| With one rechargeable electric bike already in our | | | | 1. A motor wheel. (Most kits offered a number of |
| family, we have been thinking about purchasing a | | | | wheel sizes to choose from.) |
| second one---this one for me. | | | | 2. A battery. (Some of the kits required that you buy |
| Since electric bikes require a fairly large cash outlay, | | | | the battery separately from the kit. |
| we are considering the possibility of converting my old | | | | 3. A battery mount and cables. |
| pedal type bike into an electric bike rather than | | | | 4. A battery charger. |
| purchasing a regular one. | | | | 5. A console. |
| I like my old bike a lot. The problem is that my old legs | | | | Most of the items were pretty self-explanatory, |
| rebel after a mile or two and I must admit that seeing | | | | except for the last one, and I was pretty sure that |
| my husband sail along on his electric powered one has | | | | would be explained in the manual, or that I would be |
| made me a bit envious. | | | | able to get at least an explanation, if not a helping hand |
| He assures me that it would be no problem at all to | | | | from my husband---who by that time would probably |
| convert my old bike and, after searching for online | | | | have decided that half-built model airplane in the living |
| information on the subject, I think he is probably right. | | | | room suddenly needed his urgent attention. |
| He could do it-if he would. We have a table at one end | | | | Actually, I love my old bike. It has coaster brakes that |
| of the living room that holds a model airplane he has | | | | don't try to toss me over the handlebars when I make |
| been working (?) on for at least 3 years. The truth is | | | | a sudden stop like hand brakes do. (Don't try to tell me |
| that I haven't actually seen him touch it for the last 6 | | | | differently-I have the scars to prove it.) The old bike |
| months, and maybe for even longer than that. How | | | | has a speedometer that is almost ready to turn over |
| would I know that he wouldn't take my old bike apart | | | | to 5000 miles. Would I have to take that off? Could |
| and leave it that way for the next 3 years? Not a | | | | my old bike be restored to its original state if I didn't like |
| happy thought. | | | | the conversion? Would I find using battery power so |
| According to my research, the conversion kits, which | | | | enjoyable that I would never pedal at all any more, |
| run about ¾ the cost of the lowest priced electric | | | | losing the health benefits of riding a bicycle in the first |
| bikes, are so simple a child could install them. If what I | | | | place? |
| read about them was true, if the conversion project on | | | | So many questions. I don't know anyone personally |
| my old bike got stalled, even a mechanically inept | | | | who has done an electric bike conversion on their old |
| person like me should be able to finish the job. And, as | | | | bike. I would like to talk to someone who has. If any of |
| a last resort, I have a 16-year-old grandson, but he is | | | | my readers have tried it, comments at the end of this |
| so busy with sports, I would probably have to put my | | | | article would be welcome. |
| name on a waiting list. | | | | In the meantime, maybe I'll head out to zoom around |
| After checking out several kits, I found that the basic | | | | the neighborhood on my husband's electric bike for a |
| components provided by most of them were" | | | | while just to see if I can get used to the feel of it. |