The first electric bikes appeared in the late 1890s and were documented by various U.S. patents. According to Wikipedia, in December of 1895, Ogden Bolton Jr. was granted U.S. Patent 552,271 for a battery-powered bicycle with “6-pole brush-and-commutator direct current hub motor mounted in the rear wheel.” There were no gears and the motor could draw up to 100 amperes from a 10-volt battery. Two years later, in 1897, Hosea W. Libbey of Boston invented an electric bicycle (U.S. Patent 596,272) that was propelled by a “double electric motor.” The motor was designed within the hub of the crankset axle. This model was later re-invented and imitated in the late 1990s by Giant Lafree electric bicycles. By 1898 a rear wheel drive electric bicycle, which used a driving belt along the outside edge of the wheel was patented by Mathew J. Steffens. And in 1899 U.S. Patent 627,066 by John Schnepf depicted a rear wheel friction “roller-wheel” style drive electric bicycle. Schnepf’s invention was later re-examined and expanded in 1969 by G.A. Wood Jr. with his U.S. Patent 3,431,994. Wood’s device used 4 fractional horsepower motors; connected through a series of gears.

In 1992 Vector Services Limited offered and sold an electric bicycle dubbed Zike. The bicycle included Nickel-cadmium batteries that were built into a frame member and included an 850g permanent-magnet motor. Despite the Zike, in 1992 hardly any commercial electric bicycles were available. Torque sensors and power controls were developed in the mid 1990s and production grew from 1993 to 2004 by an estimated 35%. By contrast, in 1995 regular bicycle production decreased from its peak 107 million units. Some of the less expensive electric bicycles used bulky lead acid batteries, whereas newer models generally used NiMH, NiCd and/or Li-ion batteries, which offered lighter, denser capacity batteries. Performance varied; however, in general there was an increase in range and speed.

By 2001 the terms E-Bike, power bike, pedelec, assisted bicycle, and power-assisted bicycle were commonly used to refer to electric bicycles. Click here to learn more about the technology behind e bikes.

The views and sound were great. After the show, we met up with James and Steve backstage and I gave them both Optibike shirts.

James received his Optibike as a birthday present from Steve and  uses it to commute the 16 miles to the studio each day with 2000 feet of climbing. Lots of days of rain and drizzle as it is England.  It sounds like a great area in the north west of England.

I found Steve and I had several points in common. Steve lives on a 1000 acre farm, though mine is only ten acres, and our kids are about the same age.

What we don’t have in common is musical ability. I have none, and Steve is incredibly versatile. My music is designing electric bikes! James was talking about how great a new 1100 would be.

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 with a conversion kit are well behind us. The best electric bikes today are true works of engineering art.

Modern technology combined with precision components  allow e bikes  to cruise for much longer distances at higher speeds.  If you’re in the market for a new e-bike, or simply want to learn more, you’re in the right place.

Here at Optibike, we design and manufacture the best electric bikes, and this is part of a blog series based on founder Jim Turner’s Electric Bike Book to help you learn what to look for in a motorized bike. Our first two installments introduced the reader to types of e-bikes, initial purchasing considerations and bicycle motor drives, today we talk about batteries.

The key to any electric bicycle is the battery and how much energy it can hold. An e-bike needs a battery with a high energy  capacity to go far.

In the past decade, electric bike batteries have advanced significantly. While an E bike lead acid battery of a decade ago weighed 34 pounds, the same energy lithium battery today weighs only 6 pounds and is 1/3 the size. This reduction in weight and size, lets modern Ebikes be lighter and travel further.

In the past most electric bikes used lead acid batteries. These batteries were very heavy and bulky. Next came Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. These were a big improvement over lead acid. They weighed about half a lead acid and had half the size. Now, most e bikes use Lithium Ion batteries. These lithium batteries are a giant leap forward, as the weight and size shrunk another 50%. What a change in a few years.

One major confusion many people have is between energy and power. The amount of energy in a battery, is similar to the size of the gas tank in a car. The power of a battery is like the horsepower of the car engine. You need energy to go the distance and power to accelerate.

A good electric bike needs a balance between energy and power. If the battery can deliver lots of  power, but has low energy density,  it will not travel far.  Energy is measured in watt-hrs and power in watts. So you can see that energy is Power (watts) for a period of time, hence watt-hrs.

Today, there are two main types of lithium battery chemistry.

1. Lithium Cobalt type used in Tesla, Optibike and laptops.

2. Lithium Phosphate used on some hybrids and other e bikes with hub motors.

The lithium cobalt battery has almost 2X the energy density of Lithium Phosphate, which means the e bike with w a lithium ion battery will travel further and be lighter than one with Lithium Phosphate. This is why both Optibike and Tesla use Lithium ion batteries.

Lithium Phosphate batteries have the ability to produce lots of power, so they are good in hybrid cars, but deliver less range in an electric bike. Many hub motors use Lithium Phosphate batteries, to deliverer the current needed to accelerate and ride up hills. They are then limited in range. Due to the efficiency of the Optibike Motorized Bottom Bracket drive system, Optibike can use the higher energy Lithium Ion batteries and travel twice as far.

 For long range touring purposes, Optibike pioneered the use of Lithium Ion batteries with Cool CarbonTM technology, producing the highest energy capacity of any electric bike. Optibike began using Lithium ion batteries in 2008 and currently is building its fourth generation.  Battery technology indeed has come a long way.

The overall energy  rating in Wh of a battery is the biggest factor in determining range, but only if a handful of other factors are held equal. How well a battery performs in terms of range is ultimately determined by other conditions as well , and these should be brought into the buying decision fold:

• The speed the rider is traveling.

• The steepness of the terrain.

• The weight of the rider.

• The combined aerodynamic drag of the rider and bike.

• The efficiency of the motor drive system, as detailed in our last blog post.

In addition to considerations based on type of e-bike, intended use, motor drive and battery type, there are still other influences factoring into a purchasing decision. We’ll detail these in Optibike’s continuing blog series helping you with what to look for in an electric bike. Want to learn even more? Jim Turner, Founder and President at Optibike, has authored an informative and entertaining look at the rapidly expanding world of electric bicycles. Get your free copy of the eBook today.

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 the the two type of bikes. In this post I will discuss the differences and similarities of riding an electric bike and a motocross bike and why the electric bike can be great for so many people. You can watch a video on my background and how I came to develop the Optibike below.

Motocross: Most Exhilaration Ever

In my teens and early twenties, I was a professional motocross racer.  From 16 to 24, I raced  professionally, won two national championships and raced in the world championships in Europe. It’s probably the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done. It’s just  unbelievable  the feeling you get. It gives you adrenaline, but it’s risky and your body takes a lot of abuse, even when you don’t crash.

Even Crashing Can’t Keep Them Away

When my friends crash in a  race and they’re hurt, they don’t want to race anymore. Their first response is; “I’m never doing this again because I’m in pain and I don’t like that”. Then two weeks later they’re out of pain and back racing because they remember the experience and they want to do it again. But for some, the injuries accumulate and MX riding and racing is no longer an option.

I Designed the Electric Bike to Be An Alternative for Fun and Exhilaration

After a motocross racing career and while I was an engineer at Ford, I began to wonder if an electric bike could give a similar exhilaration to motocross but in an easy to ride vehicle that was safer. A vehicle that you could jump on anytime you wanted and ride out your front door and have great time and exercise in less than an hour. You would get some adrenaline but not spend all day transporting a motorcycle to the track or trails. It wold cost less to ride and maintain too.

“And that was one of the reasons I got into electric bikes, because I saw the similarity between electric bike is a crossover between the traditional

Jim racing the World Championships on Fox Honda 250

Jim Riding the Optibike in the Rocky Mountains

bicycle and a motorcycle.”

I designed the Optibike, an electric bike that could be easily integrated into one’s life. Ride it to work, go trail riding, get total exercise and have as much fun as you want.

I still loves motocross and recently resumed racing after a 25 year retirement.

As I Grew Older, it Was  Harder to Ride Motocross

I realized as I got older with a family, motocross was harder to do. You have to load the bikes up and drive to a track, which might be an hour and a half away and you’re unloading again. You’re getting dressed in a lot of gear, protective gear, and you’re riding. Then you’re repeating, you’re loading everything up, you drive home and then you unload.  So you have a full day and you might only ride for an hour or two.  So as life gets busy for most of us and for me too, I didn’t have time to do that anymore. In addition, many people have injuries that stop them from riding MX anymore, so the electric bike is their only option now.

The Electric Bike is Easy to Ride Anytime and Anywhere

“I’ve been a biker and I’d love to do dirt biking. In order for me to do dirt biking, I’d have to put my bike in a truck or trailer, haul it fifty miles and then ride for a few hours.  That’s a real pain. This thing I can ride anywhere, anywhere!  I can ride it in the park, I can ride it on the sidewalk. I can ride it on the street. I can ride it wherever I want to go. And that’s not true with other motorized vehicles, you know. And, plus, you get the exercise.”  Carey

Have Adventure, Don’t Kill Yourself

“You get to be our age, you know, you don’t want to kill yourself. You want to be able to have a great time, get the exercise and feel like a kid again. And this gives you the opportunity to do that. I like to ride early. I get up by 7:30 in the morning, I’m on the bike and I’m coming around the four or five different trails that are right out the front door that are great. And turn every time I ride into an adventure.” Andy

Why is an Electric Bike Better than a Conventional Bike?

Many people ask why not just ride a conventional non-powered bike instead of an electric bike. This is a good question and there a several reasons.

1.  If you are riding on the trials, the electric bike is faster so you get a more dynamic experience that is more like a motocross bike.
2. The electric bike can travel faster, so you can get to a trial faster and easier. This gives more time for riding.
3. It is easier to climb long hills, so you have more fun on the downhill parts.
4. The electric bike is easier on knees and hips, so more people can ride.

Motocross: The Most Physically Demanding Sport?

It is often said based on several studies, that Motocross is the most physical demanding sport in the world. There is some disagreement on this, but most riders have their heart rate at 95% max in the 195 beats per minute, during a Supercross. Top riders in the Tour de France in a 30 minute time trial will have heart rates in the 173 range. It is thought the reason the Motocross riders can sustain higher heart rates is due to using more muscle groups  in their bodies. Normally the higher heart rates would cause the rider to go anaerobic and lose power, but because the muscles in motocross are constantly changing, the motocross rider can ride with a higher sustained heart rate. By adding a motor to a bicycle, the riders attain higher speeds and use more muscle groups when riding on trials, similar to a motocross rider.

Downhill Bike Racing More Like Motocross

Downhill bicycle racing has become very popular. Riders use ski lifts to take them to  the top of the mountain and then race down using gravity to create their speed. This downhill riding is more like racing motocross as more muscle groups are used then with just conventional cycling on the road. The electric bicycle allow riders to ride both up and down the hills and come closer to the motocross feeling of exhilaration. Riding downhill or faster on trials stimulates the vestibular system and this energized the body and improves balance.

Top Motocross Coach was Former Professional Bike Racer

There are so many similarities in physical demands between motocross and bicycling. Aldon Baker is regarded as the top motocross trainers in the world. Aldon has coached motocross greats, Ryan Dungey, James Stewart, Ryan Villapoto and others. Aldon realized the similarities in the two sports and crossed over from bicycle racing to coaching motocross. Many pro motocross racers use mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes (EMTB) to train on. They are able to get a good cardiovascular workout without the damage from riding their motocross bike. Pro MX riders can not get enough physical training during the week by riding their MX bikes alone, due to the high rate of injury from practicing on the MX bike.

Which One is the Winner?

Jim Turner riding a Honda CRF450R today.

So, an electric bike versus a motocross bike.  How do they compare? I love them both. Let’s see how they compare in several areas.

Exercise

Both bikes gives you a great workout, but with an electric bike it’s easier to get exercise every day.  A motocross bike may bang you up more and strain your back, and knees more.  Often people find it too hard to ride motocross anymore due to injuries. Riding the electric bike on the trails lets them still get thrills and exercise.

Trail Riding

A motocross bike can be ridden on trials and on a track. It gives an amazing amount of exhilaration.  The electric bike is easy to ride to the trails and also gives a lot of fun and exercise. The Optibike R15 is a very fun and fast bike to ride off road.

Convenience

An electric bike is always ready to go, which means no loading and transportation; an electric bike is your transportation. You can ride to the trials on your electric bike and get in a half hour ride. With a motocross bike there is a lot of time to load up the bikes, drive and get dressed. Motocross bikes also take time to maintain and burn through gas and tires faster.

Excitement

No doubt, a motocross bike is more exhilarating, but an electric bike can give you plenty of excitement and adventure. You can ride up downhill courses on an electric bike and rip down and get more speed than a regular bike on trials. It is closer to a motocross bike than a regular bike in feeling. You get some of that adrenaline rush.

Safety

Both bikes can push the limit, but heavier and more powerful motocross bike can be more dangerous. The speed and energy in the motocross bike means that crashes can cause more damage, that’s why so much safety gear is required. It is easy to twist knees on the motocross bike and shoulders often get more damaged with falls. The heavier weight of an MX bike and the higher speeds means more energy is dissipated in a crash, so it is easier to get injured than with a  bicycle.

Costs

The electric bike is much less expensive per hour ridden than a motocross bike. I haven’t done any calculations, but it probably only costs a few dollars per month to ride an electric bike for 20 hours, while a motocross bike would be hundreds of dollars.

Conclusion

An electric bike versus a motocross bike, let’s call it a draw and go have some fun. The MX bike has a higher rate of exhilaration, but comes with a higher potential for injury when you fall.

See all the Optibike Models Here

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 Part 3, I will compare the torque of Optibike and other leading brands of electric bicycles.

Why Torque Matters In An E bike

In an electric bicycle, torque is the ability to rotate the rear wheel. In a regular bicycle, this translates to the ability to rotate the pedals and crank arms. Higher torque will rotate the wheel easier and create more acceleration, especially from a stop. This means a bike with higher torque is easier to get going from a stop.

What is Torque?

The general definition of torque is the force on an arm at a distance from a center of rotation. In the picture below, the distance is 1 Meter and the force is 50 Newtons, so the torque is 50 Newton Meters.

Torque Equation

The general equation for torque is below.

Torque=Force X Distance

or T=F X D

In a standard  bicycle, the rider pushes on the pedal to create a “Force” and the length of the crank arm is the distance. Crank arms are typically 175 mm or 7 inches long. If the rider weighs 200 pounds and stands on the pedal, the torque is 1400 inch pounds as given by the equation below:

Torque=Force X Distance

1400 inch pounds = 200 pounds X 7 inches

Torque Units

In electric bikes, you will read about Torque in Metric Units (Newton Meters) or US units (inch pounds). You may also see torque in foot pounds.

A common torque for lower powered e bikes is 50 Newton Meters, which can be converted to 442 inch pounds or 36 foot pounds.

50 Newton Meters = 442 inch pounds = 36 foot pounds

In Part 2 I will discuss how torque multiplied by RPM make horsepower and how this affects your ride.

These wheels house the motor, battery and controller in the hub of the rear wheel. While easy to install, these wheels have their limitations in the performance area. The SIMBB electric bike by Optibike has more power, more torque, bigger battery an superior hill climbing ability.

Both the Copenhagen Wheel and Optibike SIMBB share the innovative all in one design where the motor, batteries and controllers are all in one unit. While the Copenhagen wheels has all the these components in the wheel, the Optibike SIMBB has everything in the bottom bracket mid drive area. This gives  the Optibike SIMBB  more performance where it counts in climbing hills. The SIMBB requires modifications found on the bicycle frame instead of the wheel.

While the Copenhagen Wheel houses all the components in the rear wheel, the SIMBB replaces the bottom bracket of the bicycle. The  advantages of the SIMBB are several:

1. Low center of gravity in center of bike

2. No added un-sprung weight to wheel which can cause handling problems.

3. Uses bicycle gears to allow for high efficiency hill climbing with an e-bike

4. Larger battery for longer range

5. More Power for faster hill climbing

6. Higher speeds due to gear system.

In Summary, the Copenhagen Wheel is simple to add to a regular bicycle to electrify it, but the SIMBB has overall superior performance, making a better electric bicycle. Now offered at an affordable price of only $5,700. The SIMBB e-bike is a great choice for anyone looking for great made in American quality and award winning design in a super package. Plus, Optibike is offering a 90 day Satisfaction Guarantee on all electric bikes, a 1 year warranty on the entire Optibike electric bike and a 3 year / 30,000 mile warranty on the battery pack. You can’t get that with the Copenhagen Wheel.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about our electric bicycles and what’s new at Optibike.

To see a video of how bad the damage to the road was, watch this video.