I'm a Surly owner along with some other high end models like a carbon fiber road model that is now with my friends son who is really loving it along with the premium Shimano drive components. In the past I rocked some Aluminum hardtails with Shimano drivetrains and these days I have mixed feelings with full suspension Mtn bikes and tend to prefer Steel with good front fork suspension and a plush seat of some sort.
I live in rural East Texas where it is sandy and hilly. These days, I'm old enough that hitting it as hard as I did in the past is pretty hard on myself and I don't bounce back from hard rides like I used to. This has me thinking about Electric bicycles after going to Galveston and watching people on golf carts and various electric skateboards and various two wheeled death traps!
I'm seriously looking towards Yamaha electric bicycles because those seem to be high quality from a good brand and, they are the ones I have the most exposure too at the IMS motorcycle shows I attend. Obviously, they are pretty spendy so, I'm looking for a reliable option with good factory support from a company that actually supports end-users.
I'm not thinking about superfat bicycles like a Surly Moonlander but, I want something that will run reasonable sand and won't flinch at a rough concrete sidewalks or rough asphalt with bad asphalt patches or a steep hill of reasonable distance. I care about range more than top speed but, I would like a top speed on flat high quality roads of 25MPH but a 20MPH top seed would be acceptable. In somewhat firm sand with a bicycle 'trailer', I would like ~10MPH. For range, I would like ~40 miles on good surfaces at ~15MPH without pedaling and would like ~60 miles with reasonable pedaling.
I would like more universal batteries and chargers so that I am not locked into proprietary solutions with single sourcing for support and replacements. I am fluent with battery chemistries and related electronics being a solar power user and flashlight fanatic. Yes, I am an engineer so, I'm trying to avoid the geekiness "deep dive" into minutia!
So, with a nominal budget of ~$3K, with less being better and more being an option, what is REALLY GOOD today with electric bicycles appropriate for use in rural areas, light off-road, beaches/national parks, and similar things? Ideally, a light bicycle trailer would be compatible to carry fishing poles and similar things. Basically, I'm looking to bridge a good pair of shoes/backpack and my Motorcycles with something that doesn't run afoul of licensing and various ordinances in tourist areas and the ability to charge it off my solar power for use on my farm and traveling to a friends place down the road ~1 mile away! I run KiloWatts of solar panels and have above average power storage so, charging an EV car is probably a bit of a stretch but, running a small house or cabin isn't with >600Ahr @ 48VDC of "usable" storage! I define usable storage as the power I can pull without killing my batteries so, depletion rates of Lead Acid battery solutions matter versus Lithium battery options!
So, what is good these days with inflation and supply chain problems? While I am a die hard Shimano guy, I'm not opposed to trying something new, though I'm not a gram counter with this type of bicycle! I do need something that is easy on my back and shoulders so, my days of a carbon fiber road bike are long behind my just like an Aluminum Mtn bike with no suspension!
TIA,
Sid
I live in rural East Texas where it is sandy and hilly. These days, I'm old enough that hitting it as hard as I did in the past is pretty hard on myself and I don't bounce back from hard rides like I used to. This has me thinking about Electric bicycles after going to Galveston and watching people on golf carts and various electric skateboards and various two wheeled death traps!
I'm seriously looking towards Yamaha electric bicycles because those seem to be high quality from a good brand and, they are the ones I have the most exposure too at the IMS motorcycle shows I attend. Obviously, they are pretty spendy so, I'm looking for a reliable option with good factory support from a company that actually supports end-users.
I'm not thinking about superfat bicycles like a Surly Moonlander but, I want something that will run reasonable sand and won't flinch at a rough concrete sidewalks or rough asphalt with bad asphalt patches or a steep hill of reasonable distance. I care about range more than top speed but, I would like a top speed on flat high quality roads of 25MPH but a 20MPH top seed would be acceptable. In somewhat firm sand with a bicycle 'trailer', I would like ~10MPH. For range, I would like ~40 miles on good surfaces at ~15MPH without pedaling and would like ~60 miles with reasonable pedaling.
I would like more universal batteries and chargers so that I am not locked into proprietary solutions with single sourcing for support and replacements. I am fluent with battery chemistries and related electronics being a solar power user and flashlight fanatic. Yes, I am an engineer so, I'm trying to avoid the geekiness "deep dive" into minutia!
So, with a nominal budget of ~$3K, with less being better and more being an option, what is REALLY GOOD today with electric bicycles appropriate for use in rural areas, light off-road, beaches/national parks, and similar things? Ideally, a light bicycle trailer would be compatible to carry fishing poles and similar things. Basically, I'm looking to bridge a good pair of shoes/backpack and my Motorcycles with something that doesn't run afoul of licensing and various ordinances in tourist areas and the ability to charge it off my solar power for use on my farm and traveling to a friends place down the road ~1 mile away! I run KiloWatts of solar panels and have above average power storage so, charging an EV car is probably a bit of a stretch but, running a small house or cabin isn't with >600Ahr @ 48VDC of "usable" storage! I define usable storage as the power I can pull without killing my batteries so, depletion rates of Lead Acid battery solutions matter versus Lithium battery options!
So, what is good these days with inflation and supply chain problems? While I am a die hard Shimano guy, I'm not opposed to trying something new, though I'm not a gram counter with this type of bicycle! I do need something that is easy on my back and shoulders so, my days of a carbon fiber road bike are long behind my just like an Aluminum Mtn bike with no suspension!
TIA,
Sid
