Go Green and Save Money with an Electric Bicycle

Originally Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by Howard Salus in Business, Green Business, Products

By Mark Lechter and Scott Balson

March is Florida Bicycle Month, and as we approach the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, it’s a reminder to all that we must honor our planet 365 days a year.

One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to forego your automobile for short commutes, and use an electric bicycle. The average auto trip in the U.S. is five miles or less, so imagine the savings in gas, as well as time looking for parking. Reduce pollution, and get healthy in the process.

Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, are an eco-friendly alternative for millions around the world, and the reasons for this are simple.

Operating on a lithium ion rechargeable battery, e-bikes emit zero carbon emissions and are virtually noiseless. Just plug it in, and charge it. Choose either totally motorized cycling or a mix of pedal and motor power, known as pedal-assist.

Benefits also extend beyond preserving our environment.

For baby boomers that experience joint pain, the pedal-assist feature eases discomfort on the knees and hips and provides all the benefits of exercise, without the pain.

“Riding an electric bicycle is like walking quickly on a moving walkway in the airport,” says Mark Lechter of The Electric Bicycle Store. “It’s akin to always having the wind at your back.”

And, no parking woes, no license, no registration, no gas, no sweat!

Mark Lechter and Scott Balson operate The Electric Bicycle Store, which carries the largest selection of electric bicycles in the nation. Locations in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale

Miami Beach: 405.508.4040

Fort Lauderdale: 954.565.0562

www.TheElectricBicycleStore.com

Powered Up: Electric Bikes come to South Beach

The Electric Bicycle Store gets Proclamation

A PROCLAMATION was issued to Mark Lechter & Scott Balson, owners of The Electric Bicycle Store by the City of Miami Beach for making the city a greener place to live!!!

Thank you Danny Dumas from WiredBlog! We agree!

This bike is a dream. If I didn't already have an electric bike store, I'd open one just for this bike!

Review: A2B Electric Bike Puts Some Buzz Into Backpedaling

By Danny Dumas October 15, 2008 | 1:00:00 PMCategories: Batteries, Bicycles, Reviews

Ultra Motor A2B

If you’re not a celebrity, but want to feel like one, then get yourself an Ultra Motor A2B. Wherever I rode this futuristic fully suspended machine onlookers were agog. Trips to Trader Joe’s, the gym, the farmer’s market, bank, post office, beach strand and everywhere else were perpetually punctuated with oohs, ahhs and what’s that? And while it makes a clear impression on the public, the plush front and rear suspension with smooth and fat motorcycle-like tires ensure that most bumps and potholes leave little or no impression on the rider. The 500-watt motor in the rear hub and motorcycle-like twist throttle delivers a comfortable and steady amount of power as you cruise along at the federally mandated max of 20 miles per hour. Encased in the aluminum downtube, the lithium-ion battery yields just over 20 miles of range over varied Los Angeles-area terrain including moderate ups and downs, groceries, and other cargo on-board AND very little pedaling.

Let’s be honest, the A2B is more akin to a scooter than bicycle because of its 73 pounds and laid back beach cruiser geometry. But the A2B’s designers were smart, by giving it pedals and keeping the maximum powered speed below 20 mph, you don’t have to endure the DMV’s motorcycle certification test pay any registration fees or even insure your A2B as a motorcycle. Since the A2B does have pedals you can actually extend the battery’s range (and go faster) by adding some of your own power in the bigger gears. However, it’s pretty clear that you won’t want pedal the A2B too far sans motor.

Securing your nearly three thousand-dollar investment to an outdoor bike rack is a bit of a challenge. The fat tubes necessitate a lengthy chain or cable (I don’t recommend cables for any bike you’d like to keep.) I was able to ease my mind with two Kryptonite NY U-Locks and a Kryptonite NY chain — which also added more than 20 pounds to the payload.

In spite of the creative locking logistics, the A2B is by far the eye-catching electric “bike” in the market and provides a nice option for those who are green-minded, have a fair bit of extra green in their wallets but don’t want to shvitz their way to work and back. —Jackson Lynch

WIRED Plush. comfy, and downright fun to ride. Eye catching design leaves local yokels slack-jawed. Don't worry about Crackhead Bob boosting your battery — it's encased within the bike making it nigh impervious to petty theft.

TIRED Throttle grip is hard on the hands. Heavy. Hard to imagine pedaling it more than a couple blocks. Downhill mountain bike style drivetrain is noisy.

The Case for Electric Bicycles

This is an article from Co-op America, making the case for using electric bikes, and to stop using your gas car. In this economy it not only makes economic sense, but it also is a green alternative.

Save on the expense of a second car and curb your emissions with the latest generation of "human-electric hybrid" bikes.
Andrew Gondzur of St. Louis, Missouri, used to ride his bike about four times a year—until last month, when he found himself choosing his bike instead of his car to run errands at least three times a week. What changed? Andrew installed a kit that added a rechargeable electric motor to his old bike. He still usually pedals his bike, but with a twist of the handlebar, he can get a bit of motorized help.

View Full Article Here

Energy, Global Warming and Electric Bicycles

Here is an article by Jeff Radtke, President of Neodymics on his energy flow analysis and is used to make a case for greenhouse gas abatement by riding an electric bicycle instead of driving an automobile. Presentation format is graphical and non-mathematical.

Read the Full Article here:
Energy, Global Warming and Electric Bicycles

Credit Crunch and the Electric Cycle

I found this post over at the electriccyle.org - it's a great post which talks about the economics of scaling back on using your car, and how to reduce your expenses in these tough economic times. For many people using an electric bicycle just might be the answer as a smart means of transportation, not to mention the environmental benefits:





With the on going saga of the world wide credit crunch and banks failing left, right and centre, people are looking to cut their costs down significantly. Enter in the electric cycle.
An electric cycle is about the most economical method of powered transport that you can get. The only thing left after an electric bike would be to forget the motor and just buy a normal cycle. But that takes effort. By cutting down on unnecessary car journeys you’re going to not only save a large amount of money due to less fuel usage but also from the reduced wear and tear on your vehicle. And around town that is significant.
In town you will be surpriised how much time you will save by using an electric cycle. You can get right to the front of every set of trafic lights, use cycle lanes (so long as you pedal on those) oh, and also check your own local laws about that! That time saved can be used for more worthwhile activities like drinking tea, relaxing, chatting…or even working.
The cost of running an electric cycle is so low that it’s hardly worth mentioning. It’s literally just a few pennies a day worth of electricity. And if you have a kindly employer you can save most of that by charging it up at work.
So, it makes a lot of sense to reduce or even eliminate one of the major expenses in any household; that of transportation. If you find that your car use has reduced significantly, then why not entertain the idea of getting rid of the car all together. If you work out the annual expenses of keeping a car and compare that to usuing an electric cycle and hiring a car for the times when you really need one, you may be astonished at the amount of money you will save. You will wonder why you didn’t get rid of the car ages ago.
Last, and only last as this post is about saving money, the environmental impact of an electric cycle is a very positive one. Less CO2 emmisions, less heat generated, little noise pollution, saves space, abnd that’s just to sart with. I’mn sure you can think of more.
This could be you …