Newbie here, and just looking at your electric bike thread and wondering... I'm an old guy, retired broadcast engineer (the old kind, worked with big tubes and things on top of mountains) and wondering how this electric bike thing meets the goals of back-to-the-land kinds of conservationist folks. They are not doable with lead/acid technology. It is only the lithium ion technology that makes them relatively effective. And even the Li batteries don't approach the energy density of diesel or gasoline or propane (which incidentally burns very clean with low emissions).
On the other hand, the environmental impact of lithium mining is significant, and though there are large deposits in Nevada, I think most of it comes from S. America--where they are not so stringent with their mining regulations. And so...having grown up logging and cowboying in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, I'm wondering why you are trying to homestead with bicycles?
Bicycles are an excellent means of personal transportation, especially in flatland, high-density population areas. Some electric assistance in places like San Francisco makes pretty good sense...but hauling firewood in the Rockies? Actually, horses are a much better alternative if you are totally opposed to the emissions of fossil fuel...and they don't need to be recharged, which opens up another entire consideration if you are off grid. My info may be out of date, so...just wondering about the e-bike rational.
I've been into the self reliance thing for many years (pretty much the way rural people used to live all the time) and I still have a large garden and make my own black diesel which allows me to run my old '86 F250 for about $0.80 per gallon. I'll stop. Lonnie
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