[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by rubberwagon

As an avid cyclist, marathoner and bicycle fabricator myself, I cannot see electric assisted bicycles as a serious thing at all.

I'm also a cyclist, and ride a BTWIN road bike.

However, I must point out that your own quoted statement, as above, is exactly why electric assisted bicycles will become a serious thing eventually. Because it will make cycling viable to those who ARE NOT avid cyclists.

[rubberwagon]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

I'm also a cyclist, and ride a BTWIN road bike.

However, I must point out that your own quoted statement, as above, is exactly why electric assisted bicycles will become a serious thing eventually. Because it will make cycling viable to those who ARE NOT avid cyclists.

Look at the sales reports of the bicycle manufacturers in India. Only the premium segment is showing promise. The rest of the segment shows a 1-3% growth. Bicycling is like a rabbit hole. Once you're in, you start off with t-shirts and regular shorts. Next thing you know, you're spinning around in jerseys and spandex.
E-bicycles have been trying forever. They won't get anywhere.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by rubberwagon

Look at the sales reports of the bicycle manufacturers in India. Only the premium segment is showing promise. The rest of the segment shows a 1-3% growth. Bicycling is like a rabbit hole. Once you're in, you start off with t-shirts and regular shorts. Next thing you know, you're spinning around in jerseys and spandex.
E-bicycles have been trying forever. They won't get anywhere.

Personal fitness, Brevets, Triathlons, weight loss are all drivers but marginal, and hence won't materially affect the prospects of e-bikes (not normal cycles) in the coming days.

Tail-pipe emissions, government policy, Last mile connectivity, extreme crowding of cities are the material factors that, in my opinion, will lead to increasing traction for e-bikes. Also don't forget the very large part of the population which is either, unfit, or getting unfit very rapidly - again a material factor.

The difference, between we two cyclists, I guess, is that you're thinking from the perspective of cycling whereas in thinking from the perspective of commuting.

[rubberwagon]

I commute to work everyday and have the benefit, a Gold's Gym in the next building hence my showers and minty freshness every morning before work is guaranteed.
For the rest of the public, there needs to be a systemic change. The infrastructure needs to be more supportive. (I am certainly not talking about bicycle lanes).

[anku94]

Originally Posted by rubberwagon

As an avid cyclist, marathoner and bicycle fabricator myself, I cannot see electric assisted bicycles as a serious thing at all.
If you want to enjoy your surroundings while being fully connected with all your senses, bicycling/running is the only way.
Any other method of transport while adding certain aspects certainly takes away certain aspects.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Personal fitness, Brevets, Triathlons, weight loss are all drivers but marginal, and hence won't materially affect the prospects of e-bikes (not normal cycles) in the coming days.

Tail-pipe emissions, government policy, Last mile connectivity, extreme crowding of cities are the material factors that, in my opinion, will lead to increasing traction for e-bikes. Also don't forget the very large part of the population which is either, unfit, or getting unfit very rapidly - again a material factor.

The difference, between we two cyclists, I guess, is that you're thinking from the perspective of cycling whereas in thinking from the perspective of commuting.

I'll repeat the example of my 50 year old relative who had a bypass surgery. They would've never spent 40k on an e-bike, but readily took to it and found themselves going on 50 km rides as opposed to 5 km walks around the same old neighbourhood park.

I survived (and had lots of fun, if I may say so) by having an e-bike as my primary means of transport in Bangalore. The only times I used cabs was for distances greater than 15 km, or when with a group of friends, or when it was pouring outside. I can confidently say that had I gone for a regular bike, it'd be lying unused in my apartment parking and I'd have gone back to cabs like most people of my age group.

Cost is the biggest factor in preventing e-bikes from taking off. It's a sector that's due for an explosion if we can produce a 20 km range commuter for less than 10k, with government incentives and subsidies.

If I may add, the same argument was given against derailleur-equipped bicycles when they were invented some 70-80 years back. Vehicles evolve and naysayers usually find themselves on the wrong side of history

PS: that tandem bike looks fun, I should try one of these sometime!

[coolmind]

Wonderful thread Anku!
You made it very interesting to read with the DIY.
By the way I have a question here.
Iam not true enthusiast of cycling. However I got a "FOMAS CITYKING 5.0 (2016)" for daily commute to office. My office comes down to 4.5-5 kms from my home.
Link for your ready reference please.
"https://www.choosemybicycle.com/en/bicycles/fomas-cityking-5-0-2016"
Can you please check and advise whether I can convert to E-Bike. I doubt because of its narrow tyres and thin frame.
Thanks in advance.

[anku94]

Originally Posted by coolmind

please.
"https://www.choosemybicycle.com/en/bicycles/fomas-cityking-5-0-2016"
Can you please check and advise whether I can convert to E-Bike. I doubt because of its narrow tyres and thin frame.
Thanks in advance.

Apologies for the delayed response, and thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

Re: conversion, depends on a lot of factors. Especially whether you want a mid drive or a hub drive.

I'd say both should be compatible with the frame. The mid drive needs a 68mm bottom bracket, and while I can't say for certain from fuzzy pictures of the frame, I'd say this one does have it. Hub drives are usually compatible if the rim size is standard.

It's true that the best frames for ebikes are MTBs, they have more room and wider tires for the additional stress that a motor generates.

Also, you'll need some specialized hub motors if you don't want to get rid of the rear derailleurs and shifters. Not all of them support that.

The practical advice with these things is always to not go the risky route. Slim tires and hybrid frame aren't ideal for a hub motor, but if you're really insistent, a 250W road legal build isn't really all that much power.

[coolmind]

Originally Posted by anku94

The practical advice with these things is always to not go the risky route. Slim tires and hybrid frame aren't ideal for a hub motor, but if you're really insistent, a 250W road legal build isn't really all that much power.

My tires are very slim so I doubt them handling these retrofit.
Thanks for the reply.
Let us try with a next time with an MTB.

[shankar.balan]

The bike store in HSR Bangalore offers the E Bike Conversion job at about 40K.
Recently in France I was amazed at the ease with which some elderly dudes were flying up and down the hilly bits in the South of France. And when one such gent parked up at the cafe where I was sitting for some refreshment, I realised he had E-Assistance!
On another note, the sheer styles and colours of those French bicycles “Le Velo”, are so vibrant and lovely.
Something like what one gets in Decathlon...

On a third note, here are a couple of my fun sketches of Bicycles on my iPad Pro with iPad Pencil...
Inspired in a way by my own FatTireBike!

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by anku94

I survived (and had lots of fun, if I may say so) by having an e-bike as my primary means of transport in Bangalore. The only times I used cabs was for distances greater than 15 km, or when with a group of friends, or when it was pouring outside. I can confidently say that had I gone for a regular bike, it'd be lying unused in my apartment parking and I'd have gone back to cabs like most people of my age group.

Your first post made for great reading! Kept me going until the end once i'd started,you write well

Since you mention you used it for commutes in bangalore, how did you manage without RVMs ?
My brief experience without mirrors on my motorbike wasn't very pleasant and I quickly put them back on.

Also, i've observed that on our roads, people barely make way for cyclists. Was this your experience as well and were there any close calls ?

[anku94]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

On a third note, here are a couple of my fun sketches of Bicycles on my iPad Pro with iPad Pencil...
Inspired in a way by my own FatTireBike!

Fatbikes look like so much fun! Unfortunately I've never had the opportunity to ride one, but a fat bike with a nice fat motor would be a beast on trails!

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Your first post made for great reading! Kept me going until the end once i'd started,you write well

Thank you

Since you mention you used it for commutes in bangalore, how did you manage without RVMs ?
My brief experience without mirrors on my motorbike wasn't very pleasant and I quickly put them back on.

Also, i've observed that on our roads, people barely make way for cyclists. Was this your experience as well and were there any close calls ?

A lot of people bring it up, but it has never been an issue for me. I just used to follow the basics - ensure I have a working taillight, maintain a strict line and lane, and always look behind and give proper hand signals before changing lanes.

Looking behind might be difficult on motorbikes because of the weight, but I used to do it all the time on my ebike without it affecting my balance at all, and it became second nature while changing lanes. I've ridden on variety of traffic conditions including in zooming ORR traffic at midnight, and really that's all one needs. Just follow the basics - be visible and predictable (even if other people aren't), and you should be fine!

Of course if there's traffic jam, none of this applies, and the game changes to finding gaps and squeezing into them, and ebikes perform magnificently here. (Goes without saying but, as long as you don't do something dumb like squeezing into a large vehicle's blind spots)

Having a decent amount of driving experience in other vehicles greatly helps your road manners and anticipation as a bicyclist, but I doubt that's a concern with team-bhp folks.

[jaganm]

You make a very good point of maintaining a strict line and lane. It is my view that most two wheeler accidents in India happen when the rider changes lanes and goes into the path of a bigger vehicle. If you maintain a straight line, you are much safer

[handsofsteel]

Here we go, the first (?) branded e bike launch in India.
https://auto.ndtv.com/news/gozero-el...29-999-2013754
Hopefully, this starts a new phase in cycling

[RM Motorsports]

Xiaomi, while known for its smartphone business, has also established its presence in the lifestyle products markets.

Now, today, the company has unveiled yet another product — Mi HIMO Electric Bicycle T1.

It is powered by a 350W brushless permanent magnet motor which is claimed to offer high-end performance.

The bike comes with a one-touch start button as well as a multi-function combination switch and a touch button to control the bicycle while driving. As for the battery life, it comes with a 14,000mAh battery which is claimed to offer a travel range of 120 kilometers on a single charge.

[chandras1]

Originally Posted by handsofsteel

Here we go, the first (?) branded e bike launch in India.
https://auto.ndtv.com/news/gozero-el...29-999-2013754
Hopefully, this starts a new phase in cycling

There is lightspeed - https://lightspeed.bike and a couple of others like Roulik which launched before this one.