I'm kicking around the idea of an e-bike, and I don't know anyone who has one. How about you?

I have been looking at Rad Power bikes. Have pulled the trigger yet.

I have Dahon Speed P8 and I am thinking of making it electric or purchasing one of these, which has gotten excellent reviews especially for the price. God Bless

https://lectricebikes.com/

We have a trek at work that we use for trail patrol. It's awesome. Obviously heavier than a regular bike, so a little less nimble on the dirt, but it makes up for it by putting down the power. The other day my Sgt and I were out riding. I'm 35 and admittedly no athlete, but I'm pretty active. He's almost 60. I was on the regular bike, he was on the E-bike. We spent an hour and a half on dirt trails, and it was downright embarrassing to have people see the younger guy (me) sucking wind trying to keep up with the old man.

Ours will do 30mph easy on a flat, and I've put about 40 miles on it on a single charge (predominantly on the middle power setting, but with occasional bumps up to "turbo").

I'll say that I initially kinda discounted it as a lazy man's toy, but I've really begun to appreciate the value, especially for us. We typically only have one guy on at a time, so you can't get too far from the car in case you get a call that you need to respond to asap. This pretty much limited bike patrol to special details and OT. Now, you can get around so much faster on the bike, it makes bike patrol a viable option during our regular duty shifts. It also allows us to jump on the bike for an hour here and there and just cruise the park, and not have to worry about working up a massive sweat and being soaked for the rest of a 12 hour shift.

I work in the bicycle industry. I have yet to see someone who throws a leg over an e-bike who does not come back grinning ear to ear.

I am fully convinced that in 5-10 years bicycle shops will be selling more e-bikes than regular bikes.

Lots of people think they are cheating. But you end up working just as hard, you just get to go faster and further, which makes it more fun. The way I describe it to people have ridden for a good portion of their lives, "Remember when you were in really, really good shape, maybe racing shape, and you could push the pedals and the bike would respond and you could chase people down, and it always felt easy? Well, the bike makes you feel like that all the time."

There are of course many different types; MTB, road, commuter, cruiser, hybrid. Pick the type for your purpose.

All of the proper ones are pedal assist, meaning that if you are not pedaling, no power is being applied. There is not a throttle.

There is Class 1 and Class 3. Class one is limited to 20mph. Class 3 is limited to 28mph. Once you exceed these speeds the motor will no longer provide assistance. Class 1 is way, way more widespread, probably 90% of the models. Class 3 can generally only be found on road models and some commuter models.

Have fun!

My neighbor has one and he LOVES it. I like the idea of an E-bike. We have a ton of hills in our neighborhood and about 800+ houses so I have gotten back into cycling during this corona crap. I biked 29.6 miles last week. I’m trying to work up to cycling the entire neighborhood on one ride but it would take hours.

Once they get a battery regeneration application for downhill rides and breaking I imagine I might pull the trigger on one. I am already interested in them but I probably will get a better mountain bike first. I live near a park with some amazing trails.

I will probably get one at some point. But, at 61, I keep telling myself I have a ways to go!

I can ride my fixed gear 18 miles in an hour and 10 minutes on a good day, and I have two motorcycles. Why do I need one? They are fun to draft on my multi-speed bikes.

If you are looking to ride a bike and need a little boost getting up a hill they are a great option.

If you want to commute to work on a bike and get there quicker, less effort, less sweety they are a great way to go.

I sold Treks and Orbea e-bikes. What are you looking to use the bike for? That is the critical bit of information to give a recommendation.

The one thing not to buy, a bike with the motor in the rear hub.

I bought the RadRover in March, and it is my first ebike. It is a fatbike and a beast, weighing close to 70 lbs. if I recall. It has 5 assist settings, but I rarely go out of the eco-mode (setting 2). I think I get close to 50 miles on a charge when in eco-mode.

It has been a blast to explore places I never knew existed during the recent down time. I still get something of a cardio workout, but without the worry of bonking out on hills or far away. I even commuted to work, and found that to be an enjoyable way to face the day.

I have 120 miles on it, so it is time for the initial tune on the chain and gears, according to the manufacturer. I've had no issues at all so far. I chose Rad due to the price, and the Rover due to having planetary gears, rather than direct drive. For me, it has been a catalyst to get outside, a bit of exercise, and a different mode of transport.

My business is in the outdoor industry and many outdoor shops, when winter sports is over, they switch to bike selling. E-Bikes have not only saved the bike industry from mediocrity but, its also provided a business lift to the outdoor industry. Shop owners in recreation and resort areas (Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, Monterey, etc..) have seen a significant bump in business as locals and vacation home owners have all purchased e-bikes. They're either long time MTB enthusiasts and enjoy the extra boost that lengthens their endurance time on trail or, a simple cruiser where the trip to the market doesn't include an agonizing climb up that grinder of a hill.

If anything, it allows you the opportunity to see more and do more.

I am 70, active and 5'8", 220#. I have 8 bikes and one of them is a Trek e-bike, pedal assist type. Mine is a cruiser type that I switched the 2", 60 PSI tires for 1.5", 95 psi tires and I changed the handle bars for more variable position ones. Also, installed a suspension seat post.
Most of my riding is on smooth pavement county roads with little traffic and lots of hills. I use the e-bost for topping hills and seldom for anything else. My regular routes are 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 miles. Which route I take depends on time available and which way and how hard the wind is blowing.
According to my Apple watch, my calorie burn and heart rate are similar to non e-bike numbers, but I am not so "whupped" after a ride.