If you're going farther than downtown, or it's over 85 degrees, get the e-bike. If you want to ride on the beach, get the cruiser. Everything else is detail.
Distance
A beach cruiser is happy for an hour or two: the beach, Seaside Park, Main Beach, downtown for dinner. Past that, the single speed and the headwind start to add up. An e-bike makes the whole island one ride. Ours go up to 60 miles on a charge, the longest range of any rental on Amelia, so Fort Clinch in the morning, downtown for lunch and the Amelia Island Trail to Big Talbot in the afternoon is a normal day, not a stunt.
Heat
From May through September, the afternoon is hot and humid and the breeze is usually in your face on the way back. Pedal assist doesn't do the work for you, it just takes the edge off, which is the difference between arriving at the fort sweaty and arriving fine.
Who's riding
Mixed groups are the classic e-bike case. If one person is a cyclist and the others aren't, the e-bikes let everyone ride together at the same pace without anyone suffering. Families with young kids go the other way: child seats, tag-alongs and trailers attach to our cruisers for $5 a day, and e-bikes are for riders 18 and up, one rider per bike, with no child seat option.
The beach
This one is simple. Cruisers ride on the sand; e-bikes don't. If riding along the surf at low tide is the thing you came for, rent the cruiser. Plenty of people rent one of each for a multi-day stay.
Price
A cruiser is $15 for four hours and $25 for a day; an e-bike is $50 and $75. Over a week it's $90 against $400. The cruiser is the budget pick; the e-bike is the one that turns a bike into your car for the week.
Either way
Both come with a helmet, a lock and a storage bag, and both cost the same whether you pick them up at the store or we deliver to your rental. Our e-bikes are UL 2849 and UL 2271 certified, the fire-safety standard for e-bike electrical systems and batteries. Walk in without a reservation, or reserve a cruiser or an e-bike online.
Quick answers
Do I need a license to ride an e-bike in Florida?
No. Florida treats e-bikes like bicycles: no license, registration or insurance. Ours are Class 2, fully street-legal. Riders must be 18 or older, and helmets come with every rental.
How fast do the e-bikes go?
They're Class 2 e-bikes: pedal assist and a throttle, topping out at 20 mph, which is plenty for Fletcher Avenue and the trail. You choose the assist level from the handlebar display.
Can two people share an e-bike?
No, one rider per bike, and riders must be 18 or older. There's no child seat option on the e-bikes right now. Kids ride with you on a cruiser with a child seat, tag-along or trailer, $5 a day.
What happens if the battery runs out?
With up to 60 miles of range it's unlikely in a day, but the bike still pedals like a normal, heavier bike. Multi-day rentals come with the charger.
