The other day when I was on my way to work, a guy on his gas-powered bicycle pulled up next to me.
We nodded to each other and I made a right turn towards my office and he went straight.
So what are your thoughts on gas powered bikes? Do you think it defeats the purpose of bike commuting, or is it something that could help more people get on their bikes? I’ve spoken to a handful of bike commuters who think the 50-80cc engine kits are sorta like “cheating.” If you had this kit, you wouldn’t benefit from the exercise and it does let out emissions.
Popularity: 9% [?]
The biggest issue with gas-assisted bikes is the cheep chinese kits people usually use. The mounting hardware is questionable, even dangerous. The two-stroke motors can pump out more smog-forming pollutants then a dozen modern automobiles. Other then the “keep it under 20mph” rule, they aren’t regulated in the slightest.
What’s particularly unfortunate about these gas-assisted bikes is that bicycles are one of the few forms of transportation where inexpensive ELECTRIC HYBRID options have really caught on. They perform well, are safe, quiet, and are environmentally benign. Why fuss with gas when when you have an option like that?
I’m with Ben — I was slow to come around to E-bikes (both hybrid assist and fully electric), but in previous articles we’ve featured here, I was schooled by a number of commenters as to their utility and ability to get folks out of their cars even if they aren’t in the best physical shape.
A gas kit, though, is cheating.
These gas-powered monstrosities pollute like nobody’s business, both emissions-wise and in the incredible noise they can make. It may sip gas, but at what cost to the environment?
Most people probably use them because it’s cheap, good mileage, and doesn’t require a special license like a real motorcycle. I think it’s lame.
So basically they are mopeds? I guess if they are street legal whatever floats the rider’s boat. Not for me, personally.
+1 to Ghost and Ben.
Not all assist options mean you aren’t getting any exercise — my ebike requires a cadence in the 85-90 range to be getting the most from the motor — but as far as I know, these really aren’t meant to be pedaled along with, and they *do* pollute.
On the other hand, having folks on two wheels is still better than four.
There’s no shame in an assisted solution. I agree with Ben W though– these little motors are pretty terrible from an environmental perspective, so this particular assist is not a good one and the rare exception to the “one less car” rule.
Aside from the air pollution and cheap and dangerous mounting kits, those little suckers are noisy, too. Put it all together and it is a horrible thing to do to a perfectly good bicycle!
I bought one of these Chinese motors and a cruiser bike for myself. I live about 13 miles away from work with some huge hills right before I get back home. That’s a little too far and too much for me to do with leg power alone, so I decided to get one. I put it all together, but I’ve been set back with issues with the chain falling off. When it does work, it’s a lot of fun, and gets something like 100 mpg. When I do get it up and running I’m planning on only using it when I need help getting uphill, and when I get tired on the way. I think it’s a great way to get people into bike commuting. It’s like a little motorcycle, so it’s a lot of fun, and it becomes a normal bicycle when you squeeze the clutch and lock it into place.
you ever see how the sprocket gets mounted to the wheel? bolted through the spokes.
They’re a horrible solution to a non-existent problem.
If you want a motor, buy a scooter or motorcycle and quit pretending you’re pedaling. We know better.
I’m no fan of any assistance on a non cargo bike (Stokemonkey’s on Xtracycles and Dummy’s are fine and I’m warming to the E hybrids) but there’s a special place in Hell reserved for these psuedo-green phonies in my (never-so) humble opinion.
Would you prefer to be hit by a gas-powered bicycle going 20 mph or by 4 tons of glass and steel going the speed limit? Think about it.
(Oops, I meant 2 tons.)
I’d take an e-assist bike any day over a gas-powered assist. Think about all of the environmental costs involved in producing a gallon of gasoline, manufacturing an internal combustion engine, maintaining an internal combustion engine, the pollutants given off by the internal production engine, etc. While there certainly are some from e-assist devices, it certainly seems they’re a whole lot greener.
Here are my thoughts.
Anything you add — batteries, gas motors, electric motors… actually makes the bike+human machine less efficient. Batteries are toxic and heavy. And most wall outlets you’d charge them from in the US are powered by coal. So as with plug-in hybrid cars, a “rechargeable” bike is also going to be more often than not a coal-powered bike.
And what do you do with those heavy, toxic batteries when they stop holding a charge long enough to get you where you want to go, and become an extra 20-50 pounds of dead weight combined with an un-usable heavy electric motor? You’ll have to chuck them, or “Recycle” them. But the parts of the battery that are hardest on the environment can’t be restored or easily re-used. They’re disposed of.
So neither gas nor electric assist is really “green” – they both have their demons. It’s far better to shed some pounds (while bicycling?) and muscle up a bit.
As for gas powered bikes? I pass several of these things on my road bike. Most of them are only good to 15, maybe 20 miles per hour. I can sustain those kinds of speeds for an hour or longer on level terrain, and fuel it with a vegan burrito if I so please, not coal, nor gasoline, or even solar power.
That is a lot of power for such a tiny bike, and would be more dangerous than an e-bike without all the benefits of being green etc.
As already mentioned, these tiny engines have basically ZERO emissions regulation, it may get upwards of 100 miles per gallon, but the emissions are just crazy.
The people that generally purchase these things are people that want a motorcycle but either cannot afford one or don’t have valid drivers licenses.
The bicycles these types of kids often get added to do not have adequate braking systems to deal with 20+mph stops (especially as they are quite often added to bikes with 1.5″ or narrower tires). If you weigh 175lbs, you add another 30-50lbs to an already 30-50lbs bicycle, you need more than a 1974 Weinmann side-pull caliper with 30+ year old pads.
If you do make the unfortunate choice of buying one, good luck getting good service at a bike shop (stink-eye at best), and prepare to get even worse at a motorcycle shop.
Instead of getting one of these, just get crazy low gears on your bike a 48t/38t/28t crankset mated with a 12t-34t cassette has low-enough gears to get nearly anybody up any nearly hill.
If you are doing extreme hills AND riding 50+ish miles a day, an electric hybrid system such as the Stokemonkey is a much better option than anything else I’ve seen on the market.
I completely fail to understand the notion of “cheating” in regards to other peoples’ commuting choices. We’re all transporting ourselves; not playing a game. They sound awfully noisy and e-bikes seem to be a much more practical solution, but if they’re legal, whatever floats others’ boats is fine with me. As Derek said above, one more commuter on one of these smelly noisy beasts I one less car that can kill me.
For rednecks only.
dukiebiddle, I couldn’t agree with you more. It is impossible to “cheat” unless you are playing a game. I would not own one of these gasoline powered bicycles myself simply because I like not having to buy gas to get around and because I’d be worried about straddling an internal combustion engine strapped to a bike frame. (This seems like a good way to char your nether regions to me.)
If people want to ride these things, go for it. I think that setting speed limits for people using bike lanes is simple common sense, though.
The irony about this post is it shares the screen with Google ads for 50-80cc engine kits (and 35 mph) for as low as $109.
I like what Jeff S. said: “horrible solution to a non-existent problem”.
Nate,
That’s actually kinda funny. But those ads are generated automatically based on the content of the site.
I think dismissing motorized bicycles as insufficiently pure is misguided. The fact is, power assist bicycle commuting is a legitimate transportation ALTERNATIVE. If someone needs a little help before they can make their commute on two wheels, then we should be supportive. The problem is that the market is very small and there are not many quality products available to the average consumer.
As a practical matter, like a typical bike, a motorized bicycle is much cheaper (MPG, insurance, repairs, etc.) than a traditional auto or gas-powered scooter. It never becomes so worn out that the whole vehicle must be replaced–a few new components and it is good as new. In a competitive environment of product manufacturers producing the same standardized components, consumers are in a very favorable economic position.
Any way we can get people off of 4-wheels and onto 2-wheels is a win for everyone.
you guys are lame, i’ve had mine forever… it’s safe, reliable and an awesome grocery getter.
as far as the emissions go… who cares. sometimes i start my up car engine and leave it running in idle, while i ride my 2 stroke engine bike wide open – balancing to drive the bike with no hands so i can spray hairspray cans into the air during my commute. i don’t recycle and i leave all the lights on at work when i leave for the day.
The question posted by the author is “So what are your thoughts on gas powered bikes?” and not is “Gas better than electric” or “do you get more excercise or less” or is it greener then pure pedaling.
Yes – it does have emissions – yes it does require less effort than a regular bike and yes, the electric solution has come on strong and in many ways is a much more elegant and green way of getting assited propulsion.
I love my Gary Fisher Chronus (the old one with a flat bar and fat slicks, not the new weight watching weenie) and I love pedaling it for recreation and fitness. But I also have an older garage sale sourced MTB with a cheap chinese 2 stroke that is both fun and endearing (for different reason) … one does not compete with the other … and when finances and time allow, I suspect I’ll one day try and do an electric bike build up as well. Broaden your horizons and leave your hate mail out of it. I do this because I am a bicycle enthusiast – not because I’m Lance Armstrong or a greenie or hate cars … just like bikes … even those with a little extra oomph when you need it … it’s not a race so it is not to be considered as cheating … the gas bike just allows me to go further and faster and arrive not looking like a stick of melting butter … it aint for everyone but you need to try it before you judge it, you might like it ? It’s cheaper than a high end set of Dura-Ace gears or a nice set of road wheels and is the furthest thing from being and extravegance. Most kits can be installed (and removed, if you dont like it) in an afternoon so most folks can do it themselves so it’s a great project if you like to tinker like many bike folks do.
I too had a gas powered bike. It was very fun and fuel efficient. Some can reach up to 30 MPH, but I usually maxed out around 27 after the break in period. In the end it broke down. But if your lokking for power and speed, then it’s for you. And to the commentors who said “For rednecks only,” and “a special place in Hell reserved for these psuedo-green phonies in my (never-so) humble opinion,” you should be ashamed of yourselves. There is no need for childish biasis like that in this world. Comments like that add nothing to anyone’s arguement. They only show your inhability to bring evidence to the table. Such disreguard and cruelness towards your own species. Shame on you both! Good day!