e-Motion

e - Motion February 2011

INSIGHTS FROM THE

Pete’s

e-BIKE / AUTO INDUSTRY

ROAD TESTS THE KALKHOFF PRO CONNECT COMPARES THE A2B METRO TO THE VELOCITI TECH TALK - BATTERY BASICS AND MORE...............

A Pete’s ELECTRIC PUBLICATION

= D = ; L J A ; SMART T R A N S P O R TAT I O N S O LU T I O N S

Think There始s Nothing You Can Do?

THINK AGAIN!

TABLE OF CONTENTS Pete’s IS DEDICATED TO PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE

ENVIRONMENTAL GOOD

Contributors.

Dean Keyek-Franssen. Canadian by birth, an entrepreneur and engineer by predilection, Dean KeyekFranssen is one of the founders of Pete’s Electric Bikes, which promotes sustainable, environmental good through the sales of electric bikes and vehicles. After a childhood spent in the Middle East and Europe, Dean earned degrees in computer science, mechanical engineering, and business management. During nearly two decades in the engineering industry, which brought him to remote locations in North and South America and Asia, Dean honed his entrepreneurial skills in a number of start-up companies. One of those companies is his own Alberta Peaks, Inc., which designs, manufactures, and launches innovative products, including the successful BikerDog, a patented device that allows cyclists to safely take their dogs for a run.

FEBRUARY 2011

Features 4 Pete’s Test Track - Pete’s reviews the Kalkhoff Pro Connect

6 7 10

Chuck Ankeny. A Pete’s co-owner, and a serial entrepreneur almost his entire career, Chuck started as an engineer for Memorex in Silicon Valley but quickly moved to the Napa Valley to help start a Vineyard Development company and winery called William Hill. A few years later, the company was bought by a multinational joint venture and Chuck set out to build a brewery in Napa Valley. Taking advantage of newly passed legislation, Willett’s Brewing Company opened in 1988 as one of the first large destination brewery/ restaurant concepts in the country. After selling the brewery in 1993, Chuck moved his family to his home town of Minneapolis and began a long career in the executive search business, finding high level executives and board members for emerging technology and life science companies.

Deborah Keyek-Franssen. Pete’s in-house red pen guru. Deb is the Director of Academic Technologies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she is responsible for strategic planning for the use, implementation, and evaluation of educational technologies, and for leading the evaluation of emerging technologies for potential use in teaching and learning on campus. She is also Co-Director of the Colorado Coalition for Gender and IT, which undertakes research and develops programs to increase the number of girls, women, and underrepresented minorities in IT education and work. Deborah completed her Ph.D. in German Literature at the University of Michigan, where she also earned a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, and a graduate certificate in Women’s Studies.

e - Bike News e - Car News Reviews e-Bike Comparison - A2B Metro V A2B Velociti

12 Pete’s Reads 14

Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities. by Jeff Mapes Monthly Rant - Bike Safety

16 23 26

Tech Topics - Battery Basics - Lithium Ion - Regenerative Braking - Conversions V Purchased

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Pete’s Test Track

The Kalkhoff Pro Connect

The very best Kalkhoff? That depends on what you need. To me, the Pro Connect is the very best Kalkhoff. It’s clean, simple and elegant. After months of drooling over this bike we finally got one into the shop and wow - what a great looking bike.

Devoid of all the trimmings of the Pro Connect Sport, the Pro Connect delivers quality through its simplicity. High end components at every angle, this could be the best commuter/general purpose ebike on the planet. It has the same 250watt Panasonic motor system and Sanyo 10 ah battery found in most all the other models but the Pro Connect utilizes Shimano’s top of the line Alfine internal 8 speed rear hub, XT front hub and XT V-brakes. The riding position is fairly athletic with slightly swept back handlebars and very nice Ergon grips.

Shifting is silky smooth even under load. This is a bike that you will want to ride and ride alot!

I had to look hard to find something to complain about - no disc brake tabs. There are situations where disc brakes are necessary and without the tabs you can’t add disc brakes.

We added disk brakes to our shop Pro Connect Sport. We recommend it.

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THE PANASONIC DRIVE SYSTEM

TORQUE SENSOR

A Kalkhoff Pedelec is a lot more than simply bolting a motor onto a great bike. Our electric-assist bicycles utilize a motor system that is lightweight, preciselycontrolled, efficient, low-maintenance, and reliable.

Here’s a cut-away diagram of the torque sensor as it would appear if looking through from the back of the bike. It can tell how hard you’re pedaling by measuring torsion (twisting) through the spindle that connects the pedals to the drivetrain of the bike. It uses a textured indicator ring in the middle and a sensor coil that reads the ring electrically. It’s highly sensitive and accurate, and does its job without mechanical contacts that would cause drag and make the bike harder to pedal.

CENTER DRIVE The Panasonic drive system is center drive, meaning that it’s designed to be in the middle of the bike for a low center of gravity, stability and an easy integration with the drivetrain. Note in the diagram below how the motor unit is a part of the normal arrangement of gears and chain on a bicycle and not a separate system. This setup also allows the motor to complement a full use of the gears on the bicycle. The power of the motor goes through the “transmission” of the bike before it reaches the wheel. A motor connected directly to the wheel would have to be more powerful, heavier, have reduced range, and lack the flexibility that gear selection offers.

THE MOTOR The drive unit uses a brushless DC motor “BLDC”.

This type of motor has tremendous advantages over a brushed DC motor including better reliability, more power, better efficiency, low maintenance, and all parts in a sealed enclosure. You can read a lot more about BLDC motors here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLDC and see some diagrams that show how they operate.

Some important features and advantages of the BLDC motor over a brushed DC motor are:

INTEGRATED UNIT The drive unit is more than just a motor; it also has a torque sensor and controller unit as well. You can’t see them from the outside, but they’re in the weatherproof casing, surrounding the motor. The torque sensor and the controller senses how hard you’re pedaling and adjusts how much assistance the motor gives you through the drive sprocket.

The small toothed wheel is the drive sprocket and the large one is the chain wheel. Inside the sealed aluminum case is the motor, controller, and torque sensor, all in a package of less than 9 pounds.

No electrical contacts. Brushes need to be maintained regularly, and as they wear down they leave debris inside the motor that can contaminate the contacts, making the motor less efficient or inoperable. Eventually they need to be replaced. The brushless motor works without contacts, which makes it low-maintenance and better at transferring power to move you forward.

The magnets move, the motor coils don’t. Most other electric motors have it the other way around. This means that the rotor can be lighter which makes it more responsive and efficient. The other advantage is that the driver coils of the motor stand still. They don’t need to be reinforced to spin at high speed without problems and they can be cooled by conduction rather than airflow.

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e-Bike News BEST BUY HAS ELECTRIC BUZZ

Major big-box retailer Best Buy says it plans to not only add electric vehicles to its Geek Squad fleet, but also EV charging stations for its own vehicles — and those of customers. Charging will probably be offered first in California, which appears likely to be the largest EV market in the U.S. Best Buy is probably the first large chain to confirm customer charging plans, though a working assumption of EV enthusiasts is that the big boxes will add the feature not only as a convenience for customers but as a way to keep them shopping in the store.

A charge could take anything from 10 minutes (Level 3 fast charging at 480 volts) to six hours (Level 2, 220 volts).

According to Jack Nerad, an executive marketing analyst at Kelley Blue Book. “This is great public relations for Best Buy. They get their name out there in a positive way connected to a real leading edge kind of thing, and at very little cost to them. It shows that companies

like Best Buy are really feeling their way forward with how to respond to electric cars.”

As I reported, big-box stores, including Best Buy, are talking to charging providers like Coulomb and General Electric (which just introduced the WattStation) about retailing home, wall-mounted EV According to Rick Rommel, a Best chargers. Rommel pointed out that Buy senior vice president of emergBest Buy started out as a “stereo ing business, the company has store” more than 40 years ago, 5,000 vehicles in the Geek Squad and that it has continued to add fleet, four of which are Mitsubishi categories – cell phones, computI-MiEV plug-in electrics. ers, appliances – as they became “We like what we see,” Rommel relevant. “The march of relevancy said. “They’re pretty good and our doesn’t stop,” he said, “so we’re agents like them. Those vehicles looking hard at the electrification are parked at our stores, and so of transportation and what it can we’ll need to have charging capac- deliver in terms of personal techity for them. It’s not too big a leap nology.” to see that we can re-purpose the Obviously, the amount of consumcharging infrastructure to make er electronics on board vehicles sure our customers can charge their cars too. ‘Golly gee, if we have is continuing to rise, and EVs will up the ante further by interacting an electric fleet and charging stawith cell phones and other devices tions already….’”

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to set up charging sessions and schedules. “The car is increasingly connected,” Rommel said.

Best Buy is test marketing the sale of electric bicycles and scooters in 40 stores on the west coast and further east, and some California outlets are selling the Brammo electric motorcycle. Ramping up to sell electric cars is also a possibility, and some stores in Great Britain have “showcased” the Tesla Roadster and a Citroen EV. Article taken from BNET by Jim Motavali, July 2010.

e-Car News

Ford Working With Best Buy

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 7, 2011 – Ford is working with consumer electronics leader Best Buy to offer a 240-volt home charging station for the company’s all-new Ford Focus Electric battery electric vehicle and future electric vehicles in the United States. Best Buy intends to sell the charging station and offer complete consultation and installation services through its Geek Squad subsidiary and thirdparty licensed electrical contractors.

“With fast charge times, low pricing and a userfriendly design, the 240-volt home charge station will be on the shopping list of most Focus Electric buyers,” said Mike Tinskey, manager of vehicle electrification and infrastructure, Ford Motor Company.

“By working with Best Buy to offer the charging station installation service solution, Ford is providing electric vehicle customers in the U.S. with a familiar, trusted source to turn to for their installation needs.”

After purchasing the all-electric vehicle, Focus Electric owners can work with their dealer to set up an installation appointment through Best Buy. Focus Electric charging stations also can be purchased through any of Best Buy’s nearly 1,200 stores nationwide or online at www. bestbuy.com. Since Best Buy’s Geek Squad is a fully owned, in-house service, customers can purchase the charging station and schedule installation from a single point of contact.

During the appointment, a Geek Squad agent will conduct a quick electrical audit to ensure the residence can support the 240-volt charging station. Once the residence passes the electrical audit, the Geek Squad agent will schedule a master electrician for a hasslefree charging station installation.

“This opportunity enables us to extend an existing strategic relationship with Ford and deliver another convenient solution to people who are anxious to embrace the latest transportation technologies,” said Chad Bell, senior director of New Business Solutions Group at Best Buy. “As more people gravitate toward electric-powered transportation, home energy management becomes an important consideration, and Best Buy intends to be actively engaged in providing convenient, easy-to-access solutions from both our retail and service support operations.”

This latest Ford and Best Buy collaboration builds on an already established relationship. The two companies have been working to help consumers in the U.S. understand and utilize the industry-leading SYNC® incar communications system. Through Best Buy Mobile, the retailer will offer specially trained associates to assist with Ford SYNC education, training and phone compatibility tests to ensure consumers are maximizing the SYNC experience.

The Ford Focus Electric charging station can be easily installed, replaced or upgraded without the use of tools due to its innovative design and mounting bracket. The 240-volt home charging station will allow Focus Electric owners to fully charge their cars in as little as three to four hours – charging in half the time as the Nissan Leaf.

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e-Car News

10 ELECTRIC CARS YOU CAN BUY IN 2011

might not want a funky-looking subcompact like the Leaf. The Leaf starts at $32,780 before any tax credits.

Not so long ago, electric vehicles were woeful. They were fringe models, sometimes with no back seat, a short driving range or no amenities, or they were exorbitantly expensive converted gasoline-powered cars.

CHEVROLET VOLT

The idea of visiting a nearby car showroom to buy an electric car from a car company that might still be in business a year down the road was unheard of, until now. The first modern, mainstream electric vehicles are coming to market in 2011. Here are some of the options that will really, truly be available to car shoppers in most areas of the country in the next year ahead.

NISSAN LEAF

FORD TRANSIT CONNECT

“Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.” It’s a popular safety admonishment, but the electric car equivalent could be “Never drive farther than your extension cord can reach.” The Chevy Volt addresses the fear of running low on battery charge with no power outlet nearby by including a gas-powered generator on board to propel the car to the next charging station. Like the Leaf, the Volt is in mass production and is on sale now, so you can buy one from a nearby dealer. It costs $41,000 before tax credits.

FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC The battery-electric Nissan Leaf is hitting dealers in limited regions now, with a nationwide rollout to come in 2011. Nissan has invested in battery manufacturing plants with the expectation of selling a half-million electric cars a year worldwide. That will mean a proliferation of Nissan and Infiniti electrics in varying sizes and shapes to suit customers who

driving experience, but they will have the option of enjoying that sans gasoline. A 23 kilowatt-hour battery pack should give the Focus about the same driving range as the Nissan Leaf, but in a more spacious, mainstream model.

As The Focus has been a popular compact model in recent years. So

For even more space, electric car intenders can opt for the Transit Connect Electric minivan. This vehicle is aimed at commercial customers who make delivery runs over a pre-defined distance before returning to a base to recharge, but with an 80-mile range the Transit Connect could also do soccer mom carpool duty. But you can probably forget using it for the holiday drive to Grandma’s house or a summer vacation trip unless those destinations are nearby. Ford has already started delivering electric Transits to fleet customers, but retail pricing still isn’t available.

MITSUBISHI I-MIEV

when an electric version arrives in Ford showrooms toward the end of the year consumers will already be familiar with the Focus name and Page 8

Mitsubishi “electrified” one of its tiny Japanese domestic market “kei” segment minicars, but found

10 Electric cars you can buy in 2011 continued

that global customers found it too claustrophobic. So in late 2011 the company will launch a version that is four inches wider, allowing the I-MiEV to feel more like a real car and a bit less like a Smart ForTwo that’s been stretched to seat four people. This car will cost less than $30,000 before any tax incentives, so it could be the least expensive battery electric on the market.

HONDA FIT EV The Fit won’t reach showrooms until 2012, but like the preceding models it will come from an established carmaker that can provide sales and service from a nearby dealer for most customers. The Fit will have the same 100-mile range as most cars in the battery EV segment, but it offers three driving modes that can improve acceleration or driving range, depending on the program selected. The electric drive motor is derived from the one in Honda’s FCX Clarity fuel-cell car, and the Fit EV can reach a top speed of 90 mph.

TESLA ROADSTER

personal fleet. That means the Tesla Roadster is probably not doing a great deal to solve the world’s energy problems, but it has served a useful role in advancing interest in electric vehicles and it is helping to establish the Tesla brand name as the company plots more mainstream models.

its tiny four-seat City electric car in Austria, Norway and the Netherlands.

City in the U.S. in 2011. Keep an eye out for availability, but don’t expect to find a dealer in every town as with the established carmakers.

FISKER KARMA GEM Like the Chevrolet Volt, the Fisker Karma backs up its battery pack with a gas-fueled generator. Like the Tesla Roadster, the Karma has an exclusive price tag that will preclude its widespread use as a commuter car.

But the Fisker Karma does help illustrate the point that electricpowered cars need not be tiny, or funny-looking. And while Fisker is a new, unproven brand, founder Henrik Fisker has earned respect in the industry over the course of his career as a designer, and he has inked a deal for the Karma to be assembled by a Finnish contract manufacturer that has also built cars for Porsche, so this company probably isn’t the flash in the pan it might appear to be.

GEM doesn’t stand for Golf carts Everywhere Manufacturing (it is actually Global Electric Motorcars), but its little machines are built on a scale closer to that of golf carts than of real cars (even the Think City and Mitsubishi I-MiEV look menacingly large by comparison, and those cars meet all federal crash safety requirements). GEM’s neighborhood electric vehicles are good for tooling around a corporate campus or running neighborhood errands on streets with low speed limits, and their comparatively low price tag (starting at $7,500) makes them an appealing option if you only expect to use your electric car for these sorts of uses.

Reprinted from MSNBC.com.

Contributor Dan Carney

Tesla is not a longstanding traditional car maker, but the company is building credibility by steadily delivering it zippy two-seat sports cars to customers. The Tesla Roadster is tiny and holds only two people, and it has a six-figure price tag, so most buyers are wealthy consumers who are adding an electric plaything to their

THINK

Speaking of Nordic companies, Think is a longtime electric carmaker from Norway that Ford briefly owned during its acquisitive days. The company has since regained its independence and is selling the latest version of Page 9

Pete’s Reviews The UltraMotor A2B Metro

V The UltraMotor A2B Velociti ULTRAMOTOR USA, BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA HAS RECENTLY RELEASED THE VELOCITI, THE MUCH ANTICIPATED FOLLOW-

frustrating, is the lack of good load carrying capabilities. The bike is certainly capable of carrying load but the racking options are limited at best. We have been forced to design and build our own racks since the stock offerings, where they exist, are poorly executed.

The Metro has a 500W motor and 36V battery.

UP TO THE AWARD WINNING

1. The controller is out of the motor and located under the battery box..

A2B METRO. NOW THAT WE

New for the 2011 Metro:

.2 New improved fender and stays. Much needed......

3. Double sided chain guide with the top pin and pully removed.

HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO PUT THE VELOCITI TO THE TEST WE

4. Enclosed rear shock with a elastomer/dampener built in. The elastomer previously came with the external battery.

THOUGHT WE WOULD SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH IT.

5. Front and rear light kit.

At 73 lbs, the Metro is the heaviest we carry making it difficult to load in a vehicle or carry up stairs, the Avid BB5 brakes are problematic to keep adjusted properly and tend to wear out brake pads quickly. A simple upgrade to BB7 calipers eliminates that problem. The tires are poor and replacement choices are virtually non-existent. There are some Kenda’s with reinforced sidewalls which are a bit better but we still see a higher than acceptable number of rear flats.

We have outfitted several of our customer bikes with smaller, knobby tires from Maxxis and even some with studded winter tires. With the integrated battery, the bike needs to be near a power source to charge or a long extension cord is needed. We would also like to see the upper chain guide eliminated to help quiet the drive train noise. Finally, and perhaps the most

6. Digital display All these additions will make for a better product. The 2011 suggested retail price for the Metro is $3099.

The UltraMotor Velociti is a bit more “bike-like” than the A2B Metro, with its 26” wheels and rigid rear frame. Lighter at 52 lbs. Although the 2011 Velociti comes with 24” wheels. It can still absorb the worst road jarring bumps through its suspension seat post and front shock. We like the styling and overall feel of the bike. The front end seems light and lively and the steering feels very natural. The back end of the bike is however very heavy and it makes the bike feel a bit awkward. We still have the same brake issues with the Avid BB5 mechanical units, but properly adjusted they stop the bike just fine. Mounting front handle-

Page 10

bar accessories is easier since the Velociti employs industry standard stem and bar. Rear load carrying still requires either a custom built rack or utilizing the rather weak UltraMotor solution. The Velociti has a 400W motor and 36V battery.

New for the 2011 Velociti: 1. 24� wheels 2. The battery is moved forward towards the seat post.

This should help with those jarring bumps.

3. Improved fender stays 2011 suggested retail price for the Velociti is $2199.

Also for 2011 will be the Hybrid. The

Hybrid will be an assist e-bike. No throttle.

The motor wil be 250 Watts, with a 36V, 9.5Ah lithium ion battery. Assisit e-bikes typically come with 2-3 levels of assist. The Hybrid will be no different and come with 3 levels of assist. We managed a quick test of the Hybrd at Interbike 2010. Our initial reactions were positive. We look forward to testing the hybrid under daily commuting conditions. 2011 suggested retail price for the Hybrid is $2399.

A2B Velociti

By Chuck Ankeny

A2B Metro

Page 11

Pete’s Reads

Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities. by Jeff Mapes

IF YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A MANIFESTO TO INSPIRE THE MASSES

(AND MAYBE EVEN YOURSELF) TO TAKE TO THE PEDALS, PEDALING REVOLUTION ISN’T QUITE THE BOOK YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

While Mapes provides his readers with an insider’s glimpse into the personalities of a few biking communities and organizations in the US, and details the traffic laws and biking cultures of select international cities, Pedaling Revolution is not a book about or for the masses. It focuses almost exclusively on white, middle class male commuters, with a Mom here, a Latino there, an urban fashionista sprinkled in for occasional spice only.

The revolution begins by positing the history of cycling as a political movement. Mapes overstates this thesis.

Even he admits that the sometimes puzzling, often extreme variability of the bicycle manufacturing industry, his ultimate measure of the popularity of biking, might be tied to population changes and not to a social movement. And yet, it is his optimism, his conviction that change is afoot, that keeps his reader’s attention. The nearly obsessive focus on a few leaders of biking organizations and their minute disputes may make the eyes of readers unfamiliar with those organizations glaze over at the book’s beginning. At the same time, the messages of hope and common sense about bicycles as a preferred mode of transportation are enough reason to read the book to its end.

The narrative picks up in chapter 2, when Mapes

begins his world tour of prominent biking communities around the world. The tour starts in Amsterdam, where the enlightened citizenry bicycles with a uniquely Dutch panache--well-heeled and so used to the preeminence of the bicycle that they don’t even notice it. The urban hip are the stars of Portland and San Francisco, tatooed and organizing Critical Mass rides and running bike repair co-ops.

Chapters 4-6 provide exemplars of city planning efforts that promote alternate modes of transportation, including biking. Portland, Davis, and New York City all are highlighted as successful bicycling communities, thanks to concerted efforts to build bike lanes, “share the road” campaigns, and (often grudging) acknowledgment by merchants of the economic benefits of a strong bike community. Mapes notes, however, that the “biking revolutions” in these cities are not universally welcomed: motorists complain, cyclists sometimes exhibit aggressive behavior, and tragic accidents are not as rare as one would hope. In addition, he tells of the irony of the traditional popularity of cycling in Davis. The desirability of the city, in part based on its bike culture, has raised real estate prices beyond the reach of those who work there, decreasing their opportunity to bike commute to their jobs.

Mape’s chapter on bike safety is his weakest. Neither a set of helpful hints on how to be safe while riding, nor a good synopsis of research on bike safety, this chapter is a mix of statistics, analyses of data, and some incorrect interpretations of those data culled to make his argument that bicycling doesn’t kill people, cars do. His final chapters don’t offer much new information (of course bike riding is healthier than driving a car) and often fall into an annoying “back in the good ol’ days” refrain, a refrain that goes something like this: “When I was a kid, we rode our bikes every-

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where. Kids today don’t, which means our society is really messed up. We need to bike more to make it not messed up again.”

In general, Pedaling Revolution is a bit jumpy, reading like strung-together articles from the daily newspaper of a small city with a big bike culture. At times, one can almost imagine Mapes at the local planning commission meeting, taking furious notes, transcribing arguments, and then making us read them word-for-word.

His bibliography notwithstanding, Mape’s research strikes this reader as superficial, based primarily on his own observations, bike industry publications, and newspaper articles. He dances around, but never comes right out to say that a true pedaling revolution in this country will take hard, complicated work that combines astute city planning, exceptional traffic engineering, a complete change in the American obsession with cars, and then may be available only to those with short commutes to work.

These critiques aside, Pedaling Revolution is worth the read. It provides some historical perspective, some great descriptions of biking communities, and enoughmotivation to jump on a bike to get to work.

Have a book on electric bikes or bicycling you want us to read and or review? Send it to us at, info@petesebikes.com OR mouse to petesebikes.com/blog/category/ petes_reads

By Deborah Keyek-Franssen, P.h.D.

Comment on our FaceBook page @ petes electric bikes

WHAT’S NEXT FOR PETE’S READS? Electric Bicycles By David Henshaw and Richard Peace

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Page 13

Monthly Rant Bike Safety DO BICYCLE ACCIDENT INJURY REPORTS IMPROVE SAFETY, OR SCARE POTENTIAL CYCLISTS?

Each year, California mourns more than 130 bicycle accident deaths and more than 11,000 injuries. Many major cities and smaller towns have implemented

This won’t surprise you: bicycle injuries are bad for your health. That’s (partially) the conclusion of a yearlong bicycle commuter study released by the Oregon Health & Science University about the impact increased Portland bicycle use, reports TheOregonian.

Portland is often referred to as “Bike City USA,” since its growth in bicycle ridership and city support for bicycle programs has accelerated in recent years. (California’s Bay Area is also considered a major bicycle hub.) But some bicycle supporters are worried that the study, which credits bicycles for being green and health-inducing, could dissuade would-be cyclists with the finding that 22 percent of Portland’s bicycle commuters reported injuries between 2007 and 2008.

Among other findings, the study reports that bicycle riders are 12 times more likely than auto commuters to experience serious injuries because even while wearing a helmet, they are much more vulnerable. But some bicycle enthusiasts say the report exaggerates the seriousness of even the most minor injuries. North Portland’s Robin Bogert, 27, complained that “when I fell the first time in three years and skinned my hand, that counted.” Rob Sadowski, executive director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance agreed that the injury numbers seemed high. “Obviously, I know a lot of folks who are bicycling,” he said. “I don’t know that many who have had a serious crash.”

Even if the study overstates the number of serious injuries resulting from bicycle accidents, it does so for a good cause: increasing bicycle safety on public roads.

Portland’s City Council has approved $613 million toward 681 miles of new bicycle paths over the next twenty years, but remains haunted by bicycle fatalities due to poor road conditions, reckless drivers, and lack of safety equipment use.

safety plans to improve this statistic. California’s transit agency, for example, will put $50 million toward Federal Highway Administration funds to improve bicycle and pedestrian paths across the state.

But to get really serious about bicycle safety, the city should do more to boost funding for bicycle paths, and implement stricter bicycle safety lawsto keep cyclists in helmets, and increase awareness among vehicle drivers.

It’s no doubt that choosing to commute to work on a bicycle carries additional injury risks compared to driving. But the health and environment benefits often outweigh those risks, especially if cyclists wear appropriate safety gear and obey all traffic signals. So even if the Portland bicycle report scares some timid cyclists away, if it also coaxes the city to boost bicycle safety paths and laws, then it will be a long term net gain for the city and cyclists alike.

BICYCLE CRASH STATISTICS The loss of 630 lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes in 2009, just under two people every day of the year in the U.S., is a terrible toll. While lower than the 760 fatalities in 1998, bicycling crashes were on the rise just a few years ago. These numbers represent approximately 2 percent of the total number of people killed and injured in traffic crashes in 2009. The number of reported injuries involving bicyclists has followed a similar fluctuating but downward trend, from 68,000 in 1993 to 41,000 in 2003, only to rise again in 2005.

Reported injuries in 2007 dropped again to 43,000 represents another decline, but rose to 52,000 in

Page 14

2008. The number of reported injuries involving bicyclists dropped to 51,000 in 2009. However, we know from research into hospital records that only a fraction of bicycle crashes causing injury are ever recorded by the police, possibly as low as ten percent.

QUICK FACTS

2009: 4 percent The total cost of bicyclist injury and death is over $4 billion per year (National Safety Council).

By Chuck Ankeny

Bicyclist Deaths in 1998: 761 Bicyclist Deaths in 2009: 630 (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts) Reduction in bicyclist deaths between 1998 and 2009: 17 percent Bicyclist Injuries in 1998: 53,000 Bicyclist Injuries in 2009: 51,000 (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts) Reduction in bicyclist injuries between 1998 and Crash Data Provided By The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) bicyclinginfo.org

Have a bike safety rant you want to vent? Send it to info@petesebikes.com OR mouse to petesebikes.com/blog/category/your_comments Comment on our FaceBook page @ petes electric bikes Comment on our Twitter page

@ petesebikes Page 15

Tech Topics

Battery Basics

THE BATTERY PACK IS ONE OF THE DEFINING ASPECTS OF ANY

ELECTRIC VEHICLE PROJECT; BY AND LARGE IT DETERMINES THE

WEIGHT, RANGE, AND COST OF

THE VEHICLE. FOR THESE REASONS A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF THE VARIOUS BATTERY TYPES IS MORE THAN A LITTLE USEFUL.

Battery Basics and Terminology Voltage

While there are a lot of chemical combinations that can and have been made into useful batteries, in practice there are only four rechargeable types readily available in sizes suitable for bikes. There are Lead Acid (PbA), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Nickel Cadmium (NiCad), and Lithium-ion or Lithium Polymer.

For a long time, lead acid has been the de facto standard for EV’s. The cost is low and the chemistry well understood: Always charge up the lead acid battery whenever you can, never leave it in a flat state, expect only 60-70% of the rated amp-hours, and be glad if you get 200 cycles in a deep discharge environment.

Probably 80% of all bikes sold around the world still use lead acid battery packs, but their days are limited.

The weight of lead needed to propel a bicycle for a decent 40-50km range is simply too much for a bicycle to easily handle.

Nickel Metal Hydride is quite similar to Nickel Cadmium, but with a higher energy density and a safer environmental record when disposed of in landfills. This is the dominant rechargeable battery type in digital cameras and other consumer products that offer user replaceable cells.

Almost all consumer electronics that have a plug-in

charger these days are powered with lithium batteries because they can store about 3 times more energy than NiMH. Small devices like cell phones, mp3 players, and other gadgets typically have lithium-polymer packs, as these can be formed in conveniently shaped thin rectangular pouches. Larger devices like laptops and the new lithium cordless power tools generally use cylindrical Lithium-ion cells of a size smaller than a ‘C’ but bigger than a ‘AA’. These are spot welded in series/parallel combination to give an appropriate voltage and capacity for the job.

Battery packs are made up of individual cells connected together. Each cell has a more or less constant voltage dependent on its chemistry. For NiCad/NiMH, this is about 1.2V, for lead acid it is 2.0V, and for lithium cells it is on the order of 3.7V. Typical e-bikes and scooters are designed to run on 24, 36, or 48 Volts, so a number of cells have to be series connected into a ‘battery’ that has the desired net voltage. A nominal 36V pack could be made from 10 lithium cells, 18 lead acid cells, or 30 NiMH cells.

Amp-Hours As you draw current from a battery pack, the voltage will very slowly decrease until the cells start to go flat and then the voltage will plummet. The time that the battery lasts for is directly related to its capacity, measured in amp-hours (Ah). A pack that can deliver 1 amp for 1 hour has a capacity of 1 Ah. Most e-bike batteries are on the order of 10 amp-hours. Suppose your bike uses 15 amps on average and has a 10Ah pack, then you would expect it to last for - quick, mental calculation... - 40 minutes.

In general, the size and cost of a cell will scale directly with its amp-hour capacity. To a first order, twice the

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amp-hours would mean twice the size, twice the weight, and twice the cost.

In practice this deviates a little due to different packing densities and production scales, but it’s usually pretty close. For instance, the familiar ‘AA’ NiMH has about 2 Ah, a ‘C’ cell has 4 Ah, a ‘D’ cell is about 8Ah, the large ‘F’ cells are 12-13 Ah, and double-D cells are 18-19Ah.

Watt Hours The figure that matters most when comparing how far a given battery pack will take you is not the amp-hour capacity but the total energy stored watt-hours. To make things more familiar, one watt-hour is one-thousandth of a kWh, the unit of energy used to measure household electrical usage. The watt-hours stored in a battery pack is approximated by taking the actual amphours and multiplying it by the pack voltage.

A higher voltage setup therefor needs fewer amp-hours to deliver the same range. So a 24V 8Ah battery can deliver 192 watt-hours, while a 48V 4Ah pack also has 192 watt-hours. Assuming that both batteries are of the same chemistry, then you could expect they would weight the same, cost the same, and provide the same performance on appropriately designed e-bikes (i.e., one designed for 24V and the other for 48V).

192 watt-hours is about the smallest battery size you would want for an ebike.

By Dean Keyek-Franssen

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Tech Topics

Regenerative Braking

HAVE YOU EVER FOLLOWED A SMOKE FROM OVERHEATED

This “reversibility” of electric motors is very different from the internal combustion motors in most cars.

Can you imagine turning the wheels of a typical car backwards and having gasoline pour into the tank? Essentially this is what happens when you put your foot on the brake of a Toyota Prius or Honda Insight hybridelectric vehicle.

When you hit the brakes, the car’s kinetic energy is converted to heat through friction—throwing away the energy that was previously used to accelerate the car.

In city driving, about 30 percent of a typical car’s engine output is lost to braking. This proportion drops to almost zero in highway driving, where braking is much less frequent.

When a hybrid-electric vehicle is approaching a stop light, it does not create friction and useless heat in order to slow down. Instead it reverses its electric motor turning it into an electric generator, creating electricity which is fed back into a battery and stored for when the light turns green. In fact any time a hybrid-electric vehicle slows down, lifting the accelerator or application of the “brake” causes the system to use the vehicle’s momentum to generate electricity.

LARGE TRUCK DOWN A LONG HILL AND SMELLED THE ACRID BRAKES?

The heat that causes parts of a truck’s brake system to melt and create smoke comes from friction. Traditional brake systems grip metal disks or drums, using friction to slow or stop the rotating wheels of a vehicle.

The friction of the brakes resists the forward momentum of the whole vehicle, and that friction creates heat.

In order for something to heat up it takes energy. The energy that heats up a truck’s brake system comes from its momentum, speed, and mass. Where does a truck’s momentum come from? It comes from fuel.

Traditional brake systems, like those on large trucks, waste energy by converting forward momentum into heat.

Hybrid-electric vehicles with regenerative braking can save a great deal of energy when compared to traditional cars, especially in “stop-and-go” driving situations.

So we ask the question, Is Regenerative Braking a Good Thing On An Electric BIke? In our experience it takes a lot of braking (on an ebike) to make a positive affect to the battery. Some aftermarket conversion kits come with regenerative capability. Slowing down requires less conventional braking. Saving wear and tear on brake parts. It’s a cool feature with hug potential.

One of the energy efficiency advantages of hybrid-electric technology over traditional drivetrains is regenerative braking.

It is also a feature that we end up tweaking in the shop to work properly. I would not make my e-bike buying decision solely on this feature. But, know as the industry evolves so will regenerative braking on e-bikes.

A hybrid-electric vehicle uses an electric motor to create torque to drive its wheels. Interestingly, electric motors can be designed to be virtually identical to electric generators. This means an electric motor can either use electricity to create torque, or reverse the process to use torque to create electricity.

A Hill Example To better summarize the effect this has on electric bicycle regeneration imagine an electric bicycle climbing an 8% grade at 15mph using 20A @ 36V or 720W of power. Let’s say, conversion losses from controller,

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battery, and motor are about 20%, so you are actually only getting 80% of your total energy output to move you forward - this equals about 575W. At 15mph, the bicycle is also overcoming about 125W of rolling resistance and 150W of aerodynamic drag - leaving about 300W for hill climbing.

Now, imagine you are coming back down the same hill with regeneration turned on full (approximately 5A @ 36V or 180W). This slows the bike substantially, removing more than half of the acceleration due to gravity, which means you’ll be accelerating down the hill much slower than normal. How slow?

If it took 300W to climb the hill and over 180W is being converted into energy for the battery, it is safe to assume you would lose about half your acceleration coming down the hill. In our example we can assume a 19mph descent, instead of about 35mph without regeneration. Assuming a high efficiency on recharge (let’s say 50%), we’d be getting only 90W back to the battery on the way down the hill and only have 75% the time to charge as we did to discharge.

This means, the regeneration downhill only produces 90W/720W * 100 = 12.5% of the energy used to get up. Plus, all the fun of coasting fast downhill is gone ...

At a conversion rate of only 12.5% regenerative braking is a poor way to recover energy coming down the hill and far less efficient than coasting, which essentially suffers from no conversion losses. So instead of regeneration, you could coast down a hill fast and use the speed to help you coast right up the next hill.

If you are interested in extending your range, simply bring a second battery for close to a 100% incrase in range (much higher than 12.5%) at a much lower cost, only $349 for a NiMh battery vs. $500 or more for a system with regeneration. While you’ll be carrying approximately 14 lbs. more you’ll have the flexibility to leave a battery to recharge while continuing ride or you can pack up both batteries for a long trip. If you’re worried about the extra weight of an additional battery consider it doesn’t substantially increase your aerodynamic drag, won’t substantially increase your rolling resistance and increases your hill climbing power requirement by a mere 21W (on an 8% grade). In fact your total additional power requirement would be only 29W, which only increases power consumption by 4%.

That leaves you 96% more power.

By Dean Keyek-Franssen

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Tech Topics

Conversion V Purchased

TO CONVERT OR PURCHASE? THAT IS THE QUESTION. When thinking about your options for getting into an electric bike, you can either buy an ready made bike, or convert your own bike. We decided to not go into details about which kit to purchase or which electric bike to purchase but rather focus on the pros and cons of each. The goal is to make your decision easier when going through this process.

Conversion Conversions seem simple, and for the most part, they are, but there are several issues to consider and work through.

1. Choice of bike. Step thru or men’s frame, mountain or street, cruiser or city - they all work with a conversion kit. When we do a conversion we look for a sturdy frame, steel or cro-moly. Many bikes are made out of cro-moly, a blend of chromium and molybdenum.

Aluminum bikes are sometimes ok, but generally not recommended. Aluminum front forks are a definite no (read Front Forks below). Conversions allow you to use the bike you love and may have already customized.

2. Front or Rear Motor. Front motors are easier to add.

There are no rear gearing, derailleur or chain issues to deal with. Front hub motors are a good option for bikes with a rear internally geared hub. Front fork spacing may be an issue. More on this in Front Forks.

Also to be considered with a front hub motor is the use of a torque arm. A torque arm is a mechanical device added to the front fork which prevents the hub motor shaft from spinning in the drop outs. More on this in Front Forks. Rear motors require a little more thought.

Most rear dropouts have a spacing of 135mm. The motor and rear freewheel need to fit in this space.

Spacers can be added or removed to accommodate

the motor width. If the bike has an internally geared rear hub, and you want to keep that functionality, a rear hub motor is not an option. So for our purposes, we are going to discuss a rear wheel with cassette/ freewheel and derailleur. Some rear hub motors may come with a freewheel attached. In some cases of older rear wheels, the freewheel can be removed and reused from the old wheel. This requires a special tool, so you may have to go to your bike shop to have the freewheel removed. Another consideration is the number of cogs on the freewheel. 7 may be the max you can fit. We also recommend a torque arm to prevent the motor shaft from spinning in the dropouts. This may have to be custom made as each bike is different. Some motors have the controller (brains) built into the motor. Others have a small controller (2x3x1) that needs to be wired and placed somewhere on the bike - typically close to the motor and battery. A motor with the controller built in eliminates the need for wiring and hiding. There are some drawback to a controller built into the motor, heat dissipation and repair are two. If you want more information on this email us, info@petesebIkes. Motor wattage is also a factor. Motors can be purchased from 250 watts to 1000 watts. More wattage can mean more speed and torque. More wattage also draws more energy from the battery. If you a looking for a city electric bike 350 watts may do the trick. If you are commuting on your e-bike 500 to 750 watts will work.

3. Front Forks. The front forks require serious thought if using a front hub motor. We will not place a hub motor on an aluminum front fork. The drop outs do not have the strength to hold the hub motor from spinning.

We know that a torque arm could be used to eliminate spinning, but this introduces additional forces on the steer tube. So we are just moving the stresses to a different location on the fork. One option is a Triple Clamp Fork. Changing the front fork introduces additional challenges. Such as head tube diameter and length. Most mountain bikes are 1 1/8� thread-less,

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where inexpensive cruiser bikes are 1” threaded. So finding the correct fork for your bike could be challenging. We have custom made front forks to work through these issues or modify front forks to work in certain applications. In many applications it may be easier to use a rear hub motor if you do not want to go through front fork modifications.

4. Brakes. Newer bikes have at least a front disk brake and rear caliper brake. When we do a conversion we like to use front and rear disk brakes. Most good rear hub motors are disk brake compatible. Your bike may not be disk brake compatible.

ger, typically more costly. A smart charger will have a fan, bring the battery back from a negative state, LED’s showing charge status and an on/off switch.

7. Throttle or Pedal Assist. Most e-bike kits come with a throttle of pedal assist option. The throttle allows you to apply power as desired. The pedal assist requires pedaling to activate the motor. We using a throttle we prefer a 1/4 throttle. Meaning the throttle is 1/4 of the entire grip. This allows you to hold the throttle without possibly mistakenly turning the throttle and activating the motor. Throttles are great if you are not into pedaling. But then go buy a a gas scooter.

Bikes are meant to be pedaled. Pedal assist requires that you pedal to activate the motor. Not throttle is required. The motor and controller sense torque activating the motor. Most good systems have 2-3 levels of assist, low to high.

If not, we recommend a good set of caliper brakes.

Not all front forks are disk brake compatible. So if you are going with a front hub motor and need to modify your front forks, go with disk brake compatible. Good hub motor kits come with brake inhibitors. Meaning when you pull the front or rear brake lever the motor is disengaged. A feature we highly recommend. Some Purchased hub motors have brake regen. When you let off the accelerator the motor slows itself down. A cool feature.

Purchased e-bikes may offer fewer customized feaIn some instances power is diverted back into chargtures but certainly allow you to jump on and start ing the battery. riding immediately. Lets look at a couple of features you should look for when deciding on a Conversion V 5. Wiring. We consider this the Pièce de résistance of Purchased. e-bike conversions. We spend considerable time hiding wires and making connections easy to use. Each 1. Style. Step thru or not? We think that step thru hub motor uses different connections. We eliminate styles are great. Very easy to get on and off for both any non-used wires to clean things up. Wiring requires male and female. Come on guys they are no longer use of soldering tools, heat shrink and wire ties. We girls bikes. Electric bikes are typical 6” longer than like to eliminate any future possibilities of wire shorts non electric. This makes a step thru easier to mount. so we always solder and heat shrink.

No need to swing that leg over the longer rear end.

6. Battery. We understand that cost can be an issue when choosing a battery. But, we recommend lithium ion. It is more costly, but lighter, more efficient, earth friendly, lasts longer, and in some cases easier to mount. Depending on the hub motor you can go with a 24, 36, or 48 volt system. Each of these can also be doubled. We typically mount a lithium battery to a beefy rear rack. Some battery options come with a key way to mount the battery. A rear rack bag can also be used to house the battery.

Some batteries come with a negative/positive connector. If not one will need to be connected to the battery by soldering or some other connector. Chargers typically come with the battery. We prefer a smart char-

2. Get up and Go. Purchased e-bikes allow you to start riding immediately. Most good e-bikes come with a lithium ion battery, brake inhibitors, lights (connected to the battery or otherwise), and good brakes. Most good e-bikes even have a front disk brake.

3. Motor. A purchased e-bike can have either a front or rear hub motor. Some have mid drives where the motor is incorporated into the pedals. We recommend no less than a 350 watt front or rear hub motor. A mid drive motor is typically 250 watts. Keep in mind most purchased e-bikes cut off at 20mph regardless of motor wattage. So higher wattage equates to greater torque. Good for hills.

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4. Battery. Most higher end e-bikes come with lithium ion batteries. Typically a 24 or 36 volt system.

5. Throttle or Pedal Assist. You can find either a throttle or pedal assist electric bike. A few higher end e-bikes exist with both features. You may not get the feature on the e-bike model brand you want. You may also not get the throttle type, 1/4 throttle or full throttle type on the e-bike brand you want.

Your Choice We have pointed out a few factors to consider when it comes to having to make a decision on Conversion V Purchased. If you do not have a bike to convert the decision is easy. If you do not have the technical skills to install a kit the decision is easy. If you want to ride today, the decision is easy.

A conversion allows some more customization. You can use the bike you love. But as we described you may be in for some modifications, bike dependent.

A purchased e-bike can also be customized. The saddle, handle bars, grips, pedals, tires, and sometimes brakes can all be customized to meet your needs. You typically get a good lithium ion battery, a good motor all built around a frame designed for an e-bike. Purchaing an e-bike Overall the decision to go to an e-bike will be a good one. You get out of your car, you get exercise, and you help the planet.

Have a Tech Topic you want us to discuss? Send it to us at, info@petesebikes.com OR mouse to petesebikes.com/blog/category/ your_comments Comment on our FaceBook page

@ petes electric bikes

By Dean Keyek-Franssen

Comment on our Twitter page

@ petesebikes

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Letters

E-BIKES E IS FOR ECOLOGY, ELECTRIC, ECCENTRIC, EXCITING, AND EXCELLENT!

BY HONORA LEE WOLFE, LAFAYETTE CO. When my husband and I were younger and lived close to our office, we both rode regular bicycles to work at least a few days per week and at least half of the year.

In 2004 we sold our little Boulder house and moved to exurbia in search of affordable garage, studio, guest room, and dining room space! But now our commute was not so short and sweet and we were not so young anymore. I tried the regular bike into town from 95th street a few times and discovered that, while it was not impossible, it was no longer pleasant. It was a serious seven-mile work out on Arapahoe or Baseline Rd. and with aging hips and knees, 14 miles left me achey and aggravated my tendency to joint pain. Still, I missed the exercise, the wind in my hair, and the emotional space between working and home life that the bicycle commute allowed, but I was unwilling to put myself in pain all the time. Bummer. I let go of two wheels other than a motorcycle. However, being small and short, there are few great motorcycle options with which I am comfortable, so after a few years of black leather I have given that up as well.

However, by purchasing a woman’s style frame and with a bunch of adjustments to the seat and handlebars, I was able to ride an I-Zip model that I just loved.

I bought it as fast as the distributor could get one to Boulder. Since then I have had a few problems with the bike each year. I believe these are due to the fact that emerging technology is not perfect (perhaps I have the beta-test model). Still, the guys at Pete’s Bike have kept me on the road with humor and for a pretty low price so far. Maybe as the technology matures I’ll trade mine in on a smaller frame and a different company model.

For now, the 14 mile roundtrip is pleasant, my joints are happier, and, as all cyclists know, you see and hear all kinds of things that people in cars will never notice.

Then in 2007, I was perusing a Real Goods catalog and I saw a selection of electric-assist bicycles. The technology was clearly first generation and in start up phase in this country, but I was unwilling to wait. After endless calls to local bike shops, I finally got smart and called Real Goods to see if they could help me find somewhere on the front range of Colorado where I could test-drive a few of the bike models. They gave me the name of one local distributor (this was “pre” Pete’s Electric Bikes, by the way) and off I went to ride a few models.

As in the world of motorcycles, none were really the right size for me.

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Letters One Saturday in August, baby boomers Beal and

Audry Trahan of Littleton, CO, walked into Pete’s Electric Bikes. After years spent in a career that required weekly out of town travel, Beal was now retiring and ready to enjoy the Colorado outdoors. When the weather was nice he loved hopping on his Harley, but Audry wanted to ride bicycles together through Colorado’s open space where they could get some exercise in a way they would both enjoy.

“Our pastor loaned us a couple of bikes to try, but we weren’t at the same ability level and the hills and grades limited our choices and our enjoyment,” Beal explains. “That’s when Audry went into “Google mode” to find a solution.” “I discovered electric bikes and I knew this was the answer for us,” Audry adds.

“After doing a lot of research and learning about the bikes and the market, it was time to locate three or four bicycle shops so that we could learn more about what bike was best for us and take a couple of test rides. When we visited Pete’s and Dean walked us through the various types of bikes, we knew we’d found the right shop and the right bikes for us.”

Audry achieved a goal in October when she rode her bicycle to work. She won’t be doing that again, though, because she plans to retire at the end of December. The Trahans will be enjoying their e-bikes a lot more after that. They are now trying to find a way to attach them to the camper they pull behind their motorcycle to enjoy on longer trips. As Audry remarked after picking up their e-bikes at Pete’s and taking their first ride, “I feel like I got my life back!”

By Audrey & Beal Trahan, Littleton CO.

The Trahans started riding every evening, and loving it. They joined up with their church group, the Ridge Riders, and were able to keep up with the younger riders, often without engaging the battery assist. “But it’s there when we need it,” offers Beal. “A couple of the men in our group are very experienced competitive riders, and they are very patient. It’s about the fellowship, not the skill level. And with the group we’re learning about the vast Front Range trail system.”

“If I tried to go out with them [the group] on standard bicycles, I could never keep up,” remarks Audry. “Our e-bikes give us a social outlet and keep us from holding the group back. Meanwhile we’re getting fit pedaling around our e-bike.”

Another bonus is the opportunity to encourage other boomers who would like to ride, but don’t feel competent on a standard bicycle. “We tell everyone about our e-bikes”, says Audry, “and they become very interested. We’ve offered people the opportunity to come ride our bikes and see for themselves.”

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Letters LETTER FROM BILL & AUDREY KNIGHT, BROOMFILED CO. Our electric bicycles have allowed us to fully enjoy our lives at Anthem Ranch in Broomfield. We have 48

miles of paved trails and have been able to take full advantage of every mile of them. We are both 67 years old and it is not so easy to pedal as it once was. With the e-bikes, we can pedal whenever we choose and get a boost whenever we need it. We consider our e-bikes to be among the best purchases we made since returning to Colorado. Pete’s is the only place we went to shop and Pete’s is the only place anyone needs to go to shop for an e-bike or two. Great owners, great prices and great service! What more could you ask? If you have not yet been by to see their selections and talk with them, you should do it soon. On a satisfaction scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), we rate them a 14. They really are that good and they have answered our questions both pre and post sale to our complete satisfaction.

When we bought our e-bikes, they would not both fit into our Prius. So, Dean personally delivered them to our home. That was really a nice thing for him to do. Everybody is like that at Pete’s. You know when you enter the shop that they care about you and seeing that you get just the right e-bike that will perfectly fit your needs.

We bought our accessories from Pete’s too. We both have protective helmets that fit our personalities and we had baskets installed so we can ride off with our food and drink and find lovely spots to stop and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. Without the e-bikes, we would be distance restricted. With them, we are free to go where we please and do what we enjoy.

We recommend Pete’s--always have and always will.

Have an e-bike story you want to share? Send it to info@petesebikes.com OR mouse to petesebikes.com/blog/category/your_comments Comment on our FaceBook page @ petes electric bikes Comment on our Twitter page

@ petesebikes Page 25

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When People Ride Bikes, Good Things Happen Bicycling is great for health, goood for communities, and a soluttion to many of our most pressing societal and environmental problems. Here is just a taste of what you can findd in Bikess Belong’s online, searchable Statistics Library to help h you make the case for biicyclinng in your com mmunity.

Bicycling iss for eeveryone veryonee s Bicycling is the sec e onnd most popul ular out ul utdoor acttivity in the United Stat a es. at r cans say they would like ke moree bi b ke faccilities in their communities. s 47% of Ameeri

Bicyclingg iss tthe hee iideal deal de a way to take sshort al hort trips ho s Most s trips Americans make arre shhort: 49% are lesss thhann 3 mili es, 39% st % ar aree le less thhan 2 mililes, il an and 24% are leess thhan 1 mile.

Bicycling Bicyc cling ca cann he hhelp lp youu llive ive lo llonger ongeerr and bbetter ettter ett s 3 hour u s of biking pe ur p r weeek e reduuces the h risk of heart disease and str trok tr okee by 50% ok 0% 0%. bik ike 30+ minutes a day ay havve a lower risk of breast cannce c r. s Women whho bi s Adolescents whho bicycle are 488% less likkely to be overweight as adultss.

Bicycling boo boosts osts the h economy he econnomy s The U.S. biccycle inndustryy sold $5.9 billion in bicyclees an a d equipm pm ment in 20008. o d inn the U.S. ol S eaach yeaar thhan a cars. s Twice as manny bicyclles are sol hown that ho ho hom omes clloser to bike paths are morre va valu luab lu able. ab s Studies have sho

Bicycling is less expensive than dri driving riivi v ng a car s The average American househould spen ennds d ove ver $8,000 per year on owning and driving their cars – more than they spend on food.

On a round-trip commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save around $10 $ daily. s O

Bicycling reduces road congestion and air pollution s Traffic congestion wastes nearly 3 billion gallons of gas per year in the U.S. s For every 1 mile pedaled rather than driven, about 1 pound of CO² is saved.

Bicycling is safe, and together we can make it safer s The average commuter cyclist has just 1 accident every 8.7 years. s There is safety in numbers: the more cyclists there are, the safer bicycling is.

For sources and more facts, figures, and scientific studies that affirm the benefits of bicycling, visit our Statistics Library at bikesbelong.org/statistics.

Photos above used under the Flikr Creative Commons license.

Bikes Belong s P.O. Box 2359 s Boulder, Colorado 80306 s w/ bikesbelong.org s e/ mail@bikesbelong.org s p/ 303/449-4893 s f/ 303/442-2936

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F A H R R A D V E R G N Ü GEN

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