Stargazer95050's photos with the keyword: bike

It's the red one -- and I love it. It is a typical american bike with a muscular motor and a comfy seat -- much different from the sporty european models. A large tank also provides good range, especially when you're cruising and avoid racing at top speeds. Some of the tech specs : -) The motor's peak power is 1450W, possibly more. It is rated to sustain 750W. -) The 52V, 19.2Ah (1000Wh) battery provides at least 30mi range when driving at speeds close to 25mph. Slow down to 20mph, and range greatly increases. EU regulations often limit bikes to 25km/h (16mph) -) The torque- & cadence sensor combination adjusts the motor's power very intuitively, avoiding unexpected accelerations found in cheap eBikes -) eBikes imported from the EU do not include a manual throttle -- the US bike has one and I find it very useful. You can ride with pedal assist and get up to speeds of 28mph ("Class 3"). Using the throttle and no pedal assist, the max speed it limited to 20mph ("Class 2"). Both are much higher than the 16mph (25km/h) limit imposed in the EU. -) Having a throttle also is useful to add a quick boost to accelerate at intersections and keep up with traffic on city streets with a 25mph speed limit. -) This eBike is tailored for use on a road and aimed at higher speeds -- very different from many eMTB mountain eBike designs. It has large-diameter rims, narrower tires and a gear shift with large transmission ratio allowing for a slower, more comfortable cadence to reach the speeds of 20...25mph on paved surfaces With all these extras, it is more expensive than the cheap, no-name eBikes sold on Amazon. Compared to imported EU sports bikes it has twice the performance and costs only about half. It makes biking convenient, fast & fun and I use it now most of the time, leaving the car at home (until the rains move in). . IMG 20220922 bib

During my vacation, I had the chance to rent & ride a really nice eBike -- Riese & Müller is among the more expensive german brands and this model's configuration (with "Vario"gear & larger battery) currently retails for approx $7000 in the USA. : propelbikes.com/product/riese-muller-nevo . Their "entry-level" models costs more than $5500. All prices are without S&H and sales tax. This can add $700...$900. On the right is a stark contrast : - it costs less than $1500 (taxes & S&H included) - it has a throttle to allow lazy cyclist to cruise around -- EU regulations prohibit that. - It can go 20mph (32km/h) with and without pedaling, EU limits speed to 25km/h Admittedly the R&M eBike has a really sophisticated motor control and it works seamlessly. Push harder on the pedal and the motor will proportionally increase power without surprises or jerky change of power. Pedal-assist settings allow to add between 50...370% power to yours. The US (or should I say Chinese) eBike can accelerate very unexpectedly. For example, with "PAS 5", once you exceed 8mph, the motor will suddenly kick in and attempt to accelerate up to 20mph, regardless of how strong you push the pedals. Apparently, PAS sets the intended speed. You have to use PAS like a gear shift and start low and gradually increase setting to your desired speed. This eBike also has a throttle and that is legal in the US ("Class 2"). A throttle is convenient to give you a boost without changing PAS or shifting gears, e.g. at intersections or inclines. And "Class 2" bikes are allowed to drive even without any pedal assist, solely controlled by the throttle. To make the most given the strict regulations, european manufacturers equipped their bikes with a combination of 250W mid-drive motor plus a gearshift and custom-designed frame to fit motor + battery. This has many advantages -- but increase in cost is a serious disadvantage. The chinese eBike places the 500...750W motor inside the rear hub (sorry, you can't see it in the photo) and such a motor is less complex/expensive. Manufacturers can use existing bike frames and just bolt on the battery and swap the rear wheel for one with a hub motor. Given lower manufacturing costs, it is no surprise these bikes cost a lot less. IMO when cruising on mostly flat roads, both solutions work efficiently -- and the hub-drive beats the mid-drive in terms of costs and convenience. If you want, you can be lazy and drive with minimal effort and very little shifting . Mid-drive bikes typically cost $3000 or more (plus tax & SH) and only if you frequently have to face hills, the mid-drive will win over a hub-drive. . eBikes EU vs US