Motocross bikes and electric bikes, what do they have in common? Which one is better? Do they even compare? Former Motocross Champion and Electric Bike Inventor Speaks His Opinion Hi, I’m Jim Turner, a former two time motocross champion and inventor of the Optibike Electric Bike. I understand, perhaps more than anyone in the world, the advantages and disadvantages of…
There has been a lot of discussion in the news lately about electric bikes and torque. For most people, the term “Torque” has little or no meaning. In this first of 3 articles on torque, I will go over the basics of torque. In Part 2, I will discuss torque and how it relates to horsepower and then in the …
Recently there has been lots of attention of the all in one electric bike wheel systems such as the Copenhagen Wheel. These wheels offer convenience for the rider to adapt a regular bike to make a motorized bicycle with little effort.
Today, our focus is on the one piece of equipment that now allows modern electric bikes to ride circles around those of the past; the battery. Whether for weight loss, keeping fit, commuting or fun and adventure, electric bicycles (e-bikes) have seen a recent surge in popularity. The days of strapping a heavy and noisy motor to the rear wheel…
Note (This is a Life Lesson I learned while as a graduate Student at the Stanford University Mechanical Engineering Department. While at Stanford, I never dreamed of designing an electric bicycle, but all of these lessons have shaped the way I design the Optibike electric bike today.) Time is non linear. Sometimes a day or week or even a year…
It has finally happened! There is now a full paper magazine dedicated to electric bikes; Electric Bike Action. The magazine is being published by Hi Torque Publications who publish Motocross Action and Mountain Bike Action. This is another sign that e-bikes are now about to explode. Electric Bike Action editor Zapata Espinoza had this to tell me about the new…
On Sunday December 22nd, cyclists4Jamestown is having a fat tire fundraiser ride up to Jamestown. Jamestown was hit hard by the September flood and the road is still not open. This is one of my favorite rides and also for hundreds or thousands of other Boulder cyclists. Left Hand Canyon is one of my favorite routes for testing our new…
Many people think electric bicycles are a new invention, but they are not. Read the “A Brief History of Electric Bikes” exerted from my book “The Electric Bike Book“ below and see that the idea is actually very old, with the first electric bike dating to the 1890s.
I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday, where we all take time to be with family. Have a great day.
This past Friday I presented at the First Innovations in Sustainable Transportation Conference in Broomfield Colorado, presented by the Aster Foundation. My topic was Electric Bikes 2020. This was a very interesting conference, as it dealt with innovative ways of transportation for the future. The main premise, is that the way were are doing things will not continue to work,…
