471–476 of 476 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are there any mechanically coupled solutions that can be field installed by the owner?
There's a bunch of motors installable instead of the bottom bracket. E.g. from Bafang. You just connect it to a battery and that's it. The controller's inbuilt.
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.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Conversion kits that add a front hub motor are relatively affordable and easy to install. Should work with most cargo bikes if you can find one that's compatible with your wheel size. Something like: https://swytchbike.com/
Also: I'd not recommend hub motors with cargo bikes. There is a reason all cargo bike makers switched away from hub motors. They're low-power and often not strong enough mechanically.
And not all hub motors are low-power. You can get Chinese ones with insane power output. (5000W! … just remember that Europe has strict power restrictions on e-bike motors.)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regular city bikes. This is the approach if you go offers on regular supermarkets that also sell bicycles. Personally I am never going to give more than 400 euros tops, for a new bicycle, it is either that or not much beyond 100 euros at a flea market. Getting the bicycle stolen or worse, revenge damage when they fail to steal it, is not worth more than that.
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…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can see one audience: someone with a bike they already like who only occasionally needs assistance and wants the whole thing removable
Once you try a (good!) electric bike, you don't really want to go back. Life is just so much better. For urban commuting, you no longer think about heat (getting sweaty), distance, inclines, wind, etc. Obviously I'm talking about good electric bikes, with mid-mounted engines that detect pedaling strength. These feel great, unlike electric motors strapped to bikes, which feel like, well, electric motors strapped to bi…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This product is for people who live in safe neighborhoods and bike a lot, aka not the average American.
Where do you live where people bike a lot and yet bike theft isn't common?