E-bikes and thoughts

[Cropduster172]

Oh hell no.

Fat tire bikes in general are asinine and aren't bikes, they are monkey machines. My definition since you are doing YOUR definition is NO because fat tires. Yah can't friggen pedal that silly thing.

Feds have some regs, some states have stupid wattage regs like feds. Those are stupid. They are somewhat akin to idiotic gun laws.

I don't have a dog in the fight regarding e-bikes but I have to agree with you about fat tire bikes. They are clown machines.
They're just flat out goofy looking. It seems they've lost their appeal as I see far fewer of them around town where we have our beach house and I believe riding them on the beach at the tide line was supposed to be one of their features.

 

[Pablo]

I don't have a dog in the fight regarding e-bikes but I have to agree with you about fat tire bikes. They are clown machines.
They're just flat out goofy looking. It seems they've lost their appeal as I see far fewer of them around town where we have our beach house and I believe riding them on the beach at the tide line was supposed to be one of their features.

I think people found out that you can’t actually ride them. Especially without a motor or engine

But I was being disingenuous - making a silly point that laws by features can not be very effective

Of course fat tire bikes are bicycles I just drew my own line

Two wheels = bicycle

First step to motorcycle is pretty clear unless it has pedals…..

 

[Ranger83]

We’ve owned an ebike since around 2005, when we added three motorcycle batteries and a hub motor to a Giant mountain bike. When the batteries failed, we were able to get a LiFe replacement, which was half the weight and several times the charge life. We lived with a huge hill between us and the grocery store, so it was very handy. My knees were shot and I couldn’t pedal so this was a way to ride with my kids.

In 2015,got knee replacements. In 2019 we wanted to upgrade. Mid-drives were available and more bikes had front suspensions and disk brakes. We skirted the 20mph issue by buying the bike and [750W] drive separately and assembling them. We also specced a Shimano Nexus internal shifting hub. And it has a hand throttle.

Since this picture we’ve added fenders and a rear luggage rack (which is why we got a hard tail bike).

The original chain stretched after a few years: my teenage son preferred max assist at each traffic light instead of peddling a bit more on his way to and from work.

We took it to Liberty Bike Shop and the owner put on one of the newer ebike chains, and no problems since.

When I ride it on the street I wear a Dickie’s hi-viz vest similar to what LEO’s wear. Boston has a fair number of bicycle police so drivers somewhat pay attention. On state roads in NH folks don’t give you much room and are going faster so it’s not much fun.

https://www.dickies.com/hi-vis/hi-vis-safety-vest/L10528.html

 

[Cropduster172]

I think people found out that you can’t actually ride them. Especially without a motor or engine

But I was being disingenuous - making a silly point that laws by features can not be very effective

Of course fat tire bikes are bicycles I just drew my own line

Two wheels = bicycle

First step to motorcycle is pretty clear unless it has pedals…..

What I believe is outrageous and stupid is in NJ, if I installed this kit on a beach cruiser bike and even governed it down to 20-25mph maximum, it needs to be registered, insured, inspected...but an e-bikes that has the same maximum speed requires nothing. Just buy it and ride it.

https://a.co/d/6jPCOFn

 

[NA4U]

Here in California, a Class 1 goes to 20 mph Max then cuts off. No throttle.

Class 2 goes to 20 mph max, with a throttle. Then cuts off.

Class 3 goes to 28 mph Max. No throttle.

Trek just released the new FX 1 + S which is a class 3 with a throttle! First time for Trek making any bike with a throttle. 2K out of the box not a bad deal. I wish I could get one here in California..

 

[rondg]

frame is from ukraine (eleek). DIY 18650 battery pack 17s6p

 

[Delta1]

Here in Toronto Canada, e scooters are the battery powered vehicle of choice. I see them flying around all over the city, sometimes 2 people per scooter, rarely wearing helmets. They are poorly regulated, and the authorities only seem to care about them when either spontaneously combust on a crowed subway train (true story) or crash and maim or kill the rider.

E bikes here are 90% ridden here by food delivery people, and are usually clapped out pos's from China that are on the brink of falling apart. We regularly turn these bikes away from the bike shop I work at, because they are impossible to fix and source parts for. This includes homemade 'e bikes' that are usually kits bought from China slapped on a $50 department store MTB.

 

[NA4U]

Well if you're looking for Quality thoughts I would say that anything with a Bosch Electric System is probably your best choice but at a premium.

Then you have Bros Motors and a few other ones that are being used by companies like Trek that's called a TQ. TQ motors have been around for quite some time on airplane Electronics used as servos.
As far as componentry goes anything with Shimano deora is a high quality drivetrain there are quite a few that are lesser but share the same qualities.

Knowing how to ride an eBike, meaning putting it in the right gears with a pedelec assisted mode or throttle type of system is key on motor longevity and drivetrain.

Being around the e-bike world for the last couple of years and looked at the plethora of offshore made brands that are merely mushroom types of bikes without any type of support when things break a person definitely has to be cautious .

I personally have a gazelle ultimate T10 Plus Class 3, but it is pure pedal assist. Rock Solid and worth the money,
trek would be my next in line because of price point and of course specialized is at a premium price.

And this is merely my two cents and my personal and friends experiences.

 

[Motu]

When I worked in town, wherever in the several places I worked it was only 3km, so rode a pushbike (Kiwi for bicycle) to work. After a few years I got a pain in the butt...sciatica, taking pain killers at 8.30am not long after I stated work. Stopped riding and used a 50cc scooter and the pain went away...problem solved. But I wanted to ride again, so in early 2023 looked for another bicycle, not wanting to spend much incase the problem came back, I found a Reid Transit. These are an Australian built bike, just a commuter with alloy frame and reasonable componentry...used twice @ $200. 21 speed.

It was great, but at 69 I found the hills hard going - having fun shouldn't be this much work ! So I electrified it by fitting a 500W Bafang unit with a 36v 20a/h battery...$2000 into a $200 bike.

Love it, best thing I've done for a long time. The only rule for ebikes in New Zealand is 300W max which I don't think is ever enforced, and the 300W Bafang is just a restricted 500W, so how do they know what I have. I only use it on the Te Awa river trail which is an easy grade, and do about 30 to 45km depending on how much time I have.
Drop the front wheel out and it fits in the back of my Honda Airwave.

Bike and kit have performed flawlessly...but. After 2 years I want to do a bit more, other trails that are not sealed, have steeper climbs etc...I need a more capable bike. So I got this Kona, an old frame and forks, all the rest new.

Then transferred the Bafang over. It has a 9 speed cassette, and the gearing was a bit high, so fitted a 42 tooth Lekkie bling Ring, and their gear cover after I greased the gears as a maintenance thing. Lekkie is a NZ company.

I'm happy with this now, time for some new trails. Summer here, and it's been raining for a week.

 

[Bob in Utah]

Have two fat tire e bikes..3 years or so now

Class 2 with throttle…Himiway Zebras

No problems at all with em…3K miles on mine

Ride em around town….US Forest and BLM desert roads

Gets you off the couch and while still keeping you active

$1750 a pop

 

[Motu]

This is what I built the eKona for.

Even with an ebike it was a hard slog, and people do it with analogue bikes, but with huge sprockets.

 

[alarmguy]

New Jersey most restrictive US law went into effect yesterday July 19th 2026

Low speed E-bikes need a registration and drivers license to operate one that does 20 MPH or under. Must be 15 years or older for license. 17 or older can use standard drivers license. 15 to 17 requires special license

Motorized Bicycles capable of speeds up to 28 Mph require license, registration, AND insurance

Helmets required for EVERYONE riding any type.

Source - https://www.nj.com/news/2026/07/nj-e-bike-law-takes-effect-today-heres-what-you-need-to-know.html

My opinion, I can see the need for restrictions much like any motorized vehicle. I do not agree with being forced to wear a helmet once you have a standard drivers license.

 

[Pablo]

The worst right now are youths riding e-motocross style bikes in parks at high speeds. They can get in and out silent and QUICK. They tear parks up to some extent but worse is speeding on walking paths (paved). Toddlers, oldsters, dogs, etc........

I'm not talking about motorized mountain bikes here, Different animal.

Laws? Already broken in most all states (probably all)

 

[Hermann]

Here on the NE side of the KC metro I see few ebikes ridden by adults. Mostly kids on their under $500 Wally specials. In the two months I have had my ebike I think I have only seen 2 other adults on ebikes. The police here don't even look at you. If you have a helmet on they ignore you.

 

[AZjeff]

Unfortunate knee-jerk over reaction caused by not being ahead of the e-bike growth and understanding the differences between the variations and what they're capable of. Agree with Pablo about kids being kids on e-motorcycles capable of high speeds on sidewalks and bike parks and streets. Parents buy kids these Sur Ron style e-motorcycles having no idea what they are or how fast they go and off the kids go.

IMO a 2 wheeled vehicle that can move under it's own power without the rider pedaling at all even if it has pedals isn't a bicycle, it's an electric moped that should be subject to moped rules but that ship has sailed. Bicycle companies had too much say early on in defining what is a bicycle, how fast they could go etc. now governing bodies have to try to get ahead of it and keep the general public safe. It's going to take education for LEOs to recognize the different variations and what is allowed where. The different cities around the Phoenix metro are coming up with rules that don't match so a rider can be legal on one side of the street but not the other.

I see ebikes being misused all the time both intentionally and also because the owner doesn't understand how to use one responsibly on the multi-use trails. Most low cost ebikes are Class 2 - 20mph top speed and a throttle. 20mph is too fast on multi-use trails and especially passing from behind with no warning. See it all the time. Then there are the people out on the true hiking/biking trails with the e-motorcycles because they don't get caught. Like everything it's a few causing the problems.

 

[AZjeff]

@Pablo, you sold ebikes right? What's your view on the ebike universe?

 

[Pablo]

@Pablo, you sold ebikes right? What's your view on the ebike universe?

We sold ebike conversion kits for existing bicycles starting around 2010

We also mainly sold kits so people with existing two or four stroke motorized bikes could use their existing gears with the motor. We sold many thousands of them starting around 2005.

And tons of accessories. It was good and fun for awhile. We lost our decent cost shipping contract (he got tired of making money)

My view is above

I was about decent regulation or no regulation

But like anything how about enforcement? Do the parents even know what their kids are doing?