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The electic bicycle revolution, which has been building in Asia and Europe for nearly a decade is finally spreading to the United States in a big way.
What is a Power Assist Bike?
A power assist bike uses an electric motor to assist the rider and allow for longer distances using less effort.
What are the operating costs? Using lithium battery packs and digital chargers, average cost per complete charge is 5-8¢
What range can I expect ? 25-30 miles per change on a 10 amp hour battery, 45+ miles on a 14 amp hour battery.
Where can I take my bike? Anwhere a regular bike can go. In most states, including California, electric bikes can be carried on car bike racks, some commuter busses and ferries, and can be ridden on bike paths, which means, great access to just about any surface road. When riding on a busy bike path, we recommend switching to manual pedaling to call less attention to your motor. Some local communities have recently banned motorized vehicles from bike paths because of complaints from other bikers and pedestrians.
Is there a throttle, or do I pedal all the time? Some e-bikesare pedal assist only. Others offer a throttle option, giving you a choice. All can be used as traditional bicycles and manually pedaled home, even on the longest trips.
What type of batteries are best? The state-of-the-art is Lithium Batteries with matching chargers and battery management systems. These are lighter weight than older-technology batteries, and last longer than older lead acid batteries.
How/where can I get my e-bike repaired? Any local bicycle repair shop is qualified to repair or adjust the non-electric parts of your bicycle. Basic hand tools and a digital multimeter are required. Call us for adjustments, repairs, or replacement parts for the electrical components of your bike.
Will I get a workout? A conventional bike makes you work harder, but but your total workout depends on how much your bike is used. You can go about twice the distance using half the effort, so on extended trips, you're getting the same work out as a shorter trip on a traditional bicycle. In addition, an electric bike typically gets used at least twice as often as a conventional bicycle.
Moreover, riding an electric bicycle is more enjoyable in hilly terrain and in windy conditions, and users tend to make better use of them because the motor can provide half the normal effort of cycling. As you get stronger, you'll naturally pedal more and see greater gains in your fitness level.
"Of the1400+ electric bike manufacturers worldwide, 1350 of them are worthless junk," said our mentor the other day. "Of the remaining 50, only a handful are powerful, durable, lightweight, and reliable enough for the American market."
The bikes we sell come from manufacturers with solid reputations for quality and perfomance. We also look at styling, reliability, and power. These are bikes we can recommend wholeheartedly. Solid, quality components, great warranties, lithium batteries—we've done our homework, so you can shop here with confidence.
All our bikes are designed from the get-go as electric bikes. They're strong enough to take the extra weight of the electric components. The battery fits into a natural place, and the entire bike looks cool, rather than clunky (as a retro-fitted kit bike does). Perhaps the biggest advantage is resale price. Kit bikes don't
re-sell as well as dedicated designed-electric-from-the-start bikes.
The bikes you buy from us will hold their value because they're mid-range in price, high in quality, and require no insurance, no driver's license and no vehicle registration, and no gas or diesel.
All our bikes are available in step-through and cross-bar models, depending on your preference.*
All our bikes features snap-out lockable lithium batteries, so you can take them indoors to charge. Some others require you to plug in the whole bike!
All our bikes have sealed components, including batteries and motors, so if you're caught in the rain, you won't frizz your bike.
The range and speed of different bikes will vary. Our bikes avarage 15 to 20-mph cruising speed on level ground with a rider under 160 lb. Twenty miles per hour is the maximum speed allowed for electric bikes in the U.S.A. The range of a battery charge will be 25-40 miles, depending the terraine and the amount of pedaling you do.
They can do a lot of things that your car can do—take you on errands, to work, all the wayt to the next town and back on a single charge but they can also keep you physically fit, save you money, and reduce your carbon footprint.
*Step throughs used to be considered
"girl's bikes" but these days, thery're popular
with everyone who doesn't want to swing
his or her leg over a bag of groceries or just
wants to jump on and ride.
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