A few years ago, it became time to trade in one of our cars. We began the research on which vehicle might be right for our needs. After a lot of internet soul searching and a few trips to dealers, we ended up with our first electric car. We weren’t sure how much we’d really like it, if it would be practical for our needs, or if it would be a total disappointment. We were delighted to learn that after a few years of driving a (nearly) all electric car, it fit our needs really well and was lots of fun to drive.
When our family moved to the Laureate Park neighborhood earlier this year, it was time to re-examine our vehicle needs. My new office is in the Tavistock town center, and my wife would be teaching at Laureate Park Elementary in the fall. We decided to sell our gas-powered car and supplant it with an electric bicycle for my short commute. At the time, it seemed like a safe bet given the distances we’d travel for work each day and our growing experience with the capabilities and limitations of the electric car. We hoped to be right a second time!
Before we settled on an electric bike, we also considered a golf cart and a Segway. The bike seemed to offer the most utility for us. We also began to understand pretty quickly there are currently a lot of choices in the world of electric bikes.
The things that were important to us most were quality, safety and performance. After learning about Vintage Electric Bikes out of Santa Clara, Calif., we began to focus on the value of their bikes and really liked what we saw. Many of their bikes have a nice retro aesthetic and offer a lot in the way of durability and performance. You also can select a number of terrific options, such as custom colors and other accessories. It also had something we really wanted – regenerative braking. After seeing something about this company on an episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” our decision was made.
We knew that to get the most out of the new bike, we needed a cargo trailer to handle small trips to the grocery and to run other errands. Unsurprisingly, there aren’t a lot of retro style bike cargo trailers out there. Lots of great companies make great bike trailers, but a ballistic nylon-shrouded aluminum space frame with lightweight composite wheels wasn’t going to work for our needs.
On the week the new bike was to arrive, we made a random trip to Ikea and happened to see their newly released bike and trailer on display at the entrance. The trailer seemed perfect for our needs. It had a lightweight metal frame, bamboo slats for the cargo floor, and a somewhat utilitarian appearance. It was a match.
To make the trailer more like the bike aesthetically, we asked Vintage Electric for their powder coating color code and sourced some spray paint to match. We removed and treated the trailer’s bamboo slats with tung oil and re-riveted the slats back to the frame. We painted the wheels to match those on the bike and sourced creme 20×1.75 tires also to match those on the bike.
It’s been more than six months since we went all electric. There have been some lifestyle adjustments, but looking back, they were all relatively easy ones for us. We end up answering a lot of questions about the bike and the car wherever we go. So many people are curious about them. Also, some are still skeptical. We tell people, “They work for well for us.” The truth is, they’re both also a lot of fun!
Basic Specifications and limitations for Vintage Electric “Tracker” Bike
Weight: About 75 pounds
Range: About 30 miles. The longest I’ve ridden without charging is from Laureate Park over to Heintzelman’s road north through OIA, east on Lee Vista, and then south on Narcoossee down to Publix and back home. It made that trip with ease.
Top Speed: Governed at 20 mph.
Charging Cost: On OUC here. Cost from zero charge to full charge is less than 30 cents.
Time to Charge: From empty to full is less than 150 mins with the included 120V AC charger.
Other Accessories: Phil Wood front hubs are standard. Shimano Alfine hydraulic disc brakes. Schwalbe balloon tires are standard. Some models offer suspension options.
Drive System: 52 Volt Li-ion cells (like a really big laptop battery) with a 3,000-watt Crystalyte hub motor. (I estimate the hub motor is about 1/3 the weight of the bike.)
