Electro-Ralph

J caught me riding downtown on my battery-assist bicycle. I've had this bike for almost 3 years and I have to tell you it really helps make quick errands and casual rides downtown easy and a real joy.

3 modes - 1) No assist, 8 gears and you pedal a 45 pound bike all on your own. 2) Partial assist, the bike computer knows when you are putting more than unusual force on the pedals (speeding up or starting from a dead stop), then battery power is provided to assist better acceleration. 3) Full assist, controlled by a throttle on the handlebars. Speeds up to 20 mph, for a flat route, low wind ride of about 15 - 20 miles. You still need to pedal, and it still provides reasonable exercise. When I ride, I pedal - not too much coasting. So I can pedal up to a slight sweat on this, and be averaging 17-18 mph for a couple of hours. If you're using mode 2, you can go for a few hours - 35-50 miles on a single charge. Charges up in about 3 hours.

Vrrrm, vrrrm!