DIY E-Bike Placeholder: A re-Run and a Propella

I am still working on the third installment of the BIY e-bike, and I know that at least 1.5 of you are waiting in anticipation, so I thought I'd throw out a minipost bone for you to chew on.

The first is an eight-month-old Mesquite Hugger post about e-bike basics. If you are following the DIY e-bike posts, this one will shed a lot of light on why and what we are striving to (virtually) build. Consider this one a strong supplement to that series since it will explain a lot of the third post:

Electric Bike Buying (and Building) Advice



 

 Our second post is a news article about the second generation of the Propella e-bike that is starting to ship now. While it may not look much like our project bike, it has a lot of similarity to our Mesquite Hugger DIY project formula - it's just skinnier, sleeker, and less powerful. And it comes to you already put together. We all have our virtues, and I think the Propella is a pretty cool little bike.

The News Article

The Propella Site

 

Hopefully, that'll give you a little info to gnaw on while I finish up Part 3 and get to work on Part 4.

 

May you know the feel of wind in your hair as you and a little motor pedal you on to the next great, eco-friendly adventure!

 

PS. How would you like the opportunity to be the one and only person who responds the 2017 Mesquite Hugger Survey? (The survey closes tomorrow and it would be great for this blogger's self esteem if somebody answered a question or two.)

You can't be too cheap or too skinny? Two $800 (shipped!) commuter e-bikes

So, let's say that

• you're cheap
• you're broke
• you live in a not-too-hilly place
• you just can't imagine paying $1000 for any bicycle

(Check, check, check, check. Yep, I fall into all four! If you do too, welcome to the club, my frugal amigo!)

Do I have two bikes for you? Do I have two bikes for you!

So, let's check out the first bike:

Lately we've looked at the Populo, and the before that the Propella. I even got to pick up (it was very light) an Easy Motion EasyGo Race at an electric bike shop in Dallas back in December. And I have to say that they are all gorgeous. I love the look (but not the reality) of a fixie, and these bikes have brought that sleek minimalism into the e-bike world (and have done it at very low prices.)

The Vilano Core

So, let's look at one more -  the Vilano Core. Besides the sleek looks, this bike has one really compelling reason to buy it (price) and one surprisingly upscale and trendy feature (belt drive). You can get one (delivered to your house) for $800 and it has belt drive instead of a chain. Other than those, it is extremely similar to the Populo and the Propella. Strangely, the Vilano seems to be very widely available. I was surprised to see that you can order one from Newegg.com:

See how I managed to squeeze the price, the vendor, the belt drive, and the no-name and slightly underpowered motor all into one pic? (I have mad blogging skills like that.) [Cursor drop and walk away, Mesquite Hugger]

Other than lots of identical vendor sites and the product site itself, I haven't found much online presence or review for this bike. I do wonder why it has a 220 watt motor rather than the industry standard 250 watt and I'd sure like to know who makes the components used in the bike, but hey, it's hard to get too picky at $800, right? So, I am not recommending it (or not recommending it) - just letting you know it's out there. (Me, I would not be brave enough to order one until Pete, Court, and a passel of youtubers checked it out.)

Actually, I do find it a little disturbing how widely available it is:

Yep, you can even order one from Wally World.

On to the other $800 (shipped) bike

This one, on the other hand, I feel qualified to endorse (with a few caveats) even though I've never seen this particular model in person.

Sondors still keeps sending me emails, and each time they make me ponder. I have to say (after getting to know Grizz's sondors Originals) that Sondors offers an impressive bike (for this price range.) The Sondors Thin has me intrigued.

What's red, white, blue, and black all over?

You see, I'm a street commuter, and I just don't feel any need to have the big honking tires. And I would not want to pay for their replacements when it's time. So the Thin makes sense to me. It's 10 pounds lighter, it's thinner, (Duh!) and it has a decent reputation. And this may or not appeal to you, but it has a cult following that can offer lots of tech support and/or hop-up advice. And, it has a 350-watt motor from a well-respected manufacturer. Also, similar to the little speedsters listed above, it's a pretty simple machine. And, of course, you can have one delivered to you for $800.

Grizz's Sondors - in stock form - surprised us both. We did not get to test it with pedal-assist, but we had no problem reaching 17mph (throttle only) and 20mph was attainable with some hard pedaling. For most bike commuters, this machine is plenty powerful, and with pedal-assist installed you should be able to get some fairly impressive range.

One other thing to consider, if you are less than 5'6", this bike will be a stretch for you. The Sondors bikes are tall.

LunaCycle (pictured) and Velomobile Shop offer Sondors aftermarket parts

[A little Sondors aftermarket sidebar - Sondors is the only e-bike I know of that already has brand-specific aftermarket stuff availability, but be careful, most of the aftermarket parts are designed for the fat-tired bike. Threads where Thin owners are frustrated with aftermarket upgrade parts are very common.]

Image from OverVolted

[Another little Sondors Thin/Belt Drive sidebar - when the Thin was originally offered, there was an option to order one with a belt drive, but it added close to $100 to the price. But I have not seen that option available these days. So, if you want one with a belt drive, you may be able to pick up a used one. But be careful, I often see used Sondors bikes for sale at prices higher than the new prices. It pays to do your homework.]

To be honest, in my quest to give up petroleum I have given serious consideration to purchasing a Sondors Thin. If you're looking for a no-frills e-bike on a very low budget, this thing could cover a lot of bases. With the addition of a rear rack, a suspension seatpost, and some lights, it would easily cover my commuter needs.

May you find petroleum-free transportation that covers your needs and does not empty your bank account.

And two more low-cost e-bikes for those of you who like to hang around and watch the credits:

For those of you who want to go super-low price, check out this Treehugger article about the Stark. (Thanks, Derek!)

For those of you who want a high-quality and very capable cargo/commuter for not much more money, check out a refurbished U-350 from Juiced bikes. (If you're gravitationally challenged like me, pony up the extra $70 to go 500 watts.)

E-Bikes Under $1000: Add Populo to the List

This is the Populo Sport.

I love me some free e-bike shipping!

Let's just get all of the stats out of the way first:

8 levels of pedal assist -  no throttle

free shipping (for the U.S)

20 miles per hour

30ish mile range

36 volts, 8.7 Ah

3 frame sizes

37 pounds

single gear

250 watts

3 colors

$999

This one popped up on Electric Bike Review this week and it's worth checking out if:

you are on a budget

 you keep it on the street

you like to keep things simple

you have to haul your bike upstairs

you dream of having two USB ports 

you are looking for a way to drive less

you like the Propella or the Sondors Thin

Digging the polished frame!

Stealthy!

Nice dash!

Are you intrigued? Tempted? Insanely in love?

Find out more at the Populo website.

May you be tempted away from the gas station!

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.

Friday Random with Three e-Bikes

The attention span has been a little short this week.

#FossilFreeFriday, is this a real thing like Meatless Monday or Time-Travel Tuesday? (If not, I think I'll take advantage of Tuesday to make it a real thing.) Me, I love Friday, I love Fossil Free, and I am pretty fond of alliteration. Yep, I am liking it.

In the spirit of Fossil Free Friday, let's talk about some electric bikes. (Yes, I know, electric bikes aren't completely fossil free and are sometimes recharged by carbon-fueled sources, but an e-bike carrying an eight-tonner like me is massively more fossil-free than driving a two and a half-ton pickup across town, so there, smarty pants. How did you get to work today?)

By the way, I have been riding the newly functioning electric workhorse some this week. I am even planning some trailer work with it this weekend. Life is better on any bike!

Three bikes have popped up on my e-bike radar this week, an inexpensive crowd-funded roadster, the Porteur's lovely new crowd-funded female companion, and a cool and established workhorse I keep forgetting to include when I drool on about cargo bikes. So, let's start with the cargo bike.

I really hope to test ride a Juiced Rider ODK some day. From all reviews and such, it's an unsung hero in the cargobike world. It looks a little cutesy until you start reading stats. I'd write them all down, but that short attention span - so here goes:

 

For you e-bikers, I'll add that they all use 48 volt electric systems and have scads of name-brand, high quality components. The combo of front hubmotor and 3-speed rear hub should make for an ideal drivetrain. Also, 20" wheels offer easier loading, a lower center of gravity, and more structural strength. Lots of good stuff! (And some of you will be excited to know that it's not orange!)

 

(While you're on the website, check out their new offering - the CrossCurrent, but it's not one of today's three.)

 

Next up is the brand new offering from Faraday. Faraday made its name when the Porteur came out. It is a stylish e-bike that is gorgeous and does not look like an e-bike at all. The only visual indication that it is electric is a very discreet 250 watt front hubmotor.

 

 

 

It is apparently not good for a manly bike to live alone, so Faraday has created a companion for the Porteur, and her name is Cortland. And, if you jump on the Kickstarter bandwagon you can save yourself a cool $800! You will pay ($2000.) Be sure to check out the long list of feature and options - my favorite is the additional battery pack in a tiny saddlebag. They make a beautiful couple!

 

 

At the other end of the spectrum is the promised roadster the Propella. It's fun to say, isn't it? (Especially if you adopt a New Jersey accent!)

 

 

You could have gotten one for only $599 on Indiegogo if this blogger had been a little quicker (that short attention span again), but now you'll have to pony up $699 (+ shipping) or more if you wait longer. You get a pretty sparse bike for your money, but that's not always a bad thing. It's a bike you could fairly easily build yourself, but I don't know that you'd save much money. You can buy the same running gear from greenbikekit.com (+ bigger battery) and a few other places. Don't get too excited until you factor in shipping.

 

So, there it is. Fossil-almost-Free Friday with very few attention span breaks and a bevy of e-bikes to check out.

 

May your attention span be long enough to read an article like this, and may you find yourself fossil free on Fridays and other days that end in "y".