Welcome to Electric-Bikes.com Betterbikes: Electric Recumbent Bikes, Foldable Bikes, and Velomobiles
	Intro	Styles	Kits	Batteries	Where to Buy	Events	Testimonials	Velomobiles	Customization	Wind Drag
Home	Go To Step 1 Select a Bike Style --> Just about any bike or trike can be converted to an electric bike using one of several conversion kits offered by Electro Ride. A BETTERBIKE starts with a bike or trike style that has optimal benefits for electric conversion. Electrified recumbents offer the best value in the entire range of Light Electric Vehicles (LEV). Although another LEV may fit your particular needs better, these e-bikes combine comfort, speed, and range to create a practical substitute for most car trips. They're "state of the art" until the next major change - velomobiles - which enclose the rider from the elements. As your commute or travel distance approaches and exceeds ten miles, we encourage you to try a Betterbike. Foldable bikes are the new addition to the Betterbike line. These are getting popular with commuters using public transit. With the advent of safe, lightweight foldable bike designs, Li batteries, and featherweight electric motors, the age of the electric foldable has arrived. They are not as aerodymic as recuments, but they fit really conveniently on trains, buses, or your trunk. Electro Ride is proud to offer one of the safest and most durable foldable design that has been proven in military service. Betterbikes are highly customizable and upgradeable. To create one of your own, follow the three step process: Choose a bicycle or tricycle style and accessories. Add one or more motor kits. Select batteries. All the steps are outlined in next few buttons/tabs above (1) Styles, 2) Kits, 3) Batteries. Foldable styles are also on the Styles page here->Foldables. The selected options can then be integrated either by a local bike shop or at one of the Betterbike factory distribution locations. If there are any questions, you can get contact information by selecting the Where To Buy button above.   About Us || Contact Us
Intro
Scooters
Bicycles
Tricycles
Motorscooter Motorcycles
Neighborhood EVs
Commute Cars
Betterbikes
Pedicabs
Other LEVs
Buying LEVs
LEV Business: leads/support
Personal Rapid Transit
Solar, Wind, & Dog Power

Most betterbikes use, or modify, off-the-shelf drive systems (e.g. Go-Hub or Electro Cycle E-4). They represent the state-of-the-art and can offer a no-pedaling speed of 20 mph for 20 miles. Other Betterbikes offer speeds up to 30+ mph and distances exceeding 100 miles. This increased range and speed (compared to conventional e-bikes) results from streamlining + extra batteries. Reclined seating reduces the wind drag which is by far the biggest hurdle to faster e-bike speeds.

On a regular upright bike pedaled at 20 mph, about 80% of the effort to maintain speed is spent overcoming wind drag, i.e. pushing air out of the way. This graph shows how much energy (watts) is needed to overcome wind resistance (major), rolling resistance (minor), and transmission losses (negligible) on a standard bike (Source: Bicycle Physics Calculator ):

Betterbikes are better because they're safer, more comfortable, and longer-ranged than conventional upright e-bikes. Increased safety comes from being closer to the ground (hurts less when you fall) and having your feet in front (no head-first crashes). The bigger battery load increases possibilities in both range and speed. Combining higher speeds with lounge-chair comfort enables most folks to cover twice the range they would go on a conventional e-bike.

Riding a Recumbent

For example, Joe Couch Potato will find that, even with an electric assist, a ride on a standard bike is only comfortable for about 40 minutes. That should take him ten to twelve miles. An electrified recumbent can cover the same distance in 30-33 minutes (21 - 23 mph). That's a factor 1.3 - 1.4 improvement in average speed. When you put Joe in the lounge-chair comfort of a betterbike, you'll find that an hour's ride is practical for Joe in terms of comfort, time, and range. That increase in ride length from 40 to 60 minutes (factor 1.5) combined with the increase in speed (factor 1.3+) yields a doubling of range.

When starting off, a long wheelbase recumbent (like the EZ-1) feels wobbly. At operating speeds (5+ mph), it feels like a standard bike. The motor's low speed helps a lot to make starts smoother and more graceful. Pedaling helps too. Stability increases with speed. It all gets easier with practice. That long wheelbase makes it very stable at higher speeds.

When looking for an e-bike, too many people concentrate on the motor, when the bike is far more important. After all it's the bike on which you sit. The bike's comfort, handling and riding characteristics determine whether or not your e-bike is a pleasure or a pain.

About Us || Contact Us