Electric Bicycles Anyone Have Comments?

[BobTH]

I am thinking of buying an electric bicycle and I was wondering if any of the users on this board have one and any pros or cons they might be nice enough to share. Any recomendations on where in Bangkok you might get the best price and service when required also would be helpful. I am so far kind of leaning into looking at this model but if anyone has other views I would love to hear them. http://ebike.tht.in/aticle5.html . I will soon be sixty years young so I do not need any wild racing machine, just something to take me from point A to point B in my general area. Riding around in the neiborhood and at most traveling maybe 10 kilometers to and from. This one will do around 12.4 KPH but they have a mountain bike version that mounts more like a racing bike will do up to 36 KPH, I have also considered that model but at my age I think the city version that sits upright might fit my needs better. I am in good shape for my age, not all broken down but like I said I will be turning sixty soon so I am not a young man anymore. Any help or information would be greatly appriciated. Thanks in advance and I love the Thai Visa Forum. Oh and I pasted a couple of links below and one is the LA ERIDE site, they have a nice looking bike but I bet it is very expsensive, if anyone know how much they are that would be nice to know also. I retired here in Lumpini last October from the USA and loving every second of it.

http://ebike.tht.in/

http://la-eride.com/2012/index.html

Edited September 9, 2012 by BobTH

[jpinx]

Does it recharge it's own batteres when free-wheeling downhill?

[poanoi]

The coolest thing would be to mount a solar trickle charger on the bicycle.

There are a couple of issues tho:

when i was reading up on this thing, every site and forum advised against cheap chinese stuff.

And secondly, electric bicycles are thief magnets.

My fave would be Brompton foldable electric bike, it has good reviews,

but i havnt found them for sale in thailand, and they should cost around 70.000 baht

Edited September 9, 2012 by poanoi

[BobTH]

The coolest thing would be to mount a solar trickle charger on the bicycle.

There are a couple of issues tho:

when i was reading up on this thing, every site and forum advised against cheap chinese stuff.

And secondly, electric bicycles are thief magnets.

My fave would be Brompton foldable electric bike, it has good reviews,

but i havnt found them for sale in thailand, and they should cost around 70.000 baht

I checked out that Brompton and yes it really looks nice but yes a little more pricey than I think I am looking for at least for my first one. I will go take a look at a few of them before I buy if I buy but thanks so much for the tips. And yes if I do get one I will have to be extra careful where I leave it and how I secure it each time. Thanks again.

[KRS1]

The only downside to electric bikes is the charging. If you live in a house or townhouse its easy to charge, but if you live in a condo your going to have to take the bike upstairs or take the battery pack off to charge it.

This is why in thailand they will never be used on a massive scale.

The electric hubs and controllers can be found in chinatown, klong thom a shop is located on the ground floor of the parking garage. All yo have to do is mount the wheel, battery and controller.

Read up at endless-sphere.com for everything you need to know about electric bikes, these guys are the trendsetters in ebike technology.

[BobTH]

The only downside to electric bikes is the charging. If you live in a house or townhouse its easy to charge, but if you live in a condo your going to have to take the bike upstairs or take the battery pack off to charge it.

This is why in thailand they will never be used on a massive scale.

The electric hubs and controllers can be found in chinatown, klong thom a shop is located on the ground floor of the parking garage. All yo have to do is mount the wheel, battery and controller.

Read up at endless-sphere.com for everything you need to know about electric bikes, these guys are the trendsetters in ebike technology.

Thank you very much, I checked out the endless-sphere website and it was exactly what I had been looking to find, great information. I will check out the shop at Klong Thom also. I live on the seventh floor but I we have big elevators so that shouldn't be a big problem, there is one person in the building that has an ebike that I have seen. I also have a balcony that I can keep the bike on and not leave it in the hall. Thanks again.

[eezergood]

Had one when I lived in China - very popular there. Was ok as a toy but soon got bored, the battery packs on the Chinese ones are huge & there fore the range & speed are better, but made for quite a heavy machine. Not the most agile, due to the weight and lack of power.

[KRS1]

The only downside to electric bikes is the charging. If you live in a house or townhouse its easy to charge, but if you live in a condo your going to have to take the bike upstairs or take the battery pack off to charge it.

This is why in thailand they will never be used on a massive scale.

The electric hubs and controllers can be found in chinatown, klong thom a shop is located on the ground floor of the parking garage. All yo have to do is mount the wheel, battery and controller.

Read up at endless-sphere.com for everything you need to know about electric bikes, these guys are the trendsetters in ebike technology.

Thank you very much, I checked out the endless-sphere website and it was exactly what I had been looking to find, great information. I will check out the shop at Klong Thom also. I live on the seventh floor but I we have big elevators so that shouldn't be a big problem, there is one person in the building that has an ebike that I have seen. I also have a balcony that I can keep the bike on and not leave it in the hall. Thanks again.

Google maps will pinpoint Klong Thom Center for you here http://goo.gl/maps/6siWa . Keep your wallet in your front pocket walking through here, and beware of the lady selling the ebike parts...she's very mean, she's located close to the parking ramp last time i saw her....Do not go on the weekend, the whole area becomes one big swap meet.

Dont rule out a regular gas powered scooter, chances are it will be a better alternative.