Kathy J May 2, 2023
Go to "Updates" and read "Fundamental Obstacles". Over $2m collected and the summary of the update written by ChatGPT and translated by Google is "We can't make what we promised." A 100mi range self-charging folding #ebike is pretty out there.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rocket-bike-self-charging-100-mile-range-ebike/x/8603654#/
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Rocket Bike: Self-Charging, 100-Mile Range eBike

Ride without limits on a 100-mile range, all-terrain eBike with regenerative braking & folding frame | Check out 'Rocket Bike: Self-Charging, 100-Mile Range eBike' on Indiegogo.

Indiegogo
Show thread😀🚲May 2, 2023
@eBikeChick who gave these people money? I can't make sense of the numbers, over a thousand people gave them over a thousand dollars for what looks like maybe a $600 bike?
Show threadsticky comics 🚴‍♀️🚶‍♀️✍️May 2, 2023
@enobacon @eBikeChick OMG - I've been following this for more than 2 years https://twitter.com/xiann/status/1631428507837296640?t=qoF6nmZM43rGXg-ryezn2A&s=19
Christiann ➡ @[email protected] on Twitter

“Rocket e-bike scam saga continues with the most bonkers coke-fueled backer update I've seen 🍿 (this is just an excerpt but no, it does not get better) #rocketebike #ebikes #crowdfunding”

Twitter
Show threadKathy J May 2, 2023
@xiann @enobacon The wording on those updates are just soooo odd. And the original specs were so pie in the sky I found the original campaign difficult to buy into. I’m pretty sure they spec’d this with an off the shelf Bafang hub motor as well. Just wrong from the start. I’m sorry people are going to lose money on this.
Show thread😀🚲May 2, 2023
@eBikeChick @xiann We really need to talk about e-bike range in terms of miles and elevation gain together with speed. Power * Time = Energy is not a complicated concept, but maybe people are so "energy illiterate" because we don't adequately tax fossil carbon. Plastic spokes though? Who saw plastic spokes and decided to get in on that deal? I feel like these are the same people who are eager to give our highway department a blank check for freeway widening to be repaid by congestion tolling
Show threadKathy J May 2, 2023
@enobacon @xiann Given that we can’t get the 50 states to agree on what the legal classes of #ebikes are I think we’re a long way from developing a standard for certifying ebike mileage range. Although that would be nice for an apples to apples comparison.
Show thread😀🚲
@eBikeChick @xiann The formula for power requirement is the same in all 50 states (modulo your average voter's weight & cross-sectional area * drag coefficient). There's a component for elevation * weight, one for rolling resistance, and another for wind. Up to 20mph, wind doesn't matter much but it increases as speed cubed, so it starts to matter a lot real quick. In my experience, unless you're in a hurry or it is very windy, the range is a matter of weight + hills, never a number of miles.
May 2, 2023 at 5:09amWeb
Show threadsticky comics 🚴‍♀️🚶‍♀️✍️May 2, 2023
@enobacon @eBikeChick It would be really nice to know the range for a given average steepness. Or maybe there could be levels of steepness, with the range given for each level based on an avg 150 lb rider or something.
Show threadKathy J May 2, 2023
@xiann @enobacon Here is the latest (but not recent) FAQ from the EPA about their standards for determining the MPG as stated on a car’s window sticker. Bikes are not cars, but there are some good points about testing and how they keep the playing field level so consumers get an apples to apples comparison between different makes and models and how they account for real world conditions.
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100IENB.PDF?Dockey=P100IENB.PDF
Show thread😀🚲May 2, 2023
@xiann yeah that's basically it, except the bike weight plays a part, so with 200lb cargo, 50lb bike, 150lb rider would get half the hill climbing range, assuming sub-20mph total wind. Also range on flat ground into a 10mph headwind? With cars pulling mostly just their own weight and always pushing through air at higher speeds, passengers don't make a huge difference.
@eBikeChick
Show threadsticky comics 🚴‍♀️🚶‍♀️✍️May 3, 2023
@enobacon @eBikeChick yeah the weight of the bike is one of the most important specs for me, since I'm small and have to carry my bike up and down stairs every time I come and go from home. But I don't think you need cargo specific ratings for bikes that aren't cargo bikes. So it seems like their range rating would already have the bike weight built in, as long as it's based on actual real world testing and not just the specs.
Show thread😀🚲May 3, 2023
@xiann @eBikeChick I chose those numbers for it to be 2x not because I have a carbon fiber cargo bike 😉 Point being that carrying an extra 50lb is not the same on all bikes, so a 150lb rider chart won't be good for a 200lb rider's comparison if the bikes are 25lb different. Really just need the Wh spec of the battery being honest + consumers knowing how to use that. (actually it's a curve, with lower watts available at a lower battery level, it's easier to start climbing than to end with it)