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Asus Bike Booster

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Re: Asus Bike Booster

#291

Post by askvictor »

speedgoose wrote: post #152
askvictor wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People with knee problems, areas with hills. An ebike is still active movement; sure you're not getting any cardio, but it's immeasurably better than driving. If this (or any ebike) is a thing that gets someone on a bike that otherwise wouldn't be on a bike, it is a good thing. For some it might be a stepping stone, for others it allows them to ride where they can't/won't ride at all.

I also noticed that some people who used to pedal switched to e-bikes due to laziness.

That would include me, except for the fact I'm e-cycling a lot more than I would have pedaled previously (and driving a lot less)

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#292

Post by Toutouxc »

pjmlp wrote: post #259
Toutouxc wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess that’s the reason you don’t understand why bikes are sold without these things. €400 gets you a very, very, very low-end new bike, like just one step above “unsafe to ride”. You often don’t get pedals on new bikes because you have your favorite pedals that work for you and anything that’s included with the bike goes straight to the bin, because it’s useless trash. You don’t get fenders, because you don’t usua…

I don't need to be educated on the increasing lack of customer service for anything below 2000 euros, having got my first bicycle in 1984, upgraded to a cycling one in 1986, had plenty of others since then. And from all places I lived in Europe, only around here this upselling seems to be a thing.

I think it’s just “cheap bikes”. Nobody wants to work on or with cheap bikes. And bikes are getting more and more expensive (quite fast). A solid bike built with brand name components is quickly approaching 2000€.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#293

Post by adev_ »

If some of you ever have the occasion to go to the Toyota commemorative Museum, in Nagoya (Aichi), you will find this:

https://www.tcmit.org/english/research/car/car01

This is the last century version of the item that Asus is presenting here... but with a Gasoline engine.

The Engine is fixed on its own wheel and attached on the side of the bicycle.

This was apparently was a thing. It was used to motorize Japan at its industrialization debut.

On century later, electrification is now a thing and the same device is back with a battery. The loop is done.

PS: I do recommend the museum for anybody interested in industries and industrial processes.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#294

Post by krior »

donatj wrote: post #285
mvdwoord wrote: post #187

It seems to me this is a product for almost no one. Inefficient delivery of power, bulky, "smart" detection in stead of reliable operation and most importantly, the only target market I could imagine cannot use it. Not sure about other places and climates, but over here, most bicycles have fenders. Bicycles without fenders are typically used for specific recreational activities and those sure as heck do not want this…

> Bicycles without fenders are typically used for specific recreational activities I'm guessing you are European? Bicycles in the US almost never have fenders except for old timey / retro style models. Fenders fell out of style in the 1980s and never really returned. People who do have them usually install them themselves as an upgrade. Speaking as an American who owns a basic beach cruiser bicycle and - puts less th…

If you use your bike for 50 miles a year, why do you even need that thing?

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#295

Post by Galanwe »

lukan wrote: post #278
Galanwe wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This drives me mad as well. Electric bikes should be limited to 25kph and non throttled in Europe, yet half the bikes I see are both, and drive recklessly.

I don't really get that logic. Cars can do way over 100 yet no one calls for limiting all cars all the time, because some drivers drive reckless. And if we want to limit cars - you know, the number one thing that actually kills a lot of people directly - then I don't think it helps artificially limiting alternatives like E-Bikes. The only difference is with enforcing the rules, but there are solutions for that. Polic…

You are being confused, vehicles by themselves are not limited, their category is.

You can have an electric vehicle that runs at 100kph if you want, but that is not a bike, that is a motorcycle.

The problem here is people having vehicles assimilated as ebikes, but with radically different specs.

I have no problem with these guys driving their vehicles on the car lane, like motorbikes do, but that's not what we're talking about here.

These vehicles are running on the bike lane, drivers are without helmets, they cross pavements, and enjoy all the slow vehicles perks, while being far more dangerous for their surroundings.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#297

Post by Toutouxc »

andrewshadura wrote: post #251
ryukoposting wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chain moves side to side with gear changes, and adding extra chain tension with an extra drive sprocket could make the deraileur angry. Also, chain-tube geometry varies a lot. Not impossible, just more complicated than it might seem. I ride an all-original 1970s steel-frame road bike, which seems like a prime candidate for this sort of product. I'm certain no sprocket-based design would fit it. I'd buy one of these i…

It does not if you use hub gears.

Yes, but a tiny minority of bikes use those, and the product is meant to go on existing bikes. Also, even on hub-geared bikes (or single-speeds) you’d still need to switch to a longer chain or significantly move the rear wheel to be able to mount the powered sprocket in the right place, so that it wouldn’t skip.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#298

Post by donatj »

krior wrote: post #294
donatj wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Bicycles without fenders are typically used for specific recreational activities I'm guessing you are European? Bicycles in the US almost never have fenders except for old timey / retro style models. Fenders fell out of style in the 1980s and never really returned. People who do have them usually install them themselves as an upgrade. Speaking as an American who owns a basic beach cruiser bicycle and - puts less th…

If you use your bike for 50 miles a year, why do you even need that thing?

I don't. I don't need a bicycle at all.

The only reason most Americans outside NYC and Chicago ride a bike is leisure. Well, that or too many DUIs if we're being honest.

Ideally though if I had something like this it would encourage me to use my bicycle more.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#299

Post by Toutouxc »

RugnirViking wrote: post #286
selfhoster1312 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was shocked by the price, too. I mean a motor and a battery can't be so expensive, especially such a "small" battery (300Wh). That being said, having driven electric bikes for a while, here in France they're ridiculously limited in speed and power. 25km/h limit on flat land usually makes sense (except on long straight lines), but when you get climbing even slightly you get down to ~10km/h and have to provide more e…

> a motor and a battery can't be so expensive In my experience with electric motors, yeah I can absolutely believe it. Electric motors aren't cheap!

[dead]

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#300

Post by carlosjobim »

calmbonsai wrote: post #43
bri3d wrote: post #12

Friction drive e-bike conversions were popular years ago. They generally: * Wear tires surprisingly quickly * Absolutely suck in any form of weather or terrain condition (dirt, rain, etc.) * Have ~20% less efficiency than any other drive form. But, they are easy, and they do work.

Yeah. I don’t see weather or theft addressed in this design. I recall a wheel-mounted rotor system from a few years back that did address theft, tire-wear, and weather, but it suffered from far too little torque and very limited battery life.

Millions and millions of people live in places where theft isn't a concern.
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