Comment by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on October 1, 2011 at 19:37

The other issue with e-bikes is that batteries can be expensive to replace,

Comment by John Goslino on February 23, 2012 at 15:20

Sorry, late into this discussion, very interesting to learn the experience of different people.  I surveyed over 40 people, different ages, sex and fitness levels, who trialled electric assist bikes (Urban Mover brand) as a commuting option for a week or so, and will publish a summary of findings and implications here on Adelaide Cyclists.  My then 11 year old son rode the same bike as David B.o.R from the city to our home at Upper Sturt via Eagle on the Hill and did it comfortably, overtaking many adult cyclists on conventional bicycles up the hills.  The speed issue was raised by a couple of bike triallists used to riding racing bikes etc, but the reality is, for most commuting, in metro areas, how often do you exceed 30km/h for any stretch of time, certainly not uphill.  Hence it's the average speed that matters, and electric bikes (that are usually speed limited for power-assist) fit the bill the same as a conventional bike. 

Comment by Noel Probert on February 23, 2012 at 18:44

Hi David and John, I'm working on a magazine story about e-bikes at the moment. If you'd like to tell me your experiences with them I'm in the office again on Monday- happy to call you if you message me your number, or call 8 3 9 1 0 1 4 4 . Cheers.

Comment by Clive Palfrey on February 23, 2012 at 20:47

Pt Adelaide/Enfield council have some electric utility tricycles that there volunter graffiti busters use to get about on

Comment by David B.o.R. on March 12, 2012 at 7:02

Sorry to John and Noel, I've not checked in here for a bit.

I honestly believe that the electric assist bikes are great. I have photos of myself arriving home after a 16km ride in a suit and tie with a fluro jacket. No sweat, no discomfort. 

The speed though is an issue. Yes you might overtake people struggling up the Old Freeway, but on the flats, unless you are only going to cover very short distances i.e. under 10 km, people will not risk exposing themselves to the elements and the traffic to get there so slowly. 

The other issue is the uncertainty. Those battery charge lights are like a harbinger of doom, dipping into the red up hill and constantly reminding you that you may become stranded at any moment.

I reiterate though, add a tow hitch and a trailer and do the shopping or take the kids to school and these are brilliant, just keep a roadie in the shed for the weekend.

Comment by Andrew K on April 17, 2012 at 1:52

Ebikes are also great for those who have health issues that prevent them from riding for very long - from advanced age to those with certain chronic inflammatory diseases.

By the way, if you actually want to pedal, don't use a direct drive motor, get a geared rear hub motor - these motors have a clutch assembly which will free-wheel properly, so you will have no resistance when the power is off and you want to pedal. Chain driven set-ups do have technical advantages, but the cost/reliability/maintenance isn't worth it in my opinion.

If you want a proper battery monitor, you need something like the "Cycle Analyst" which now uses a predictive battery model (accounts for chemistry, age of battery etc) or perhaps the setup that comes with the BioniX kit (expensive).


There is no reason why ebikes have to be slow. In Canada and the USA they have much more liberal laws. If we were serious about reducing green house gas emissions then we'd create a new class of electric assisted bike with more stringent standards and permit a much higher power output. Cruising at an average speed of 40 km/h, an ebike is about 20 times more efficient than a Toyota Prius and has been shown to be more efficient than pedalling in a real-world life-cycle analysis. www.ebikes.ca/sustainability/Ebike_Energy.pdf

If we do the math, we will also find that if we stopped purchasing cars used for commuting (except taxis and the like), replaced our power generation with solar thermal technology and commuted ebikes that could cruise at 40km/h, we'd save billions of dollars per year and cut our greenhouse carbon emissions by 70%. All without the development of any new technology at all. We need to stop looking at bicycle riding as simply recreation or sport.

I have an electric bike and I'm not willing to commute at only 25km/h. I only go that speed that on leisurely rides (and range on my bike exceeds 50km at that speed).

Cruising up the hill to Eagle on the Hill at 40+ km/h does annoy riders wearing lycra though. But they'll get over it.

Comment by Patrick O'Kane on April 17, 2012 at 8:38

Adelaide Cyclist. For everyone who rides a bicycle in Adelaide, SA.

At what point does a bicycle stop being a bicycle? If we are to consider electric bikes as bikes then why not those chain saw driven things we see everywhere.? As electric powered machines develop and become more powerful and efficient they will probably no longer require pedal assistance, are they then still a bike?

Is the Sinclair C5 set for a comeback, I wonder.

Comment by Andrew K on April 17, 2012 at 16:26

Those two stroke powered bikes are polluting, inefficient, loud/ugly and most importantly, unreliable.

I am indeed talking about creating a new class of bicycle, but to answer your questions.

A bicycle is no longer a bicycle when:

It no longer rides like a bicycle (no pedals)

It is too heavy to be carried (>40kg)

It cruises at unrealistic speeds (>50 km/h)

All of the above points have been used as points in at least one country/state to draw the line between bicycle and non-bicycle.

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