How often to recharge electric bicycle battery?

Newbie here starting research (from near zero), on possible e-bike purchase.
Bike I'm considering is a Giant Rincon 20" wheels, with Wilderness Energy
BD-36 electric conversion kit installed.

My questions a

1. Does the bike (primarily its wheel size) provide a good match for the
electric conversion kit?

2. I've read that it's most important to recharge batteries after every
trip, no matter how short. Problem is I'd be using bike mostly to travel to
a lawn bowling club, and curling club, each about three miles from home. In
the case of these clubs the battery could NOT be recharged and I'd have to
wait until I return home (two separate trips) before I could do the
recharge. This makes me wonder whether e-bikes are more suited to where,
for example, one drives to work and can immediately recharge at work, or to
take a long ride where there is little or no stopping before returning home,
and then immediately recharging the battery. My question is will an e-bike
be unsuitable for my travel needs?

Thanks,

ewee

ewee wrote:

Newbie here starting research (from near zero), on possible e-bike purchase.
Bike I'm considering is a Giant Rincon 20" wheels, with Wilderness Energy
BD-36 electric conversion kit installed.

My questions a

1. Does the bike (primarily its wheel size) provide a good match for the
electric conversion kit?

2. I've read that it's most important to recharge batteries after every
trip, no matter how short. Problem is I'd be using bike mostly to travel to
a lawn bowling club, and curling club, each about three miles from home. In
the case of these clubs the battery could NOT be recharged and I'd have to
wait until I return home (two separate trips) before I could do the
recharge. This makes me wonder whether e-bikes are more suited to where,
for example, one drives to work and can immediately recharge at work, or to
take a long ride where there is little or no stopping before returning home,
and then immediately recharging the battery. My question is will an e-bike
be unsuitable for my travel needs?

Thanks,

ewee




Why do you want / need an electric bicycle? It sounds as if you are not
handicapped, since you are heading to places where some physical
activity occurs. Why not just ride a conventional, human powered
bicycle, and derive all of the benefits therefrom? (Lower initial cost,
better physical fitness, no need to charge batteries - ever, the chance
to eat more without gaining weight, etc., etc.)

If you want an electric bicycle to save money on transportation, a
simple bicycle will save you even more....

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:45:05 GMT, "ewee" wrote:

2. I've read that it's most important to recharge batteries after every
trip, no matter how short. Problem is I'd be using bike mostly to travel to
a lawn bowling club, and curling club, each about three miles from home. In
the case of these clubs the battery could NOT be recharged and I'd have to
wait until I return home (two separate trips) before I could do the
recharge. This makes me wonder whether e-bikes are more suited to where,
for example, one drives to work and can immediately recharge at work, or to
take a long ride where there is little or no stopping before returning home,
and then immediately recharging the battery. My question is will an e-bike
be unsuitable for my travel needs?

It's more a case that batteries shouldn't be kept long-term uncharged or
partially charged, but a few hours aren't gonna be a serious problem.
Presumably they save cash by using UPS or car starter batteries, rather
than deep-discharge or traction batteries. For a given capacity, there can
be a factor of 2 or even 5 in price between batteries that are really
suited to the application and ones that aren't.

Why don't you buy an electric bike ready-made? The frame and wheels will
be sized for the extra loads, and everything will work out of the box.

Jasper