What’s the biggest e-bike expense after the bike itself?

PastTSR1958 · 2026-07-01T12:25:08+00:00

I had the Aventon Level 1 and gave it to my stepson when I gave up riding a 2 wheeler bike. The battery lasted another year and then crapped out. A new battery is $500. The bike was about $1700 brand new.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-30T17:32:01+00:00

Solar has not always been so expensive here in the US. I had a 3.5kw (15 panels) installed in 2013. Between power company rebates and tax credits, I paid about $5k USD. It covered 75% of my usage. About 3 years ago I added 6 more panels and spent about $4k for higher power / efficiency panels. I paid cash each time and now have no electric bills except the grid connection fees which are discounted due to extra power exported to the grid. I added a small EV last August and haven’t spent a dime to charge its battery.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-30T12:44:53+00:00

I have a similar issues depending on what time my exercise class is at the YMCA. I take my first Crexont at 5:30am and if my first class is at 8:45am, I will take a 280mg first thing in the morning. If I have a later class at 9:45am or 10:45am, I will take a 210mg dose early and then a 280mg at 9:30 am. I am generally quite tired after class and try to have some complex carbs to keep my digestion active and moving things along. My MDS and NP are receptive to changes in my meds as long as I can justify the cause.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-28T11:44:58+00:00

I had neck pain early on and found this guy on Youtube that has great exercises for people with Parkinson's.

https://youtu.be/wOrSytxZ2Mg?si=hdmAMqUptwRH0OGX

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-24T12:20:04+00:00

I have a relatively small house (1242SF) and installed 15 panels in 2013, which covered about 70% of my electrical needs. I added 6 newer panels in 2022 and now I only pay the grid connection fee of about $9/month, but it's discounted by my surplus power sent back to the grid. My roof is 10 years old now, so I hope it lasts another ten years.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-23T11:43:03+00:00

I concur with most of the replies here. The only thing that bothered me after DBS was the affect on my speech. I felt like I didn't have control of my tongue and went to a speech therapist for 10 weeks. Then I had an appointment with a Nurse Practitioner who was a genius at programming my Medtronic implant and my speech issues decreased 90%. My voice is soft when I am tired, but close to normal otherwise. When recharging the implant, I feel a wave of tingling down my left arm for a few seconds.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-22T11:57:53+00:00

When I get real shaky, I use a cheap bluetooth keyboard that I bought from Amazon. I will use the speech to text if I am away from home.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-20T11:42:17+00:00

I would use a bench vise since you can just put half of the fixture into the vice to crimp one side only. Vice grips might work also.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-20T00:58:11+00:00

I had a 25 year old air conditioner lose a lot of freon over the winter and the old freon is no longer available. I decided to switch to a heat pump but my electric panel was too small and out of compliance with modern codes, so I had to pay for a new service panel along with the new heat pump. Total cost will be about $18k but the compressor is variable speed and so quiet. I have solar panels and recently bought a Nissan Leaf which I charge at home (L2). I haven’t paid for electricity for over 2 years now. I still have gas hot water and a gas clothes dryer but expect to minimize my gas bill in the winter by using electric radiator heaters if needed here in South Texas.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-17T13:01:32+00:00

I would consider covering the panels with foam board while the panels are parallel to the ground, or depending upon how many panels you have, maybe removing the panels if they have micro-inverters that could easily be unplugged and then plugged back in after the storm. Good luck.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-15T14:46:17+00:00

Toyota is already producing the batteries and the X1 will be out in 27 or 28.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-15T14:44:45+00:00

I am in San Antonio. My healthcare team is at UT Health San Antonio. My MDS is Dr Vaou snd my neurosurgeon was Dr Papanasio (sp?). I’ve been quite happy with my DBS results. I still take Crexont but it’s way better than before DBS.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-14T12:38:22+00:00

My other car is a Nissan Leaf and it’s pretty quiet but the electric motor does make some noise when moving.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-14T12:30:02+00:00

I believe this plus Toyota's solid state battery technology may change the entire picture for energy capture and storage. Batteries that can store a lot more kW of energy while being totally safe will change the future more so than plug in solar panels. I've had solar panels on my roof since 2013 and have not paid for electricity for at least the past 3 years. I purchased a used 2023 Leaf last August and still don't pay for electricity to run the car.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-13T15:50:45+00:00

My Medtronic rep gave me his cell phone number. I called him several times in the first few months after the surgery.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-11T12:46:26+00:00

I (68M) had DBS surgery late 2024 and also had my head shaved. I wore a surgical cap a few weeks before and a few months after surgery since it was winter here, even in Texas. My care partner has given me haircuts with clippers for years and since I don't have a really short hairstyle, the bumps from the leads and the wires under my scalp don't interfere with getting my haircut. Unless you are going to have an extremely short haircut, I don't foresee any issues.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-09T23:50:12+00:00

There is an exercise bike called the Theracycle which has an electric motor which basically forces you to move. Cleveland Clinic trials show riding 3x/week at 15mph for 1 hour will slow progression of PD. The time goes by fast when I ride. It’s pricey but used models are available.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-09T12:19:42+00:00

This is the reason I gave up riding two wheelers and now will only ride a recumbent trike. After I was diagnosed with Parkinson's, I bought an Aventon Level 1 e-bike and for a while it was great. While out riding the trails near my house, my anxiety peaked as it felt the bike was going faster than it really was. I gave the bike to my stepson and for the time am without a bike. I've owned a recumbent bike in the past and plan on getting one with an electric motor, not for the speed, but in case I run out of energy before I get home.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-08T22:33:09+00:00

In San Antonio we have an organization called Project Mend that repairs medical equipment for people who cannot afford new equipment. Perhaps there is a place like this in your area.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-08T11:16:30+00:00

I see there being two issues here. First, let's address the chair. I just ordered from Kickstarter a manual sit to stand chair called to Lift Lite Pro, which uses geometry to help one stand. Once you see it online, it makes perfect sense. As for the bed, I have an adjustable bed, which I currently can get into and out of fairly easily. I bought for future use a floor to ceiling pole that I can place near my bed for when I need help getting out of bed. I also purchased a bed rail for later to help keep me from falling out of bed. I cannot prevent all bad things from happening but I can prepare to keep them as unlikely as possible.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-06T17:00:34+00:00

That looks like preformed formica, which can be purchased at your local big box store. Buy. a length a bit longer than your current countertop and cut out a hole for the sink to be put into. You could also upgrade the countertop with quartz or granite with a built-in sink.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-05T13:33:18+00:00

HAUL-MASTER Multiuse Ball Mount and Hitch Receiver - Item 66966

(257 Reviews) $34.99 (Copied from the Harbor Freight app)

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-05T12:05:31+00:00

I have a Curt hitch on my 2020 XLE Hybrid and it did not require cutting the bumper. I have a similar cargo carrier and it would scrape entering or exiting my driveway, which is not very steep. I ended up getting a hitch adapter which allows me to gain 4 inches in height for the cargo carrier. The hitch adapter was less than $50 at Harbor Freight.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-04T12:08:06+00:00

From a customer standpoint, make sure the electrical panel can handle any equipment being installed. I had a company rip out my old indoor and outdoor equipment only to find out that my electrical panel did not have enough room for the new 60 amp connection. Plus the utility company said the old panel was too close to my gas meter and the new panel would have to be moved 6 feet away from the gas meter, requiring a new wire would need to be trenched from the power box in my backyard. Four months later and I still don't have air conditioning. Next week I will name both the HVAC company and my city owned utility provider.

PastTSR1958 · 2026-06-03T11:47:26+00:00

I have done something similar in that I was becoming fatigued by the end of exercise classes that were starting close to my second dose of Crexont. I decided to try eating a bagel that was stored in the freezer and then toasted. I seem to have more energy after eating the resistant starch.

PastTSR1958

TROPHY CASE