Our Electric Bikes get the equivalent of 1000 MPG with Zero Emissions!

== At 5 cents a charge for 20 miles -- 100 miles costs you less than 50 cents!

== A car getting 20 MPG costs about $20 for 100 miles just for gas. That’s 40 times as much. Now…

== AAA says the REAL cost of driving is over $1 a mile (maintenance, insurance, registration, repairs, financing, depreciation, etc.) That would be $100 for each 100 miles. That’s 250 times as much.

== Car Pollution: A Car getting 20 MPG dumps 22 Pounds of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere! That’s over 1 pound every mile -- more than 13,000 pounds a year or every 12,000 miles!

Electric bikes require no Licensing, Registration, or Insurance, and may be ridden anywhere: street, bike path, alley, or off-road.

Battery Chemistry Basics

Lithion Ion Batteries

Advantages

-Longer Range - typically twice that of SLA
-Get more charge cycles -- typically up to 1000 
-Lower Weight -- 1/3 - 1/2 the weight. Holds charge better. No memory effect

There are several grades of Lithium Ion Batteries. We have had trouble-free  and excellent performance from Lithium Ion Polymer. Lithium Ion Managanese batteries are 40% heavier.

The batteries used in most of our bikes are the same as the Tesla Roadster

Disadvantages

-Makes the bike considerably more expensive to purchase.
-More expensive to replace. Cost/benefit ratio now exceeds any other chemistry.

Note: We have had our best luck (trouble-free) with Lithium Ion Polymer (lighter and more dependable). Least with Lithium Ion Manganese, which are 40% heavier. LiFePO4 have not yet lived up to their inflated claims.

Sealed Lead Acid

Advantages
-Inexpensive at purchase.
-Inexpensive to replace
-Easy to find
-Durable

Disadvantage: 2-300 charges as opposed to 500-1000 

Weight -- 3 times heavier. Weight distribution with battery on bike not as good. Environmentally not as clean.

Bottom Line: If you can't afford Lithium Ion Batterys, SLA batterys will get you going until you can.

What about the Weight and Balance of an Ebike?

It is difficult for a lot of bicycle enthusiasts to understand that electric bicycles don't need to be flyweights. Since you are also using the power to accelerate up to cruising speed - this eliminates one of the major reasons for lightweight bikes. At a certain speed and up to a certain weight, the additional heft of an ebike actually increases the rolling speed due to inertia. It has a "flywheel effect" at certain speeds. Now if it is too heavy, it does become cumbersome to pedal in many circumstances. Batteries are removable for lifting onto your bike rack. A good Electric Bike should pedal nicely as well. We suggest staying away from Electric bikes which have everything on the rear -- battery, motor, gears, controller. This creates imbalance in handling, poor performance, and difficulty in servicing. Bicycle purists generally have a bias about electrics because they are spending hundreds/thousands of dollars to make their bikes lighter.

The self-charging electric bike: fact or fiction? Solar?

"Do you have that electric bike that recharges itself?"

Regenerative braking is marketed as the holy grail of electric bikes as people dream of infinite battery life. But while it is true regenerative braking can extend your range by 2-10 percent, you have to ride 200 miles downhill just to charge the battery enough for a 20 mile ride. This is, of course, impossible. Unfortunately, the complexity of the electronics and their possibility of needing service/maintenance becomes a diminishing return for "Regen." Regen can also create "drag" which is the opposite of a bicycle's "freewheeling" principle.

Electric bicycles which advertise "Regen" are just using it as a gimmick. The manufacturer's have told me as much themselves.

What about Solar?

You can certainly charge your battery with a solar panel, as from an RV. But you will not find Solar built in, as it would require too much surface area to be practical or cost-effective. Electricity is still ultra-inexpensive -- about a nickel for a full charge. It takes about 24 hours to do a solar charge.

Some quick reviews of the New Generation Bikes:

A2B UltraMotor - + Strong motor Some people like the striking and stylish heavy-duty look. One A2B dealer affectionately calls it the "Testostorosa." Good for people mostly using the power, like a scooter. 

- Handles a little weird with the small 20" wheels, unconventional frame, and wide tires. Heavy (75 lbs.) for pedaling. Long chain and pulley system for the gears with inexpensive derailleur a a bit too noisy. 

Schwinn Tailwind  + Underpowered, low quality parts for price, and too expensive ($3295). Not worthy of consideration.

Pedego + Stylish cruiser-style bike. The Tommy Bahama of electric bikes, especially with the fat tire option. - Underpowered for the hills. Battery, motor, controller, gears all on rear, nothing on the front -- not good for balance or handling. At this price point, I think they should have put the battery in the frame triangle. Unnecessary disc brake for a cruiser. Perhaps version 2.0 will correct this.

Ohm – The top model is a nice bike, but the price tag ($3450) disqualifies it for most people.

Ecobike  Entry level Lithium-Ion battery bike.  - A little weak on the hills, uses inexpensive bike parts. It specs like a Hebb, but in a drag race, the Hebb was far stronger (from the Planetary Geared Motor). In a range test, the Hebb lasted much longer (polymer battery). We suggest spending a little more and getting alot more quality and performance with a Hebb.

Giant Electrics (Twist, etc.) + A fairly well crafted electric bike which we would like to like. However.... - They only have 250 Watts (the European limit) and only go 15 mph. Electrics need to challenge the legal limit of 20 mph. Also, the pedal assist features add unnecessary complexity should something go wrong. 

Trek - + I always liked the 7000 series of Trek Bikes and the BionX kit which is what this bike starts with. - Trek has made 2 big mistakes with this bike. 1. They put all the electronics on the rear! The best feature of the Bionx kit was the position of the battery in the center triangle for balance. 2. They made the bike pedal assist -- like a treadmill instead of Power on Demand. 

Currie - + Currie price points are attractive. Beware, the Ezip line which the big box stores carry are super cheap for good reason, go 6+ miles on power and 14 mph. You get what you pay for. They distort the electric bike market. Currie is starting to come out with some pretty decent Izip models. The Via Rapido, Via Urbano, and TriCruiser are worthy of a look. We will be testing them soon and reporting. 

Sanyo Eneloop + The closest an electric bike has come to having Regenerative capabilities, hence the "loop" in its name. - The bike is made for the Euro/Asian laws limiting it to 250 watts of power. When I rode it at InterBike I thought it was very underpowered. Perhaps Generation 2.0 with come out with a USA model with more juice.

The Cheap Chinese Clones -  There are many cheap bikes of inferior quality out there which I caution you about. The cheap off brands are of inferior quality and will not last and give you the kind of experience you deserve.

The Copenhagen Wheel - A great fantasy, kind of like a perpetual motion machine. Years away, if not light years.

The PI Mobility - Absolutely beautiful design. Problem is the riding position, and the fact that it would be a security risk anywhere you leave it. The one you want is $4995.

Ezee -- Good bikes. Very much like the Hebb, but I like the paint/fit and finish and customer service on the Hebb more. 

Wheels of Fire The Bike is the Best Bicycles are simply the best way to get around! For most commuting and recreational needs, the bicycle remains the ultimate vehicle from personal health, economic, environmental, and energy saving perspectives. Riding a human/electric powered vehicle helps prevent heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and strokes while building strength and endurance. Bikes put a smile on your face and bring out the freedom of the inner child. By replacing short car trips, cycling saves the air from noxious pollutants, saves the commuter the cost of gasoline and requires less asphalt than auto traffic and parking. As they say, Burn fat, not fuel! Fossil fuel powered cars simply... stink! And car crashes are the top killers of children in the America. Carbon monoxide, VOC's, nitrous oxide, and other emissions all contribute to cancer, asthma, and lung diseases. Carbon dioxide has been implicated in global warming, sulfur dioxide causes acid rain, and oil spills have polluted our oceans, rivers, and lakes. By discouraging physical exercise, cars contribute to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other cardiovascular problems. Cars add to noise, stress, congestion, and are responsible for urban sprawl -- besides costing a lot to operate (original investment, maintenance, insurance, dmv, etc -- $1 a mile!). Bicycles create the opposite experience — silence, stress release, health and fitness, adventure — and they are practically FREE! So by getting on your bike whenever possible, you are doing something wonderful for both yourself and the world. Two of humankind’s greatest inventions were fire and the wheel, and both are incorporated in the hybrid electric bicycle. Have you ever spun a tuned bicycle wheel from the hub and played with its incredible gyroscopic balance from any angle? Try it and you will gain new respect for the bicycle. Today’s bicycle is truly one hi-tech machine: they are built of many space age alloys to achieve critical mass — maximum strength to minimum weight. Add precision bearings and frame angles which optimize ergonomic output — and you have a machine which promotes maximum forward motion from minimum human input. Now add the Promethean fire — electricity -- and you enhance and expand this experience into an entire new dimension. The practical application of human brilliance manifests fully in the hybrid electric bike. And they are so much FUN!