Holy cow ,Battery-man, are electro-bikes the future...?

[Widge]

So I grind up on my oh-so-loved road-bike to a hostelry near me (ish) for a swift pint or 3 and, as I sit gasping on an outside table, a grinning chap rides(?) up on what looks like the heaviest Iron-Curtain shopping bike the world has ever seen with a Jack Russell terrier in a bijou kennel on the back rack and parks his bike next to mine.

It was like Twiggy standing next to John Prescott!

So I got down on one knee to inspect what sort of gearing could possibly propel such mass.

It was without doubt beautifully made from brushed aluminium but the huge battery was a bit of a give-away.

So....after a few minutes while I tried to find some nice things to say about it...he said....'go-on..give it a go round the Car Park?'

Holy donkey-rissoles......one twist of the throttle and it shot off with me clinging on for dear life! It was the sort of moped experience I remember having as a teenager!

I was grinning from ear-to-ear as I handed it back. I can see these things catching on.

I would hate to have to pedal it when the battery ran flat though. It weighed about the same as mi car.

I am sorry to have to confess this to you all. I DO still love my 'real' bike.
Anybody else had a go on one of these?

Best

w

Widge

 

[raleighnut]

Yep. good ain't they. Mine buzzes along nicely.

trike 4

• raleighnut
• 19 Jan 2016

 

[Tin Pot]

Had a motorbike when I was nine, not particularly keen on another.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@Pale Rider once kindly offered to ride with me least I got lost: he rides a 'lecky tank, I ride a tank full stop.
The outcome for me was

 

[steveindenmark]

Had a motorbike when I was nine, not particularly keen on another.

There speaks a man who has never tried an Electric bike :0)

 

[Pale Rider]

@Pale Rider once kindly offered to ride with me least I got lost: he rides a 'lecky tank, I ride a tank full stop.
The outcome for me was

Not sure who was struggling to keep up with whom.

If you remember, you were pedalling that fast your chain flew off.

And you arrived at the railway station in time to have a coffee before you train left.

 

[raleighnut]

Hopefully this new design will help with battery technology.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...rever/&usg=AFQjCNHhoG0yX5YovEax5XzeKbDkb4aQgw

 

[rugby bloke]

Saw a number out and about on my ride on Sunday. Came across one old Dear who normally does me for pace on a downhill section ... her battery had clearly run flat and she was having a right old job trying to to pedal it. Having said that, once I don't have the legs for the local hills I would certainly consider one.

 

[Profpointy]

A battery powered bike is simply a particular kind of motorcycle. When I'm too lazy to pedal I have a 1000cc petrol assisted bike.

 

[fossyant]

A battery powered bike is simply a particular kind of motorcycle. When I'm too lazy to pedal I have a 1000cc petrol assisted bike.

Bet you hang on to that for dear life.

 

[Profpointy]

Bet you hang on to that for dear life.

Suprisingly it's very well behaved and civilised and can happily pootle along at 30 or 20 or zlindeed zoom off like a rocket. Heavy beast and nearly toppled once or twice at very low speed - ie maneovering or a sharp right turn from rest. Fine once you're over walking pace.

Only bought such a big beast as I wanted proper panniers as a 600cc would have been more than fast enough but smaller bikes never come with panniers and you struggle to find anywhere to fit em safely. 50 or 60kg lighter would be good though.

Anyhow, if someone like Tesla did an electric bike, that would doubtless be even more nuts than their cars

 

[Lee gg]

They are fine if your a certain age or hindrance means you can't pedel anymore, I see guys in their 20/30s and ignore them at the light's.
They seem so proud of themselves.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I see guys in their 20/30s and ignore them at the light's

What, you mean you don't even say 'hello'? What's their age got to do with it? Or do you mean you paddle off and leave them for dead?

 

[Salad Dodger]

I have an e-bike, on which the motor cuts in as soon as the pedals start revolving. I think nothing of it now, but several times I have let neighbours or friends have a go, and the universal reaction on first time riding is "oh blimey!"

It's nothing special, just a normal 250 watt, 15 mph bike, but it's funny to see people's response the first time they pull away........

 

[Pale Rider]

A battery powered bike is simply a particular kind of motorcycle. When I'm too lazy to pedal I have a 1000cc petrol assisted bike.

Don't try a legal ebike, you will be very disappointed.

Throttles are now all but illegal, so if you don't pedal you won't go.