Electric bikes

[Skededel]

We are going to be on an extended cruise on our Lagoon 440 and would like to extend our range on land by purchasing two electric bikes. Our cruising grounds will be the eastern seaboard, Bahamas, Caribbean then onto Mexico.

I am very impressed with the rad mini. Recognizing that the bike weighs 60lbs and that it folds rather than disassembles, and that strictly pedal bikes are less expensive and lighter, wondering if anyone has experience with this or other e-bikes. I like the fat tires, range, power/torque of rad but am interested in what bikes other cruisers have experienced. We both have bad knees and want ebikes.

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by Skededel

We are going to be on an extended cruise on our Lagoon 440 and would like to extend our range on land by purchasing two electric bikes. Our cruising grounds will be the eastern seaboard, Bahamas, Caribbean then onto Mexico.

I am very impressed with the rad mini. Recognizing that the bike weighs 60lbs and that it folds rather than disassembles, and that strictly pedal bikes are less expensive and lighter, wondering if anyone has experience with this or other e-bikes. I like the fat tires, range, power/torque of rad but am interested in what bikes other cruisers have experienced. We both have bad knees and want ebikes.

A coworker of mine had an electric bicycle. The rest of us rode 'traditional' bicycles. We also made fun of him. Other than that I have no personal experience with them. But the Rad Mini looks pretty good considering you're not always going to know what kind of terrain you'll be up against. Beefy tires and cargo facilities could be very useful.

The only thing I'd be leery of is, you might go extended periods without using them, and I'm not sure how that would affect the battery lifespan.

[Kenomac]

My wife has one of these bad boys by Stromer. Very high quality pedal assist bike. Too heavy for our boat, but excellent when she wants to ride around town or on country roads. Has a fifty mile range.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6vVEukOujQ4

[roverhi]

60 lbs is a lot of weight to have to lift onto the boat, into the dinghy or onto a dock. Especially an issue when it's a bulky item like a folded bike with things like pedals sticking out that like to catch on things. If it's easy to remove the battery pack, would make it easier to throw the bike around.

I've gotten along very well with a Bike Friday NWT with 27 gears. Still occasionally envious when I see one of those god awful cruiser type bikes going up a hill without the rider pedaling.

[Red Herring]

Here's mine. Well, not mine exactly, but exactly mine. I just bought my wife a comparable ladies version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Jxp2b-zxQ

I have been on an ebike commuting for almost 2 years now, and it is fantastic! Mine weighs 20kg, but doesn't fold.

I think it is a GREAT way to extend your range on shore without needing a car.

Have a look at these. They seem to be the cleverest of the bunch so far.

https://gocycle.com/design/

They only weigh 16kg, get decent range, and fold up really nicely. Clever design, and miles ahead of the other manufacturers. I think these would make an excellent cruising companion.

[Red Herring]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB8bcK1ouiQ

[Kenomac]

I really like what I see in the Gocycle above. Any reviews? Anyone know the range and reports on reliability. I see one in my wife's future aboard our boat, we'll definitely be adding a Gocycle G3 to the boat next season for Pam and selling her Brompton if her knees continue to bother her.

The Gocycle along with a Burley Travoy bike trailer would be awesome. IMHO

[a64pilot]

If possible stay away from a chain, I noticed the Gocycle looked to have its enclosed ala 1960's Honda Supercub, that might be OK, but a chain to me was something that either almost immediately rusted, or would "tattoo" rather easily if you kept it oiled so it didn't rust.

[rddvries]

A-Bike

[a64pilot]

Gocycle, $5,000?

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Gocycle, $5,000?

In life... You get what you pay for. If you want cheap, then deal with repairs, rust, lousy ergonomics and poor quality. At $5,000, I think it's a bargain. But then again, I have road bikes (no motor) which cost over $15,000 each and weight less than 12 pounds.

[a64pilot]

I think I paid about that for my Titanium Lightspeed back in 95 or so, but its not going on the boat either. Plus to me it would be two bikes, so $10,000, and I have two URB-E's now, so I don't need them, I just posted the price cause I watched the review and it was at the end of the review.
I tried to sell my Lightspeed the other day at the local bike shop cause I have no use for it, guy said I don't know, couple of hundred bucks?
Its going in storage, I can't just give it away.

[weavis]

My issue with electric bikes is that the manufactures move on with development and seem to lose interest in electronic spares or repair for older models... I have one bike with front and rear lights not working in the main controller and surprise surprise.... been waiting four months for a replacement.

I would not put 5K into an electric bike unless happy to consider it a disposable. If they change the battery design or electronics, once the original run of first production runs out.... Its like computers... 2 years on and considered old..

[44'cruisingcat]

$10,000 buys a lot of car hire, bus and taxi fares.

[CarlF]

Does anyone have experience with this one from a company called Genesis?. It folds up really small - 23.6 x 13.4 x 23.8 in. Most of the electric bikes are too big for my storage place. 30lbs. Aluminum. $795. I don't love the small wheels but it looks surprisingly stable in the video.

https://ridegenesis.com/collections/...-bicycle-white