I fully agree with your advice that people should do their research before buying an electric bike. Some of them, probably most, are not worth the money, moslty because of the battery, so watch out.

Send me an email. I'll meet you at the base of that hill. Let's document what an electric bike can do. We can mount the video camera on the front of your bike or the back of mine.

I routinely ride to the top of Capital hill (420 feet) without breaking a sweat and back using a third of my power reserve. I have also ridden to the top of Queen Anne hill uncounted times (450 feet). I'm all over Seattle and it endless hills.

http://www.komonews.com/news/content/17832439.html

In Seattle, it's all about the hills. Once in a while I will ride up a hill without power assist just to remind myself of the value of power assist. Sometimes I'll see some poor person on a shiny new bike struggling mightily to get up one of these hills. They want to get out of their cars but when they hit these hills a lot of them will conclude it isn't worth the sweat and lost time.

Beacon Hill: 320
Ballard: 50-125
Broadview: 450
Capitol Hill: 420
Downtown: 150
First Hill: 350
Fremont: 250
Green Lake: 200
Madrona: 300
Magnolia: 375
Maple Leaf: 450
Northgate: 300
Queen Anne: 450
Phinney Ridge: 350
Rainier Valley: 160
Ravenna: 200
SW Seattle (Othello & 35th): 520
Wedgwood: 350
West Seattle (Admiral): 350
White Center: 400

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

and I don't need your girly-man electric bike. I escorted my kid on her bike the three miles to swim practice in 105º F heat yesterday and all I needed to keep the sweat down and the body temperature cool was a neck-cooler bandana thingy. Then we rode another 2 miles to Grandma's for a visit and another 3 miles back. The ride home was nice and cool as it was only 94º and the sun was down.

Oh yeah, I was riding my Xtracycle equipped cruiser with about 12 pounds of locks and cable, some groceries, a few books and a 400 ml water bottle. It's one long cadillac of smooth and plush riding and it weighs just a bit more than your average road bike.

So if my 250 lb., well-padded, self can ride around in blazing heat comfortably I think the rest of you can manage allright on whatever is comfortable for you to ride. The trick in the heat is to cool your neck down with a wet cloth and then get inside a cooled space asap after locking your bike. The wind of passage wicks any sweat off of you so it doesn't' collect.

If like jabailo you have to climb hills rear wheel or stoker conversion kits are available that allow you that allow you to use your current gear cluster or other pre-assembled bikes. This australian blog has an some insights as to how to get the job done. Of course the famed and rare Bigdummy/Stokemonkey combo is the current apex in cargo bike with electric assist but demand even at the staggering price exceeds production.

There are even a few guys out there cruising in hand-trikes. So if you can walk and see where you're going ya got no excuses with me.

Put the Carbon Back

is a hill killing, load hauling machine. Just got off the bike. Took several packages to the post office, swung in grocery store with wife's list to load trailer up with groceries. Dropped that off and headed up Capital Hill (hauling 50 pounds of stuff in the trailer) to see a client, back home a short time later. 9.8 miles with 40% left in the battery pack. Batteries now happily charging for next round.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world