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Asus Bike Booster

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Re: Asus Bike Booster

#431

Post by virtualneuro »

mchusma wrote: post #405

I really think ebikes, and things like this, would have a much better reputation if they really only supported up to maybe 10 km/h or 6 mph. This is a normalish running/jogging pace. Basically, they helped up hills and when tired but were not "motorcycles-lite". At least around us, in an area with lots of kids, people want to have them but there are so many injuries and problems that sentiment is generally very negat…

You sound like you might not ride bikes often, or you're from an area where bikes are mostly used by kids? I commute daily on one of the most popular commuter paths in the country and I would say most commuters I see are averaging about 15 mph (while moving) with or without an electric motor. Plenty of people commute at the 20 mph max legal speed that pedal assist bikes allow, and I also see a lot of people on acoustic bikes hitting 20-25 or faster.

Many commuters on e-bikes are people who otherwise would be driving a car, so e-bikes that help people commute to work in a timely manner are critical. At the end of the day people are going to do the thing that is competitive on time and if we want to reduce the crush of car traffic around the country then we need the people who can bike to go out and do it.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#432

Post by Animats »

cube00 wrote: post #183
Animats wrote: post #141

No price. No order form. No delivery date. Vaporware. Come on, ASUS. You're a real company, not some kickstarter scam.

Their AI bot is just as grim Me: when's the bike booster available to purchase? ASUS AI: For the most accurate and up-to-date product release information, we recommend following our Facebook and Instagram channels. We share all our launch announcements there first, along with exciting product previews. Hilarious advice given both Meta products are notorious for not showing everything from the accounts you follow.

Is ASUS trolling to see if there is a market for the thing? If they were serious, it would be in WalMart at $279.95.

If you want something like this, there are very similar items on Amazon, Alibaba, etc.[1]

[1] https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Mountain-City-Road-Bi...

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#433

Post by Toutouxc »

derriz wrote: post #342
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…

> €400 gets you a very, very, very low-end new bike, like just one step above “unsafe to ride” I don’t agree. After my last bike was stolen I decided to buy the cheapest Decathlon had to offer - 240 - for getting around town and there’s nothing unsafe about it. It’s heavy and has cheap components but everything works fine for light city cycling.

You’re probably right, I’d trust a cheap Decathlon bike not to be unsafe. But they’re really exceptional in this regard, most non-Decathlon gear at cheapest-Decathlon prices is trash.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#434

Post by leni536 »

pletnes wrote: post #363
thih9 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also: * you cannot install them on bikes with a rear rack. Here most city bikes have them.

Removing a rear rack is a few minutes with a screwdriver. I have my stuff in a rucksack. Good to point out, but will not stop most users I imagine.

The point of a rear rack is to use it, it's not there for style points.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#435

Post by Toutouxc »

pjmlp wrote: post #365
Toutouxc wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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€.

400 € might be a month salary for many people in the south after taxes when earning minimum wage, hardly cheap. Not everyone needs Apple priced bicycles, that get as easily stolen as a 50 € from the flea market.

“Cheap” meaning low-end, not actually cheap for people to buy with their salaries. Bikes are, unfortunately, surprisingly expensive nowadays, and the market isn’t doing great.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#436

Post by Toutouxc »

DenisM wrote: post #409
Toutouxc wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a mountain biker I don’t see the appeal of this. Yes, this rather expensive solution could transform my nice bike into a shitty e-bike, but the point of having a nice bike is to avoid a shitty experience. A proper e-bike needs to be designed as an e-bike from the beginning.

Shuttling? Once you remove the motor and put it into a backpack downhill riding should be quite decent. Decent enough I think to make it worth it for the space and cash saved.

Personally I’m not doing any downhill riding with the motor in my backpack. Or really anything hard with sharp edges. I like having a working spine.

Either it’s unsprung mass or a liability, and, well, actual e-bikes have converged on BB motors for a number of reasons.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#437

Post by andrewaylett »

dwedge wrote: post #424
Yizahi wrote: post #403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not a single country in the EU limits a speed or power of the EV motorcycles. They do limit these vehicles to an appropriate places which are called "roads" and do require a proper vehicle license and registration. A person can ride their Suicide Killer 9000 Pro Max with any motor power and any speed in the whole EU area really, no problem. On. A. Damn. Road. Where. It. Belongs.

Any sources for the whole EU not having speed limits on roads, restricting ebikes to roads only or not having restrictions on power?

There's a big difference between an "ebike" and an electric motorbike.

Ebikes are pedal assist, power limited, and limited to only assist up to a certain speed. You can go as fast as you're able, but if you're above (commonly) 25km/h the motor won't help you. They're allowed anywhere you're allowed a non-assisted bicycle.

Electric motorbikes may be limited by the manufacturer in order to achieve a certain license class, but once you get past the low power classes, they're only as limited as their petrol cousins. They're only allowed on roads.

Any middle ground, including things that look like bicycles but don't require the rider to peddle, fall either into the "electric motorbike" category or into the "not roadworthy" category. Riding them without a proper license, insurance, and equipment is illegal.

Somewhat unfortunately, much of the press seems to want to class the non-roadworthy motorised vehicles as a special case of "ebike" rather than the general case of "motorbike".

(And to your first point: yes there are speed limits but it's fairly common for cars and motorbikes to be able to go much faster than the limit. In first gear, even, for motorbikes.)

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#438

Post by Toutouxc »

ajb wrote: post #327
Toutouxc wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only commuter and bikepacking bikes have mudguards, almost nobody puts one on a mountain bike or a proper road bike, regardless of whether they’re electrified. This looks like it’s more for these “sporty” categories of bikes.

Why would you not want a mudguard? I personally prefer having one to getting a stripe of mud up my back. Is there a better way to avoid that?

My experience is that if there’s water and mud on the ground, a fender doesn’t help much. Especially on a higher travel mountain bike (I ride 150mm of travel front and back) where you can’t get it close enough to the tire. After a while it turns into a gunked up rattling sagging mess. I’ve tried a few and ultimately stopped trying, even on an XC bike. I don’t meet people using them either.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#439

Post by carlosjobim »

f6v wrote: post #425
carlosjobim wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

I live in the city considered to be one of the best to live in Europe. Bike theft is absolutely an issue here. I'm afraid to imagine what happens in other countries.

Hundreds of millions of people do not live in cities.

Re: Asus Bike Booster

#440

Post by card_zero »

antonvs wrote: post #414
card_zero wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Psst, you can escape an asterisk [*] with a backslash. Hub gears work quite well though don't they? In particular respect of being sealed and protected from the weather. Unclear why there's an opposite effect for this wheel.

Thanks - I'd have to have noticed that I used an unescaped asterisk first... too late now. Did you mean hub gears or hub motors? The Copenhagen had an ungeared hub motor. Comparing it to other hub motors, theirs was only IPX4-rated, which is basically splash-proof, not waterproof. Decent hub motors are IPX5 or 6. On top of that, when your hub motor leaks and bearings seize up, fixing it is typically simple and cheap.…

Spokes could make a fantastic heatsink, plenty of airflow. Or make the battery annular-ish (even just divide it into three batteries arranged in a triangle) and keep it away from the hub, they have the whole wheel to play with, jeez. This is a shame, it could have been a cheap conversion kit that doesn't break.
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