1-armed rider looking for a FS bike for mostly exercise road riding, commutes, and easy trails

[cg_ops]

I have been lurking in here and on reddit trying to decide if I should convert from my Trek Mamba 29er to a FS eBike. I mostly ride 3-4x a week for ~15 miles for exercise. I am looking for an ebike to help keep the same workout but increase distance traveled and improve comfort. I would prefer a FS bike over suspension seat post for stability on crappy roads, bumpy paths, etc. I was a mountain biker in my teens/20's

I put a Cloud 9 seat seat on to help absorb bumps but it's not ideal. As I mentioned above, I've considered getting a shock absorbing seat post but I think it'd be a net increase in comfort and safety going with FS. I say safety because I can't stand on the pedals to absorb shocks when I go up/down curbs and hit rocks or pot holes. Sometimes it bounces me off the seat. After a couple years I haven't gone down but it feels sketchy and can be brutal on the 'taint.

So I've been eyeballing the Luna X1. It seems to be the best option for me... but there are so many (Biketrix, Luna, Haibike, etc) that it's hard to tell if I'm missing anything. Since I'm not going to be doing any downhill or hard trails, I know the mountain bike is a bit overkill, but I hate road bikes, especially as a 1-armed rider that needs wide bars for leverage. I want a workout (so the bike still needs to be usable as a bike even without much/any pedal assist), want comfort (Full Suspension), and would like to be able to commute on it (up to ~20 miles round trip with minimal effort so I don't arrive sweaty)

I know the 1-armed aspect will seem sketchy to some but... I like speed and am comfortable at speed so of course I want more bite than the 250-750 norm from the Trek/Specialized offerings (which are insanely high price compared to the X1 and similar)

I appreciate the input!

EDIT: Right arm is functional, left arm is goobered. Attached current analog bike to be replaced. Also, if anyone knows of good shops in the SF Bay area that offer demos, that feedback would also be appreciated!

 

[Merle Nelson]

Maybe search some threads hear on turning normal bikes into ebikes. Seems like a wealth of knowledge is available if the right person/people know your asking.

 

[J.R.]

Good call. I think a full suspension bike will aid in control while cycling rough terrain with one good arm. Wider handlbars and longer stems offer more leverage and steering is less twitchy. I don't have any experience with the bikes on your list, but wish you the best in your search. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Merle Nelson]

For instance.... https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/convert-road-bike-to-ebike-advice.42490/

 

[PDoz]

Don't ignore the big brand emtb's - " modern" geometry with slack head angles might work really well singlehanded - more stable / less twitchy steering.

Take a look at a giant stance ir focus thron - a more upright riding posture so less weight through your wrist

I'm probably telling you how to suck eggs, but for single handed tiding you might want to try a frame size shorter than recommended but with a longer stem - that way you can run narrow bars to jeep your cog central but still retain leverage due to the longer stem.

 

[cg_ops]

Thanks for the fedback thus far. I'm not terribly keen on doing a conversion on my bike. Aside from the hassle of doing it, I'm looking at this as an excuse to upgrade to FS. As for buying a FS bike and doing a conversion, I've seen very little that gives me hope that I'll find a kit that would be better (functionally + financially) than going with pre-built. In trying to stay under ~$4600 the are options but difficulty is getting to try them out before buying.

 

[st0ut]

I think this bike fits your wants, it s bit more than the luna but not nearly in the trek specialized range.
FWIW i have a Giant Explorer with a lower end motor than the stance. very happy with mine so far.

Giant Stance

 

[st0ut]

Don't ignore the big brand emtb's - " modern" geometry with slack head angles might work really well singlehanded - more stable / less twitchy steering.

Take a look at a giant stance ir focus thron - a more upright riding posture so less weight through your wrist

I'm probably telling you how to suck eggs, but for single handed tiding you might want to try a frame size shorter than recommended but with a longer stem - that way you can run narrow bars to jeep your cog central but still retain leverage due to the longer stem.

sorry i didn't read your response more thoroughly

 

[PedalUma]

@cg_ops,
How tall are you? I may have a bike for you to try. I have read what you wrote and still think you should have a non-suspension steel framed bike with an upright riding position. Look at the frames for example by SOMA here in the Bay Area. Very comfortable. The right brake will go to the front and the bike will have a coaster brake so you can stop while holding on with all of your fingers. The thumb display/remote will also be to the right. I make bikes for people based on their needs. If you care to know who I am, use Google Maps and zero in on Petaluma. Then search eBike Repair to see reviews.