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 Post subject: Electric Bikes
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 4:35 pm 
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King of Men
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I was recommended this one by a buddy.

https://pedegoelectricbikes.com/product ... 48V+10.4Ah

Free local maintenance once a year because yeah.....you got to think about that with these.

I really don't drive at all anymore and I could probably get away with this....anyone own one and if so which, what and why?

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 Post subject: Re: Electric Bikes
PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2024 9:30 am 
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Finally figured out how to change this!
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harmfuljays wrote:
I was recommended this one by a buddy.

https://pedegoelectricbikes.com/product ... 48V+10.4Ah

Free local maintenance once a year because yeah.....you got to think about that with these.

I really don't drive at all anymore and I could probably get away with this....anyone own one and if so which, what and why?


I don't have an e-bike but I don't hate them like a lot of "cyclists" do. I've got a lot of questions though. Get comfy, because I just cracked my knuckles! :lol:

20" wheels are really small for a bike that I assume you'll be riding more than 1 mile/ride. That's the size of a BMX bike wheel. Sure, it'll fit into a car, when necessary- which is usually when you're bringing it in for service. But those smaller wheels also means more wear/tear on your hubs and brakes. I'd think an e-bike would want larger wheels, as each revolution would get your farther, but I guess that also means it takes more energy to get each rotation. Either way, 20" wheels also mean getting over any obstacle (branch on the trail, getting up curbs, etc) will be more difficult. Sure, the wheel is lighter and stronger, but it takes more pedaling energy to get anywhere.

This would be with any sized wheel, but be aware that bike tires are a fucking rip off. I had a week where I needed new tires on my Tacoma and my bike, so I did some math. The cheapest truck tires (not what I went with, but made a fun comparison) were $75/each, with a 40k mile warranty. Average bike tires run like $55 and are expected to last like 1500 miles (these were "gravel" tires with a semi-slick center and very small knobs on the outer edge, in between smooth road tires and knobby mountain bike tires), and that's just a verbal estimate, there are no warranties on bike tires. So a truck tires cost $0.001875 per mile and a bike tire was $0.03667 per mile. Everyone wants knobby tires because they look cool but knobs wear off in a hurry if you're riding on the road or gravel trails a lot. And unlike a car tire, there's almost no rubber underneath those knobs. The tires shown on the web site look pretty knobby. They'll wear out pretty quickly if ridden on the road.

They say the battery is removable. That's great, but how do you do it? Sometimes they're very difficult to get out. I've also heard of others that just have a really simple/cheap plastic clip that is so easy to remove, the batteries can fall out. Maybe that's just internet rumors, but I've read it in a few places. Ask how the battery comes out, and if it's possible to do yourself, or do you need some $300 proprietary tool to get it out. They may offer free maintenance now, but that may change down the road like so many initially free sercives. Or shops that do it now will stop selling that brand and suddenly you'll find you've got to drive 150 miles to the nearest shop that will do it for free. Also, how stable is this company? Are they likely to disappear in two years? I'm not very familiar with e-bikes, so this may be the biggest company out there, but look into it.

And what kind of battery is it? Lots of lithium-ion batteries are catching fire on e-bikes. They're strong batteries, but also rather combustible. Especially on Chinese imports.
Cable pull disc brakes are good, but be aware they can need adjustment sometimes, meaning you'll have one brake pad grinding away while you ride. Need to check them like once/week. There are paper thin disc brake spacers you can get on Amazon for like $9 for two. They are worth their weight in gold! You loosen the whole caliper, slide that sucker over the rotor, apply the brake, re-tighten the caliper and you're good to go. Might have to back the piston out one crank before doing that. There are tons of how-to videos on YouTube for bike maintenance. I highly recommend watching them. I was around pro bike mechanics for years, and I still watch those videos sometimes. Park Tools has great ones. Of course, they want to sell you their expensive tools, but their tools really are good.

No matter what, you'll need a good set of metric ball end Allen wrenches and probably star keys as well. They like the star (Torx) keys these days. And keep them with you on the bike. Either an under-saddle bag or "gas tank" location bag. Those are good because you can put your phone in there and see the time, if someone's calling you, etc.
You'll probably roll your eyes at this, but if you're going to do a lot of riding, you NEED padded bike shorts. You will saw your sack in half without them. You can find ones with baggy shorts over them so you're not looking like a spandex dork, or just throw regular baggy shorts over the padded bike shorts.

Even with those, you may need some Chamois Butt'r or something like that. Even with the pad (aka chamois), you'll still get saddle sores. And be aware that some dudes experience ED issues if they jump right into riding a lot, especially if they don't wear a chamois. There are special seats you can get with a void where your taint would sit to alleviate that issue.

This is with all bikes, but your bike being properly fitted to you is incredibly important. I see lots of people with ill-fitting bikes, but especially people on e-bikes. They keep their seats far too low. I assume this is because they are concerned with either being higher meaning more danger if they fall, or because they don't trust the seat post being extended and fear it will bend. The trouble with your seat being too low is you don't get anywhere near full leg extension when you pedal (and you'll still have to pedal with an e-bike), and it causes a lot of knee pain. Also, you lose turning radius, as you turn the bars and they hit your always-bent knees, which obviously also causes knee pain. :lol: If you have any lingering physical issues, tell them when setting the bike up and remind them when bringing it in for service. My right shoulder is pushed in like 1" compared to my left. I offset my handlebars accordingly. When I picked my bike up from being serviced the guy made fun of me for not noticing my bars were off center, and said he "fixed" them for me. I stood straight and told him to compare my shoulders. I've never been able to get the damned bars back in the right spot since. :lol:

Some random bike riding tips that I was taught by pro riders, that everyone should know, but very few people seem to know (including me before I was taught):
    When going downhill and you stand up- squeeze your thighs together to grip the saddle. It gives you a lot more stability and control over the bike.

    Only use your middle finger to work the brakes. Keep your index finger wrapped on the bars. Today's brakes are good enough to easily stop you with the pull of a single finger, and having the index finger wrapped around the bars gives you much more control of the bars. Would you trust your ring finger and pinky to do anything else in life? Nope.
    Be sure to bring water when you ride. Sounds dumb but so many people forget. You can get really cheap water bottle cages and bottles.

    Yes, they look dorky, but a bike helmet is a necessity. I've had some bad crashes over the years, including one where there was a huge pointy rock STUCK into my helmet. Wish I had pictures but 1. It was before camera phones and 2. I shattered my collar bone so the helmet wasn't my priority. I don't even know if I brought it to the car. I think my friend did and then threw it out so my wife (then girlfriend) wouldn't be freaked out. Without that helmet, I don't think I'd be here typing. Maybe drooling into a cup fixed around my neck.

    When looking for cycling wear (helmet, shirts to wear, baggy shorts for over your chamois shorts...) keep in mind when you'll be riding. I am very typically "black on black on black" when it comes to buying things. A black helmet is not a good idea. Your brain will cook. I learned that the hard way years ago. Look for lighter colors, for everything if you'll ride in open areas during hot weather. Plus, you want people to be able to see you. Road cyclists don't wear bright colors because they're sissies. They wear bright stuff to stand out so drivers don't kill them. If you think you hate drivers while in your car, wait til you've ridden a bike along some roads! You'll want a broadsword instead of the pink dildo.

    If you do plan to ride along roads, know that some people will view you as a target. I've had sodas and coffees thrown at me by dicks driving by. It can get really fun if there's a traffic light shortly ahead! I broke a guy's rear view mirror off for his friend throwing a coffee at me, then I whipped a right while they were stuck behind another car and took off down a trail. I know other people who ride with pepper spray easily accessible for such cases. Also their bike lock. I know a woman who followed a guy and when he got out of his car she went around it, smashing EACH panel of the car with her lock because he'd thrown a glass bottle at her and laughed his ass off when she almost fell. Wish that was on video.

    If you plan on riding to the store or anything, I highly recommend getting a bike bag. there are different types. There are panniers (saddle bags) that attach to a rack on the rear of the bike. They can hold a shit load, but you have to be really careful how you pack them, as they can throw you off balance in a hurry. There are lots of frame bags now that attach elsewhere. I like this company's bags: https://rockbrosbike.us/ They're less expensive than other brands but I've had my bag for a few years and the zipper still works like new, etc. You may be limited for mounting areas with an e-bike though. A top tube bag, panniers (and rack)... Handlebar mounted bags concern me. I always fear they'll fuck with the steering just from weight shifting.

    You'll want a bike lock. Everyone says bike locks don't stop thieves, just honest people. Well, same for cars and houses but we lock those, right? If someone wants your stuff badly enough they'll figure out a way. Make them figure it out and work for it, not make it as easy as watching for you to go into a store and then hop on... That said, I don't buy the top of the line locks. Something good enough to show there's a lock is usually enough.



I'll probably think of more shit. Ask anything...

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 Post subject: Re: Electric Bikes
PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2024 12:30 pm 
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King of Men
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Well...to be honest that's what is stopping me. People on this side of town are very pretentious white people in giant SUVs in a hurry to get suzy and johnny to after school activities. And recently there is a new mix of Coastie Hippies that want to make laws for everything and have a grand sense of entitlement at cross walks. So...as with everything else in our current society...neither side respects the other. Crime is also way up in Colorado now....if its not nailed down it gets stolen.

To make a long story short I am a bit terrified at the prospect of riding my electric bike around and getting run down or getting off of it and having it stolen.

I already have bike shorts and chaffing lube.....that was a quick lesson when I was riding for triathalons many moons ago.

I probably won't buy an electric bike because of these concerns.

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 Post subject: Re: Electric Bikes
PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2024 5:45 pm 
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Finally figured out how to change this!
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Oh dude, I had no idea you did triathlons! My bad for giving bikes 101. :lol: Tries are fucking bad ass!

I hear you on the culture thing. I'm always shocked when someone pulls out to go around me when I'm on the road. I'm usually bracing to have something thrown at me or at least yelled. We wanted to ride from the Canadian border to NYC but 75% of it is on the road in the northern half, so we're not doing that. Sounds like suicide to me.

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