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GAIA Host Collective
I got an electric assist bike and solar panels to recharge the batteries with. Do I pass the Palladina test? I guess I should quit pedalling tho. Last time I checked, I was in no danger of wasting away to nothing.
RobertInNarita
I haven`t escaped from reality. i have a daypass.
hey robert,
what kind of electric assist did u buy? How much did it cost, where did u get it? do u like it?
You might want to look at the PedElec forums...
Rdberg,
http://www.sbebc.com/pages/history.html
Since you asked, I feel licensed to prattle on. I'll stick to your questions and my personal experience since pedelec will give you all the geek specs.
I bought a tres terra Europa bike from Santa Barbara Electric Bike Company. This is a premium $1500 bike with a lithium ion battery and a Heinzman rare earth motor. I figured it would pay for itself in 3 years in saved gasoline alone but the air force laid me off after one year. You can get a perfectly good lead acid bicycle for $600 but it will have half the range (10 miles instead of 20 miles).
You have to consider your need. I had a twelve mile commute against the wind (which is always gusting off the cold Pacific Ocean. This is great windmill country if the bananas would let us.) With a huge hill at the end getting over the Santa Ynez river. I did it with my steel commuting bicycle once just to see in an hour and a half and I wound up walking it up the hill. I can get home without any juice in the battery because it is downhill with the wind. But I charged it up at work on the airforce's (literally) dime anyways.
Electric bikes don't have the range to go touring with the bike club. And for under 5 miles you might as well pedal. I believe their niche is 5 to 15 mile commutes. It is one thing to pedal 10 miles for fun. Another thing to pedal 10 miles every day without fail, put in an engineer's day, pedal home, and then do it again the next day.
Love the bike. Realize its limitations.
Lithium phosphate technology looks interesting to me. My next battery will be that chemistry if reality comes close to the hype. If you think we are running out of phosporous now....
RobertInSantaBarbara
I haven`t escaped from reality. i have a daypass.