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Comment by simmanian | Hacker News Reader

I bought an ebike to complement my aging 2007 Toyota instead of replacing it outright with another car. I use the bike for most light use cases within the 10 mile radius and still lean into using my car when needed. Here are my takes on ebikes.

Pros:

- Ebikes help people punch above their weight class, allowing them to bike farther and faster

- Going uphill is much easier

- Ebikes encourage people to be more adventurous and discover local scenic routes

Cons:

- Good ebikes cost as much as my 2007 toyota

- If you drive a hub motor and you get a flat (and you will eventually), it's harder to fix it up

- They tend to be rather heavy (harder to drive without assistance), and lighter ones cost a lot of $$$

- I am worried my bike may get stolen a little more

For those interested in getting an entry level ebike and living in US, I recommend REI's gen 1.1 and 1.2 ebikes. They're 40% off(!) right now, which seems to be a rare discount for ebikes.

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> They tend to be rather heavy

That's my problem - I need an e-bike because my knee is shattered but there's nowhere to store one safely outside and we live on the 3rd floor. Even my previous 10kg normal bike (with working knees!) was a faff getting up the stairs. A 20-25kg e-bike is an absolute no-no.

Not sure if it's an option for you, but some people in my complex put little sheds in their parking spots that can fit a bike

Alas, parking spots are a) only assigned when you have a car (gotta love UK bureaucracy!) and b) hugely wait-listed around here. There are garages and little locker things but, again, hugely wait-listed. Some estates around here have installed those green corrugated metal bike mini-sheds but, annoyingly, the people in charge around here seem to hate the idea.

Link (to REI gen 1.2 ebike): rei.com/product/190640/co-op-cycles-generation-e12-electric-bike

How fast'll this lil'baby go, for a fat 250lb'er like me?

It's a class 1, so it will assist up to 20mph. I typically cruise at around 15mph on my own (I'm in a similar weight class as a rider). For getting around my town, trips are not much longer than my car.

>assist up to 20mph (I'm in a similar [250lb] weight class as a rider)

So, how does it do on the occassional hills of a Chattanooga (e.g.)?

I'm about to visit my local store, which has one in stock, available today.

Not sure how things are in Chattanooga, but you will still have to exert yourself to climb hills, just way less than before. Also, REI lets you test drive these for free, so I would definitely try it out before buying!

350W motor, so you'll hit that 20mph limiter on the flats, but maybe won't sustain that up hill. It's better than a 250W motor, but not by a huge margin.

Not too great on steeper hills due to having a hub motor, but the trade-off is hub motors are really cheap.

> a fat 250lb'er

Honestly, I'd worry more about that seat. Bike seats can pinch nerves even if you're not a big guy, and if you are, you probably want to be careful with a narrow seat like that.

Yeah I have a nice leather Brooks ready to do... nice fat rearseat for my fat as.

Good plan! The first time I rode my old bike after some years of neglect and a few extra pounds, I was quite alarmed when I got off the bike and found that some parts of me had fallen asleep. I have a new respect for making sure the seat is a good fit.

> - Good ebikes cost as much as my 2007 toyota

Car manufacturers are operating on razor thin margins and intend to recoup some of it elsewhere... or at least I've been told.

I agree that the price of ebikes really doesn't seem to match their value. They are in the same price range as electric mopeds, which have a much bigger battery, need more material to build and have to abide by more regulations.

Is it because the target is a rather young white-collar worker who live close enough to their office and is thus richer?

My initial thought after reading this comment is, it probably requires a lot more "tech" and design work to allow bikers to have that seamless biking experience while giving them the desired boost. I remember seeing a lot of discussions around how certain motors "feel" on ebike forums.

A good test for this theory could be the price and availability of the less finely tuned e-bikes, eg based on the 8-fun swxk front hub motor manufactured since the 00's and the low tech pedal assist sensor (as opposed to torque sensor).

I'm a big fan of the ride1up roadster v2.

It does not look electric (Hidden battery in frame). Is super cheap ($900). Has normal tires. (easy replacement) and is fairly light (small battery). The belt-drive eliminates all issues with a standard metal chain.

All the pros of an electric bike and none of the cons. (assuming we're talking about class 1 ebikes)

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