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General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

imatlas

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What bikes are you looking at? I’m expecting to pay around $4K to get my wife an e-bike, from what I’ve been seeing.
 

otc

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You can get a decent e-bike for a lot less than that.

Just depends what you really want, but once you have a motor, a lot of the other component choices become flexible because weight isn't so important. I mean, sure, you are getting a $5-600 quality bike with a motor that triples the price, but for a lot of people, that's perfectly fine Propella 7-speed is only $1300, although I'd probably prefer to spend a little more on better parts,

Also, does your ski gig get you access to Expert Voice? The diamondback family is on there (including Haibike and izip which only make e-bikes) and I think a couple other ebike makes might show up. Inventory can be scarce, but discounts can be large!
 

imatlas

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Also, does your ski gig get you access to Expert Voice? The diamondback family is on there (including Haibike and izip which only make e-bikes) and I think a couple other ebike makes might show up. Inventory can be scarce, but discounts can be large!

Was literally just looking at lights on EV and came here to get recs. The discounts on bikes isn't huge, usually 20% or less, and inventory is super tight. She's particular about getting a step-through model, which are less common to begin with. . iZip has a couple of good options that aren't available. So, no luck there so far.

Back to lights: what headlights do folks suggest for road cycling, no Garmin compatibility required? I get a decent discount on Light and Motion but am open to suggestions. @sugarbutch ?
 

Piobaire

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I bought Bontrager Ion Pro for the front and the Flare for tail light. Very happy.
 

otc

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Was literally just looking at lights on EV and came here to get recs. The discounts on bikes isn't huge, usually 20% or less, and inventory is super tight. She's particular about getting a step-through model, which are less common to begin with. . iZip has a couple of good options that aren't available. So, no luck there so far.

Back to lights: what headlights do folks suggest for road cycling, no Garmin compatibility required? I get a decent discount on Light and Motion but am open to suggestions. @sugarbutch ?

Yeah, EV inventory seems weird and their site makes it impossible to filter for things that are actually in stock (or to get notified when things come back in stock). Although they also vary the discounts, so something could easily come back at 30%.

They have the Raleigh Sprite iE 2.0 step through right now in both a 16" and a 20", but the other step through e-bikes are all out. Reviews are decent (from the comfort/cruiser perspective at least) and 20% off seems like a decent value as long as you don't need a medium. But I also know very little about ebikes and things like hub vs crank motor, and some generic-label chinese import might be a better deal.

Side note: I've had my eyes on some of the Marin bikes that they have for as much as 50% off (they have an ebike, but XL only). Hopefully they put next year's bikes on there with similar discounts!
 

Fueco

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Re:: lights

My wife and I used NiteRider Lumina 700 lights. She used them during RAAM. There are newer brighter versions out there now.
 

Piobaire

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I'm sure that the people buying e-bikes are wonderful people but I'm so far not impressed with the Boomers on the local bike paths with them.
 

otc

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After riding the ebikes they have put into our local bikeshare fleet a few times...I admit that I would be tempted for commuter purposes if the office were to reopen.

It wouldn't really be faster than commuting on my road bike (unless I get one that goes faster than you are "supposed to" go), but for large parts of the year, I could do that commute in street clothes and normal shoes and not have to shower when I get to the office...

And still get some mild cardio activity? It is pretty compelling really. Save the road bike for exercise/leisure rides.

That said, other than the ease, I don't really enjoy the riding experience on the bike share bikes. I'm sure personal bikes are better (these things are *heavy* and have super anti-flat tires that ride like ****), but given that I can out-ride their max speed, you have this really awkward feeling where the assistance keeps switching on and off.
 

Piobaire

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And?
 

venessian

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I'm sure that the people buying e-bikes are wonderful people but I'm so far not impressed with the Boomers on the local bike paths with them.
Back on a bike for five minutes
Already bitching (and snarking, pompously, as per usual) about ebikes
Indeed. And (amplified).

Does riding a $6K tricked-out Trek to the farmer's market, along those very same denigrated "local bike paths", really justify in any way such a superior-'tude? :rolleyes:
 

Piobaire

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It wasn't the bike paths I was denigrating. Nice reading comp, Champ. Also, I wasn't really denigrating the Boomers on E-bikes, just wish they'd not come to a stop across the whole path to chat.
 
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venessian

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After riding the ebikes they have put into our local bikeshare fleet a few times...I admit that I would be tempted for commuter purposes if the office were to reopen.

It wouldn't really be faster than commuting on my road bike (unless I get one that goes faster than you are "supposed to" go), but for large parts of the year, I could do that commute in street clothes and normal shoes and not have to shower when I get to the office...

And still get some mild cardio activity? It is pretty compelling really. Save the road bike for exercise/leisure rides.

That said, other than the ease, I don't really enjoy the riding experience on the bike share bikes. I'm sure personal bikes are better (these things are *heavy* and have super anti-flat tires that ride like ****), but given that I can out-ride their max speed, you have this really awkward feeling where the assistance keeps switching on and off.
Quoted for well-stated pro/con cogency (as opposed to you-know-who's obviously uninformed snark).

There are far more extremely valid reasons for supporting e-bikes than there are (0, really) reasons to denigrate them, especially out of some misplaced bike-snobbery. Even if one wants to criticize them for whatever reason, the people using e-bikes are riding to some degree, not endangering others in their cars, not contributing to traffic jams, and not further polluting the environment, all while likely minding their own business, "boomers" or not. Good on them, 100%, and up from there.
 

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