[komali2]

Or, a bicycle. You can get a good one on craigslist for a hundred bucks if you're patient. You may get a bit sweatier but you'll get an exercise ;)

Or, there's no hills, and you go your own pace, and it's fine.

Having tried both I do feel bicycles are safer - those tiny scooter wheels shake me to pieces.

[bamboozled]

Another thing I like about bikes is that it can be really therapeutic to perform your own tweaks, maintenance and repairs. Yesterday fitted new break pads and it’s such a pleasure to ride and is satisfying as hell.

[luckydata]

If it stops raining sometimes in the next year or two I'll give it a try!

[komali2]

Hah, we're opposites. I always get frustrated trying to do it the right way and end up hacking it together shittily

[bambax]

I built an electric bike from an inexpensive normal bike + Bafang motor. Total cost <$1000. I have never been happier with a vehicle. This is really the best of all worlds.

[komali2]

Oh snap, got a blog post or anything? Would love to kick a motor on to help on the incline home.

[bambax]

There are a million tutorials online, just google "bafang tutorial"; I found this video informative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf6BMf28ats but again, there are many many others.

One point important mentioning though is that once you put a motor on the bike you kind of have to use it all the time, because 1/ you lose the front derailleur, 2/ motor + battery weight around 6-8 kg, and 3/ the engine is always engaged.

It's possible to use the bike with zero assistance, on flat ground, if you need it (for example if the battery dies), but it's not something you want to do all the time.

So, it's not really a sport anymore. Yet it's extremely pleasant.

Also: you can buy Bafang motors on Aliexpress or Alibaba; I find sellers on Alibaba much more professional, and most will agree to sell just one item.

[bambax]

> the engine is always engaged

This isn't true, I misspoke. The engine isn't always engaged, it has a freewheel mechanism, but it's not as smooth and friction free than if there was no motor.

The usability of the bike with the motor off rests on the size of the plate you choose; if you want to be able to ride the bike easily without the motor you should select a small plate (<=42T probably).