eGO Cycle EC-200 Electric Cycle - Red

Product Details

• ASIN: B0006ZRKH0
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Outmoded technology, June 21, 2010

By 

David J. Kricker "medivac" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: eGO Cycle EC-200 Electric Cycle - Red

A primary advantage of the electric cycle over its
gasoline counterpart is the significantly lower
maintenance cost over the life of the product.
Most of the offerings on the market can legitimately
make this claim, as these cycles, when properly
designed, need very little maintenance.

The Ego cycle, unlike most of its competition, uses
a motor whose design has changed little in the last
hundred years. Utilizing a commutator and brushes,
it's able to achieve high torque for its size and
weight, and is inexpensive to manufacture.

This design comes at a price to the user. Brushes
wear down and must be replaced. The commutator is
also subject to wear. To make matters worse, the
motor is linked to a drive mechanism which uses a
belt and pulley, adding to maintenance issues.

Most current designs use brushless motors, which
require little maintenance, and, if incorporated
into a wheel hub, need no drive belt or chain.
Yes, they're more expensive to make, as these
motors require separate controllers, but the
benefit to the user is significant. There is no
compelling reason to use anything other than
a brushless motor for this application.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful design, worth the money., July 16, 2011

By 

O Otvos "BSFrei" (Richmond California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: eGO Cycle EC-200 Electric Cycle - Red

I got one cheap from a teenager who lived in the Berkeley Hills. The bike was overmatched. I live on the flats. I weigh 200+ and with new batteries, I had no trouble doing a 16 mile round trip from West Richmond to downtown Berkeley.

The bike is very well designed, except, as indicated in the first review, the drive train. It uses a brush type motor, and a cog belt drive, which whirrs pretty loudly, even when carefully adjusted. Of course hub style motors whine too, so pick your sound track. PROPERLY ADJUSTED, the cog belt drive should be quite reliable, and the brushes last a LONG time.

I also went immediately to thorn-proof tubes and tire sealant. The tires must be kept at their quite high pressure to get the easy rolling necessary for long range on the batteries. The drive system is regenerative, which means when you are slowing down or going down hill, pushing the motor, the batteries pick up some charge, as indicated by the LED indicator stack right in front of you.

It also has an LED headlight and a VERY BIG VERY BRIGHT stop and taillight, and excellent feature, as well as rear view mirror. The bike will keep up with typical side street traffic. It does NOT have pedals, but every cop I asked said it was OK on bike paths, just keep the speed down.

It's a pleasure to look at, heliarc welded, well designed, comfortable, and the flat deck is great for grocery bags. I liked it, and was forced to sell it when someone on the street was so taken with it that they offered me much more than I had in it.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars eGO cyle for a bike-friendly town, August 17, 2009

By 

Henry R. Lavigne (Corvallis, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: eGO Cycle EC-200 Electric Cycle - Red

I have owned and operated an LX eGO cycle for two years in a bike-friendly town. I have been impressed with its features and reliabilty, although I did have to replace the original batteries after just one year. I realize now that I probably dishcharged the batteries too low and too often by traveling too far and too fast. I now ride my eGO at a slower pace (Go Far mode) within a 6-8 mile range and recharge the batteries directly after use. I tow a Burley trailer to get groceries and garden supplies. Overall, I recommend the eGO to folks that live in bike-friendly towns who want to go green for pennies per mile.