voyager
Active Member
Anyone who knows about a folding bicycle that can recharge whenever you feel like getting some extra exercise or when going downhill?
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Electric Bicycles
- Thread starter Robert.Boston
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- Electric Vehicles
igotzzoom
Active Member
I'm sure there's one out there, but in my experience, very few e-bikes have a regen/recharge function. Most just draw power from the plug-in battery pack.
Bikes with the BionX motor in the rear hub will regen during braking, but it's a minimal amount. The bottom bracket mounted motors can't offer regen, but the bike is better balanced since the weight is centered low between the wheels.
Canuck
Well-Known Member
I bought these scooters that came with 3 small 12volt lead acid batteries in series (they died really fast), then swapped them out for 36v 20ah LiFePO4 battery backs. I had to cut out the top of the scooter battery housing so it would fit and so the BMS plug is easily available for recharging. My kids ride them all over and they last forever. The other one is my EcoReco scooter.
3 Wheel Electric Scooter with Handle TRX 36V Personal Transporter | eBay
36V 20AH LiFePO4 Battery Rechargeable Batteries Packs Electric Bicycle EBike | eBay
EcoReco Electric Scooter : State-of-Art Last Mile Electric Vehicle
3 Wheel Electric Scooter with Handle TRX 36V Personal Transporter | eBay
36V 20AH LiFePO4 Battery Rechargeable Batteries Packs Electric Bicycle EBike | eBay
EcoReco Electric Scooter : State-of-Art Last Mile Electric Vehicle
igotzzoom
Active Member
There are a few that have regen, but they're super high-end (like $5,000-10,000). Like the Stromer ST1 and Specialized Turbo.
EVie'sDad
Member
I test rode a Scandinavian Blix electric Bike the other day, the Komfort+, quick and light and fun to ride...if the price weren't 2k I'd have already put down $$ on it. The rep said many people in the city use it to get over the hills and through gridlock traffic, and I believe this can do a range of 30+ miles and comes with a throttle to accelerate to 20 mph even uphill with little effort. You are peddling the entire time, so no loss of a workout, just keeps you going at a good pace.
New Models
New Models
ElectricTundra
P85D AP1
This runs in to a few problems. First is that the primary use of e-bikes is for people who need a bit of extra help, typically elderly (or a delivery person with heavy cargo in a bakfiets). Just pedaling a bike is hard enough for them, they don't need extra exercise. Most adjust the assist level so that it balances well with their ability — just enough to help them out, not so much that they don't get exercise.
Second is activation. Throttles (and motors over 150-200w) will likely be outlawed in most countries so a legal e-bike is pedal assist only. Otherwise it's an electric scooter. When does it regen? Anytime you're not pedaling? Not pedaling and xx KPH? Most people view downhills as a very welcomed respite and don't want to have to pedal so you'd likely have to limit regen to only above 30 KPH or something.
For the vast majority of people there are very few downhills that would provide much regen anyway. What very little data has been collected so far indicates no more than about 2% additional range on average. Some of the e-bikeshare systems like in B'ham AL are collecting better data that will be interesting to see.
Finally, as mentioned above, coasting regen only works with hub based systems no bottom bracket or driveline systems.
An update regarding our quest for electric bikes -
We surveyed and tested a fair number of what's currently available; nothing met all our criteria but our overall comeaway is both that the choices are improving and most should be able to find something satisfactory.
We ended up choosing the Pedego Ridge Rider, which is their entry in the mountain bike category. It has a 48V 11-Ah battery that mounts not above the rear fender but as an integral part of the downtube. It comes with both throttle and a pedal assist they call Pedal Sense, which varies its assistance according to a dial-in choice of the rider. Has front shocks that can be locked out.
Definitely needs a better saddle than what is supplied; still looking into that.
Actually, we got more than the one. Jenny wanted one, too.
But then, we figured, more is better.
So got a couple. Maybe we just had to have more EVs than even Roamer has.
Well, in fact, the truth is we bought six.
We're pretty sure it's the first electric bike fleet in Alaska, at least north of the panhandle.
We surveyed and tested a fair number of what's currently available; nothing met all our criteria but our overall comeaway is both that the choices are improving and most should be able to find something satisfactory.
We ended up choosing the Pedego Ridge Rider, which is their entry in the mountain bike category. It has a 48V 11-Ah battery that mounts not above the rear fender but as an integral part of the downtube. It comes with both throttle and a pedal assist they call Pedal Sense, which varies its assistance according to a dial-in choice of the rider. Has front shocks that can be locked out.
Definitely needs a better saddle than what is supplied; still looking into that.
Actually, we got more than the one. Jenny wanted one, too.
But then, we figured, more is better.
So got a couple. Maybe we just had to have more EVs than even Roamer has.
Well, in fact, the truth is we bought six.
We're pretty sure it's the first electric bike fleet in Alaska, at least north of the panhandle.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
ChadS
Last tank of gas: March 2009
I agree with ElectricTundra. I have a hub-based e-bike that does regen (you can set a mode while going down hill, or press one of the brake levers very lightly). I thought it was really cool when I bought it, but now that I've used it, it is definitely not something I'll be looking for as a plus on my next bike. The main issue is that you get so little back from it, even though we have some enormous hills around here (on the East coast they'd consider them mountains). I have tried turning it on just for fun on level ground...and man, you have to pedal a lot harder, it's no fun at all.
ElectricTundra
P85D AP1
There are dozens of use cases but quickly...
Throughout developed countries bicycles are becoming increasingly common for transportation for a number of reasons including health, less pollution (air, water, noise, & light), personal cost, gov't cost, and to reduce congestion. Cities and countries are increasingly following the Dutch model of bikeway and land-use development.
Something you'll notice in The Netherlands is many more old folks. While they do have a longer life expectancy than those in the U.S. the difference is more than that. Elderly folk are out and about much more — riding bicycles to meet friends for coffee or buy groceries or have a pint at night. At some point this can become more difficult so a small motor provides just enough extra oomph to allow them to continue to ride their bicycle to get places and yet they still get considerable exercise. Interestingly, even when throttles were being widely sold very few people in The Netherlands would buy them because they wanted to make sure they would still pedal.
Many deliveries are made by bicycle. The fastest growing vehicle in DHL's fleet the past 2 years were pedal powered delivery vehicles. These can be quite heavy when fully loaded but like above a small motor provides just enough extra for it to work well.
Hills can make bicycling tough for anyone but a small motor can provide just enough help up hills for it to work.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
Sorry to be the cause of confusion....
Bicycles are one of the loves of my life, and I bought my first E-bicycle about a decade ago.
I was wondering why he bought six of them
robby
Member
The Superpedestrian activates regen when you pedal lightly backwards. I found this reasonably pleasant to use, but the motor was so underpowered compared to an electric motorcycle or car that the effect was nearly indistinguishable from rolling resistance. I thought it was a nice interface for regen braking on a throttle-less bicycle, though.
ElectricTundra
P85D AP1
Good to hear about the regen.
The motor on a pedalec should be rather underpowered. Its purpose is to augment your own power, not provide all power. An average and reasonably fit person can produce about 150w sustained over an hour or two. This is enough to ride about 16 mph on flat terrain. This same person can produce 200w for brief periods climbing or riding in to headwind. So, an elderly person who can produce 50w only needs about 100-150w of 'boost' to make them equal to average and reasonably fit people.
Riding an e-bike in Birmingham AL (first e-bikeshare in US) recently I was able to pedal up a fairly steep and long hill with minimal effort and without sweating even though the temp was about 80f. I'd guess I was putting out about 100w and the bike another 150w. So for me it was about the same effort as riding maybe 11 mph on flat terrain.
EVie'sDad
Member
saw another related article today, thought i'd share
Zeitgeist thinks it's the Tesla of electric bicycles
although I cannot validate the claims they are making...perhaps just another chinese company name dropping on Tesla to gain media attention, sound familiar?
Zeitgeist thinks it's the Tesla of electric bicycles
although I cannot validate the claims they are making...perhaps just another chinese company name dropping on Tesla to gain media attention, sound familiar?
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
I'm sold on VintageElectricBikes.com, thanks to Mark Templeton. Love the retro look, the range (35 miles), and top speed of 35mph when in race mode. Two hours to full recharge the lithium battery.
EVie'sDad
Member
