Electric Bikes -N- Scooters Blog

Archive for the ‘Electric Bikes’ Category

If you are going to buy an electric bike conversion kit, there are a couple of things that you need to know about before you go ahead with your purchase.    In this blog post, I will attempt to educate you on the most important facets of going through the process of buying one of these money saving and time saving units and what you should think about before you buy one.

You can easily break down  the task of buying electric bike conversion kits by making a list of important facets of this purchase.  Here are a couple of things to think about:

• How much money do you want to put into the unit?
• How much wattage (electric power) will you need in the hub motor?
• What type of terrain are you going to be riding on?
• Are you going to be using the bike for commuting or recreation? ( Trail biking or riding to work?)
• How far will you be riding?
• Will you be riding the converted, electric bike in cold weather or warm? (Batteries can be affected by the cold?)

These are just a few of the considerations that you should think about.  There are quite a few electric bike conversion kits on the market today and if you don’t educate yourself, you could get confused and buy the wrong kit for your needs.  remember, just like any other product, the more educated you are, the less of a chance you will waste or lose your money needlessly.

Another thing that you should consider, is that if you do decide to get one, you will have to consider the fact that you will be the one that is putting the electric bike kit on the existing bike frame yourself.  So, if you are all thumbs or have never done anything like this before, you may either want to reconsider or get someone to help you with this project.  It not only will save you some money, but it will definitely save you some time and frustration.

To find out more about these innovative products click here: Information on electric bike conversion kits

Over the last 10 years there has been a wide proliferation of electric bicycle manufacturers. Originally, many of these manufacturers that came onto the market are producing cheap and quick bikes to the fill the growing need for this type of technology and bicycles.

However, there are many newer companies that are producing excellent electric bicycles and electric scooters and the OHM Cycles Company of Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada is one of the companies that is producing fine quality and affordable electric bicycles. One of the latest models that they have on the market today is the Urban XU 700 electric bicycle. This bike has an elegant design and you would find it a sheer joy to ride around town and do your errands on. You can  be easily whisked from place to place on its 350 watt  Bionix motor which will not weigh down the bike at all, because it has a light aluminum frame.

Lighter Is Always Better

Not only is the frame lighter, but so are the batteries because this electric bicycle uses the lighter lithium batteries to power up the 350 W motor. Not only will you be able to move faster and lighter, but you also have the choice of 27 different speeds on the drive train utilizing a Shimano Dynamo hub.

The Urban XU 700 also comes in two different sizes 18.5 inch and the other a 19.5 inch. This is a great bike that has an elegant look to it, which minimizes the drag that and electric battery pack on when resistance by merging it to the bicycle frame and a sleek manner.

Where to Get More Information

The OHM Cycles Company not only has this outstanding bicycle that they have a whole contrary of great products for you to take a look at. If you’re considering buying electric bike that is high-quality and has outstanding performance that you may want to consider the Urban XU 700 electric bicycle. To find out more about this great bike please click here:  XU 700 Electric Bike

Today, many people are either trying to move toward greener technology in their lives or find a way that they can use alternative types of energy besides just fossil fuels.  There are a small number of people that have decided to try to make a difference at least in their own lives by purchasing electric scooters or electric bicycles.   There are a wide range of electric bicycles that are on the market today ranging from the rather cheap to the very expensive.  The problem is that when you spend too little on an innovation like an electric bike, you will definitely get what you pay for.  If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to riding an electric bicycle, then you may want to consider one that has worked well for years and thousands of people have bought.  I am referring to, of course, an electric bike engine or an electric bike conversion kit.

Just like electric bike models, there are a wide range of electric bike conversion kits to consider.  Like everything else the U.S. federal law limits electric bikes to 750 watts or 20 miles per hour.  One thing you need to keep in mind when looking at information put out by manufacturers and that is the fact that many times the wattage and miles per hour are exaggerated on their electric bike engines and conversion kits.  If you see an advertisement that states that the power of the motor is at around 1000 watts, you need to beware of false claims.

Think about the batteries that an electric bike engines use…

Another factor that you need to consider in your purchase of an electric bicycle conversion kit is the battery.  The best performance battery that you can get for an electric bike engine is a LiFePO4 lithium battery.  These types of batteries are pretty light in weight while maintaining the longest life.  Typical sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries do not last nearly as long as the lithium batteries do, as a matter of fact, lithium batteries left almost three times longer than they sealed lead acid batteries do.  In other good thing about the lithium batteries is that they are 50 to 60% lighter than the S. L. A. counterparts.  This will help your electric bike to go much farther and the much quicker speed in with a heavier set of batteries.  Another great thing about lithium battery is that you can easily be kept them from your electric bike and take them in your house to plug them in.  This is usually a very convenient thing to have and one aspect of an electric bike engine that I consider when buying a kit.

You always want to buy your electric bike conversion kit from a very good reputable dealer either online or locally.  You really do not want to spend your money on electric bike motor kits from overseas.  For one thing, companies in other countries do not have the high standards that companies and the United States have.  If you consider the fact that most of the electric bike conversion kits that are on the market today will run you somewhere in the vicinity of $300-$500, then you are taking a pretty big risk in either getting parts for repairs if need be, or getting good service when you buy the electric bike motor.  Once again, you should always consider buying from a good, reputable dealership that can help you if you have any problems mounting the conversion kit on your bike.

Another thing to look out for in an electric bicycle conversion kit…

One other good tip that I think need to be discussed in the actual installation and time it takes to install an electric bike motor or conversion kit.  If you just happen to see a company that says that you can install the conversion kit within an hour, then you should consider not purchasing the conversion kit from that company because they are probably not telling you the truth about the installation, and if they are not telling the truth about the installation chances are they are not telling you the truth about the electric bike motor in the first place.

Once again, I just want to reiterate the fact that if you pay a cheap price for electric bike engines or conversion kit, you will definitely get what you pay for as far as performance, reliability and quality.  If you can afford a good electric bike conversion kit then I suggest that you get a good one that will last you for quite some time.

An electric bicycle is an perfect difference to more conventional means of transportation. If you live or reside in a incredibly populated township and have to frequently drive sort of short traveling distances, and if you want to help reduce greenhouse gasses and depreciate global warming, or if you only enjoy being outside, then using an electric bicycle can bring some happiness to your life.

Unsustainable energy basically means that you can have free energy without using any off of a power system in your community.  How can someone do this?  Well, you can easily have sustainable energy for your electric bicycle by just implementing an renewable energy generating wind mill, or by using solar power. Just put some solar panels on top of your garage and lay in place a system wherein you can charge your electric powered bicycle with. You will have 100%inexpensive sustainable energy directly from either the sun or the wind not to mention that if you had an inclination to put a little more money into your system you could even charge up other electric device.  There are other considerations to ride on  an electric bike such as the benefits of using an electric bicycle or an e-scooter can be extremely exhaustive. Let’s not be absent minded in that electric bikes can be used like common bicycles for for working out.

Great Advantages of Riding Your Own Electric Bike
electric assisted bicycles are an easy way to get around in populated areas. Riding an electric bicycle, waiting in traffic will not be a hassle for you anymore; you will have other routes that most cars, trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles  cannot get on. So, whether you’re riding around doing errands or trying to hurry across town, an electric bike can help you save time. You will also be able to retain cash since you will not have to pay for rising costs of fuel, vehicle up-keep , and also insurance.

An e-bike is great for the poor human being who has either lost their driver’s license or never got a license, because an e-bicycle is a great method of driving a motorized vehicle without the licensing rules.

Staying healthy is another great benefit to owning an e-bike
If you have a yearning to bike ride for an exercise program that you are on, you can rest assured that an electric motorized bike will help you to pedal, with very little effort. You can ascend hills much more easily and drive a much more lengthy a distance than with a normal bicycle. If you compare an electric motor bike to an exercise bike or stationary bicycle, an electric bike will let you to climb to your fitness goals, while making it possible to acquire the benefits from riding in the fresh air and exercising your muscles without killing yourself.

Using your motorized electric bicycle for heading back and forth to work helps you to clear the cobwebs fro your mind and allows you to feel better all day. Another great benefit of riding your e-bike to where you work at is that you don’t have to be afraid  about the sweat – on – shirt problem, which can be a big problem with a regular bike on very humid days. On an electric bike, since you move at a much faster pace which increases the wind factor, thus keeping you cooler. When the weather is as hot as heck, you can keep going at a nice, brisk speed by letting the ebike motor take over. Of course, in colder temperatures, you can just turn the electric bicycle motor off.

To sum it all up; electric motorized bicycles are great for anybody or any type of lifestyle. They can give kids as well as adults a sense of freedom.

Christmas is coming faster than you think.  As a matter of fact, you have about thirty or so days left before the big day and you want to get your loved one(s) something really special this year. Now, if we are talking about kids, then one of the coolest things you can get a young person is a scooter.  However, if you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you well know that the type of scooter that I am talking about is an electric one.

Of course no sooner do you think about this type of a gift then a lurking question comes floating through your brain that says, “Hmmmm, what type of electric scooter should I buy, and where can I find electric scooters for sale?”  Well, dear reader, look no further, because I have the answer!  I am going to review the top three companies and scooters that are on the market today so that you can check them out on the internet and make your decision to purchase very easy.

Here we go with the four top brands of electric scooters for sale that I can recommend to you for your kids:

1. Razor Electric Scooters – This electric scooter company has well over thirty different models of electric scooters to peruse over.  As a matter of fact, Razor has a very wide line of electric scooters that range from electric bikes, go-karts, small two wheeled scooters to a regular line of sidewalk electric scooters for kids.  While the adult sized electric scooters are in the price range of anywhere over $500.00 U.S. Dollars, a kids two wheeled sidewalk model can start right around $60.00.
2. Xtreme Electric Scooters is another kid based e-scooter company that has a target market and audience of the younger generation variety.   Just take a look at their company’s website, and you’ll see what I am talking about.  The website is a slick and cool site dedicated to younger people that has all of the electric scooters a younger person could want.  So, you may want to check out this website before Christmas gets here, especially if you are dealing with younger kids.
3. Currie Technologies is an industry standard that has been around for awhile, and they not only deal with high quality electric scooters for sale, but also electric bicycles.  Currie Technologies has a wide variety of electric scooters as well as electric bicycles and you can find just about any kind of high- quality ebike or e-scooter there.  Another great thing about buying an electric scooter or an electric bike from Currie is that not only do they sell electric bicycles and electric scooters there, but they also sell replacement parts as well, in case you break a part or need to make a repair.

If you are really skimping this year on your Christmas buying budget, then you may want to look around for a used electric scooter or bicycle.  Most people would tell you to look on Craigslist, but I have not had very good luck with people returning email or phone calls from there.  The best places you can go to find a good used electric scooter would be an online forum or a trade publication.  Whatever you do, try to do some homework on what you are buying first before you make that final purchase or look over the wide selection of electric scooters for sale this Christmas.

I always get a little excited whenever I read something about battery technology, as it may influence electric bicycle technology.   In my opinion, anything that’ll give us e-bikers more power and longevity on our rides is something to take notice of.  Well, today I was surfing the Internet looking for technology related material and I came across two great websites. One of them was a site called Alternative Energy News that had an article about this new – fangled nanotube technology which led me to another great site called, The Green Optimistic.  The Green Optimistic site had an excellent article about an MIT professor by the name of Michael Strano who is also a researcher that has been experimenting with the nanotubes.  You can read the entire Green Optimistic article at: Green Optimistic Nanotubes Article.

Now, for those of you out there in electric bike land that has no idea what a nanotube is, let me give you a little background on this relatively new technology.  Nanotubes are molecular scale tubes made up of graphitic carbon that seem to have some pretty amazing properties.  The nanotubes can form fibers that are extremely strong, as a matter of fact, these fibers are the strongest known to man and have properties that allow for many other interesting characteristics.  In the case of Mr. Strano’s experiments, the nanotubes have been found to transform fuel into electricity when the fuel is poured onto the nanotubes.  Considering the small molecular size of nanotubes and their ability to make this transformation, it could make batteries smaller and possibly more powerful. If you think about that in terms of electric bicycle technology, you could possibly have longer lasting batteries that are lighter on electric bikes, thus making trips not only lighter and longer, but faster as well.

Of course, there is a small drawback called money.  The applications for the nanotubes seem to be pretty wide.  A couple of years ago, there was serious talk about the building of a space elevator (no, I am not making this up!) and it was written about in popular science.  They were going to use huge cords to hook to a space station and allow an elevator to go up and down on these cords made up of nanotubes, because they were so light and strong.  However, nanotubes as strong as they may be are pretty expensive to create.  Actually, I heard that the nanotubes can actually grow themselves kind of like a plant, but don’t quote me on this.

In the experiments that MIT’s Michael Strano has been involved with, the nanotubes are being coated with a film of reactive fuel that produces heat by decomposing.  What the MIT experimentalists did was ignited the film of fuel at one end of the nanotube using sparks or lasers, which in turn shot a thermal wave along the nanotube.  When Strano’s team hooked the fuel coated nanotube to electric wires there was a significant jump in voltage one hundred times greater than Li-lion batteries.

As an electric bike enthusiast I can only get excited when I hear about this type of application and new discoveries.  I can only hope it will lead to longer, faster bike rides in the future with less recharging times as well.

The U.S. Government is concerned that even though people in America are not using as much gas as they were when the last gas price surge occurred, in April, 2008, gas prices may rise.  As reported on the MSNBC website, analysts are concerned that China, who is beginning to use oil on a much larger scale than in the past, will be using more oil this year.  Of course, optimists are thinking that because China is not going to lend out money to its people as easily in the past, that the oil prices are going to probably drop.  However, in my opinion, if you look at how volatile the environment of the oil industry is and all of the things that cause prices to rise, you will be less than optimistic.  For example, when oil prices rose in 2008, one of the reasons the oil company gave was that they had too much oil!  The oil companies were whining that they didn’t have enough places to store it, which caused the prices to rise!  So, don’t be surprised if they go up again.

Now, if you are a cheapskate like me, then you will probably want to look into ways that you can save some money while everyone else is freaking out at the gas pumps.  One of the alternatives I would of course recommend is to buy ebikes (or electric bikes to you newbies).

Other Reasons to Buy Ebikes

Even if gas prices don’t go up, you will probably wonder why you should buy an electric bicycle.  My personal favorite reason to get an ebike, is that I get the joy of riding a bicycle without the effort.  I can still pedal around, but if I’m smart on my electric bike, I will use the motor to ride against headwinds and hills that I don’t want to kill myself on.  On some ebikes, I can use a pedal assisted motor when I’m on a hill that is too hard on my skinny little legs.  What this means is that when I flip a switch on my handlebars, the motor gives me an extra boost of power so that the hill doesn’t affect me.  This also means that if I decide to bike my way to work and save some gas money, I won’t show up all tired and sweaty.

Another great reason to ride an electric bicycle is that you can drive a motorized vehicle on the same pavement a bicycle does. Since in most states electric bike motors are not as powerful as gas ones, electric bikes can still ride on the sidewalk like all other cyclists.  However, even though the average person glancing at you will probably not even notice that you are on an ebike, you still have to be careful and considerate to pedestrians that you will encounter.   Always use bicycle safety and rules whenever you ride on your electric bike in public places.

The last reason that I think a people should buy ebikes is because they are just plain fun.  There’s nothing that makes your day than getting outside into the sunshine and getting some fresh air while riding an electric motorized bicycle.

Like you, I hope that gas and oil prices won’t rise, but if you have an ebike you can at least ease some of your gas price anxieties with a fun and safe way to travel.

One of the cheapest ways to get an electric bicycle, if you can’t afford one, is to buy what is commonly referred to as an electric bicycle conversion kit.  These kits are a very popular alternative to having to look for a business that sells electric bicycles and then have one shipped to you.  Electric bicycles are usually sold across the United States, but when you compare dealers that sell regular bicycles to the ones that sell electric bikes the choices can be pretty sparse.  So, if you can’t find a dealer near you, then you will have to find one on the Internet that sells them, and that means you have to pay for shipping on the entire electric bicycle.

On the other hand, if you already have a bicycle that you like you can easily convert it to an electric one by buying a conversion kit.  And guess what?  You won’t have to pay half of the shipping charges.  One of the more prominent companies that sell these kits over the Internet is a business called AmpedBikes.Com.  AmpedBikes is a company started by a gentleman by the name of Danny Ray.  Like most of us, Danny suffers from a common ailment called “getting older”.

As Danny says,”I’m 38 and not in perfect shape, my body is pretty beat up from being a carpenter for 20 years. I romanticized the memories of all day rides when I was a lot younger, but when it actually came down to it, my body didn’t react the way I remembered it ha-ha…

The hills seemed much steeper than they used to. The wind, which did not bother me as a kid, does now, so I set out to find a solution.”

Danny found gas motored bicycles at first, but found that it they were too loud and he got no exercise at all when he rode them.  He then found electric bikes with electric motors but he knew from experiences with playing around with radio controlled airplanes that brushless motors were the most efficient.

“I went and rode every kit I could get my hands on and the only difference I saw in all of them was the price tag.”

Eventually, Danny wound up taking a trip to China to get a manufacturer to make an electric bike kit that met his standards and specifications. Thus, the online store AmpedBikes.Com was born.

At the store, you can buy three different types of kits.  AmpedBikes sells kits with Lithium battery kits, Sealed Lead Acid battery kits (SLA), and kits without batteries as well as electric bike accessories.  The website has a gallery page that shows you large pictures of the kits and a page that has a very detailed and clear video on how to install them.

All of the kits are engineered as well a designed in the U.S.  The company itself is located here as well and is committed to quality and customer service while placing a 100% guarantee on all of its products.

To see AmpedBikes website, click here: www.AmpedBikes.Com

Here is an AmpedBikes Video:

When you consider the slew of electric bike companies that are in the market today, you really have to appreciate the care and technological research that goes into building a unit.  Not too long ago, mainstream electric bicycle companies were a minority and there we few clear leaders.

One of the leaders in the new arena of e-bikes, was Currie Electric Bikes.   Predominantly, Currie had two distinct strains of bikes, the Izip and Ezip lines that were good, stable products in the market.  Today, Currie Technologies is clearly taking the lead in the production and sale of electric bikes and now, you can actually purchase these bikes directly from the company instead of going through a dealer.

Today, the Currie Electric Bike has evolved along with the company, and the Izip Express is a very good example of this.  This is a human assist e-bike (or an electric assist bike,  whichever way you would like  to look at it) that uses  the EVO Assist,  a high torque Currie electric bike motor.  Just to be clear, the electric motor assists you as you pedal, creating plenty of power as you do.  This feature allows you to bike with minimum effort.   This also includes climbing hills and tackling different types of slopes and headwinds as if it were very easy.    This is possible because the Evo Assist 2.0 is a 750 watt powerhouse that is fed electricity byway of a 36 Volt 8 Amp battery pack.

This powerful system will give you somewhere around 20 plus mile per hour speeds (32+ kilometers per hour) and a range of approximately 31 miles for a person that is under the recommended weight of 240 lbs. ( I wonder when they are going to make an electric bike for people over that weight!)

I think one of the cool things about the Currie Electric Bikes that are on the market today is that they have a device called a Cadence Sensor, which automatically detects human power and adjusts itself according to your needs.  So imagine you are starting to ride out of your driveway and your wife starts to chase you because you didn’t wash the dishes like she told you to.  No problem, just start pumping your legs and the EVO Assist on the bike will take you briskly to the bowling alley, adjusting to the amount of effort you put into the system.  (Not that this has ever happened to me.)  There is even a power boost built into the system to get you out of those real tight situations.

The Izip Express also carries other high quality features such as double wall alloy rims, stainless steel spokes, tires that are double shield puncture – protected, and a host of other high quality features too long to list here.

To find out more about the Izip Express and the entire line of high – quality Currie Electric Bikes, go to this link:

Currie Electric Bikes

One of the coolest sites on the Internet for kids that are into electric scooters, electric bikes and all of the accessories that go along with them is a site called Urban Scooters at www.urbanscooters.com.

This site has all sorts of cool electric gadgets that you ride on and use that will impress your friends.  Not only does the site have ebikes and escooters, but it also carries gas powered ones that a pretty cool too.   The site is actually for everyone young or old but the site design is pretty cool displaying graphics that would interest any younger person that is interested in alternative methods of transportation.

The company carries also wide variety of alternative vehicle products that can range from around $1000.00 to much cheaper models.  Not only do they have electric bicycles but also the conversion kits that can help you convert your regular bike into an electric one.  Urban Scooters has been around for awhile and it would seem to still be a very popular site.   If you are interested in taking  a look at a fine site that is loaded with all sorts of electric bikes as well as electric scooter products, then you really need to take a look at this site.