# What do you think of an Electric Bicycle? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226 "2008-07-03T20:11:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/1 "2008-07-03T20:11:43Z")
In the wake of more insane gas prices, I’ve been considering an E-bike. Specifically a Giant Sedona with a Bionx P250 battery motor assist. The total would come to 1500$. But if I use it lots of course it will begin to pay for itself. I’m a fairly active person who might like to use the bike next year for work. I go from school to school and the bike might encourage me not to use my car. I’m thinking maybe I should just get the bike now and the battery / motor later and see if I actually use it during the summer / early fall. Any thoughts on the idea? ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/2 "2008-07-03T20:23:58Z")
I only have experience with the non-electric kind of bike, but from what I’ve seen e-bikes are significantly slower. Running and maintaining the motor also makes it more complicated and therefore more expensive. I think your idea is a good one - get the bike first. Even if the trip seems too far for you to pedal, you’d be surprised how quickly you can work up to the point where you hardly notice the hills any more. It could well be that you enjoy it so much that you find a bike motor or (worse!) a car to be too slow for you. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/3 "2008-07-03T20:25:50Z")
OK, promise not to laugh, all right? I can’t ride one because I never learned to ride a bike. (Shut up). My cousin who rents the other half of the house from us, though, rides one almost exclusively. He can get from here to Winchester, VA, (where he moved here from), and back again, a total of about 160 miles according to Mapquest, on about $2.00 worth of gas. Of course, it’s slower than a car, since it has a top speed of approx. 35mph. But he’s very happy with it, and unlike the motorcycle he bought, he needs no special license to operate it. The only time he drives his car now is when he has to haul a _lot_ of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/4 "2008-07-04T03:41:10Z")
Want to see a pissed off bicycle rider? Find a electric bike rider with a dead battery. Pretty much like tying a few lead bars to a regular bike. Not fun. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/5 "2008-07-04T03:48:06Z")
Yeah, my brother had one of the original e-bikes. He promptly realized how lousy the battery life was, and how much extra work it was to pedal the damn thing. When he finally decided to get rid of it, he couldn’t give it away. So, he left it outside one night, and it was gone in the morning. Ha! ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/6 "2008-07-04T04:54:09Z")
If you are worried about battery power, you could get this [electric bike](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDHJNG2PngQ) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/7 "2008-07-04T05:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=Shamozzle] If you are worried about battery power, you could get this [electric bike](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDHJNG2PngQ) [/QUOTE] Yah but pedaling that bitch the rest of the mile is going to be tough. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/8 "2008-07-04T05:59:02Z")
I would sink $1500 into a used motorcycle before I bought an electric bike UNLESS everything I did was in a 15 mile radius. I looked into doing this myself and frankly bikes don’t get a lot of respect on busy roads. I can’t see riding anywhere I need to and feel safe about it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/9 "2008-07-04T10:25:04Z")
Can’t see the point of an electric bicycle for anyone bar the old and infirm - certainly not the sort of vehicle you’d expect to see someone ‘fairly active’ riding. It’s a poor compromise - either get a motorbike or get a bicycle. A good third option would be a scooter, you know the type of low-powered motorbike that people ride around cities? They’re cheaper than a motorbike, with simple licensing requirements, and they still have enough power - you can keep up with urban traffic no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/10 "2008-07-04T11:01:55Z")
I can see it being useful for someone who had to commute along a hilly route to work - just using the motor for assistance up the hills - an ordinary bike might deliver you to work a bit too sweaty. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/11 "2008-07-04T17:34:16Z")
I just got the bike, we’ll see what the future holds if I want to upgrade it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/12 "2008-07-04T17:53:28Z")
Also though I think the newer batterys are much lighter then the older ones. The guy at the bike shop showed me the old ones and they weighed 40 pounds! The new ones were I think around 16 pounds, and they are detachable when they die. I still think it’s a good option, but I’ve decided that I will have to earn it by biking my way to affording it. That will be the true test if I really want it or not. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-an-electric-bicycle/455226/13 "2008-07-05T02:08:34Z")
One of my co-workers occasionally makes his commute (50-odd miles) via his motored bike. It takes him 3 hours each way :eek: I know he “built” the motor from a kit, so I hope that it works a bit better when the bike starts out for the purpose.