Anonymous wrote:bump-- any good places to buy electric bike in the area? I live in DC, but could drive out within an hour of DC.

Electric cycling house by the metro in Bethesda. (Bethesda also has a pedego store now if that’s what you want)

we live just off the Capital Crescent trail outside of DC and about half the 20 bikes that go by our house onto the trail every morning are ebikes. I know a couple of serious weekend riders who have ebikes they just use for commuting 8-10 miles to DC offices. They do that so they don't break a sweat and thus don't need to shower when they get to work. I suppose they could just ride a regular bike very slowly, but wheres the fun in that. Specialized, Trek, Giant all make ebikes that are not readily distinguishable from their higher end road bikes. Those brand ebikes are much lighter than the Rads and other ebike only manufacturer models.

Anonymous wrote:They are very niche. If you are in the city and trying to get around, it's a great way to get around if you can get over the fact that you'd be leaving a few thousand dollars locked up to whatever pole you can find. If you are not in the city, what's the point?

They used to be niche, but now they seem pretty common to me. Maybe 5% of the bikes I see.

Anonymous wrote:PP is right. During the TdF, in an ad, an old woman beats Peter Sagan using an electric bike. Beats. Peter. Sagan! You have to buy one—you’ll love it!

Who is Peter Sagan?

They are very niche. If you are in the city and trying to get around, it's a great way to get around if you can get over the fact that you'd be leaving a few thousand dollars locked up to whatever pole you can find. If you are not in the city, what's the point?

e-bike owners, where do you store your bike? I think our family would get a lot of use out of one but we dont have a great place to keep it at home. No garage. We could keep it under the back porch but i worry that getting it in and out will be so cumbersome it will discourage us from using it and then... what's the point? anyone keep an ebike outdoors? under a tarp? is it stupid to get an ebike without a good indoor storage spot?

bump-- any good places to buy electric bike in the area? I live in DC, but could drive out within an hour of DC.

How about Aventon?

Anonymous wrote:I think the rules on trails vary according to the kind of e-bike you have. I believe pedal assist bikes are legal but the ones with throttles are not.

I like this one. You can’t even tell it’s an e-bike.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-babymaker-stealth-road-ebike-with-belt-drive?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl-HbpMng6QIVA4vICh0NrwStEAAYASAAEgLv7fD_BwE#/

I did a kickstarter for an ebike conversion kit that never worked, so I am leery of this.

I think the rules on trails vary according to the kind of e-bike you have. I believe pedal assist bikes are legal but the ones with throttles are not.

I like this one. You can’t even tell it’s an e-bike.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-babymaker-stealth-road-ebike-with-belt-drive?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl-HbpMng6QIVA4vICh0NrwStEAAYASAAEgLv7fD_BwE#/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THey are prohibited on many bike trails -if that is where you planned to ride.

Which is absolutely ridiculous.

I would simply ignore that law.

Would you go fast and yell at people to get out of the way?

I have one. A TREK pedal assist. I have not rode it this year or last (last year, I had shoulder issued and surgery....this year, bike path is too crowded.

I used it on the W O & D. Most people do not mind, if you are not an a--hole about it. A couple of things to look for: some are very heavy and handle significantly differently; it largely depends on where the battery is. If the battery is low, then it handles like a bike.

As for riding, it is like always having a nice tailwind.

Anonymous wrote:Stupid question alert - If e-bikes aren’t legal on bike paths, are they legal on the road?

My understanding is that e-bikes, ridden using their class 2 or 3 features aren't allowed on some trails. I don't see why you can't pedal them or use the pedal assist and not go 20 mph? Ebikes are allowed on roads, usually at 20 mph and lower. Some go 28 or more and those aren't legal everywhere.

Stupid question alert - If e-bikes aren’t legal on bike paths, are they legal on the road?

bump