Electric Bike!

The other day we went to a bike shop looking for a bigger bike for William and I made the "mistake" of trying an electric bike.

It was awesome -- the same feeling I had as a kid the first time ever riding a bike -- a feeling of speed and freedom.

Ever since we moved to Marin I haven't done nearly as much biking as anywhere else I've ever lived because it's so hilly.  e-bikes have a reputation as "hill flatteners" so they're a natural for around here.

The technology has just started to mature with tiny, light, quiet motors, lithium-ion batteries, and computer-controlled systems. And just recently it has become (barely) affordable.

I spent the last few days feverishly researching and test-driving e-bikes and bought one today.  It's a Trek FX+ with a "bionix" motor system.

On level ground I can comfortably cruise at 20 mph (32 km/h) and can climb the long steep hill to my house without breaking a sweat.

Unlike many other electric bikes that have throttles on the handlebars that tempt you to just cruise along like it's a slow electric motorcycle, this one has a pedal-assist system which means that you only get an electric boost when you pedal.

It measures how much torque you're pedaling, and electrically adds 25%, 50%, 100%, or 200% more depending on the setting.

In California electric bikes are officially just bikes which means you can ride them anywhere (street, bike path, sidewalk) just like a regular bike and you don't need any license, registration, insurance or anything else.

There are only 200,000 e-bikes in the US so far, so it's still a pretty early-adopter product.  I'm sure they'll get a lot better and a lot cheaper in the next couple of years.  Still, I hope to get a lot of riding done this year!