Ebikes, a primer part one

Many people in the United States have never heard of electric bikes.  Those who have may have heard any sort of thing about them, good or bad.

First, let's discuss some common beliefs.

• Myth 1: "Quality Electric bicycles are unobtainable"
• Mixed. Sometimes true sometimes not. Many cheap easy to obtain ebikes are sold but are underpowered, have small batteries, or are simply flimsy. But it is important to know not all ebikes are created equal.  Just as there are differences between the bicycles at a local bike shop and a budget sporting goods chain store, so are there differences between electric bikes from the local motorsports dealer and the electric vehicle supply house.  Good machinery is expensive but it is not hard to find. If no one sells locally there are numerous reputable online stores in multiple continents.
• Myth 2: "They have too little range to be of use"
• FALSE. even a low quality bike will go farther on battery power than the average cyclist is comfortable peddling.  A high watt bike with a small lead acid battery pack will not likely go farther than 20km on a charge under normal conditions.  On the opposite end a bike with a large lithium battery pack may go over 100km per charge and have amp hours to spare.  It really depends on the battery and the speed traveled. The slower you go the further you go. The bigger the battery the further you go and vice versa.
• Myth 3: "The batteries will blow up and burn me to death!!!!"
• Thankfully FALSE!  A properly cared for battery WILL NOT EXPLODE unless badly defective.  Lithium batteries are safer than ever before, and now there are lithium polymer cells, mass produced and sold publicly, that will not burn even if shot with a nailgun.  Lead acid batteries are moderately dangerous, their main hazard being release of a small amount of hydrogen during charging, but they will not just go off with out warning while you are riding. Every car owner already has a huge lead acid pack under the hood to start the engine. If you are afraid to ride an ebike you should be afraid to drive a car. Especially since cars have huge tanks of gasoline/petrol/ethanol/diesel oil/vegetable oil in them. Batteries are far safer than fuel tanks. However there is some risk and I am NOT responsible for anyone who is hurt mistreating their batteries or for factory defects.
• Myth 4: "Good batteries are very expensive"
• True. A good lead acid pack will cost over 200 dollars and a good lithium pack will cost 600 to 1000 dollars. An oft repeated piece of advice is to start with lead acid and learn by making your mistakes on that, and when it wears out get the best battery you can afford in the largest size your vehicle can safely handle.  Be willing to make large compromises in every component to pay for the best battery.  A cheap motor and controller will still work if not abused, an electric vehicle with a bad battery is going nowhere. Don't be tempted by cheap lithium batteries, at best they will not last long enough to be worth what they cost and at worst they could have dangerous defects that could render myth three true.
• Myth 5: "It will add too much weight"
• False, or rather irrelevant. Even the largest battery that belongs on an ebike is far lighter than the rider.  Also it is unneccessary to worry about peddling its bulk up hills because the motor will do it for you, that is the whole point of using a motor in the first place. A very large battery will however negatively effect handling if mounted too high or far back.  Large lead acid banks should be firmly fastened low in the center of the frame.
• Myth 6: "They aren't legal."
• False, at least in the United States.  Electric bicycles that draw under 750 watts of electricity and have a top speed under 25 miles per hour are legally defined by the federal government as bicycles and they ARE street legal.  However there are a few caveats. Many places prohibit the use of motorized bicycles on bicycle paths and lanes, off road in parks and all areas ban them from major highways. Most states require that the rider be over age 16 and follow the Rules of the Road when operating on public streets, or have a drivers license.  Motorbikes over 750 watts are dealt with separately and policies vary by state. They are often called "limited access vehicles" or "restricted light motorcycles" if they are incapable of travelling at freeway speed. Otherwise they are legally considered to be motorcycles. 
•  Myth 7: "They are slow vehicles that are for the elderly, the overweight, and for dui convicts."
• False. While many of the above do use them these people are not all or even most of the users.  performance is limited by budget and imagination, not technology.  Top speeds are usually between 32 and 50 km/hr; faster than most competitive athletes can keep up in a bicycle race.  Hills are scaled faster than any human could ever pedal up. Kits are readily available that are so powerful that the owner is required to have a drivers license and register the bike with the RMV/DMV. These will outrun gas powered mopeds. Crystalyte and BMC are well known builders of such kits, and a number of websites carry them.
• Myth 8: "I need an expensive race frame."
• False. This one costs a lot of people a lot of money up front and a lot in repair and occasionally medical bills.  A light composite or aluminum streetbike frame is just about the worst for the job. Recall that weight is not very important and realize strength is important.  The best bicycle for an aftermarket conversion is a comfort/beach cruiser or a heavy medium price mountain bike, either one with a heavy duty steel frame is good. Any donor bicycle over $500 USD new is likely not suitable and a waste of money.
• Myth 9: "No one owns them, and I am an early adapter."
• False. This myth is the opposite of the truth.  Electric bikes are reliable, quality products that come off assembly lines by the millions. They are far simpler than a gas engine, and the control circuitry is simpler than that in a 1980s video game.  Some cheaper controllers have been found with substandard transistors, or circuits that are fried by intense regenerative braking, but these are less common than before and quality units are easy to find.  If you think you are alone you are wrong: there are over 100 million ebikes on the road in China, and they are used by normal adults for serious work not just for recreation.

More to follow