Question Electric bikes vs gas bikes

[Glass Roads]

Pros and cons of electric bikes vs a bike with a 4 stroke or 2 stroke engine. Thoughts? Which would you choose?

I'll be updating the list as the comments are posted.

Electric Bike
 Pros

• Don't need to travel with extra tanks of gasoline
• can easily keep indoors
• lightwieght
• quiet
• easier to work on (?)
• requires less tools to work on (?)
• probably much easier to take on a plane or greyhound (?)
• doesn't break down as often (?)
• replacement components are easier to find (?)
• doesn't smell like gas

Cons

• bigger initial investment for a decent setup (?)
• parts are more expensive than a gas system (?)
• charging takes significantly more time than filling a gas tank
• gas is probably easier to find while traveling vs. finding a place to plug in for 2 hours (?)

Gas engines on bikes
Pros

• the whole bike engine kit is cheaper than some of the individual components of an electric bike
• faster refueling time
• easier to find gas than a place to plug in for 2 hours
• loud enough for other vehicles to potentially hear ya
• easier to find someone to work on it should ya get stuck on something (?)

Cons

• smells like gas
• loud and can wake the neighbors
• would probably be hit and miss at best with taking it on an airplane or greyhound
• though the whole kit is cheaper than some components on an electric bike, individual engine components may be difficult to find (?)
• heavy (?)
• in the case of 2 stroke, would have to screw around with mixing oil and gas
• would have to carry extra gas tanks
  

I'm considering backup forms of transportation, as my vehicle is waiting to be worked on right now. I'm also finally gonna be hitting the road and going city to city for 4-6months each and living out of my truck camper shell come January. I already have a longboard, but I like the idea of extra transportation that can get me around without to much effort as sometimes I work long hours and the extra effort to pedal/push somewhere very much affects my willingness to do anything else after working.

Wasn't sure if this would be better in the rubbertramp thread or the bike touring thread, so move it wherever seems best if ya need to.

I didn't see a thread like this already, but please let me know if there is one.

 

[searover]

I've had the privilege of being able to use (but not own unfortunately) an ebike for extended periods.

The lower noise level is great - dogs aren't alerted as quickly so less likely to chase you, easier to justify cycling into the night and not wake people up. I've found that some peripheral countries of Europe reliable power sources can be a bit more difficult to find, or are otherwise subject to powercuts, and I'm unsure of battery availability/affordability outside of the EU/US/NA/ and parts of east Asia.

But damn it's well worth it and for getting out of dodge quick and quietly it's nearly unmatched.

 

[BobDole]

I had a gas powered bike, and while it absolutely kicked ass, I spent $250 paying a mechanic to install it for me as I did not know how to do it, due to the seller's/maker's instructions being terrible and un-informative (the manual called me a moron for not being able to figure it out). Used it for a month. It'd have to sit for half an hour to cool down after a half hour of riding at maybe 20 mph. Got it up to 45 mph, which was cool, especially at 5AM goin down the road. Plastic part broke in the back, so I ordered 3 replacements. Found out I'd have to take the whole thing apart just to service the part. No dice I thought, so I let it sit for 2 years outside. Sold it for $80 or so to some kid who did it for a living (fixing and selling em). Never got to try an e-bike. My big fear is theft, which is why I tend to stick at sub $200 bikes. Had an $1,100 bike get stolen before. I'd rather have to work for 1-2 days via a temp agency to afford a replacement, rather than a near week. Cheapest e-bike around me is $700 new at Walmart. Guess the plus is I could siphon electric power from random plug ins.

 

[MetalBryan]

I'm assuming we're talking about converting a regular pedal powered bicycle. Bicycle motor &/or engine kits are hell on a bicycle. The torque this kit puts on the rear wheel, the hubs, chain, front fork, the braking systems, and the tires is greater than most folks realize. Even the frame should be beefy - for example, don't choose a Cannondale. Their welding is beautiful but not strong. All those parts are going to need to be the premium versions (or at least e-bike versions) to withstand what you're proposing. Also keep in mind bicycle manufactures top out their weight limit between 250-300lbs including gear & rider.

I've never investigated these kits so I can only relate to what other people have experienced. We get people in our bike shop all the time with busted bicycles needing parts replaced because the used bike they bought to cut corners isn't adequate for even regular riding. Or they've spent hundreds on these kits they install wrong. A lot of parts on bicycles are aluminum or plastic. By my estimate, you could take a well-tuned pedal power bike and ride it 1000-1500 miles without maintenance. Adding a motor/engine, my advice would be to get good at bicycle maintenance & repair.

Local laws are going to make legally compliant riding a research project every time you cross a county line, at least in the US. Cheap e-bike batteries catch fire. I don't even have to do research to know that no airline is going to let you on board with a gas-powered bike and it would shock me if they let you stow a big e-bike battery like that in checked baggage.

If you have the time & money I think this would be fun as a hobby or a learning experience, but NOT as a reliable mode of transportation. If you need a getaway vehicle that doesn't require license/registration, I would find out what the min CC engine is and buy a well maintained, used scooter. It will likely save you money in the long run.

 

[The Toecutter]

If you have the time & money I think this would be fun as a hobby or a learning experience, but NOT as a reliable mode of transportation.

I disagree. I put almost 80,000 miles on my custom built electric trike(about 25,000 of them after electric conversion), with maybe $1,500 worth of maintenance/repairs/tires/electricity along the way(but a lot more on upgrades). It is currently apart for more upgrades. Granted, mine is not a simple, light, or cheap ebike and is more a sports car pretending to be a bicycle for legal purposes. But it is built to be rugged and overall has proven extremely inexpensive to operate. I also designed it, built it, and know how to work on every aspect of it.

However, simpler, cheaper builds could be every bit as reliable, even if they may not be as fast or have all the same bells and whistles as mine.

The key to a beginner making an ebike into a reliable mode of transportation is:

a) Build it yourself. Bike manufacturers often cut corners on quality in order to pad profit margins and to assure your bike or ebike ends up in a landfill soon after the warrantee is up to encourage you to buy another one later. Find a quality used bike with a steel frame as a basis. endless-sphere.com has a wealth of knowledge on how to go about making a custom ebike

b) Use quality/durable components. It's always cheaper to spend $1,500 building up an e bike that provides rock solid reliability and a decade or more of use with minimal repairs along the way, than $700 replacing a cheap ebike 3, 4, 5+ times in the same period. Steel is IMO preferable to aluminum or carbon fiber as a frame material, due to relatively easy reparability and a lack of fatigue over time. ebikes.ca has expensive but good quality components(motors/controllers/batteries/chargers/ect) that generally won't fail as long as you oprate them within rated specs. From my experience, a steel framed bike from the 1980s made in the USA, Japan, Taiwan, or Europe is generally going to give you a lot less problems than something made in China, purchased from Walmart, or anything made within the last 15 years. 7 speed components are also cheap and durable.

c) Keep it simple and cheap. If you don't need to do more than 25 mph or so, cable-pull rim brakes, thorn-resistant tubes with sturdy Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires using Shraeder valves, cable-actuated thumb shifters with between 5-9 speeds in the rear(avoid 10+ speeds, as components get expensive and maintenance intervals worsen), no suspension, a LiFePO4 battery(other types don't last as long, but this one can last decades if built properly), and a small direct-drive hub motor will prove to be more reliable and easier/cheaper to maintain than other options. Avoid mid drives and geared hub motors with clutches if you seek reliability and ease of use.

d) Invest in multiple locks as well as tracking devices. There's no avoiding thieves, but there are ways to discourage them and to attempt to relocate and retrieve your stolen bike. Some thieves ride in trucks or cargo vans carrying cutting torches and collect tens of bikes in a day by cutting through the bike rack or post a bike is locked to, and no lock will protect against that, but if you have a GPS or Airtag hidden in the bike, you might be able to find it and recover it(and maybe get your chance to stomp the shit out of the thief).

e) Make it look ghetto as hell and also distinguished/unique. This will further discourage theft by making sale more difficult.