The Whole World’s Hopping on Electric Bikes
Monday, 18 August 2008 Written by Jaymi Heimbuch
Meet the E-Bike
Watch this video about how China's E-Bike works. The eco-friendly bike is battery-driven and looks like a cross between a bicycle and a scooter. China manufactured 19 million E-Bikes in 2006, due in large part because they are the biggest emitter of sulphur dioxide. Click HERE to Wacth Video
E-Bikes, Soon Everyone will be Riding One!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Riders say 'e-bikes' give them extra spark
By Joel Hood Tribune reporter
Dave Kennedy is part of a two-wheeled revolution. Or so it seems some days.
Fed up with $4 gas, the war in Iraq, America's automotive obsession and the seeming reluctance of leaders to fully embrace alternative energy, Kennedy bought an electric-powered bicycle for his 2-mile commute to and from work in Tinley Park. And if it were up to him, he'd probably never step on a gas pedal again.
Whether their reasons are financial, political or both, Kennedy and others are at the forefront of a new era in two-wheeled transportation: the "e-bike." Widely used in Europe and parts of Asia for a decade, battery-powered bicycles have found a home in America.
It's a trend that has some in the industry thinking big.
While some cycling purists might be turned off by the notion of battery-assisted riding and others by the cost—starting at about $2,000—the e-bike's fans say they're practical, fun to ride and make it easier for non-cyclists to leave their cars in the garage.
"You don't know how great it feels to be able to hop on a bicycle and ride it to work," Kennedy said. "It's total freedom."
Yes, those statements could be said of a traditional pedal-power bicycle. But at 50, and admittedly heavyset, Kennedy is typical of a lot of e-bike customers in that he didn't want his physical limitations to dampen his enthusiasm for riding and for the outdoors.
The Schwinn model he owns looks like a typical recreational bike but is powered by a slim lithium-ion battery that fits on the rear-mounted rack above the back wheel. The battery, which can be fully charged within three hours at home or work, powers a small motor inside the front-wheel hub. Riders engage the motor by pedaling but must continue pedaling, even slowly, to keep the motor running. That's an important distinction that makes e-bikes different from scooters or mopeds, which are not allowed in bike lanes.
The motor makes the rider's legs feel supercharged; it takes the slightest effort to breeze past joggers and other cyclists. It's an unfamiliar sensation at first, but soon the rider settles in to enjoy the ride. The motor shuts off the instant the rider taps the brakes.
But most riders can pedal without motor assistance, which increases the range, said Brian Poncin, owner of My Bike in Tinley Park, the top selling dealer for Schwinn e-bikes in the country. "We liked the technology from the beginning, and so we committed heavily to these early," he said. "We didn't know gas would do what it did. That's been a bonus."
Schwinn, based in Madison, Wis., had sold electric bicycles in Europe for nearly a decade before it rolled out a limited number of the bikes here last year. Schwinn declined to release overseas numbers, but Giant alone has sold 15,000 e-bikes in Europe.
"We're in our 50s now, and we wanted to remain active and outdoors," said Frankfort resident Joe Popik, who recently bought an e-bike after falling in love with the one his wife, Margorie, bought last year. "I've ridden bicycles all my life. But now, if we go on a long ride, I don't have to worry about how I'm going to get back."
The Popiks frequent the network of paved bike trails that wind through the south suburbs. They also use the e-bikes to run errands around town and have taken them along on trips.
"My first thought was, 'Man, these bikes are expensive,' " Joe Popik said. "But after riding one, I just thought it was great. These things are really going to take off."
By Joel Hood Tribune reporter