Local man builds eco-friendly electric bikes

When Bruce Miller rode his neighbor’s electric bike for the first time, he wondered if he could build one for himself.

“Me, being mechanical, when I got home the first thing I thought was, ‘How does this thing work?’” Miller said. “Some people like things to work. I like to know how they work.”

From a young age, Miller would take things apart and put them back together. This interest in mechanics propelled him to consult online forums on how to build e-bikes. In the winter of 2019, he began his project on the front porch of his Birch Bay home.

Before long, word spread and friends of friends approached Miller asking for their own e-bikes. He’s built several during the past eight months, selling them for around $800 or $900 each.

Miller builds e-bikes using conversion kits, which he purchases online. He outfits standard pedal bikes with the parts. The battery pack, usually located on the rear rack of the bicycle or hanging from the frame, is composed of lithium ion batteries Miller purchases separately and welds together with pure nickel.

An electric motor located in the hub of the back wheel is powered by the battery pack. Colorful wires running from the battery pack connect to the controller, a box responsible for turning the motor off when the brakes are activated. More wires run to the handlebar, where the throttle controls speed and a gauge reports the battery level of the bike.

The conversion e-bikes Miller builds range from 500 to 1500 watts, with speeds from 20 to 40 mph. On average, his battery packs run for 15 to 20 miles before requiring a recharge.

Legally, e-bikes are permitted on roads and sidewalks if they don’t exceed 20 mph.

Rather than driving the seven miles to his job at KARI Radio, Miller bikes at an extremely low cost to the environment and his pocketbook.

“I can take this in, I can get exercise, I can get fresh air. Coming home at dark, it’s so cool because you can smell the blackberries and the flowers,” Miller said. “There’s no pollution at all, they’re quiet and they’re very economical.”

For his next adventure, Miller plans on making the 50-mile round trip to Bellingham and back with his fiancée, for whom he recently built a bright pink e-bike. He has built two larger battery packs for this journey.

Lenny’s Bike Shop in Ferndale has been selling e-bikes since 2016. Owner Loren McWilliams has noticed an increase in interest from customers. The model displayed in his shop, built by manufacturer Raleigh and priced at $1400, is available to rent.

“If people are thinking of a pedal bike but have a knee injury or some type of disability where they can’t ride far, then take that out and see what an electric bike is all about,” McWilliams said.

Unlike Miller’s e-bikes, the Raleigh has no throttle; the motor only provides assistance while the rider is actively pedaling the bike.

McWilliams does have an e-bike conversion kit with the throttle system in the back room of his store, but he finds people are more easily sold on the complete manufactured e-bike rather than a conversion kit.

“The only reason why I would do a kit is if somebody was super into their bike and loved it and just wanted to keep their original bike and put an electric kit on it,” McWilliams said.

McWilliams is a standard pedal bike user himself, but he believes e-bikes are useful for long-distance commutes and for people in need of an extra boost on their bike every once in a while.

Questions about Bruce Miller’s e-bikes can be sent to bruceebikes@gmail.com. Lenny’s Bike Shop can be found on 5676 2nd Avenue in Ferndale.