On 11/3/2019 5:10 AM, wrote:

snip

When I would sit on the sidewalk on a nice day along a popular route about 7 out of 10 non road bikes or ATB bikes that pass are electric assisted. It is an epidemic here in the Netherlands. So to the question 'does E-bikes expand cycling?' Definitely!

Not an epidemic in the U.S., at least in my area. It's pretty flat here
so commuting with an e-bike, versus a regular bike, isn't going to
entice people out of their cars yet.

I see a few DIY conversions, some well-done, some awful.

One thing with the DIY conversions is that you want to avoid most of the
mid-drive conversions. Mid-drive e-bikes should have a frame designed to
mount the motor properly. You can buy these frames but the reality is
that by the time you buy the frame, the motor, and all the parts, you're
better off buying a complete Bafang mid-drive equipped bike, which are
available starting at around $1700. Two years ago I saw one good
retrofit design from Korea at Interbike but it never made it to production.

One exception is the TSDZ2 mid-drive kit, and it's one of the few kits
that can work with dual front chainrings and a front derailleur.

Most commutes around here are 10-15 miles and a front-wheel conversion
with a 15 mile range and a top speed of 15MPH is sufficient (you can buy
a second charger and charge at work or carry the charger along with
you). These kits are available for around $400. If you want a second
battery included it's about $475. $400 is complete with a battery, brake
sensor, controller, LCD display, phone holder, even tools, and you can
get them in 26", 27.5", or 700c, with or without support for disc brakes.