Beat The Traffic Jam with Pedal Power

How many times have you been stuck in a traffic jam and watched cyclists whip on by the entire lineup with the rider displaying a smirky look on their face.  When that cyclist is riding an electric assisted vehicle they will be whipping by at a faster pace, doing it with ease and the smirk is a downright gleam. This is one of the many benefits of choosing a sustainable and affordable mode of transportation.

With rising fuel, insurance and maintenance costs of operating a vehicle today and the fact that the already congested areas Victoria BC will be more backed up with the temporary bridge closures, we have seen a major influx of scooter commuters and e bicyclist emerging throughout the city.

One of our customers wanted to cycle to work for those reasons along with his goal of losing weight and maintain a healthier lifestyle. With his old trusted mountain bike he made it to work but after a long day he just couldn't make the ride home. He needed the pedal assist of an ebicycle to assist him until he could build up the strength and endurance necessary to make the daily 35 km round trip daily commute. As most people today he was on a tight budget so the fuel, maintenance and insurance that was spent on his pickup truck easily justified the purchase of his ebicycle.

Within several weeks he met his weight loss goal and has quantified his savings but he said the biggest reward is the the positive way he starts out his day enjoying the ride and nature along the way. "It's alot better than the road rage I would feel each morning on my daily drive to work and even my co-workers have mentioned how I am more positive to be around."

When asked if he still needs an ebicycle he replied; " You bet I just get to work faster now and thanks to the pedal assist not all sweaty like I did when I used a conventional bicycle."

Go Time Supports Bike To Work Week with Prize!

We are proud to support the Bike To Work Week Victoria by providing an I-GO Electric Full Suspension Mountain Bike worth $2299 as a prize for one of the winning teams.
We will be at the various events to show our support.

This beautiful Bright yellow Titan is going to be someone's new winning prize....

 

Direct Drive Motor in the crankcase No More Hub Motor!

We have been selling alot of I-Go Electric Bicycles since we became Vancouver Island's Exclusive dealer in early 2013.

The design of the motor being located in the crankcase makes total sense and performs amazingly! Unlike the traditional hub motor you won't have to worry if you get a flat tire or need derailleur adjustments because it is like any other bicycle that way. I-GO Direct-Drive in the crankcase produces more torque than other electric bikes.

The I-GO Direct-Drive system is located in the center of the bikes balance, in the crank. Since the system drives the chain and not the wheel like on other ebikes, the power transfer from the chosen derailleurs speed, provides seamless hill climbing power to the rear wheel. In simple terms, the I-GO motor drive system powers the bikes the same way a human powers a bike, by the chain. So the derailleur effects the power of the bike the same way a conventional bike is powered. The principal advantage of Direct-Drive stems from the motor/worm drive combination, which delivers more power and demands less battery power.




This is the Titan which is the full suspension Mountain Bike.

 This is the Cruz which is a large cruising bike that glides like the wind!

This is the Urban, it is our top seller as it is a unisex bike that is light and has top quality components including disc brakes and rock shocks.

This is the tour, a traditional design that is ready to take the long trips.

 

Hub Motor on Electric Bicycles and Scooters whats the buzz?

What exactly is a Hub motor? When you are talking about a Hub motor for electric bicycles and electric scooters it is referring to an electric motor mounted in the center of the wheel? Some will call them direct drive hub motors or rear hub motors but basically they are usually located in the rear wheel which propels the bicycle or scooter from the hub of of wheel.

You will notice one wire leading through into the axle of the hub motor which we have seen alot repair scooters coming in with this wire damaged therefore requiring the motor to be repaired or replaced entirely. We always recommend to our customers to take care and be aware of that wire's protection.

Another point is that somewhere down the line you will encounter a flat tire just like any other bicycle. The difference is with a rear hub motor, a simple tire change becomes a complex repair job and requires the proper tools to perform correctly. If the incorrect tools are used you may damage the rim and continue to pop brand new tubes or even worse damage the main motor wire whilst mounting and dismounting the tire requiring the motor to be repaired or replaced.

Don't let these few negative points about hub motors dissuade you to the fact that they are the most common form of electric vehicle propulsion in the world and have great power and life.
We make these posts to enable our customers' to make informed decisions.

Electric scooters a Non Pedaller or a Pedaller?

What do we mean by a Non Pedaller or a Pedaller?
A non Pedaller is old school technology and is what we deem as.... an electric scooter that has pedals on for legal purposes only because if you are forced to pedal these then you are in for a big surprise as it is difficult to pedal because of the location of the pedals, weight of the scooter and the mechanism design. It is difficult to make the scooter move more than thirty feet without getting exhausted from pedalling these heavy scooters without the electronic pedal assistance. If you try pedalling this type of scooter you will soon find out what we are talking about.

A Pedaller is a new technology in electric scooters which incorporates pedal assist with regenerative power and gives you superman like power with barely any physical exertion. With this advancement of scooter design you will not run out of battery power as long as you are willing to pedal a bit along the way. The pedals on these types of scooters are located in a position that suits most riders.

FAQ... What distance can you go on a single charge?

What distance can you go on a single charge?

Regardless whether it is a scooter or bicycle, the claimed distance on a single charge by the manufacturers is like claimed fuel mileage on other vehicles which we know is total best case scenario.
The claimed distance is usually based on a 100lb rider on flat level ground and probably with a significant wind to the rider's back for the best results.

So for most manufacturers we recommend to cut the claimed distance in half as we have hills a plenty here in beautiful Victoria BC and our average rider weight is more than the 100lb range.

Now keep in mind these claimed distances are based on no pedaling whatsoever. When you purchase a electric bike or scooter that has pedal assist then you don have to worry or not if you are going to make it the distance that you need to travel.

Go Time Buzz on Electric Bikes and Scooters

Welcome to the first of many posts on our blog that is dedicated to informing and educating people on Electric Bikes and Scooters here in Victoria, BC Canada.

Thinking of purchasing an electric scooter or electric bicycle? Hopefully these posts will help you cut through all of the misinformation out there and assist you in making an informed purchasing decision.

There is a lot of information out there and it can be daunting to those people considering electric scooters or bikes as an affordable and sustainable form of transportation. The information out there is skewed by the manufacturers and marketing strategies they concoct.

We at Team Go Time believe in telling it like it is (the actual truth) to our customers as that is how we want to be treated when we are the customer at other establishments and in general as decent human beings.
We trust that happy customers will spread the word that we truly do want to please our customers.

F.A.Q #1
Electric scooter or electric bicycle?
I'm looking at purchasing an electric scooter or electric bicycle and I am not sure what would be best for me. What are factors to consider?

This is a personal choice but we have found that people who have been using their bicycle but are looking for some assistance up hills and on the way home from a hard days work are usually best suited for an electric bicycle.

People that haven't touched their bicycle for a long while or don't own one at all usually tend to be suited for an electric scooter. Electric scooters have a super comfy seat, require minimal maintenance and are great for A to B commuters and people that "just want to get there".