As of Thursday, April 26, 2012, Electric bikes with a motor output of up to 500 watts and pedal assistance of up to 25 kilometers will now be classified as bicycles instead of mopeds in Switzerland. The move is a win for the European Two Wheel Retailers’ Association (ETRA), which has been lobbying the European Parliament to loosen restrictions in order to open up the market to more e-bikes. Currently, European legislation limits power output to a maximum of 250
Switzerland amps ups power limit on Electric Bikes
As of Thursday, April 26, 2012, Electric bikes with a motor output of up to 500 watts and pedal assistance of up to 25 kilometers will now be classified as bicycles instead of mopeds in Switzerland. The move is a win for the European Two Wheel Retailers’ Association (ETRA), which has been lobbying the European Parliament to loosen restrictions in order to open up the market to more e-bikes. Currently, European legislation limits power output to a maximum of 250
Minimizing Flat Tires on an E-bike
Flat tires are the bane of the electric bike rider. If you ride an ebike and feel you are getting more than your fair share of flat tires, don’t worry, you’re not alone, and there are several ways to help minimize punctures. Ever wonder why your electric bike gets more flat tires than your normal bike? Here are some answers: Extra weight. Ebikes in general are usually 2-3X’s the weight of many road bikes, which means a lot of extra
Flat tires are the bane of the electric bike rider. If you ride an ebike and feel you are getting more than your fair share of flat tires, don’t worry, you’re not alone, and there are several ways to help minimize punctures. Ever wonder why your electric bike gets more flat tires than your normal bike? Here are some answers: Extra weight. Ebikes in general are usually 2-3X’s the weight of many road bikes, which means a lot of extra
Currie Izip Urban Cruiser Review
editor note: The following story was submitted by one of our readers, Tim McIntyre of Seal Beach California. Hats off to Currie for releasing just this year a fine line of rare purpose built electric bikes in their Izip line. I have been talking about electric bikes for many years, ever since my commute to work doubled to 24 miles each way. The time I spent in my 1986 Honda Civic (no air conditioning or clutch) sometimes extended to 3
editor note: The following story was submitted by one of our readers, Tim McIntyre of Seal Beach California. Hats off to Currie for releasing just this year a fine line of rare purpose built electric bikes in their Izip line. I have been talking about electric bikes for many years, ever since my commute to work doubled to 24 miles each way. The time I spent in my 1986 Honda Civic (no air conditioning or clutch) sometimes extended to 3
5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Ebike Range Up To 50%
1) Learn throttle-feathering. This is a simple, easy-to-learn technique that requires an e-bike twist throttle, so the first step is to swap your thumb throttle for a good quality twist (such as a Magura) unless you’re already set up with one. Prius drivers often talk about a “pulse-and-glide” technique they use to maximize fuel economy, and throttle-feathering is close to an e-bike equivalent of that. The idea is to give the motor the least power needed for whatever terrain demands you’re encountering, and to
1) Learn throttle-feathering. This is a simple, easy-to-learn technique that requires an e-bike twist throttle, so the first step is to swap your thumb throttle for a good quality twist (such as a Magura) unless you’re already set up with one. Prius drivers often talk about a “pulse-and-glide” technique they use to maximize fuel economy, and throttle-feathering is close to an e-bike equivalent of that. The idea is to give the motor the least power needed for whatever terrain demands you’re encountering, and to
Electric Bikes Tap Into LA Market
In search of a speedy, yet green alternate way to get to work, Calvin Phuong used an electric bicycle conversion kit on his bike. The 32-year-old Marina del Rey resident took his modified bicycle for a ride around a parking lot and was amazed by its speed and handling. “One day my wife and I stopped by an Izip store in Venice and rented a couple electric bikes for the day. We had so much fun, we didn’t want to
In search of a speedy, yet green alternate way to get to work, Calvin Phuong used an electric bicycle conversion kit on his bike. The 32-year-old Marina del Rey resident took his modified bicycle for a ride around a parking lot and was amazed by its speed and handling. “One day my wife and I stopped by an Izip store in Venice and rented a couple electric bikes for the day. We had so much fun, we didn’t want to
Back in LA…building an ebike on a budget
I am back in LA and therefore doing a lot less riding than I was a week ago when in San Francisco, but the good news is I’m doing much more E-bike writing. Last night was a great exercise sourcing together the components necessary to build a 30mph / 20-mile range $1000 E-bike. I got in a forum argument with some guys and they thought it was not plausible. I spent the evening proving on paper that it was in
I am back in LA and therefore doing a lot less riding than I was a week ago when in San Francisco, but the good news is I’m doing much more E-bike writing. Last night was a great exercise sourcing together the components necessary to build a 30mph / 20-mile range $1000 E-bike. I got in a forum argument with some guys and they thought it was not plausible. I spent the evening proving on paper that it was in
Specialized Super-Charged Racer
Its ironic that in the same month that Specialized announced the release of their first electric bike and touting it as the “fastest ebike ever” (read Specialized Turbo article here), a DIY electric bike builder, Simon Howarth out of the UK converted a Specialized downhill mountain bike frame into one of the best (and fastest) full suspension ebikes ever created. Specialized spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, had infinite resources, and took 4 years with a secret team in Switzerland to
Its ironic that in the same month that Specialized announced the release of their first electric bike and touting it as the “fastest ebike ever” (read Specialized Turbo article here), a DIY electric bike builder, Simon Howarth out of the UK converted a Specialized downhill mountain bike frame into one of the best (and fastest) full suspension ebikes ever created. Specialized spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, had infinite resources, and took 4 years with a secret team in Switzerland to
The Joys of E-Bike Day Touring
As an aging baby boomer who’s always been passionate about cycling but who’s put on significant pounds over time, about twelve years ago I hung up my road bike in favor of an electric-assist bicycle. For the last several years on my road bike I’d found I was limiting all my longer weekend rides to gentle grades, usually river valleys and mild rolling hills. The fact is I’ve never loved steep hill climbing, period…even in my younger days. And so
As an aging baby boomer who’s always been passionate about cycling but who’s put on significant pounds over time, about twelve years ago I hung up my road bike in favor of an electric-assist bicycle. For the last several years on my road bike I’d found I was limiting all my longer weekend rides to gentle grades, usually river valleys and mild rolling hills. The fact is I’ve never loved steep hill climbing, period…even in my younger days. And so
30-MPH / 20-mile E-bike for $1000
Fast, long range, cheap. The E-bike equation says you can have 2 of those things but not all 3. This article is a way that you can get all three. A 30-MPH, 20-mile range, $1000 electric E-bike. A feat that just a few year ago would have been probably impossible. But because of cheap sourced E-bike components direct from China, it has become possible today. 30-MPH is fast for an electric bike. And 20-mile range is far for an E-bike.
Fast, long range, cheap. The E-bike equation says you can have 2 of those things but not all 3. This article is a way that you can get all three. A 30-MPH, 20-mile range, $1000 electric E-bike. A feat that just a few year ago would have been probably impossible. But because of cheap sourced E-bike components direct from China, it has become possible today. 30-MPH is fast for an electric bike. And 20-mile range is far for an E-bike.
New Cycle Analyst V3
4/19/2012 On the Endless Sphere forums, Justin Le, inventor of the Cycle Analyst has announced a release of a more powerful and versatile Cycle Analyst, the V3. The Cycle Analyst is a well thought out battery monitoring device manufactured in Canada that is used in most of the high performance DIY electric bikes today. Its core feature is to monitor how much amperage the battery has used, and determine what voltage the battery is putting out. It also serves as
4/19/2012 On the Endless Sphere forums, Justin Le, inventor of the Cycle Analyst has announced a release of a more powerful and versatile Cycle Analyst, the V3. The Cycle Analyst is a well thought out battery monitoring device manufactured in Canada that is used in most of the high performance DIY electric bikes today. Its core feature is to monitor how much amperage the battery has used, and determine what voltage the battery is putting out. It also serves as