A
Alaskavan
Guest
Sorry, I couldn't find anything made that goes the speed I go, gets 150 mpg, and cost under $3,000. I guess I'm stuck with a motoredBike.
H
Hive
Guest
Riding and Thinking Smart
There is a maxim used by good lawyers, "Do not create bad law."
A subtle point here, some forget. Going 60 may seem showy and fun, pushing the envelope, but what about the rest of us if something serious happens, or you encounter a seriously conservative law enforcement person or citizen, who decides what you are doing is not to their liking?
A motor on your bicycle is an assist, as Neon notes below...we do not want powered bikes classified as motorcycles with all that baggage.
There are lots of conservative people too willing to tell the rest of us what to do. Next thing you know, you have a fine to pay, or a choice to fight the fine, or worse, and an ignorant lawmaker looking to make hay on your head, proposes bad law. (Think Kansas, California or Oklahoma, but there are other states with equally bad laws.)
(These comments are just a reminder about using common sense to prevent a lot of grief.)
There is a maxim used by good lawyers, "Do not create bad law."
A subtle point here, some forget. Going 60 may seem showy and fun, pushing the envelope, but what about the rest of us if something serious happens, or you encounter a seriously conservative law enforcement person or citizen, who decides what you are doing is not to their liking?
A motor on your bicycle is an assist, as Neon notes below...we do not want powered bikes classified as motorcycles with all that baggage.
There are lots of conservative people too willing to tell the rest of us what to do. Next thing you know, you have a fine to pay, or a choice to fight the fine, or worse, and an ignorant lawmaker looking to make hay on your head, proposes bad law. (Think Kansas, California or Oklahoma, but there are other states with equally bad laws.)
(These comments are just a reminder about using common sense to prevent a lot of grief.)
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Neon
Member
I always thought that motors were originally for ASSIST only. Making them legal most everywhere. Not for full on self power. Something that makes life just a little easier for the average bicyclist. Something that would take a bicycle to no more than 20 mph. Seems reasonable and probably wouldn't put too much stress on even an inexpensive bicycle. And standard equipment was usually fine. I've always looked at the pedals on a bicycle as something to create forward motion not foot rests. But anyway if you plan to go fast you probably should make sure you can stop almost as fast and make sure everything is beefed up to the point of overkill. Probably the best choice of brakes being disk brakes. Not necessarily in the rear but in the front for sure. With front suspension forks the problems with lockup seemed to have been lessened at least they have for me.
loquin
Well-Known Member
Dual brakes are really needed - you can't make the point enough. Look - every time you double your speed, the amount of work needed to stop is quadrupled! The amount of energy the frame has to handle on bumps, potholes, and the like is also quadrupled.
IMO, the general rule of thumb is to get the best equipment, especially brakes, you can afford, and don't go faster than the equipment you have can safely handle.
IMO, the general rule of thumb is to get the best equipment, especially brakes, you can afford, and don't go faster than the equipment you have can safely handle.
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Neon
Member
I'm sorry for not being clear enough on my last post. I think that rear brakes are still needed but they don't necessarily have to be disk. A good set of V-Brakes is usually good. The superior braking of a disk brake is not normally needed. I say this because most people i have run across use their rear brakes only. What they normally get is the rear wheel locking up and reducing the effect of brakes anyway. Perhaps some sort of ABS is needed on bicycles as well
H
Hive
Guest
Brains Needed to Motor a Bicycle
Not to hijack, but it must be noted: at speed, clamping front brake can mean head over bar spills...
Re Brains, once the idea of how to use a motored bike without creating havoc, a good plan and search here for how to information is the next step.
It can be argued that those who think horsepower first, have the bike thing wrong way around.
Not to hijack, but it must be noted: at speed, clamping front brake can mean head over bar spills...
Re Brains, once the idea of how to use a motored bike without creating havoc, a good plan and search here for how to information is the next step.
It can be argued that those who think horsepower first, have the bike thing wrong way around.
Neon
Member
Yes locking the front wheel and flying over the bars is very easy to do with a rigid fork. Not as easy to do with suspension forks due to weight transfer but still not impossible i will admit.
Rear wheel lockup doesn't usually result in great speed reduction either. increased tire wear in one spot, yes.
Both brakes are needed to be truly effective.
There is never any substitute for common sense when driving anything. But yet we all seem to lose it at some point or another, and that is usually when accidents happen.
Horsepower is always nice to have, but won't make up for substandard equipment.
I am going to shut up now .
