I’ll take a stab at that as a recent convert. A little history. I ride my bike a lot and have for many years so the conversion to electric was not something to get the dusty rusty bike out to start using it again. Although, if getting an electric bike or converting a old one would get someone out of the car that’s good.
Your right. The electric bike is not really good at either being a bike or a electric bike but it is a good compromise. Just like some of the things we do to get better mileage in our cars is a compromise. There is no environmental plus if you have been commuting by bike because of the energy required to recharge the batteries but there have been several times in the last week when I took the bike instead of the car just because it was electric. Using Darin advice about the fire alarms business’s I have a endless supply of batteries now.
Used as a hybrid, the electric bike has cut my commute time considerable from non assisted rides. That was one of the main reasons for me. To close the gap between the car and the bike. Seems like every trip in the car the average speed is 33 mph on the bike I’m now around 20 and think that will get better when I have instrumentation for the batteries. Strong winds and heavy loads(like grocery shopping) I would just take the car. Now I can plow along with the e-bike and not be dead or soaked in sweat when I get there. This will be a plus in the summer, since shower facility are sparse, to go places that are close without have to towel off or change cloths when you get there. The advantage of the motor puts me on the bike when I would of taken the car because of weather or because I’m tired. Most trips within 4 miles I can go as fast as I could in my car with out having to work. So for me it will keep me on the bike even more and out of the car.
