60 Comments
Dec 1, 2021Liked by Ryan Johnson

Good article, thanks for the shout out to EBR

Expand full comment

Here is a list of Attorneys for the DC area that specialize in bicycle accidents https://waba.org/supporting-attorneys/ There are others including https://www.kitchellaw.com/

Expand full comment

In any of that, did you say how far each bike will go on a charge? Or are you only concerned with the five to ten miles around your house?

Expand full comment

Is the tern gsd worth the extra $$ over a radwagon? I get the components are better but that’s a whole lot of $$$

Expand full comment
author

Most first timers get a RadWagon. It’s a great bike. And then people that realize that these bikes are car replacements aren’t afraid to spend more.

Expand full comment

Great article!! It would be great to get the info on mileage range on a charge and time to charge for each of the bikes above.

Expand full comment
author

I don’t plan to add those right now but if anyone else compiles a database I would love to link to it.

Expand full comment

FWIW, my bike (iZip e3 dash) is mid-drive and has a throttle option (which I don't have but I recently thought about it), so the two aren't mutually exclusive.

I bought that bike when Performance was closing a bunch (all?) of their stores and were selling everything for 50% off. I was a skeptic before but figured I'd never get a better deal, and it's definitely been life-changing. I have a couple trailers (Burley Tailwagon and Travoy), although rack/panniers are usually enough for me.

Expand full comment
author

You’re right, there are mid-drives with throttles. I have the Ariel Rider M-Class for instance. Though it’s discontinued. I rarely see them in practice.

Expand full comment
Mar 5, 2022·edited Mar 5, 2022

really wished I had one on Sunday, the bike was powered up but no boost. I'm hoping it's just the cadence sensor (in which case the throttle would have helped)... but it was a lonnnnnng ride home, all uphill of course, with a heavy bike and 42x32 lowest gear. First I tried to get fancy and take a trail to the bus stop, but I got trapped on the other side of the tracks and by the time I gave up I missed the bus. You can see I stopped a couple times to try to fix it, and ultimately walked up the last hill by my house. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/8400094966

I'm going to try to diagnose it tomorrow, but may be in the market for a new bike depending on the results.

Expand full comment
Mar 5·edited Mar 5

Thank you! For such information wich is very helpful for us and for you since any problems can finish in a lawsuit I hope that you can continue to teach and train everyone of us so we have a safety ride with an https://rokkelectricbike.com/e-bikes

Expand full comment

We love the ebike we bought from a local builder, BUT, I don't know if the guy is still around, or will last for another 2 years: what do long term ebike owners do about older battery replacement? Are there industry standards yet for interchangeable batteries and perhaps, new ebike buyers need to ask, "If I like this bike, how can I get parts/batteries for my bike, if I keep it for more than 2 years?"

Expand full comment

Good mention about insurance. We found out the hard way, Allstate doesn't cover ebike theft under any circumstance!! 😡 I ended up buying a Merkel policy. Cheap for the coverage and peace of mind, AND, major insurance companies UNLIKE ALLSTATE😡, who do offer ebike coverage, use Merkel anyway.

Expand full comment

Good article. I like the approach, but a long range bike category would have been more useful to me than most of the ones you chose.

Expand full comment

Good article. I like the approach, but a long range bike category would have been more useful to me than most of the ones you chose.

Expand full comment

sold my car live off my ebike in car crazy la

here is race between ebike and dump truck with trailer on wilshire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNsgLWAR8Rs&t=616s

Expand full comment

Hi Ryan,

Super insightful post, thank you for sharing.

I have a question - would you or a customer pay 50% more premium for a bike that charges 80% in 8 minutes vs others that take hours to charge?

Expand full comment

Awesome article Ryan! Totally changed my mind and opened my mind to the application of an E bike to a family. I had no idea It could handle a load like that package on the Turn or something like the the Urban Arrow existed.

Expand full comment

I've got my eye on Culdesac and am beginning my search for the E-bike that will allow me to sell my car. I'm 5'0, do you have any recommendations for us shorter folks? Thanks!!

Expand full comment

Look for the Longtail style step through designs, like Tern, and Rad power(as general designs to consider). It's easier to balance the load pulling behind you, than it might be reacting to the weight and shifting, when the weight's in front of you...in general. Plus, their frame designs and mass tend to be a lower profile and more stable as you take off, or come to a stop, the times when you're more likely to want stability.✌

Expand full comment

I just purchased my first ebike. Wing fatty 2. Do you have an experience with this company or bikes? I use it for my 4 mile commute to work. So far so good

Expand full comment
author

I have a Wing. Jury still out.

Expand full comment

Best ebike for people who can’t ride an ebike: Bowhead Reach Adaptive Mountain bike. https://youtu.be/q7vut9asQ_4

Expand full comment