike for regular bike types of trips.
The e-bike got used for trips where instead I would have taken the car (eg. if I'm pressed for time, or if I've already done a normal amount of errands on my regular bike and/or I'm tuckered out.)
I'm doing so many short trips for my aging folks lately that an e-bike clearly makes sense. It's more fun, more efficient & more exercise. (Even if I'm only contributing 50% of the motive power on the e-bike, that's 100% more exercise than I would be getting in a car.)
I've told so many people about it that two relatives have gone out & bought their own.
My brother just bought this cheap 36v Walmart MTB style e-bike:
I've ridden it a bunch this week, and it's a much better e-bike than the Rad, mostly because it's a slightly better bike. (Even though it's basically a lowest-bidder built machine.)
What I mean is it's lighter (50 lbs), more maneuverable, and is easier to contribute muscle power to the mix. Though it's far from perfect - gearing is all wrong, the lowest pedal assist level is TOO powerful, and it needs a rear rack to carry things (easily fixed).
So now I'm looking for a good deal on a MTB style e-bike. Of course me being me, I can't just buy a new one. I'm on the hunt for a deal.