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Ebike News: Bird Bike On Sale, Tenways Lightweight Crowdfunds, Eurobike Highlights and Much More!

This week’s headline news has to be Bird’s new e-bike now on sale to the public. It’s not a groundbreaking e-bike in itself, though it looks to pack in plenty of sleek design features at a reasonable price. Most comment-worthy has to be the fact this is a giant of e-micromobility hire now selling its own-designed e-bike.

Bird was founded in Santa Monica, California in 2017 and went on to become one of the biggest share e-scooter outfits in the world. Initially their business model was all about the software and the app, as many companies’ early cheap and cheerful share e-scooters had a notoriously short service life. But the hardware was gradually updated by many e-mobility companies, with share e-bikes and e-scooters becoming much more durable. Bird’s latest move seems to suggest their hardware capabilities have fully caught up with their software expertise.

In this week’s news:

Bird Bike on sale in US and heading to Europe
Lightweight Tenways city e-bike crowdfunds
Eurobike reveals latest e-bike designs
Spin and Bird on Google Maps
39lb Eovolt e-folder takes on 17lb carbon racer
DPD all-electric city aims to show the way on parcel delivery

Do you need a license to ride an electric bike?

Can you ride an electric bike without a license? In most U.S. states e-bike riders are not required to have a valid driver’s license, but it really depends on where you live.

Unfortunately e-bike law in the U.S. can be messy and difficult to understand. Thus far, it’s been largely left up to individual states to determine what qualifies as an e-bike and how those bikes and riders are regulated. About two-thirds of U.S. states have adopted a “classified” system that categorizes e-bikes into three tiers based on speed, motor size and whether the bike has a throttle. But in the states that haven’t, e-bike riders are subjected to a host of rules — ranging from laws around licensing and registration to speed and motor size restrictions — that may be unique to that specific state.

Do you need a license to ride an e bike - throttle

The thumb throttle on a Bakcou Storm electric fat bike. Because of this throttle, the Storm is considered a Class 2 e-bike.

E-bike law can even change within a state’s bounds depending on whose land you’re riding on. But never fear, fellow e-bike enthusiasts, there is a method to this legal madness (for the most part) and just like driving a car, the laws get easier to understand and follow as you learn some of the basics.

This post will help lay out those basics so hopefully you can better know what you can and can’t do on your e-bike.

What Are The Pro’s and Con’s of Electric Bikes?

Electric bicycles seem to be popping up everywhere, and with good reason. The self-sufficiency mixed with a little help here and there has allowed riders across the world to rediscover the fun of biking and, possibly, reconsider driving to and from work.

With so many positive benefits revolving around electric bikes it’s hard to see anything wrong with them, however there are a few cons worth discussing. This list weighs the major pros and cons of electric bikes.

Pros of Electric Bikes:

Electric bike pro #1 – The efficiency and experience of electric bikes

It’s hard not to love the feeling of hopping on an e-bike, turning it on and then flying like the wind. Thanks to the pedal assist, you get a lot more from your pedaling than on a standard bike. A common stigma revolving around electric bikes is that it takes the exercise out of biking, but that’s not true. A recent study showed e-bike riding made for a meaningful workout.

The ability to choose how hard you work when riding is a unique characteristic of e-biking; when riding with assistance you receive a consistent workout and difficulty level throughout the span of your ride, ultimately resulting in a more predictable strain level.

Commuters, off road riders and those getting out for a simple cruise are all going to benefit from being able to alter how difficult the ride is and how fast the bike is moving.

Electric Bike Pro #2 – Electric bikes are good for you and the environment

Electric bikes not only benefit your health, but also benefit the world we live in. It’s commonly accepted that electric bikes and cars are better for the environment than their gas powered predecessors, and with good reason.

A 2019 study done in Italy proved electric bikes consume 40 times less energy than a gas powered car going the same distance.

Not only does electric biking benefit the environment, it benefits you. I’ve found my work day is always better if I’ve got some exercise prior to clocking in. I’m more focused and ready for the task at hand. Being able to ride an electric bike to and from work combines exercising with eco-friendly commuting. That’s two birds with one stone!

Ebike News: Motorbike Inspired E-bikes from Ruff & Super 73, Peyman CVT, MacAskill Endorses E-bikes & Lots More!

This week we have a truly mixed bag of news, which shows how wide-ranging the world of e-bikes can be. Motorbike-inspired e-bikes have come to the forefront with two very different designs from Ruff and Super 73 / Mattel. There’s also a novel new bike transmission system from Peyman, a team up between e-scooters and an e-bike microvan and an example of mind-boggling e-mtb ability from Danny MacAskill.

In this week’s news:

Ruff e-bike produce their first Bosch mid-drive powered e-bike
Mattel and Super 73 team up for a limited edition
Intriguing Peyman CVT design
Specialized’s new battery recycling partnership
Spin e-scooters use EAV 2Cubed four-wheeled e-bike for logistics
Arlington’s life-saving bike lanes
Huge new e-cargo showroom in London
Danny MacAskill rides Torridon e-mtb style

Guide to E-Bike Conversion Kits

E-bike conversion kits are a solution that allow you to add a motor, battery and electric controls to a non-electric bike to make it into an e-bike. Chosen with care and installed correctly, the resulting e-bike lets you ride with electric assist just like a ‘regular’ e-bike. With the range of readymade e-bike designs larger than ever, kits have some competition from off-the-peg, ready to pedal e-bikes. However, they still offer positive advantages as well as some drawbacks which are considered first-off.

E-Bike Conversion Kit Pros

You Like Your Current Bike: You might want a bit of power assistance on a cherished non-electric machine that fits you like a glove.

Unique Bikes: The type of bikes you prefer may not be available in electric versions (folders and recumbents are cases in point, though more are appearing on the market, especially e-folders). Electric bike conversion kits can be useful at the ends of the power envelope less catered for by off the peg e-bikes, that is to say moderately powered but very ‘bikelike’ machines or at the other end of the scale, power hungry beasts.

Swapping: E-bike conversion kits can be swapped between bikes, giving the option of trying electric-assist on several different machines. Similarly, if the kit is a very easy to remove front hub wheel kit (for example as is the case with Leeds, Cytronex,Swytch etc.), you can use your bike unassisted at any time by simply swapping the wheel back to the original and leaving the battery off (the bike then weighs just a few hundred grams more than before). With such systems you can also choose at any time to electrify more than one bike and fully utilize your battery, just by swapping it between bikes.

Greener: If you already have a bike you want to make electric, e-bike conversion kits are generally a ‘greener’ option than a brand new e-bike, for the obvious reason they don’t need another brand new bike to be manufactured to replace the one you have bought!

Tinker or Do Something Totally Different: Those who love fiddling with bikes may be intrigued by the endless permutations of motor kits and bikes – the performance of a kit will be affected by the bike it is fitted to. Hub motors are usually geared for a specific wheel size to ensure they stay within the speed limit set for electric bikes in the territory in which they are sold. However, to take one example of how you can play with the design characteristics of motors and bikes, if you fit a hub geared for a larger wheel into a smaller one it will give excellent pulling power at low speeds, producing an excellent hill-climber or load-hauler.
You even have the chance to design an e-bike radically different to anything any mainstream manufacturer offers. To give one example, Canada’s Grin Technologies have a range of solar panels and associated devices that allow for solar charging of your e-bike conversion kits bike as you ride along.

Great Value: E-bike conversion kits can be great value for money. If you have a ‘recipient’ bike languishing in the shed or have picked up a decent quality steed at a good price, it can be converted quite cheaply when compared to the cost of a new e-bike of similar quality. Do note the Fitter’s Responsibilities section below about the quality of the recipient bike you might want to fit a kit to.

Lightweight: Kits also make it possible to put together an incredibly lightweight electric bike – a total weight of 22 pounds or 10kg is actually possible, and if money really is no object even lighter! There are an increasing number of off-the-peg lightweight e-bikes available now however, though these are generally mid to high priced e-bikes, so e-bike conversion kits can still be an economic way to a lightweight e-bike. E-bike conversion kits that add a little over 3kg to the weight of a non electric bike are now widely available and there are even lighter options out there, though these tend to be rather light on the amount of power assist you get.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Kits containing illegal motors and control units are in the market, and many people are using them on the road, either innocently or otherwise. A fast and/or powerful kit can be a lot of fun, but bear in mind that once you exceed the parameters set in the regulations, you are on your own. In most territories, your bicycle will be treated as a moped in the eyes of the law, and subject to the much more stringent penalties that come with motorcycle use. If you are found responsible for injuring someone, you will be in very serious trouble. The electric bike legislation is a safety net for your protection, and you leave it at your own risk.

E-Bike Conversion Kit Cons

May Be Complicated: Some e-bike conversion kits are easier to fit than others, but most require at least basic bike DIY skills. However, the simplest, such as the Leeds system and the rather more sophisticated Cytronex system really only require you to install a wheel, mount the battery on your bike and attach a basic cable run, so don’t really require any specialist bike knowledge. Even then you might need to do some unexpected mods in supposedly ‘universal’ fit systems, for example filing out fork dropouts that are a little too narrow.
All-In-One Wheels like the Zehus and Smart Wheel can offer an easy install option, though they have their performance limitations.

Somewhat Limited: If you want a mid-drive system your choice is very limited and they are more difficult to fit than most hub motor systems.

Aesthetics: Often kits will not look as neat as off-the-peg electric bikes. External cable runs secured with cable ties are the order of the day, whilst most complete electric bikes nowadays come with cables hidden within the frame.
Having said that, the smallest and neatest e-bike conversion kits out there do integrate very well onto the bike and it may be hard to tell it’s an e-bike.

May Not Fit: Not all e-bike conversion kits will fit all bikes. Attention needs to be paid to getting the correct speed of motor for your size of wheel (although most hub motors come ready spoked into the correct size of wheel) and finding a suitable battery mounting point amongst many other factors. Front hub motor e-bike conversion kits are generally easier to fit than rear hub e-bike conversion kits simply because they don’t involve interfering with the gear system. Some e-bike conversion kits must be fitted by a qualified fitter whilst with others it is only recommended unless you are a very competent bike mechanic.

Quality: As with complete electric bikes, quality varies from kit to kit: Heinzmann for example stand out in this regard because of its high quality connectors and cabling, giving you the confidence to produce smooth tight cable runs, minimising the kit’s visual impact.

Are Kenda Electric Bike Tires Good?

A maker of bicycle tires since the early 60’s, Kenda is a common name found stamped on the sidewalls of electric bike tires.

Odds are good that if you bought a new e-bike in the past several years that the tires that came with your bike are a set of Kenda’s. The Taiwanese company is arguably one of the most widely-chosen stock e-bike tire manufacturers in the world, with their products coming stock on everything from electric fat bikes to high-speed super commuters.

But, aside from being the stock choice for many manufacturers, are electric bike tires any good?

The Kenda Juggernaut is an incredibly popular electric fat bike tire.

This is a question the Electric Bike Report. team has answered in the comments section many times. The quick and dirty answer is yes, Kenda has a long history of making quality bicycle tires and is a major manufacturer of tires made specifically for e-bikes. There’s a reason so many e-bike brands put their trust in Kenda tires.

Ebike News: Juiced go Step-Through, More Euro-lightweights, Serial 1 Head to Europe and Lots More!

In last week’s news intro I touched on how e-bikes in Europe tend to be lighter and pricier than in the US. So what happens? The very next week arrive two European spec e-bikes that are both lightweight and around the extremely competitive price point of £1000 ($1385). That’s great to see, so congratulations to both both Pure Electric and Velotton on their light and attractively-priced e-bikes.Meanwhile in the US the march of the powerful hub-motored, big-batteried e-bikes continues, this week with the launch of Juiced’s Class 3 Cross Current X Step-Through.

In this week’s news:

Juiced’s new step-through is sub $2,000
Pure Electric’s first e-bike
Polish firm Velotton announce new lightweight ebikes
Serial 1 e-bikes now in Europe through Harley-Davidson
EBFEC budget e-bikes for the UK
3D printed e-gravel bike from Urwahn
Checkout the latest kids seat – now compatible with some e-mtbs
Tern’s $45,000 Give Back grants

New Himiway E-Bikes: 3 Bikes Teased For Fall 2021

Electric bike company Himiway this week teased three new e-bikes set to debut this fall, including a “softail supreme,” a “multifunctional e-bike” and a “premium all-terrain e-bike.”

Very few details are public about the bikes aside from a very brief description and a ballpark price point of each bike, though it appears at least two of the bikes — the “softail supreme” and the “multifunctional” bike — will be brand-new to the Himiway lineup. The third bike, the “premium all-terrain e-bike” looks like it could be a successor to the ultra-popular Himiway Cruiser electric fat bike, though it just as well could be an all-new variation of an all-terrain e-bike — it’s tough to tell this early.

A brief announcement posted to the Himiway website earlier this week teases price points for the three bikes ranging between $1,000 and just under $3,000. Himiway’s two existing e-bikes, the fat-tire Cruiser and the moped-style Escape, retail for $1,599 and $1,699 respectively.

The announcement of the new bikes comes so early that Himiway hasn’t set a formal date for the hard product launch, only saying the new bikes are expected sometime this fall.

Though we expect more specific details will be made available in the coming months, Himiway has given a peek at what we could expect from the new bikes:

The Softail Supreme e-bike promises to be the most innovative e-bike built by the company with “first-notch” suspension (presumably front and rear, based off the softail designation) at a price point somewhere between $2,099 and just under $3,000 — Himiway has teased the price at “$2,?99.”
The Multifunctional e-bike is touted as an all-rounder capable of grocery shopping, ferrying children, making deliveries or really anything else you’d like. Teased at “$1,?99,” we expect this bike to fall into the über popular utility bike category alongside bikes like the Rad Power Bikes Radrunner and Magnum Pathfinder.
The Premium All-terrain e-bike is a crossover between an electric cruiser and eMTB. The brief description says it’ll have an extended battery life (the existing Himiway Cruiser has a very large battery) and a stylish design. Touted at “$1,?99,” the new all-terrain bike makes no mention of fat tires, so it could well be an all-new e-bike from Himiway, but the rest of its description sounds very similar to that of the existing Cruiser electric fat bike.

Ebike News: Giant’s New Motor and E-MTB, Bafang 2-speed Hub, New Cube E-folder & Lots More!

Giant Reign E 2022 E MOUNTAINBIKE News Review

Mid-drives are the dominant motors at the higher quality end of the European e-bike market and perhaps a little less so in the US and Canada where large batteries and instant motor response coupled with lower price tags are perhaps more important than keeping weight low and having an efficient e-bike, whatever the price tag (though the likes of Trek and Specialized might disagree with this analysis).

The fact remains though, in the US ‘regular’ e-bikes weighing over the 30kg / 68lb mark are not uncommon but in Europe and the UK e-bikes weighing this much would be assumed to be e-cargo bikes.

So it’s interesting to see how the latest motor developments from the likes of Giant and Bafang (both Chinese-based firms) could feed into the above trends. Giant have kept faith with their own modified version of a Yamaha mid-motor solution, but emphasising ever more power and performance rather than weight reduction. If the Bafang 2-speed rear hub motor proves practical to use and cost effective then it could prove to be the real market disruptor; in theory at least it offers as-good-as or greater motor efficiency and potentially at less cost than mid-drives. Will the likes of Bosch et al pay the price in the coming years for not developing lighter, leaner systems and relying on evermore power and bigger batteries to keep them at the head of the pack?

In this week’s news:

Giant’s new powerhouse motor gets its first airing
Bafang announce new 2-speed rear hub motor
Cube’s new e-folder
FLIT hint at new bike
More cash for UK infrastructure
Get jealous as you watch how the Dutch cycle
Recumbent Cycle-Con Postponed

Ebike News: Senate Set to Look at E-bike Tax Credits, More E-cargobikes from Raleigh, Greyp High Tech and Lots More!

Government efforts to promote the sales of e-bikes through financial incentives take various guises; in France you can trade in your old car for €2,500 towards a new e-bike whilst in the UK the Cycle to Work program is a tax incentive that gives a tax rebate to employees using the purchased bike or e-bike to cycle to work. There are many more examples from around the world, including some that specifically promote financial incentives for e-cargo bikes.

Whilst these are all very welcome, they are all aimed at promoting e-bike sale to solve a particular problem and so will only be available to a certain segment of the population; those with old cars or those in employment cycling to work etc. But the proposed US E-BIKE Act we look at again this week could just be one of the most wide-ranging government incentive initiatives – if it comes to pass – as it will apply to all US taxpayers. If it does succeed it will be a massive boost for the cause of e-bikes in the US.

In this week’s news:

30% e-bike tax credit Senate bill introduced
Raleigh UK launches two new e-bikes
Greyp T5 e-SUV – the ultimate high-tech trekking e-bike?
Bamboo e-cargo prototype from My Boo
Trek sustainability report and trail funding
Superpedestrian claims radical new pavement safety tech
E-bike four-wheeler firms in trouble

Ebike News: Bird Bike On Sale, Tenways Lightweight Crowdfunds, Eurobike Highlights and Much More!

Do you need a license to ride an electric bike?

What Are The Pro’s and Con’s of Electric Bikes?

Pros of Electric Bikes:

Electric bike pro #1 – The efficiency and experience of electric bikes

Electric Bike Pro #2 – Electric bikes are good for you and the environment

Ebike News: Motorbike Inspired E-bikes from Ruff & Super 73, Peyman CVT, MacAskill Endorses E-bikes & Lots More!

Guide to E-Bike Conversion Kits

E-Bike Conversion Kit Pros

E-Bike Conversion Kit Cons

Are Kenda Electric Bike Tires Good?

Ebike News: Juiced go Step-Through, More Euro-lightweights, Serial 1 Head to Europe and Lots More!

New Himiway E-Bikes: 3 Bikes Teased For Fall 2021

Ebike News: Giant’s New Motor and E-MTB, Bafang 2-speed Hub, New Cube E-folder & Lots More!

Ebike News: Senate Set to Look at E-bike Tax Credits, More E-cargobikes from Raleigh, Greyp High Tech and Lots More!

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Pros of Electric Bikes:

Electric bike pro #1 – The efficiency and experience of electric bikes

Electric Bike Pro #2 – Electric bikes are good for you and the environment

E-Bike Conversion Kit Pros

E-Bike Conversion Kit Cons

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