Electric Bikes

Electric bikes are expensive. This is known. I've talked about it before. Worse, their batteries wear out, badly, and cost a fortune to replace. This can be avoided, somewhat, by using the new kind of modified lithium with phosphorous and carbon nanotubes called LIFE-Po batteries.

Assume, for the moment, that this type of battery lasts for years instead of months so you only have to buy it once or twice instead of annually. And say you get sufficient amps to cover your needs for your commute, and get chargers at both ends so you charge it frequently and keep it topped off and thus reduce damage. And pretend it won't be stolen when your back is turned because its cheap enough that everybody has one so an electric bike isn't a Motive, its common. Pretend all that.

Some electric bikes are setup in a smart way, and some are setup like electric scooters which also have pedals. The big advantage of an electric bike is it helps you get up hills less tired, and basically allows you to go far greater distances without being an Olympic Level Athlete capable of biking 100 miles a day (century) on an ultralight, ultraexpensive race bike. Hey, those are great too. The Tour of California Bike Race normally starts in Nevada City every year and goes by on the road a couple blocks from where I'm sitting. I've walked to see them whizz by before, a couple hundred ultrafit cyclists who will ride all the interesting roads in California for a few weeks of daily sprints and long endurance trials. Hard. Normal people don't have time or inclination for that. Electric bikes might be for them. Especially if they live more than 12 miles from work or there's hills in the way.

The smarter setup for electric bikes is so that when you pedal, the electric motor adds torque to your stroke so you can operate in a faster gear and go further and faster with each stroke, rather than provide power when you're not pedaling like an electric scooter does. This is important because if you're pedaling its a bike, not a scooter. Setting that up requires more electronics, including sensors mounted to pedals and brakes so it knows what you're doing. That's electronics which might be less capable in rain, maybe stop working or short out your bike. With all those amps in the battery, you might accidentally weld your chain or bearings together when it gets wet. Not joking. I've heard of that happening. Water likes to seep into things. That's why blood and plant fluids are water.

The electric bike conversion kits seem to come in two varieties. Front wheel motors, which can be bad on hills because the front tire wants to spin when your weight is off it because you're going up and the center of gravity has shifted onto the back wheel. Its kind of duh, but it simplifies the pedaling and shifting because its not impacting that. Its also easier to wire.

Back wheel kits sometimes have dual chains (motorized ones do too), can be back heavy if the battery is on a rack above the rear wheel instead of hanging on the frame. It can make handling more challenging. Most electric bikes have less power than a 49cc scooter or moped conversion kit, and the gas kit is $80-120 compared to $500-2500 for the electric kit. Economically, the electric bike has issues. The advantage of the electric is its silent and you can use one on a bike path and quiet neighborhood street because nobody hears it so can't complain.

And this is where it gets interesting. Electric bikes can be used on dirt roads if they have knobby tires, and suspension. So can a small displacement Enduro 2-stroke, like a YZ-80 Yamaha or KTM 125. Possibly for less money, but lets set that aside. Say you live in the boonies down miles of dirt roads that used to be paved with gravel and pavement before that but years of Obama policies has defunded your state and local Dept of Transportation so they stopped paving and its getting overgrown with brush, grass, trees, snakes. Stuff you don't want to pedal through exactly but don't have much choice and carrying gasoline out to the ranch is self defeating and clearing the road with hand tools is already taking two weeks a year for your own section of responsibility and the folks closer into town aren't doing anything at all. Its gotten challenging. Its become single-track. What do you do? Solar panels and electric bike. Charge up a week, enough to run you down to the store and back with a mono-wheel balance trailer and panniers to carry your groceries. Its not ideal, but we can no longer afford to be "ideal" anymore. That's over. You're getting by. Everybody is getting by. At least you're not getting stabbed in ultra-dense housing developments in the city. After all, banning guns stops crime everywhere its been tried, right? That's why certain anti-gun mayors and senators are in jail or indicted or surrounded by armed bodyguards, because there's no crime. That was sarcasm. Ahem. Set that issue aside.

You're in the boonies, you're stealthy coming out and back, getting your stuff, vanishing back into the woods. You claim you like the peace and quiet, that you're writing the great american novel or growing vegetables (not pot) or raising animals or something. Whatever. People actually do that here, btw. All of the above. Its "harvest" season too. Its been in the newspaper with migrant "trimmers" coming for their product. Sigh. Saw a bunch in town flush with their new pay last evening. Rather obvious. You're only on the bike because the road is washed out from storms a few years ago and the ruts and mud bog make it impassible except on two wheels. It's rough and your relatives think you should abandon the place and move into town where they can keep an eye on you. But no, you're strong and independent and just a little reckless. Why not? Isn't this America? Oh wait, Obamacare kinda nixed that. We're Canada now. Or Sweden. Maybe France? Are we surrendering against Iran and Afghanistan? I think we are.

So maybe these make sense as a backup for Iran blowing up Ras Tanura and there's no gasoline at all. Its more range than a bicycle, no fuel storage/gumming issues like with gasoline and a scooter, but costs as much as a good scooter does, though it has the advantages of a bicycle, big wheels for the pot holes, can legally use trails and bike lane, and no motorcycle license or registration required. Not perfect, but for the right situation its an solution which can work. With durable batteries, the cost issues is less. With fuel rationing or supply emergencies like caused by Iran (terrorists), its an easier argument to make. I don't think this country can survive on 50% official unemployment. That's too many people at loose ends and too many potential burglars and muggers desperate for money. People do terrible acts claiming its for their families. I've been a victim of those predators. An e-bike is slow enough you could be closelined or pulled off it, beaten or stabbed, and your bike stolen and sold before your blood has dried in the gutter. Yes, that's terrible, but it happens in other countries and will happen in this one if things continue as they have been with job exportation and ever-increasing numbers of people slipping into poverty.

Iran could cause a Dark Age with one bomb. That's how flimsy our civilization is now. An e-bike, used properly and discreetly, might keep you employed, a roof over your head, your family fed. Its not audibly advertising like a 2-stroke motorcycle or scooter does that you've got gasoline. Its quietly zipping by with a slight whine or rustle of knobby tires on pavement like a regular bicycle does. Bicycles are like work, post oil. Why steal one?

Be clever, be cautious, think it through and maybe you'll manage a little better than the neighbors without them noticing or resenting you for it. Maybe. For now such things are easily ordered, and can be tested at shops that have them put together so you can see if its worth the price, to you, to own one. A toy for now, potentially actual work commute vehicle a few years from now.

Iran is impatient, trying to keep their regime going with 16% inflation and 26% unemployment rate. Any distraction will do. Attack OPEC? Why not. They're almost out of Oil in Iran anyway. War is a great distraction. Once the last tanker is filled, blow it all up. That's their rationale. You can't do a thing about their actions. You can only protect yourself with alternate transportation, another way to get to work, just in case.