Manual/ electric bike

I'm assuming youre talking about a bicycle with an electric (assist) drive motor.

highspeed said:

Do you ride a bicycle which allows you to switch from manual to electric?

Yes

highspeed said:

If yes, can you describe your overall experience?

Depends a bit on which motor setting I'm using, and the ride conditions.
Under good ride conditions, it's a bit of help when taking off and during climbs.I still put the work in, but with the boost of the motor I ascend faster and accelerate faster.

Under poor ride conditions, the motor remains engaged more and it's like riding with a benign force pushing you along.

highspeed said:

How fast can you go?

The motor cuts out at 16 mph. After that it's muscle power. Or gravity. Or both.
My registered max is 34 mph.

highspeed said:

Can you shift easily from manual to electric and vice versa?

Certainly, by toggling a switch.

highspeed said:

Would you highly recommend your bike to other cyclists?

Not w/o knowing how they are looking to use their bike. Mine suits my riding, but may not be the ideal bike for all riders.
I would only "highly recommend" it to people whose use and preferences would be similar to mine.

highspeed said:

Do you ride a bicycle which allows you to switch from manual to electric?

Keep in mind that E-bikes are very heavy and not much fun to pedal without the motor assist.

I test rode an E-Bike for fun, and what I walked away from that experience is that it would make me lazy and simply resorting to the motor drive instead of using my muscles to crank the bike.

There has also been some fires reported with complete destruction of the bike, so you have that minor distraction... But you also have a bike that weighs at least 35 pounds unless you spend around $15 grand and get the Montanaro Volta that weighs just 19 pounds, that seems reasonable...:eek:

Froze said:

I test rode an E-Bike for fun, and what I walked away from that experience is that it would make me lazy and simply resorting to the motor drive instead of using my muscles to crank the bike.

If we're talking about the assist bikes, the latest stats from where I'm at actually show the opposite.
Since the assist takes the edge off climbs, headwinds and starting from stationary, the majority of e-bike riders actually end up riding(and pedalling) more.
A little less max effort, but an importantly bigger amount of average effort.
More destinations are suddenly seen as within reach, so more journeys are done by bicycle, with an significan't amount of propulsion coming from human effort.

Froze said:

There has also been some fires reported with complete destruction of the bike, so you have that minor distraction...

Well, there is a fair bit of energy in that battery, there's certainly potential for disaster. But we've had smartphones and hoverboards etc catching fire too.
There's one very basic tradeoff between charge time and heat build-up in the battery, one which the industry isn't addressing.
I usually charge overnight, so I could easily accept double the average charge time w/o it influencing my use of the bike. But the industry is certain that fast charging is the way to market domination, so that's what they supply.

Froze said:

..But you also have a bike that weighs at least 35 pounds unless you spend around $15 grand and get the Montanaro Volta that weighs just 19 pounds, that seems reasonable...:eek:

The industry standard seems to have been to build ebikes for those who not really like to ride, which has given us heavy bikes with huge battery packs. I was quite tempted to build my own to get away from the big battery and the sucky and heavy suspensin fork.
Now we are beginning to get e-bikes for people who like to ride too.

I have a friend that owns a bike shop. He let me take out a Giant quick e+ which assists up to 28mph. It has 5 modes. ECO, ECO+, NORMAL, SPORT & SPORT + and you can shut off the assist if you want the effort to be all you. You can still get an aerobic workout and more depending on which mode you choose. The assist really can help you fly up hills and as dabac said it can make you want to ride more. I did 27 miles on it and although I felt it aerobically my legs felt fresh although I did use the higher modes to see what it could do which made it easier on the legs.

highspeed said:

Do you ride a bicycle which allows you to switch from manual to electric? If yes, can you describe your overall experience?

I have had experience with several cheap ebikes and high end ones. The difference is indescribable. The main point you should think about is: why do you need the ebike for? Do you want to ride longer distances? Just for fun? A decent non electric bike could also make a big difference in terms of performance. In case you'd like just to try out what the ebike is, you could consider buying a cheaper option instead of spending a larger sum. There are various comparisons online that could help you get the image of what is available, nor necessarily for $15k.

Light Weight Electric Bikes
These models might not come in the smaller sizes or have step-thru frames but they are super light weight making them much easier to handle and lift. This is the type of electric bike I prefer even though my body type is more average in terms of height. Check Reviews