Citi Bike's Pedal-Assist E-Bikes Have Hit the Streets

Citi Bike this week added 200 pedal-assist electric bikes to its fleet of 12,000 two-wheelers.

These e-bikes can be recognized by the black battery attached to the frame, and lightening bolt on the back fender. They're about 15 pounds heavier than a regular Citi Bike, but riders marvel at the speed.

"It's almost scary fast," Matt Emmi, 40, said Monday. "It's like having Superman legs, you're working but it's like three times more effective. Your legs shooting you up the hill: it's really cool."

Emmi said given the option, he'd take the e-bike over a regular one every time.

"It feels like another New York superpower," Brian Van, 39, said after crossing from Tribeca to Williamsburg in 10 minutes. "It's zippy. I better wear a helmet from now on."

A user's guide on the battery pack on one of Citi Bike's new pedal assist electric bikes.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

Citibike plans to increase the number of electric bikes to 1,000 by next April when the L train shuts down. It's one of several ways the city is hoping commuters will cross the East River. A spokesperson for Citi Bike said the company will do it's best to encourage users to dock their e-bikes at the foot of the bridges and switch to a regular Citi Bike bike. It will also shuttle e-bikes back to the bridge's egresses on the Manhattan and Williamsburg sides during the 15-month L train shutdown.

While the city has cracked down on illegal e-bikes—those with a throttle favored by New York's delivery workers—pedal-assist e-bikes are legal. The city has encouraged those with illegal e-bikes to switch to pedal-assist versions.

It was just last April that Mayor de Blasio had to issue a "framework" to "clarify" the city's existing e-bike laws. 

The Citi Bike e-bikes allow riders to pedal up to 18 miles per hour with before the motor shuts off.