The folks over at Endless Sphere forums are some of the hardest-core ebike enthusiasts you’ll find anywhere. (These are folks who not only assemble their own systems from individual parts – and argue about which ones are best – they often re-engineer those parts to work better. ) A recent discussion thread explores the “limiting factor for ebike explosion”. That site is really interesting for technical folks, and that thread is an interesting read.
Most of the early comments talk about infrastructure (roads and repair shops, for example) and lack of understanding (or intelligence) among the broader cycling community. My own comments spoke to the lack of understanding on the part of the folks in the business of selling bicycles in this country. Once retailers understand that there is more money in selling bikes with lithium batteries than with carbon fiber frames, I expect sales patterns will shift. The major bike manufacturers have clearly figured this out. (Trek and Giant, for example.)
But I see another perspective at http://DigitalTrends.com. They’re not a bike place at all. Their catchphrase is “upgrade your lifestyle”. And they are now talking up cool ebikes just as they do cool phones, cool cameras, and cool cars. See their “Electric Bikes 101 at Kalkhoff ebikes” story. (Their video is below — sorry about the advertising.) Kalkhoff is a respected German “pedelec” manufacturer, and they’ve now opened their first U.S. store (in Portland, of course.)
My take on these two pieces together: The hobby enthusiasts may lead the way in pushing for high performance at low costs, but it’s the broader culture that will make or break sales of ebikes in North America. Ebikes are starting to show signs of actually becoming cool. When that happens, the broader market will snap up far more name-brand ebikes than the technology enthusiasts have ever assembled on their own.
What’s yours? Please share your thoughts in the ElectricCyclist forums.
Charlie