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Electric Bikes of New England - Derry, NH
by Tony Perez
(Rowley, MA USA)
Store name: Electric Bikes of New England
Address: 5 West Broadway, Derry, NH 03038 USA
Phone number: 603-319-4909
Website: http://www.ebikesofne.com
I live in Rowley MA had been considering an electric bike for the last couple of years.
Since I work in downtown Newburyport I figured it would be great to park the car and bike to work. I'm a bit out of shape and not really an avid rider.
My internet search created some confusion as there are so many choices out there. I decided it would be best to find a dealer that sells several brands and see if they offer test rides. Fortunately I found a bike dealer in New Hampshire that specializes in electric bikes and scooters. I called the store and spoke to one of the owners Cathy and was surprised by how knowledgeable and friendly she was.
Cathy suggested I visit the store on any day the roads are dry to test ride as many models as I like. So three weeks ago I did just that and was blown away by the many makes and models that filled their showroom. I was assisted by Cathy's husband and co-owner Paul who inquired as to what kind of riding I do and what distances my typical biking experience involves. He suggested I test ride several model beginning with a 250w and progressing to a 350w the 500w model. At 210 pounds the 250w was no where near the power I would need to assist in some of the hills along my commute. The 350w was a step in the right direction but the 500w seemed even better.
Paul also explained the difference in having an assist only model vs. one with a throttle. He also showed me models that have both assist and throttle feature. The assist only model means the drive motor will automatically assist so long as you are peddling. With throttle models you can pedal along and use the throttle to power the motor as needed or not pedal at all and just ride on the motor. Of course this will use up more of the battery charge. The are also differences in the type of batteries - SLA (sealed lead acid) and lithium batteries. The SLA are much less money but are 3 times the weight.
I decided on a bike that was one of Paul and Cathy's custom builds. The bike is a Montague Crosstown model and has a 500w rear drive hub motor and is powered by a 36v 16ah lithium battery with a top speed of 22mph (in the flats). The cost of this custom build was $1900 and I feel the value in every dollar I spent. I love this e-bike and it is also a folding bike.
Just in the short time I have been using the bike to commute the 9.5 miles I already have dropped 5 pounds and feel so good about my purchase. I'm not sure on the total range of this bike but would seem like I may be getting between 30 - 35 miles on a charge, maybe more.
The battery gauge has never gotten down to the red and I do plug it in after every commute. I plan to do some longer rides over to Salisbury and Hampton Beach in coming weekends so I will have a better idea for total distance. I highly recommend this dealer as they took the time to explain the differences an made ever effort to help me decide on a model best to fit my needs. Sorry I did not have a pic ready for this posting.