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I love the idea of eBikes. I bike commute on a conventional city bike, 5mi each way, every day. I wouldn't mind a boost when there's a headwind or I'm tired. An
by NoGravitas 10y ago
I love the idea of eBikes. I bike commute on a conventional city bike, 5mi each way, every day. I wouldn't mind a boost when there's a headwind or I'm tired. And I would like the help to make a 10 mile trip more practical.
But the price! I looked at some eBikes, and they were often around 4k. That's almost twice as much as a good quality gasoline moped/scooter like the Honda Metropolitan. So it's a tough value proposition to make.
- zootam 10y agoyou can DIY one using a kit for under $2k total ($500 bike + $1500ish kit)
- mixedCase 10y agoThat's still far too expensive compared to a motorcycle, that you also don't have to assemble yourself.
- revelation 10y agoThat's probably true, from a "bang per buck" perspective. But a scooter needs insurance, plates, gas, oil, costs tax and at the end of the day they are lawnmowers on wheels, so if something goes wrong with the motor, and it will regularly, you probably can't fix it on your own and are stranded. Even if your battery fails or the boost you would likely still have a fully functional bike, just some extra resistance on the pedals. And legally of course, a scooter restricts you to streets that cars can go on. That might not mean much in an American suburb but even here in a bike backwards German town we have pedestrian zones where bikes are explicitly allowed, one way streets with exemptions for bikes.. being able to use bike-legal paths can make for a more direct, faster route.
- NoGravitas 10y agoI take your points. One quibble here is that in my state, motor scooters do not need insurance, plates, or tax as long as the engine volume and top speed are below certain values.