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Electric bikes and scooters in Toronto
Electric and pedal powered bikes, solar-powered vehicles as well as gas and electric scooters all made an appearance at the Eco-Wheels Show this weekend in the Distillery District.
Since I first started riding my Veloteq scooter-style e-bike about a year ago, I've become accustomed to the joy of commuting on two wheels without breaking a sweat. But I've also gotten used to the backlash from the Lycra set, as encountered on the Waterfront Trail en route to the Eco-Wheels show.
I was eager to see some of the latest offerings in the world of electric bicycles from various Toronto-area vendors at this inaugural gathering.
After I parked and charged my e-bike at Segway of Ontario, I made my way around the Distillery District. It was refreshing to see a couple of recumbent bicycles leisurely riding among the weekend crowd.
Daymak, one of the first players on the Toronto e-bike scene, showed off a few of their 2010 models, including this hot pink number.
One of the oddities of the Eco-Wheels show was a custom electric-assist "pedal truck" trike and trailer made by the Handmade Cabinets store in Leslieville. It can haul up to 1,200 pounds of cargo a few blocks, offering a much greener alternative to renting a truck or operating a gas-guzzling commercial moving van.
Among the highest quality scooter-style e-bikes is the Canadian Motorino brand, which has become one of the more popular choices among eco-conscious folks in British Columbia, where they're based. They stand out among scooter-style e-bikes with their three-mode switch that gives selectable torque, speed or econo-mode, and have motorcycle-grade components.
Priced at around $2,100 this electric vehicle offers a serious emission-free alternative to gas scooters for quick commuting around Toronto. Especially if you're not inclined to get your motorcycle license and pay registration and insurance. At about 10 cents per charge, and a range of approximately 60 km, this may persuade you to leave your car at home for most of your short trips around the city.
A couple of local distributors for Motorino bikes in the Toronto area had some of their wares on display: ep rider, at Bloor and Kipling, and Station Ski & Ride, in Markham, Ont.
If you'd rather have your e-bike in the traditional-looking style, you may consider one of the many electric power-assist bikes, such as the iGO electric bike from a Lachine, Que. company, featuring the newest LiFePo 36v/10Ah battery technology.
Similar in shape to the iGo is the eneloop bike by Sanyo.
The company created by former bigwig with auto parts giant Magna International is behind the Bion-X electric bicycle, with its intelligent mobility system. It looks like white is the new black this season.
Perhaps the most striking e-bikes today is the German-designed A2B Metro.
There were other, more colourful electric bikes on display, including a bright orange Pedego step-through electric cruiser and its upright lime green Pedego Cruiser counterpart.
Canadian Tire had a pretty lackluster display of cheaper bikes on display, including the Schwinn Premise which comes in just under $1000.
Before I left the Eco-Wheels show, I stopped by the Yamaha booth, where they had much bigger bikes that all ran on gas. It's a pity Yamaha's Electric Commuter EC-02 concept, released in Japan five years ago (or even the more recent EC-03) is far from production, especially in the North American market.
Still, it was pretty neat to see Skeletor (top) making a comeback in the scooter set.
I hope that one day there will be all-electric options from companies making some of the nicest-looking gas scooters, such as Peugot.
Perhaps out of place among all its two-wheel brethren was the Cectek Estoc, four-wheel motorcycle, which was quite the beast.
There were some old relics on display too, including this Raleigh Super 50 from the late '60s and a cream Lambretta with really comfy-looking seats.
It was good to see places offering information on motorcycle training, as well as scooter rider training from Humber College and others. Perhaps one day I'll take the plunge and get a real scooter or motorbike. But I think it likely won't happen until affordable, all-electric options become available.
I look forward to next year's Eco-Wheels show, where I hope to see representation from the Ministry of Transportation and the Toronto police. Together, they can provide a vital role in educating the public about newer two-wheel electric alternatives and how they fit into road use in Toronto, and encouraging good relations between electric bikes and their exclusively pedal-powered brethren.
Photos by Roger Cullman Photography.
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Check out more Pedego colors at http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com.
Those things are beasts, they should not be using bike lanes or trails.
If you're using a motor, use the road.
The end.
Let's all stfu now.
The truth is, ebikes are another option to get people out of four wheels and on to two wheels. And the more folks on our streets on two wheels, the safer are our streets for everybuddy. Watt we need is more and better bike infrastructure, not two-wheeled folks squabbling amongst themselves about whether traveling at pedal bike speeds should be pedal only.
tks
To be more specific, I'd say:
-Gas powered scooters or bikes: No way.
-Pedal assist bikes: Sure as long as you don't go faster than other bikes
-Electric scooters that have a relatively low top speed and narrow frame: Again, fine with me as long as you don't go faster than other bikes
-Electric Scooters that have a high top speed and narrow frame: No, regardless of what speed you travel. It's just too damn easy for someone to go way too fast when they 'think' the path ahead is safe.
-Electric Scooters/bikes with wide frames or machines with 3 or 4 wheels: Stick to the road. Not allowed to drive on the road? You should't have bought such an expensive toy then.
I'd say any electric vehicle (or any bike for that matter) that weighs over a certain amount or capable of reaching certain speeds be barred from shared-use pathways that also contain pedestrians.
Any power-assisted bicycle that can go faster than 32 km/hr on a straightaway without pedaling would be considered a Low Speed Motorcycle and require an LSM license, insurance and registration. For the most part, these are NOT what's on Toronto roads these days. Those all have numbered (usually green or red) license plates too.
What irks me most is the knee-jerk reaction ("Get outta the bike lane!") from members of the bicycling community that refuse to accept that this alternate form of two-wheel transportation is here to stay. Just because we're not sweating as much as you, it doesn't mean we don't belong in the bike lanes as well.
That's amusing, compared to all the second-hand tailpipe exhaust you are inhaling. And of course, exerting yourself on a pedal bike and raising your respiration rate just increases your exposure to airborne pollutants.
If you want to ride a motorized scooter, then you should be prepared to ride with the motorized traffic....You can't have it both ways.
IMO
Jo
http://ThumbShift.com
Yer confusing "scooters" with ebikes. ebikes are (severely) power and speed limited and have pedals. Many folks on pedal bikes can pedal faster than the speed-limited ebikes. The power-assist on ebikes can actually make them safer than pedal bikes because the easy acceleration makes it easier to slow down or stop for safety or as required.
I was hit by a car a few weeks ago, and I think my 175 lb bike helped to save me from greater damage than i sustained in the collision. I've ordered another one - hope to see you in the bike lanes!
Before ya buy wattever the shops try and sell you, spend some time reading on ebikeriders.com. There are pros and cons to the pedal-bike style versus the scooter style. And there are a lot of scooter-style bikes out there that are poorly designed and cheaply constructed...
Extremely valid point Lock!
1) Sidewalk, for pedestrians only. (Child cyclists also permitted.)
2) Street, for everything else.
2.5) Bike lanes.
We need a system of separate lanes for vehicles which are faster and heavier than pedestrians, but not as fast and heavy as modern automobiles. Electric scooters weighing 100 kilos without rider doing 30kph through Trinity-Bellwoods Park (which I've seen on several occasions) are inappropriate and dangerous to pedestrians.
Long term, the roads need to accommodate mass transit lanes where needed (dedicated streetcar/bus), automobiles (hauling large items around will always be important), small vehicles of various sorts, and pedestrians, and each of these vehicle classes needs to be kept apart as much as possible. Your guess is as good as mine for the best way to do this.
I'll say it... rhymes with "rio"... The importer is selling them on an online auction site in Vancouver and folks are buying them for $265 plus freight then listing them on Craigs List at $600-$800... Painful to watch.
Careful, none of the scooter-style ebikes weigh 100kg without rider... most weight less because of the 500W power limit.
And the max.speed limit in Toronto parks is 20kph, so anybuddy hitting 30/wattever should be stopped. Many ppl on pedal-only bikes break this law also.
tks
Any more complaints? ;)
Happy trails, you lazy nerds.
;->
Perhaps Comments could be closed now?
Roger, you shouldn't be riding through the park, period, unless you are pedaling. You'd have to be going pretty damn slow to not be a danger to kids, my grandma, etc. when you come up behind them.
A friend of mine got a nasty ticket for riding a little motorized skateboard through the park..messed up his driving record and insurance.
E-bikes are allowed anywhere regular bicycles are allowed and under the law are not to be considered a motorized vehicle. A 200 pound rider on a pedal bike is also capable of causing bodily harm to pedestrians. The rider of a bicycle or an ebike must excercise caution when riding as I am sure Roger and many others do. I can balance my e-bike at 3 km per hour when cruising through certain congested paths.
I am reminded of a fellow that made the front page of the Toronto Sun years ago holding up two fistfulls and thousands of dollars in tickets for riding a gas-powered stand-up scooter...
OTOH I have driven over 20,000kms around Toronto on an (illegal) 400W electric standup scoot and been stopped dozens of times (I lost count) and never received a ticket or had my vehicles confiscated.
The difference is behaviour, not technology.
Not only how you behave to our police officers but more importantly how you behave towards your fellow travelers. My only rules have been 1) that I have no rights and 2) that nobuddy around me looks nervous.
As a consequence I only get smiles and thumbs up and thank yous and mostly I am stopped by cyclists and pedestrians that always ask the same questions - How far, how fast, how much, and where can I get one.
Only the last question is hard to answer. But the naive negative Comments here about ebikes offer a clue.
All of my fellow cyclists concede they would rather have me beside them on my tiny motorized vehicle rather than in a minivan.
When you strip away the airbags and seat belts and crush zones this makes drivers more circumspect about their personal safety and this makes our streets safer for everbuddy.
Communicating using whole phrases like "Excuse Me" and "Thank You" and "Good Morning" rather than flashing a light or honking a horn makes our city a little more civilized.
tks
But I won't stop making fun of the stubby, nonfunctional, loophole-abusing "pedals" on the scooter-style beasts. A video of someone actually trying to pedal one would be priceless comedy - it's so impossible it isn't even on Youtube.
It's clearly the way of the future. Why such negativity?
As for the loophole pedals, mentioning mopeds and boats is irrelevant - the policy issue is infrastructure access.
E-bikes in bike lanes would probably be less contentious if the law required that the only footrests be the pedals used for muscular propulsion. Nobody cares if you coast, as long as your vehicle has the *credible potential* to be partially human powered. Pedals spaced 24" apart are not credible.
However, I for one do not understand the difference to coasting at a certain speed or pedalling. Bicycles are by no means a safe way to travel, but they have been around longer than us all and are just simply accepted.
As far as safe means of travel goes, I find that I get more respect on the road from motorists when on my Veloteq e-bike compared to my Fuji bicycle. I think motorists are more respectful in general when they see a more substantial vehicle in front of them in the lane. And, for the record, I take the full lane when I need to, just like on my bicycle, always mindful of traffic flow and safety. But generally stay in the bike lane, merging well with the flow of other cyclists at about the same speed.
The addition of brighter headlights, tail lights and turn signals make me more visible too, which translates to a safer ride. I still put on an open-face DOT-approved motorcycle helmet most of the time, because I don't trust a lot of the drivers in Toronto. Especially taxi cab drivers, whom I generally find the most unpredictable lot. YMMV.
Yet there's no word of this at a google around the web or news sites. Just to be safe, might want to stay away from other devices that use this battery technology. Like laptops, portable power tools, cell phones... well, it's a long list.
;->
Where do you think most bicycles are made these daze? And things will improve. Just as there are high end pedal bikes there are high end ebikes. Yes many folks have been buying poorly designed and cheaply built ebikes, but this will change as Canadians become better informed.
"... a bicycle for sloth..."
Hehe... I use power-assist but nobuddy would ever call me fat. I already get plenty of exercise. The power assist gets me places like Downsview and Don Mills where I don't seen many of my downtown neighbours on their pedal bikes?
And range? 20km on one charge gets me just about EVerywhere. I don't need "range"... With a human-electric hybrid, I can still propel the bike if the charge is depleted. Power to recharge the battery is available EVerywhere, if you look around you.
"E-bikes are allowed anywhere regular bicycles are allowed and under the law are not to be considered a motorized vehicle. A 200 pound rider on a pedal bike is also capable of causing bodily harm to pedestrians."
Bikes are already a hazard on narrow park paths, with cyclists coming up quickly behind people, kids, elderly etc and maneuvering around them. I don't see the difference between that and bikes on sidewalks, except cyclists seem to exhibit a sense of ownership of park paths. That doesn't make me feel better about fairly heavy machines on the same route.
E-bikes should be where bikes are allowed, sure, if bikes are to be only where cars allowed. You can't have it both ways - well, maybe you can, but it's not working.
Worse than bikes on the path are rollerbladers, as they tend to take up a much wider area as they stride along the path. But they've been around for over 10 years now and we're used to them. I'm sure in another five years we too will get used to seeing e-bikes on the paths and welcome them into the mix.
As mentioned before, the weight of the machine shouldn't be cause for concern. I've ridden my scooter-style e-bike over 3,500 kms and have yet to even get close to running into anyone or anything. My breaks enable me to stop much quicker than on my pedal bike. Don't knock it till you've tried it.
Who says "it" isn't working? One out of every eight bicycles sold in the Netherlands is now an e-Bike which is on average three times more expensive than a regular bicycle.
We are at the start of a technological revolution. True to form there are some out there still worshiping King Ludd. Kinda pathetic in these daze with concerns about pollution and energy waste.
Hehe... Obviously picking up bad habits from the pedal-only crowd.
;->
...but yes, just as pedal folks know it takes a lot of work to accelerate from stops, it takes more power to accelerate using an electric motor. There are a lot of noobs on ebikes that don't realize how much battery energy they can save by pedaling off from stops before engaging the motor. It's easier on the batteries and translates as longer range on a charge and longer battery life. But yes, some ebikers will be tempted not to stop or slow down, the same way that some pedal-only folks are tempted.
Scooter-sytle e-bikes emit no foul-smelling fumes, have no exhaust and are generally pretty quiet, except for the gentle hum of the wheels in motion when it glides. They also have pedals and no numbered license plate. Some have plastic plates that, while aren't necessary, alert others that it's an e-bike. They're all supposed to be ridden in the bike lanes just like pedal bikes and all have top speeds of 32 km/hr.
Gas-powered scooters have an exhaust, no pedals, require license plates (usually white, numbered plates unless they're lower-powered mopeds that have red or green plates). The gas-powered scooters make a bit of a put-put noise and are disallowed from riding in the bike lanes. They generally have a top speed of 50 km/hr (for mopeds) and 70 km/hr or more for scooters like Vespas.
I can understand some of the confusion between these bikes, since we're not all used to seeing them on the roads yet. There really ought to be more education about the current types of two-wheel transportation on the roads in the Ontario Driver's License manual and training. In the meantime, the Ministry of Transportation put up <a href="http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/emerging/e-bike-faq.shtml#a1"; target="_blank">this information</a> on their website.
This thing is great for small or even large jaunts to stores etc. It's zero emission, quiet, and unlike reg bikes, it's lit up at night with turn signals and brake lights. I find I'm safer on it than on a reg bike as I drive it by the book. No curb jumping, sidewalks, no stop sign running etc.
The versatility of this thing is amazing, 60 kms on a charge. And I find I cruise slower than on my Kono Mountain bike. Avg speed I drive it is 15-20 kms. Stops on a dime, very stable low center of gravity and doesn't create a large footprint width-wise, for the most part. No I'm not using it cause I'm lazy, I'm using it for zero emission transportation daily.
E-bikes were introduced to offer a desperately needed transportation option. Obesity and childish name calling is another issue altogether. If we can get "people" regardless of their weight, out of their cars for their shorter commutes that would be a major plus. The more alternatives there are the better it is. Weather it's roller blading,walking skateboarding,cycling or e-biking, these are all viable options.
So this observation is based on a sample size of... one?
Note to ebikers: Get yerself a little bicycle bell and use it! Yah you might already have an electric horn but these are loud nasty things you can reserve for the folks stuck in cars... the bicycle bell is a familiar sound to many and will soften the blow of your alien technology.
:)
tks
`Course, if EVery butt you see on a bicycle seat downtown was seated in a car seat our streets would be completely gridlocked. So ya might be thankful for EVerybuddy you see on two wheels, EVen if they are electric...
;->
Riding to Longo's or the bank or to the "in and out" on my e-bike is always a treat. I never have issues with cyclists at any level, and in 4 years no one has ever made a lewd or rude comment to me. I have never had to use my horn even once.
Here's one little unscientific survey... Today at 11:am counting eastbound traffic on Bloor West (busy street, no bikelane), and excluding commercial vehicles:
Private cars and trucks 61, two wheeled vehicles 7
St.George Street, southbound (not so busy, has bikelane):
Private cars and trucks 15, two wheeled vehicles 15
Huron Street southbound (quiet street, no bike lane):
Private cars and trucks 14, two wheeled vehicles 6
Totals are 90 private cars and trucks, 28 two-wheeled.
If all these trips were in four wheels, private cars and truck traffic would increase 31%...
So yah, you could still drive downtown, although likely your average trip speeds would be slower, and of course given the law of supply and demand, your parking rates for the limited amount of parking available would increase by 31% as well.
Have a nice day
:)
:)
http://GIOinTO.com
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/stone_cp.cfm
tks
Lock
Please don't leave your houses angry at your fellow 2 wheel vehicle as most of us are good people.
With David M. "now gone" all "Liberal"/liberated is hopeless?
HAHA! Yah PP, yer right on. But as somebuddy once said (maybe) there's a sucker born EVery minute... These are still early daze for ebikes in Canada and most folks will only learn by experience... With time most will learn ya don't get something for nothing. Look to the EU for watt quality ebikes look like for price and performance.
l0K
Cheers
Now go love your car!
I will be getting my first electric scooter -- I refuse to call it an e-bike, because they look like gas powered scooters -- next week, it's a Motorino XPh.
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