Electric bikes economical option

BOULDER — With cars and trucks becoming too expensive for some to own and the traffic congestion in Boulder County increasing daily, residents are investigating more economical and environmentally friendly transportation. Enter the electric bicycle.

Hybrids that fill the space somewhere between a bicycle and an automobile, American-designed electrics are more than a motor clamped onto a mountain bike.

In 1997, Jim Turner, former engineer at Ford Motor Co., began developing his version of an electric bike, the Optibike. “I designed the motor first. I rode other electric bikes and knew I could do a better job and had the technical experience to do it,” he said. Turner has a graduate engineering degree from Stanford and won the Canadian moto-cross national championship in 1976 and 1978. His brother Paul founded RockShox, a company that manufactures bicycle shock absorbers.

Turner’s hub motor pushes the wheels and is matched to the gears so whichever of the nine gears the rider is in, the motor can help out. Its variable throttle provides for no pedaling, some pedaling or all pedaling. The disc brakes stop on a dime. The style is pure American.

“It’s not a clunky thing. I designed it for the American market where people are image-conscious. They like everything they own to look stylish, be efficient and perform at a very high level,” Turner said. “It is safe, and I also made it fun.” The bicycle weighs about 60 pounds.

The battery can hold a charge for about an hour. The range is quite long and depends on how much the rider pedals. On flat ground, with little stopping, the Optibike can go far in an hour. A 3-foot to 4-foot retractable cord plugs into standard outlets for easy recharge of the built-in battery. A complete charge takes two hours, but the battery will take a partial charge and has a gauge like a car’s gas tank so riders know how far and how long they have left.

“It doesn’t die suddenly, but slowly so you can still get some boost to help you home if you are a ways away,” Turner said.

Turner has built two Optibikes and is looking for partners to help him get the electric bicycle into production. In its present design, the Optibike costs $4,000. When more are produced, the price will go down.

Another electric bicycle, the E-bike, is manufactured by EV Global Motors, a company founded by Lee Iacocca. Scott Brunson at K & C RV Inc. in Longmont is an expert on the E-bike, having assembled a few dozen and performed repairs for the dealership.

“They surprised me. They pedal easily, about the same as a mountain bike, have shocks front and back and seven gears. The first bikes we got were 24 volts but don’t make it up hills very well. The new ones are 36V and will be better,” Brunson said. “The first set also had throttle breaks that we had to repair, and all of the tire tubes have to be replaced with thorn-resistant ones, as well.”

The E-bike’s battery is easy to take out and charge. The electrical system has a one-year warranty, the frame has five years. Accessories include a back rack and bag, a lock, a mirror, a horn and lights for front and back. The E-bike also has cruise control, if a rider wants it.

Electric bikes are sold at car and RV dealerships right now. Aaron Dennis, floor manager at University Bicycles in Boulder, said his shop is waiting to see what happens with electric bikes before they start carrying them. “The electric bike is a good idea as alternate transportation, but we’re looking for something more flexible with a 40-mile range that we would be willing to back up with service,” he said.

Cities currently don’t have recharge centers where people can park their electric bicycles, plug them in and get them recharged while they’re gone. “People will start buying electric bikes when they are as easy as the bikes they have now,” Dennis said. “Until then, we are keeping our eyes out for what is happening.”

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