how do i start, complete newbie

[ad356]

i do not currently have a bicycle. i think id like to have either a gas powered OR an E-bike. i live in a rural area. im concerned about what is going on in this country and i think gas may eventually hit unknown levels. when it gets to the point where it cost me $100 to fill my car i would consider parking my car for my commute to work and riding a powered bike. my job is 19 miles from my home. im not so worried at 3 or 4 bucks a gallon, but it is what i think is coming, the sky may be the limit. a gas powered bike gets roughly 100 MPG. do i need a motorcycle license to drive one on the shoulder or does the law treat it the same as a non-powered bicycle. since i do not own a bicycle can i build one out of walmart bike, like a huffy for example?

what about e bikes? they look like they are much more expensive to purchase and with more limited range. can i carry a 2nd battery and change it out quickly?

i think these things look like allot of fun, but if driving a gas car becomes un-economical, i think they may offer significant savings in the cost of just getting to work. i live in area that does have snowy winters so 5 months out of the year it would be impractical, i think it would still pay for itself.

build one? or buy one ready to roll
how does the law treat these things?
e-bike or gas powered?
how do these things respond to hills, i live in a hilly area. how does it effect the range of a gas or an e-bike?

im very much a newbie, looking for some starting information

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

I don't think you're gonna have to worry about gas getting that expensive any time soon...

My personal preference is for gas bikes... I'm sure there's gonna be certain people jumping on here preaching the virtues of their holier than thou vegan electric bikes real soon though.

 

[ad356]

if i was interested in just having some fun, would it be best to buy something like a phatmoto, a package that it ready to roll..... or do i start out with something like a walmart bike (huffy or similar) and buy a gas conversion kit?

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Those Phatmotos are nice bikes, but they're very underpowered.

If you think you have enough skill to build it yourself?, get a Walmart cruiser & a 80cc 2-stroke kit.... You'll learn some stuff & save a bunch of money.

 

[ad356]

why 2 stroke, i think i would rather have a 4 stroke kit? no mixing of oil and gas, and less noise...... perhaps a 4 stroke has more durability?

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

The only 4-stroke kits out there with any real power are the 212cc kits... but they can be difficult for 1st timers to install properly...
Yes, they're reliable, but the rest of the 4-strokes are gutless turds!

 

[Tyler6357]

First, the law depends on where you live. Are you in the USA? What state are you in? Every state has different laws about motorized bicycles. Build it or buy it? If you have some skills and some tools you and basic mechanical skills, building it yourself is best as you will know your bike inside and out. However, you can buy a good gas or electric bike pre made but it will cost you much more. Electric or Gas? Well, that's a matter of preference. I would say electric bikes are easier to maintain however you will spend more. Most of the cost is in the battery, a good battery is essential and when they go bad, you have to spend quite a bit to get a new one to get running again. Gas bikes have cheap parts, however, they have more parts that can fail, more vibration, more maintenance.

 

[ad356]

i live in ny state

 

[Greg58]

You've got some good info so far, if you will spend some time reading through the forum you can learn a lot. People do a lot of things wrong trying to go by the limited instructions that didn't translate well. Find the category for the type of bike you want to use and read what does and doesn't work, if you run into a problem ask here on the forum and someone will have the answer.