| Times are tough. Man are they tough! Those who | | | | vary widely depending upon voltages, motor power |
| have money are hanging onto it with two hands, | | | | and battery. A lithium ferric phosphate battery |
| building up savings and paying down debt. Those who | | | | (LiFePO4) can last over 1200 charging cycles but |
| don't have money aren't spending a dime on anything | | | | they're expensive. A lead acid battery will cost less but |
| other than necessities. The sad truth is that to get the | | | | is difficult to recycle and only good for about 300 |
| economy moving again, people need to spend some | | | | cycles. |
| money which creates jobs which begins the whole | | | | Generally speaking the higher the wattage on the |
| cycle moving in a positive way. Meanwhile, the Media | | | | motor and voltage on the system, the farther and |
| is beating us over the head with bad news feeding the | | | | faster you can go but there is a point of diminishing |
| atmosphere of fear. The government simply cannot | | | | returns. I have found that for most people a bike |
| get enough money to the right places quickly enough | | | | having a 350 watt motor and 36 volt battery is a good |
| to make things happen. It's going to up to the individual | | | | fit. Be aware that there is no real standard for |
| and private enterprise to bail out our economy. | | | | measuring motor wattage. From my perspective I am |
| One of the things individuals and companies can do to | | | | speaking about constant operating wattage, not peak |
| help the economy, as well as our environment is to | | | | wattage. As a rule of thumb, a 26" bike with a 350 |
| examine alternate means of transportation. Most of us | | | | watt/36 volt motor and LiFePO4 battery will go 20 |
| are simply not ready for the electric car. The models | | | | miles at 20 miles per hour. |
| that are currently or coming available are generally too | | | | Electric bikes or kits to convert an ordinary bicycle into |
| slow, too expensive, take too long to recharge or have | | | | an electric bike can be purchased in big box stores |
| insufficient range. These obstacles can and will be | | | | (which usually sell low end models), bike shops (very |
| overcome eventually. However we need something | | | | high end models) and on the internet where prices and |
| now, something inexpensive, ecologically sound and | | | | quality are all over the place. Pricing ranges from |
| sustainable. The very best of what is currently | | | | around $595 to well over $3000. Using an electric |
| available is the electric bicycle. | | | | bicycle conversion kit you can convert a modestly |
| The electric bicycle is definitely not a panacea for all of | | | | priced ordinary bicycle into a very good high quality, |
| our problems nor will it fit everybody's needs. It can | | | | powerful electric bike for only $600 to $850 dollars. |
| however provide cheap, green, short range | | | | Kits below $600 dollars are usually incomplete and |
| transportation for urban areas and small towns. For | | | | often total junk with little or no warranty. There are |
| trips around the neighborhood, localized shopping or | | | | some kits that sell for over $1000 but offer little in the |
| short distance commuting they are hard to beat. Yes, I | | | | way of additional power or other benefits to justify |
| understand that they aren't that attractive during | | | | their price. |
| inclement weather but neither are noisy, polluting | | | | So here we have it. An electric vehicle with a range of |
| motorcycles, scooters and mopeds. Golf carts and | | | | 20 miles or so and speeds of up to 20 MPH that can |
| other small electric low speed vehicles aren't that all | | | | be purchased for around $1000.00. Totally green, |
| great during these periods as well and the electric bike | | | | almost totally silent, no imported fuel, no emissions, no |
| is much smaller, much less expensive and street legal. | | | | parking fees, no insurance needed, street legal and |
| The range and efficiency of an electric bike can vary | | | | best of all readily available right now. And as a free |
| widely based on variable factors such as riding style, | | | | bonus, perhaps a little exercise to boot. |
| load factors, and terrain. Range and speed will also | | | | |