Fossil Free Friday - Cheap(er) Electric Vehicles on Lubbock Craigslist today

So you find yourself sitting in Lubbock (or your town) dreaming of carbon-free transport, but you're not quite ready to drop big money for a new electric car. What are you gonna do? One possibility is to head to Craigslist to do a keyword search - in this case, we'll try ELECTRIC.

 

You never know what'll pop up!

 

First on the list - a 250-watt/$500 e-bike

Next up, a 1000-watt/$760 Roadmaster e-bike with GPS. Hmmm.

Then we have a Gem - more than a golf cart, less than a car...

The most tempting thing (for this Mesquite Hugger) is a real-deal GeoOrbital Wheel.

 

Midland is about two hours south of here and that is some pretty immediate gratification at $800. If you have any interest in owning an electric bike, this one is worth some investigation. If it were the 26" version, I'd be extremely tempted. Lots more detail below:

The GeoOrbital Website - check it out!

This is super-tempting for a DIY-wannabe like me. It's like popping open a Lego box and dreaming of the possibilities - I'd want to build an electric scooter, an electric motorcycle, and a solar carport/charging station.

And here's the wildcard in the bunch - great specifications and price, but who's heard of Yadea?

There's no mention of battery type, so I figure it's got heavy and short-lived lead-acid batteries rather than one of the lithium-based battery packs. More info below:

 

So, there's your Fossil-Free Friday search for today. If your dream EV is not listed here, try next week or try other nearby towns - whatever it takes to stop burning those nasty carbon-based fuels. May your search be fruitful, inspirational, and occasionally laughable!

 

PS. teaser: I did get to ride a GenZe 2.0, see several Chevy Bolts, and sit on a Zero DS this week. More info to come.

Fossil Free Friday E-Bike: A Tiny Puerto Rican Vacation and Some Free Shipping

Two fun e-bike emails popped up this week, so I thought I'd share.

The GeoOrbital Wheel

First, I need a vacation. Yep, I am not normally that guy, but the new pres and the holidays and the bills and the cold and unpredictable weather have worn me out.  I would love to get away but that bills thing and several other obligations mean that a vacation's just not happening. So, I was really glad when GeoOrbital sent me an email this week that included video with a really cool approach to vacationing. Check it out:

A GeoOrbital Vacation with Kayla in Puerto Rico!

 

Yep. Run off to a tropical locale. Take your GeoOrbital wheel with you. Pick up a cheap, local bike, slap the GO wheel on the bike - instant cheap transportation! It makes perfect sense to me. I look forward to a day when I can test ride one of those things, because I love the idea of a wheel that so easily turns any bike into an e-bike in just a few minutes.

 

And I love the flat-proof tire idea. (Last night I went to hop on the Phantom to head over to Scooter Workshop Night at Keith's. But there was a problem. The back tire was very flat. And the back wheel is the one with the motor in it, so fixing a flat is bigger job than it is on most bikes. It would not have an issue with the GeoOrbital Wheel.)

 

Now, let's talk Rad Power.

 

I received an email this week from them too. (Radwagon = drool for me.) Nope, this one does not come with a vacation in a tropical locale, but it does come with something almost as important - saving dinero!

 

Puerto Rican moolah!

(But this deal does not apply to Puerto Rico - I am just trying to keep the theme going.)

 

 

Yep, free shipping on any of the Rad Power bikes. That's a $175 value!

 

The email doesn't give any details on how long this sale will last or if this is now business as usual, so you may want to hit them up to see how long you can drag your financial feet.

 

The Rad Power Bikes

 

Okay, that's it for this episode of Fossil Free Friday. I hope you enjoyed your ride with Kayla, and I hope you find yourself some good deals.

 

May all your Fridays be joyful and fossil free!*

 

*Unless you are a weekend archeologist.

 

 

Even Lower-Priced Electric Bikes (under $1000)

[Blogger disclaimer - this is a no-profit-whatsoever blog written by an overweight-financially-strapped-middle-aged guy who has never actually seen any of these bikes in person - except for the Razor. If you want ride reviews, go to the two EBR's: Electric Bike Review and Electric Bike Report. Both are excellent sites and invaluable to anyone shopping for an e-bike. Please Tell Pete and Court hello from the Mesquite Hugger!]

 

Ok, so you read the two Low-Cost Electric Roadster Bikes posts (1) (2) and thought to yourself This Mesquite Hugger bloke's been smoking too many mesquite beans! He thinks that $1500 is low-cost! Sheesh! Well, this post is for you, or at least it's closer to being for you. This post is all about e-bikes that can be bought for less than $1000. Some of these are even under $1000 with shipping! If this sounds more appealing, then keep reading. There's even one in here that's under $350 with shipping, but it's a little short on pedals.

 

Propella E-Bike Version 1

(Version 2 $799 for a limited time, normally $949)

 

The Propella e-bike is a very simple, single-speed e-bike developed in the Seattle area and very successfully Indiegogoed at $699. The first run is now sold, built, and delivered, but you can sign up to grab one of the Version 2 models for $799 (+ shipping). The new one will have a (physically) smaller battery, disc brakes, and a few other upgrades that improve the value of the bike. No word on shipping costs, but you can sign up to be in-the-know on their email list.  Basic specs: 36 volt 7 amp-hour battery, 250-watt front hub motor, 15-28 mile range, 20 mph, and it only weighs 35 pounds!

Sondors Original Fat-Tire Bike ($598 + $195 shipping)

Sondors E-Bikes is one company you may have already heard of. The Original is the bike that smashed sales records on Indiegogo a little while back and caused a lot of hoopla! When the dust cleared, Sondors did actually follow through and has earned a decent reputation (all things considered) for delivering a better-than-expected-in-this-price-range e-bike. Like the Propella, all of the Sondors models are single-speeds. There is also a custom version available that has longer range batteries and can have front suspension and/or an aluminum frame. A few stats: 36 volt 8.8 amp-hour battery, 350 watt rear hub motor. Around 20 miles per hour and up to about 20 miles of range. It's got some mass at 55 pounds. (Here's a long review for those of you who are Sondors curious.) (If you want something similar but much more powerful and better equipped, check out the RadRover, but it falls out of today's price range.)

An interesting sidebar: Sondors is now working at putting out a $10,000 electric car that looks pretty interesting.

Sondors Thin Skinny-Tire Bike ($598 + $195 shipping)

For those of you who fall into the speed freak side of things, there is some great news that came out today. Juiced Bikes just announced a less expensive model of the CrossCurrent - the CrossCurrent AIR. It's (barely) under $1000 and it still runs 28 miles per hour! And I am a big fan of their bikes - great prices, great reviews, quality components. In my low-cost roadster miniseries, the CrossCurrent is the one I am drawn to the most. So a version that is a full 33% lower in cost - sign me up! Since they just announced it today, I will add too many pics with details.

Free shipping for the first 100!

Find it here

 

That's a whole lotta bike for the money!

Changing gears, are you that person who's still squealing at all the high prices, well check this out:

 

 I never expected myself to be such a big Razor fan, but (1) (2) (3).

 

Razor EcoSmart Metro Scooter Yep, I know that I am both weird and cheap, but at less that $350 I still see this thing as pretty viable transport in the right situation. Today's googling shows one at OfficeDepot.com with free shipping for $334. It runs 18 miles per hour and will do so for 40 minutes.

This is the coolest thing on wheel!

And then there's that other thing: the GeoOrbital Wheel. For the same price as Propella, you can pre-order a GeoOrbital Wheel and convert your favorite bike to electric in a matter of seconds. Stats: 36Volt 8/10 amp-hour battery pack, 500 watt motor, 20mph and 12-50 mile range. Expected delivery before April 2017. Shipping should be much cheaper than having a whole e-bike shipped to you, and the tire is flat-proof.

Why am I so interested in the GeoOrbital Wheel? As I bike more, I find myself wanting a few specialized bikes for different tasks. Specifically, I'd like 4 bikes -  a commuter bike, a cargo bike, a folding bike, and a mountain bike. Let's say I end up with all four of those bikes and then I were able to add a GeoOrbital wheel to the fold. Now I have eight bikes in the garage - four electric and four non-electric. With the easy swapability, a bike can go from electric to non-electric in about a minute. And I only have one battery to keep charged. And my garage isn't (too) overcrowded. And all that just costs $800 (+ shipping). Yep, there's a whole big world of possibilities out there!

Honorable Mention (so that I can squeeze in a cargo bike!)

Good news, Cargo Bike Lovers

(Yes, I know it's a bit out of the price range, but it's very inexpensive by cargo bike standards.)

 

The Juiced Bikes  ODK-U350: One nice piece of e-bike good news lately is the appearance of the new Juiced UDK350. By dropping down to a 350 watt motor (from the 500 watt version) and knocking $500 off the price, Juiced bikes have made electric cargo bikes more accessible. Then they offered it up with free shipping. You know the Mesquite Hugger gets excited when electric cargo bikes get down in this price range.

 

SnagIt, that's a lot of e-bike temptation in one post. I hope you find what you're looking for. Me, I need to go sell some of my old stuff.

 

May your budget, your desire, and your need for eco-friendly transport meet at the right intersection.

Fossil Free Friday: From the Roley Poly to the Rolley Scooter

Yesterday I ran across a link on Endless-Sphere about the Scooterson Rolley (Rhymes with holy). At first, it seemed pretty gimmicky, but the more I looked at it and learned about it, the more intrigued I became.

 

While this is not the best part of the scooter, my favorite part is that it does not need a kickstand - it is self-balancing - just like Weebles!

 

A rather cool new European/British electric scooter

The attached video is very informative and explains a lot of the features:

Check out the Video

 

Man, that's a fat tire!

 

 

If my math is right, it has a 36 volt 11 amp-hour battery pack. The range is up to 30 miles and the top speed is either 16 or 20 miles per hour. The info on the motor setup is a little vague - one or two hub motors at 250 or 500 watts. The hydraulic disc brake setup is impressive, and the level of control vs. simplicity is very appealing: no pedals, no throttle; just kick-kick-sit. And it gets to know you and does not talk to strangers (without your permission). Yep, this thing is pretty cool.

 

 

Anyone hiring?

 

I really want to ride one of these! Yep, my dream job is just to go around test driving funky electric two, three, and four wheelers. This one is definitely on the I wanna ride it! list. Just FYI, I also want to test ride the GeoOrbital Wheel, the Spira Foam Car, the RadWagon, the FlyKly scooter, the Boxx Scooter, the Bolt M-1, the VanMoof, the Genzes, a Yuba elMundo, and (of course) the Fido Scooter.

 

May you find yourself some cool green transport, and may you call me if you need someone to try out your cool new machine!

 

Another Droolworthy Cargo Bike - the Benno (and Yuba news)

Let the drooling begin.

My Number 1 and Number 2 green goals are carbon-free energy production and carbon-free transportation. And I really like wheels. But I can't afford my own solar array just yet. And I can't afford an electric car just yet.

So what's a Mesquite Hugger to do? Pedal. (And hang my clothes up to dry by the light of my LED bulbs.)

But it's hard to pedal everything everywhere all the time, especially when you are a gray-haired old codger like me. Therefore, I still drive a less-than-eco-friendly pickup truck all too often.

I've been dreaming of an electric cargo bike. (You may have seen that around here once or twice.) And that keeps me searching for a machine that will mostly replace the truck. Today I found the Benno, a new cargo bike: 



The Benno - so cargo sexy!

Bike Europe Article (By the way, my biggest cycle hurdle is #5 - weather)

Front Rack

No rack, no motor, no battery (and fairly normal looking)

The electric version is the Boost E. The non-electric version is the Carry On. The company also offers two non-cargo bikes, but we are not worried with those. I have not found any word on pricing, but the components are high quality and Bosch mid-drive motors are never cheap. Still, a Mesquite Hugger can dream!

The Yuba Mundo 7-speed

While doing the search, I also ran across a couple of tempters in the Yuba line-up. First, you can now buy a base-model Yuba Mundo for $999 with free shipping. I didn't know you could buy one that cheaply. And I'm pretty excited about it. (I can just imagine the Mundo with a mid-drive motor added, or maybe even a GeoOrbital wheel - who needs a truck?)

Boda Boda V3 Step Over

Second, you can get a Yuba Boda Boda V3 in a step-over frame (for $600 more - ouch!). I had only seen the Boda BodaV2 ($999) in a step-through, and that version was always a little too PeeWee Herman for my tastes. But the step over V3, it looks goooood!

Boda Boda V2 Step Thru PeeWee's Playhouse word of the day - Boda Boda!

May you reach your green goals without too much drooling and without feeling like a PeeWee wannabe, and may you enjoy the ride!

Fossil Free Friday: Electric Vehicle Smorgasboard! (Updated)

Riding to work this morning (on the non-electric bike) I was thinking, Self, what are you gonna write about today? It's FFF. I can't think of anything. Then my brain started running though a list of cool stuff happening right now. I thought to myself, Self, which of these cool things are you gonna write about? Being a man of great decisiveness, I answered, All of them!

 

My biggest EV dream is to create a vehicle that recharges itself while it sits in the sun. While the idea is not yet practical for those of you who drive a lot, for someone like me who has a 10-mile-round-trip commute to work and a very sunny parking lot, it could be a real possibility. Grizz and I have sketched it out many times, but our budget has always come out much stouter than $1900.

 



Solar Electric Chevy Truck on Craigslist

 

But we could run on up to Bozeman, Montana (a place I have always wanted to see) and bring such a beast home for $1900. Ah the temptation!

 

Same Truck on EVAlbum.com

 

For those of you who are seriously considered buying an electric car (on a budget) be sure to check out Leafs on Ebay - there are some great deals on low-mileage lease returns.

 

Several on Ebay under $10,000 and free nationwide shipping

 

Color me skeptical on this one, but there's a new-mid-drive bicycle motor on Indiegogo this week. It looks like a very simple setup, but it turns the crank, so when it turns, your legs have to keep up. It's called the Bimoz and you can Indiegogo in for $899.

 



Bimoz on Electric Bike Report

Bimoz on Indiegogo

 

Rad Power Bikes sent out an email yesterday to introduce their third product. They squeezed lots of categories into this one:

• folding bike
• electric bike
• cargo bike
• monster-tired bike

When I first saw it last night I chuckled, and thought to myself, No way, Ted! But today, my logical brain started putting pieces together and it is starting to appeal to me. They are announcing pricing and pre-orders later today, but if it comes in cheaper than the Radwagon (of my dreams), I may be tempted. It could pull a trailer, haul light loads, fit in a trunk. Maybe it's time to get past my prejudice against those big honkin' tires.

 

RadMini announced yesterday (They announced the price -  see the bottom of this post)

 

 

Just 10 more days to learn about the GeoOrbital Wheel - so excited!

 

Speaking of temptation, the only cargo bike on Austin Craigslist lately is this Xtracycle FreeRadical setup for a rather tiny amount of money. Do I need it? Not sure. Do I want it? Absolutely! It's a tremendous bargain for such a competent and useful machine, and it has accessories included. This combined with a GeoOrbital Wheel...good stuff for Mesquite Hugger daydreaming.

 

Xtracycle Freeradical on Austin Craigslist

 

May you find the green vehicle of your dreams in this appealing and motley crew!

(I know I have.)

 

$1500 + $175 shipping (?) Hmm...

 



 

 

 

Haul Stuff on Bike: DIY Upcycled Panniers (saddlebags, y'all)

Now, If I just had a bike rack...

Well, I did not win the $500 gift card for a Radwagon this week. (Then there's that cheap/broke thing.) On the same note: Xtracycle Leap - sigh, Yuba Mundo - sigh. My cargobike dreams have been including GeoOrbital Wheels lately too. Sigh.

So, I have been back to the poor-boy-DIY-haul-stuff-on-a-bike kick again. Motoby and Bridget both have rear racks, but I have still been backpacking it.

It was time for the next step - panniers.

{If you are from West Texas, you pronounce that word "pan-e-uhrs". If you are Knippa, you pronounce that word "pan-yays". (Knippa is from West Texas too, but he has been to France and sometimes sticks his pinkie out while drinking and critiquing coffee. [I am a little bitter with Knippa - he keeps sending me picks of the scooter rally he is attending this weekend.]:-)}

The adventure started a few weeks ago with:

1. a trippy Instructables-inspired dream
2. a trip to the Goodwill Pound Store for a few bags (pay by the pound)
3. a trip to the hardware store
4. a trip to the garage for a drill, a knife, a hammer, a marker, a screwdriver, and a wrench

Now I have two pan-yays, one from a messenger bag (low volume) and one from a sports bag (medium volume). I have less than $20 in both and each took about 30 minutes. I think I may have found my calling:

Mesquite Hugger's Home for Wayward Pan-yays!

Maybe next I'll go high volume with some kitty litter boxes!

May you haul a lot of good stuff and not drive your stinky, polluting car!

Fossil Free Friday: Powered Wheels (for bikes) Overview

This is a weird but very promising category. The hard part is the Copenhagen Wheel.

Have you ever watched a food commercial that made you really hungry for something, but the place advertising was too far away so you went to a closer version of (virtually) the same thing? It's like that. The early videos and Kickstarter and promos for the Copenhagen Wheel had us e-biker and wannabe e-bikers drooling and scrambling to come up with money to send them to reserve our expensive but oh-so-cool Copenhagen Wheels. I was, at the time, broke (for which I am strangely thankful).

So, competitors started developing similar products and the race was on, or so it seemed. The competitors built their products, got them to market, and are now putting out updated versions and spin-off products. And those poor people who ponied up the reservation money a few years ago are starting to see some light at the end of their CW tunnels, but you still can't just order a Copenhagen Wheel, snagit!

So, what it so cool about these products? They are ultrasimple in installation and operation, and shipping for them is relatively cheap.

How simple are they? To be a fully capable powered wheel installer/e-bike rider you have to have two basic skills.

1. Can you fix a flat on a bicycle? (Or can you get your bike to a bike shop?)
2. Can you install and operate an app on a smartphone? (Or, do you know any teenagers who are willing to help?)

If you can answer "yes" to a few of those questions, you are ready for a powered wheel install and operation. There are even how-to youtube videos to show you how in case you have a few struggles with answering "yes".

The concept is simple. Motor, controller, throttle, and batteries are all contained in a wheel. Slap it on your bike, download an app and pair it to your wheel. You're good to go. In some cases, the setup has a dashboard, so you don't even need the smartphone.

Installing a FlyKly Smart Wheel (4-minute video)

 

What's available now: the FlyKly

 

The Flykly Smart Wheel (click here)

 

Yep Flykly got their product to market quickly. Their Smart Wheel will cost you $999, regardless of which size (20", 26", or 28") you choose. It can only be had as a rear wheel, which complicates installation a tiny bit, but many people (like me) prefer the ride characteristics of rear-wheel motors. The Smart Wheel can carry you up to 16 mph for  25-60 miles. And it's pretty stealthy. Most people won't know you are riding an electric bike. By the way, the FlyKly is an assist-only product. If you don't pedal, you don't go.

 

You can also buy a FlyKly Smart Bicycle for $1590 (cool, basic, with 20" wheels) or you can buy one of the coolest folding people movers on the planet, the FlyKly Smart Ped, for $999. I don't even like kick scooters (it's a fat middle-aged guy thing) but I have to admit this thing is a great execution of a phenomenal idea.

 

What's available now: the Evelo Omni Wheel

 

Evelo Omni Wheel - Definitely not stealthy! (install video on site)

 

 

The Evelo Omni Wheel is also available for immediate shipping. While it has similarities to the FlyKly, there are some very big differences. At 350 watts, it is considerably more powerful - so it should be faster and/or capable of carrying larger loads (like me, for instance). It is front-wheel only, it comes with a digital display and an actual throttle - it can go with no pedaling at all. Evelo also offers in-house financing, FREE shipping, and a 7-day trial period. It is also not rare to catch the Omni Wheel on sale. (The Omni Wheel available now is the second-generation model - fewer early adopter kinks.) Evelo also sells complete e-bikes, but not one with the Omni Wheel.

 

Available soon (We Hope): Copenhagen Wheel, Daymak DDS, GeoOrbital

 

 

You can learn more about the Copenhagen Wheel at superpedestrian.com

 

Daymak Shadow

 

Daymak has an interesting place on this list as a once and future provider of powered wheels. Five years ago they offered up a bike with an integrated power wheel - the Shadow. It was a very interesting early approach, but it does not appear to be available now.

 

Daymak DDS (available soon)

 

For about a year now Daymak has been showing off the DDS, a powered wheel that has the novel approach of solar panel charging. They hope to offer it as a wheel or a complete bike. It's a rear wheel setup with a 250 watt motor. You can sign up for email updates on the site.

 

 (You may be more familiar with Daymak as the maker of the Beast.)

 

The GeoOrbital Website

The MH post about it from earlier this week

 

Last up, we have the GeoOrbital Wheel. I think I like this one a lot. It's a very different approach, and (as of today) we will have big news about it 31 days from now. The GeoOrbital idea is to keep the internals stationary while spinning only the rim. It also has the most powerful motor (500 watts!) of the bunch and the 36-volt battery can be upgraded for more range.  (This wheel seems to have more options for those who'd like to do some hot rodding upgrading. Sigh.

 

May the wheels in your head be spinning as you dream of these wheely appealing products! May you be safe and may you travel clean!