New to Ebikes. Need help/advice

[jazzyj]

Hello. I live in CA. I am new to the motorized bike world and in need of advice.
My b/f and I both have Schwinn Jaguars 7 speed and we are looking into putting an electric motor on his for work transportation. His route consist of 2 large hills. He is 5'9 240 pounds. We are on a budget,so something inexpensive is what we are going for.
I know there are rear wheel kits and front wheel kits. We would like to still be able to use the bike for pedaling. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Questions-
1. What would be the best motor for his size?
2. What are the cost?
3. Since we have gears will a rear wheel kit be an issue?
4. How long is battery life?
5. Is there a way to make it anti theft (IE- alarm/key?)
6. Is it possible to get a compact solar panel to charge bike?
Thank you

 

[Dan]

Howdy Jazzy, welcome.

I'm afraid I am not at all well versed on Ebikes, but am sure some one will offer an opinion.

 

[porch lizard]

Hi.... There are alot of options for e-bikes, and you need to do the research. I decided to check out e-bikes last Jan, 2011 and finally bought a a new Curries Tech. eZip Trailz, for $500.00 shipping included from CA to Iowa. The reason I did this, was I wanted an inexpensive way to try out electric bikes. The kits to convert regular bikes to e-bikes, cost anywhere from $200 to $500, I would have to install the kit myself, and my bicycle would be kind of lightweight for the added pounds of batteries and motor. The eZip Trailz came with heavy duty rims and spokes, a beefed up frame, easy assembly (tires, seat, and handle bars) and a one year warranty. I rode it for over 2,500 miles from March to October and had no trouble whatever. I used the regular SLA batteries that have locks to keep them from being stolen, and I can go 20 - 25 miles before I needed to recharge. The motor is great for everything except for taking me over the hills. It gets me half the way up, and then I pedal to assist it. Thats about the only time I pedaled. The eZip has 7 gears, but I rarely used more than 5,6, and 7th gear. At the time, I commuted to a town 16 miles away, so I had to recharge before going back home (3-5 hrs) . If I lived in a bigger city I think I would have stayed with the e-bike. I enjoyed the quietness of electric power, but hated the limited mileage, so I'm now using the 2-stroke gas engine kit on a new Huffy Cranbrook, and like it so much better, that I'm building another one. Good luck on your research.