Anyone prefer a fixed single-speed ebike?

[RunForTheHills]

Two 60-something guys regularly ride exercise laps on unmotorized single-speed cruisers in my flattish neighborhood. Never see them together or on other bikes, and the friendly one told me that it's his only riding. Cardiologist's orders.

The unfriendly one always rides with his arms folded across his chest at a steady 10-12 mph and does everything he can to avoid slowing down. Kinda problematic in a neighborhood with narrow streets, no sidewalks, and lots of dogs and oblivious pedestrians.

You need to introduce them to ebikes and convert them. Put your preacher collar on. I can't imagine it is a low income neighborhood where you are. They can afford one.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

You need to introduce them to ebikes and convert them. Put your preacher collar on. I can't imagine it is a low income neighborhood where you are. They can afford one.

Why? Both seem to have what they need for their exercise routines. Besides, the friendly one says it's way too scary to ride outside the neighborhood, so not a promising convert. And the other doesn't strike me as a guy who takes suggestions.

I often ride 12-15 mph laps in the same neighborhood in OFF, so no motor needed. But I do need gears.

Being more committed to keeping my distance from dogs and pedestrians than the unfriendly one, I get slowed way down a lot. My old knees would revolt if they had to re-accelerate to the 15 mph speed limit in a typical single-speed gear.

 

[spokewrench]

The class 3 bike the OP is looking at does not appear to have a throttle.

I don't think I've ever ridden a bike where I didn't have to vary the speed at some point. surface & weather conditions, pedestrians, vehicle traffic, as well as fixed obstacles often require changes in speed. Of course this will depend on where you ride. YMMV.

It has a torque sensor, a cadence sensor, and a thumb throttle. I don't like thumb throttles. They aren't controllable enough.

I know what you mean about slowing down. At the end of my street, instead of pulling out onto the highway with a blind curve close on my left, I turn right through a gap in the curb onto a 42" sidewalk. I have to slow to 4 mph because the stop-sign post is close to the sidewalk on the near side, and a utility pole is close on the far side. I also need a lot of torque because I'm turning from a road on a 6% grade onto a sidewalk on a 16% grade.

I couldn't do it on a single-speed without a motor. With a motor, using a cadence sensor would be suicidal because of the lag. I have done it with a thumb throttle, but a half twist throttle keeps me safe by giving me better control. I generally do it without motor power on my shift bike, but even in low, the slow cadence and low torque make it iffy. I'm glad to have the throttle in hand, ready to pull me out of trouble.

With a single-speed e-bike, I may choose to pedal from 6 mph up. With the shift bike, I can climb as slowly as 3 mph.