eBikes From the Future

When I lived in downtown Toronto, I used my bike everyday to get to work everyday in the summer, anyway. I did it for the exercise, I did it because I enjoyed being outside, because I enjoyed the sun, and I did it for the fresh air; although I really can't refer to the exhaust filled air along the road as fresh!

I was energized when I got to work - the ride there was better than a large coffee.

While ebikes aren't new; they are not only gaining popularity now but they may just become main stream. Personally, I don't know if an e-bike would give me the same satisfaction It would certainly be faster than my little legs could peddle, but I'd be lacking my daily exercise Or would I? Ebikes are actually designed to enable the cyclist to peddle when he or she wants to; with an ebike the option is there to use to motor to go for example uphill with ease Not everyone can shower when they get to work if they arrive sweaty and not everyone would care either! But having the option of not arriving at work with spaghetti legs, and still enjoying your ride to work priceless!

So - what exactly is an eBike?

An eBike is essentially just like a regular bicycle the difference being that it has an electric hub motor (built directly into the hub of the wheel) to provide the additional assistance discussed above. Most hub batteries can even re-charge with manual peddling, but only when the cyclist peddles at a speed faster than the motor can achieve. The main advantage of this design is that no additional transmission system is needed, which increases the efficiency of the drive system. (Just incase you are unsure, the drive system is the smallest motor and drive needed to accelerate and run the bike at a required rate, and determine the braking forces necessary to stop it in an acceptable amount of time).

The Motor Vehicle Act was recently amended to include a class of Power Assisted Bikes or ebikes and as long as the ebike has a motor power that is under 500 watts and will go less than 32 km/hr, there is no need for a license or insurance to use an ebike on the road. Incidentally, these motors, which weigh between 20 and 40 lbs, are the same motors that are used on scooters, solar cars, and other light electric vehicles.

Recently many countries in addition to Canada and the USA have adopted similar legislation to legitimize ebikes alongside regular bikes on the road. Ebikes are more than a 'trend' (for lack of a better word) and they are not going away anytime soon.

Let's examine some of the pros and cons of e-bikes:

Pros

• They are environmentally friendly
• They are quiet
• If a driver opts for an e-bike instead of his/her car: one less car on the road = less emissions
• Trip time is between 20-30% faster with an ebike compared to a regular bike *
• You can buy a conversion kit, rather than an ebike, so the cost is less prohibitive
• An ebike will save gas money especially now, with the ever increasing cost of gasoline
• After the initial cost, an ebike may even be cheaper than using public transit
• Ebikes make cycling more accessible to people with restrictive injuries or perhaps age related restrictions

* The average ebike will go between 25 and 30 km/h; and if you are really curious to compare speed, most newer exercise bikes display the exact speed and actual wattage that your legs are producing in terms of power.

Cons

• Same seasonal restrictions as regular bicycles
• The cost may be prohibitive **
• Bike lanes are single lanes, meant to be for bikes in single file Will e-bikes sharing the lanes cause a higher incidence of passing? Could this be dangerous? For cyclists? For drivers?

While neither list is by any means complete, I obviously, had a difficult time coming up with a negative list So what do you think? Please log on to our forum and have your say!

** Lets examine the cost

The least expensive ebike is around $650 CDN; but they can go as high as $1500 CDN for a complete high end pre-built bike. The cheaper way is to purchase (and install) a conversion kit; and as long as you know the technical ins and outs of a bike, this shouldn't be too difficult.

Of course, the main advantage of a pre-built ebike is that it would be (should be!) covered by some sort of warranty; and as with any new product, whether a pre-built bike or a conversion kit, there are bound to 'bugs' that will need working out.

You Decide:

At the Bike Geek web site, you can actually calculate how much money you save in gas by cycling instead of driving. It's certainly worth having a look at: