Customer Reviews

eGO Cycle EC-200 Electric Cycle - Red

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I live in a very NON-BIKE friendly place. So, I've learned all the local surface streets and found all the best, least car infested routes. Still, when need be, the Ego can be run out to use a left turn lane on a major street.

I had two flat tires right from the start. So as part of the repairs I had my local bike shop replace the tubes with heavy duty tubes, and put sealant into them as well. No more problems.

Longest round trip is 10 miles, and that's about all I can stand, comfort-wise, even with the suspension seat.

But...fun. Lots of fun. I must force myself to walk to work for the exercise I need.