Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Thor Forums > Thor Community Forums > Thor RV Lifestyle
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 01-12-2017, 11:42 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Four Winds 23U
State: Illinois
Posts: 481
THOR #992
Electric Bikes?

We are considering electric bikes and would like to hear from you battery assisted bike users. The good, bad and the ugly.

__________________
KNMIB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2017, 11:49 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Brand: Still Looking
State: Alabama
Posts: 333
THOR #3789
WOW.... I love to ride around but DW not at all, hhhmmm... wonder if she one of these. Going to be interesting to see what people have to say about them...
__________________
mustang94 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2017, 12:36 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2017 Windsport 29M
State: Indiana
Posts: 3,692
THOR #5196
We've been considering electric bike too, would also like to hear from anyone who has them!
__________________
SuperD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2017, 01:06 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Dbadger777's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 34J
State: Michigan
Posts: 238
THOR #6009
Quote:
Originally Posted by KNMIB View Post
We are considering electric bikes and would like to hear from you battery assisted bike users. The good, bad and the ugly.
We have tried them out. The battery technology, size of battery, range and speed options have gotten amazing.
We do not tow. We are bikers, and for now, prefer good old pedal power. But as we age, we are considering we might need them some day.
Price is an issue for us. Hopefully the current trend toward electric cars will help lower the cost of electric bikes.
__________________
Dbadger777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2017, 02:04 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Hudsoner's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 29D
State: Florida
Posts: 248
THOR #5756
It seems that everybody and his dog are using those electric bikes all over Europe. There, the prices are not all that bad. I have yet to see an electric bike around this area!

I bought one of those small motor scooters to be able to leave the car at home (only when the weather is warm enough). They are pretty good, too. They give a little better range than electric bikes, and get you there faster (top speed 45 mph, and about 108 mpg).
I carry my scooter on the back of the coach on a motorcycle carrier attached to the hitch. It is pretty easy to load and unload.
__________________
Hudsoner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2017, 03:24 PM   #6
Axis/Vegas Enthusiast
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.4
State: Michigan
Posts: 9,837
THOR #1150
A few years ago at one of the Drive Electric Day/Week events around here a company was featuring their electric bike conversions. They had all kinds. They could convert any bike to electric assist. (Some of their conversions were really cool.)

Looked like a great idea.


The company is Human Electric Hybrids
__________________
2022 Thor Axis 24.4
2021 Mach-E
blog - https://spareelectrons.wordpress.com/
JamieGeek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 02:50 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
TyCreek's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.2
State: Idaho
Posts: 533
THOR #1944
The choices to buy pre-built have greatly increased. The key is finding the right combination to meet your use/needs that will stand the test of time. Try endless-sphere.com forums for some information and discussions about eBikes.

Attached picture is one of the few I built to roll with 35mph traffic and hit short peaks of 40mph. My commute was 10 miles and I used 10Ah Polymer Li-Ion cells in a 14s with BMS configuration for about 60% duty cycle (was bleeding edge back then ~2010).

Please note that I do not recommend getting or building a general use eBike that goes over 25mph. Really, the typical max of 20mph is plenty fast on a bicycle.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_1092_TM.jpg
Views:	462
Size:	168.5 KB
ID:	3710  
__________________
Axis 24.2 "was" tug'n a JK
TyCreek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 05:12 PM   #8
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Thor Axis 24.1
State: New York
Posts: 30
THOR #3162
I have owned e-Bikes for several years and currently carry 2 with me every where I go with my Axis. I bought front wheel conversion kits but that route is not for everyone. I am very much impressed with the RadRover and I am considering purchasing 2 after much research. Click the link to learn more: https://www.radpowerbikes.com/pages/radrover
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMAG0156.jpg
Views:	512
Size:	124.3 KB
ID:	3712   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMAG0275.jpg
Views:	482
Size:	164.8 KB
ID:	3713  

__________________
paul905 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2017, 06:54 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Dbadger777's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 34J
State: Michigan
Posts: 238
THOR #6009
FAQ | Electric Bike Information | Battery | Range | Compare | Features
Here is the website for the bikes we looked at.
__________________
Dbadger777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 03:01 AM   #10
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Thor Axis 24.1
State: New York
Posts: 30
THOR #3162
E-Bike

Dbadger777,

Pedego makes an excellent e-bike and has been at it for a long time. It may be the Mercedes of e-bikes but it also has the high Mercedes price tag. For 1/2 the price of the Pedego there are many other excellent ebikes out there. I suggest looking here for different manufacture bike reviews. Electric Bike Report | Electric Bike, Ebikes, Electric Bicycles, E Bike, Reviews | Electric Bike Reviews, News, and Information; plus e-bike riding and maintenance tips!

They also have a you tube channel for video reviews.
__________________
paul905 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 07:49 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Jedsmom's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E. 30.1
State: California
Posts: 136
THOR #3016
We have Pedego bikes and absolutely love them. We looked at a couple of other brands(?) and found that, while they're considerably less expensive, you got what you paid for.

We wanted a bike that was going to give us the greatest distance per charge that was available, along with the option of riding a "regular" bike (ours have 7 speeds), pedal assist -- we have 5 levels -- and a throttle. We've gotten them up to 24mph and have ridden over 30 miles without using half of our batteries.

If there's any downside to them, it would be their weight. It's a 2-person job to load them on the rack behind our motorhome. But the weight isn't an issue when riding them.

As we like to explain to our friends, our Pedegos "level the hills and eliminate the wind." We couldn't be happier with them.

P.S. I've always wanted a Mercedes. Kinda nice to know that I've got a "Mercedes" bike.
__________________
Jedsmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 01:08 PM   #12
Member
 
Brown Ace's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E. 29.2
State: Tennessee
Posts: 46
THOR #3487
Front wheel electrics

26" 48V 1000W Ebike Front Wheel Electric Bicycle Motor Conversion Kit*Motor Hub | eBay
__________________
Brown Ace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 05:11 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Jedsmom's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E. 30.1
State: California
Posts: 136
THOR #3016
Quote:
Originally Posted by mustang94@hot.rr.com View Post
WOW.... I love to ride around but DW not at all, hhhmmm... wonder if she one of these. Going to be interesting to see what people have to say about them...
Don, one of the reasons we got these was to level the playing field. My other half was a long distance (think 1000 miles) rider back in the day, so riding is second nature. We both had nice hybrid street bikes but I could never keep up. Enter the Pedegos, and my life changed in ways I never could have imagined. No longer is keeping up an issue. If I fall behind, I just give the bike a little juice and away I go. One can work as hard -- or not -- as they want.

We're actually heading out today for a short ride -- probably about 15 miles. Seems like a ride around the block!

Some bike shops will allow you to rent one to try it out. The one we purchased from is in Seal Beach, CA, and that's how we got hooked. Took one out for a 2-hour ride with a group from the store and came back and bought 2!

I can't speak highly enough of them.
__________________
Jedsmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 06:50 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Four Winds 23U
State: Illinois
Posts: 481
THOR #992
Jedsmom, I looked at the Pedego site and boy they look great. I don't know if that is list price on their site but I am having trouble wrapping my hands around $5000.00 for two bikes. I understand sometimes if you want a real quality product you have to pay for it. With your recommendations they sound great.
__________________
KNMIB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 07:55 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Jedsmom's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E. 30.1
State: California
Posts: 136
THOR #3016
Quote:
Originally Posted by KNMIB View Post
Jedsmom, I looked at the Pedego site and boy they look great. I don't know if that is list price on their site but I am having trouble wrapping my hands around $5000.00 for two bikes. I understand sometimes if you want a real quality product you have to pay for it. With your recommendations they sound great.
Well, I could go on forever about them.

Too bad you're not in my neck of the woods. I'd trot you and your wife down to the Pedego store and get you on one. If nothing else, you'd have a grand ol' time. Beautiful ride along the beach (now that it's not raining) on super bikes.
__________________
Jedsmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2017, 09:29 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Four Winds 23U
State: Illinois
Posts: 481
THOR #992
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jedsmom View Post
Well, I could go on forever about them.

Too bad you're not in my neck of the woods. I'd trot you and your wife down to the Pedego store and get you on one. If nothing else, you'd have a grand ol' time. Beautiful ride along the beach (now that it's not raining) on super bikes.
Wish I was there also then I wouldn't be looking at freezing rain all day. We haven't decided yet and your favorite bike is still on our radar.
__________________
KNMIB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2017, 03:39 PM   #17
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.1
State: New Jersey
Posts: 80
THOR #1592
we purchased 2 Pedego e bikes.We use them as transportation with our Axis.They are not cheap,with the 48 volt 15 amp batteries they cost 3200.00 each.They are well worth the money.You can get 50 to 60 miles on a charge using the pedal assist mode or about 25 miles using electric only throttle.We use them on bike trails as well as going to dinner or visiting sites while we are camping!Its much better than unhooking and trying to squeeze the Axis into some of the areas we have visited.I would highly recommend checking them out.I would consider them to be the best on the market!
__________________
Djfred is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2017, 04:25 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Jedsmom's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E. 30.1
State: California
Posts: 136
THOR #3016
We took a ride yesterday and did 18 miles. It was lovely! Rode to the farmers' market on the marina, picked up some tasty stuff, put it in our panniers, and rode home. What a wonderful way to spend the morning.

One of the things to consider if you end up with electric bikes is their weight. Our Pedegos weigh about 55# with the batteries in. We don't travel with the batteries in the bikes, but they're still a very heavy bike. You need to get a heavier-duty bike rack to support them. Pedego doesn't recommend the "hanging" type of rack -- they just can't support them safely. Our dealer's recommendation was a Thule platform rack. Not cheap, but considering the fact that you're putting a lot of money on the rack, you don't want it to fail.

We participated in a small-town Christmas parade with our Pedegos (the dealer does it every year), and met a guy from either Indiana or Illinois who fell in love with the bikes and bought his own franchise (he's a snowbird/retired military and was out here for a month or so). I wish I knew how to get in touch with him. Wouldn't it be fun if he was near you?
__________________
Jedsmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2017, 05:04 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Locknut's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 27.7
State: Kentucky
Posts: 229
THOR #6005
I prefer to ride a pedal bicycle...at nearly 67 years old I can still ride 10 to 15 miles per day easily and have done as many as 20 on occasion lately. One of my favorite activities.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	20161107_104234.jpg
Views:	340
Size:	194.0 KB
ID:	3728  
__________________
Locknut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2017, 06:51 PM   #20
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.1
State: New Jersey
Posts: 80
THOR #1592
you can pedal electric bikes the same as a regular bike.The Pedego has 7 speeds and pedals quite easily without electric assistance despite it weight.And yes you have to have a platform rack that can handle the weight.Pedego dealers carry the Thule e bike platform rack which is the one I purchased.The dealers price was 600,but I found it online for 450 so he matched the price.Happy riding!
__________________
Djfred is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thor Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.




All times are GMT. The time now is 07:06 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2