Riide electric bike

[Mechanista]

One of life's changes has put me in a better paying job just outside what my current badassity level allows me to bicycle commute. Rather than become a car clown I'm going to try an electric bike. If anyone is interested in doing the same and wants to use this link, you will get a free shipping and a free helmet to go with your new lazy person bicycle. (full disclosure: I get a referral bonus too)

http://fbuy.me/c8cU_

This company seemed to me like the best balance of simplicity and features. It's plenty fast for what I need and looks more like a normal bike. Not as badass as a straight bicycle, but nowhere near car prices either.

Cheers

[Uturn]

I looked at those, but no fenders and no place to hang panniers.  Although, they do look better than the iZip that I have. 

[Mechanista]

The mounting points are there for a rear rack and fenders, although they aren't included, which is a bummer. Do you like the iZip?

[reader2580]

You gotta love how the website prominently displays $79 a month as the price.  They obviously want everyone to buy it on credit.  Only in the fine print does it tell you the total cost is $2195 if you pay by the month, or $1995 if you pay in one payment.

[shanghaiMMM]

If / when I move back to the UK or the States (I'm a Brit, SO is American), I would bloody love something like this, depending on my commuting needs.

That said, in Shanghai the ebike (think moped rather than bike) picture that I attached is very popular. They are less than $500, have a range of about 60-70km and a top speed of about 55km/h. I love it! More dangerous and less exercise are obvious downsides mind you...

[Uturn]

The mounting points are there for a rear rack and fenders, although they aren't included, which is a bummer. Do you like the iZip?

It's great.  I have the E3 Path+.  I have about 300 miles on it and it does exactly what I hoped.  Living in TX, it sometimes gets rather warm.  I was using a regular bike, but was often dripping when I got to my destination.  I can set the assist level to 3 or 4 and eliminate the severe sweating.  It took a bit to get the hang of low speed turns since the weight of the battery is so high, especially if I'm carrying anything on the rack.  My only complaint is the lights.  I love that they are integrated, but I cannot control them.  There is a sensor that does that, and I think it should be more sensitive.  I would like the lights to come on a bit sooner to make me more visible to cars. 

[kudy]

It's amazing how many electric bike options are out there these days - how did you decide this one was the best?

[Mechanista]

The mounting points are there for a rear rack and fenders, although they aren't included, which is a bummer. Do you like the iZip?

It's great.  I have the E3 Path+.  I have about 300 miles on it and it does exactly what I hoped.  Living in TX, it sometimes gets rather warm.  I was using a regular bike, but was often dripping when I got to my destination.  I can set the assist level to 3 or 4 and eliminate the severe sweating.  It took a bit to get the hang of low speed turns since the weight of the battery is so high, especially if I'm carrying anything on the rack.  My only complaint is the lights.  I love that they are integrated, but I cannot control them.  There is a sensor that does that, and I think it should be more sensitive.  I would like the lights to come on a bit sooner to make me more visible to cars.

Right on. It sounds like we had some of the same goals. I'm looking at an 18-20 mile trip, and while I like the idea of a workout as I commute I don't want to arrive dripping sweat all summer and exhausted. Have you found that the battery pack is pretty consistent when it comes to range and weather? One worry I have is that the battery will suffer in the cold. Unfortunately with the Riide I'll have to add many of the features integrated in the iZip. I plan on just using the battery lights from my current bike and adding a rack for the panniers I already have. 

[Mechanista]

It's amazing how many electric bike options are out there these days - how did you decide this one was the best?

The number of companies and options out there right now is crazy extensive. I've not gotten mine yet, so time will tell if I made the right call. On paper anyway what I liked about the Riide version was:

-Simple. I'll be doing my own maintenance and wanted something without many options and gizmos to break or maintain. I don't want or need an LCD battery meter, speedometer, a billion gears, ten different pedal assist options, etc. I like that the Riide is a single gear simple direct drive with a throttle and a battery. I just need it to go and stop.

-More "bicycle like" and lighter weight. On the spectrum of bicycle to moped or motorcycle, I wanted something that felt and worked more like a bicycle. Some of the e-bike options on the market have massive batteries and higher top speeds that put them closer to the moped category. The Riide is lighter weight than most ebikes and seems to handle more like a bicycle. If I had to carry it up a few stairs, put in on a train or bus (the public transport in my area has bicycle racks), or ride on bicycle paths or campus sidewalks I can do those things without much fuss because it just looks like a bicycle. An 80lb rig with a 40mph top speed and a massive brick of a battery would make it more difficult to handle and illegal to ride on sidewalks and bike paths.

-The price point. While not the cheapest option, the Riide comes in on the moderate end of the price spectrum. Converting an existing bicycle or going with a Chinese made version would have saved me money. I'll cop to the fact that I am taking the easy way out by not just building my own. DIY would be much more badass.

-It seems compatible with some accessories I already own. As I mentioned in the other post, I plan on moving lights and a rack I already have to the Riide. If I didn't already have those accessories I may want something with integrated lights and racks like the iZIP.

It seems like there is an electric bike out there to cater to most any needs right now. This just seemed like a good fit for me.

[Uturn]

I've only had mine about 2 months, so I couldn't talk to battery life throughout the seasons.  Keep in mind that we only have two seasons around here, fucking hot or damp and windy.  The computer's estimate of battery remaining is pretty accurate.  17 miles on level 4, 42 miles on level 1.  About 12 miles full electric and 19mph

[Bertram]

I've looked at ebikes and I reall like the idea, but for me they are still an expensive toy and I can't justify getting one. Just compare to something like a Honda wave and there's very few scenarios where I the ebike would make more sense.

But I'll keep watching, and of course I am very grateful to all the early adopters which help create a good market. Maybe in a couple years I'll join you, if prices fall and products improve further.

[Mechanista]

I don't think Honda Waves are available in the US market. They look great though.

I did have a small gas powered Yamaha Zuma scooter once upon a time. It was great but had a habit of breaking down and leaving me stranded. It was also off limits for bicycle paths and I couldn't take it on the bus or train.

I think it really just depends on your area and what you want it to do.

[Jeremy E.]

I recently purchased a Haibike Xduro RX 29 for $3,000, ($1,000 off MSRP). I sold my car to help me cope with the huge cost. I can easily afford it, it's just that it seemed like the most unmustachian purchase I'd made in years. I love it, I think Bosch makes the best electric motors/batteries for ebikes. The downside to this bike is that it didn't come with a headlight, tail light, fenders or a rear rack, but for $200 I got a fancy supernova headlight and tail light that can plug into my bosch battery as well as fenders and a rack for the tail light to mount on. I had to get clip on fenders and a seat post rack, but they work okay. I have a 17 mile commute and was only biking an average of 2 times per week(it was almost a 2 hr bike ride each way), now I bike everyday and it takes just over an hr each way. I love my new bike.