1st Time Buyer with Wish List

[Trilissa]

Time Buyer w Wish List

• Thread starterTrilissa
• Start date48 minutes ago
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Trilissa
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48 minutes ago

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I am a 1st-time buyer, I'm hoping you will have advice for me.

1st terrain, will mostly be on are bike paths that are mostly solid sometimes loose gravel, pavement and sometimes loose dirt. If I were to pick a regular bike I am told a Hybrid would be the best choice.

This is my wish list. 1st I am bells and whistles, accessories kind of girl I want a cargo rack for sure. It would be awesome if there was at minimum, a headlight/ tail light, phone charging port would be a bonus.

I am thinking a step-thru, I weigh 175 lbs and am 5'1. I would love to find one that is as lightweight as possible b/c I would really like to use it for exercise possibly without the electric on and I would like to be able to travel a good distance when using the battery. I would like to spend under 2k out the door.

I worry about ebike reviews that state the get up and go comes on really fast when turning it on. That's a little concerning. I don't like fast and sudden. What bike(s) do you suggest?

I have a Subaru I would love to be able to travel with it too.

Thank you in advance

 

[Black47]

Giant LaFree at $2000 sounds like you would like it. It doesn't have everything on your wish list, but I found I love riding it and it is lightweight and easy to ride with no assist. I quite often just use the lower assist levels and it rides more like a bike than a motorcycle. https://electricbikereview.com/giant/lafree-e-plus-2/. A plus is you can usually find Giant dealers near where you live for a test ride. Try out as many ebikes as you can at any rate.

 

[Trilissa]

Thank you So much for sharing this with me. Huge help! What are reputable brands and models that are affordable that have Mid-Drives? After watching the Candence/tourque video. What percent of mid drives have both cadence and torque together? So, with you sharing that my price point is hard to find, what is the lowest price/brand with the best quality you can recommend?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Trilissa]

Giant LaFree at $2000 sounds like you would like it. It doesn't have everything on your wish list, but I found I love riding it and it is lightweight and easy to ride with no assist. I quite often just use the lower assist levels and it rides more like a bike than a motorcycle. https://electricbikereview.com/giant/lafree-e-plus-2/. A plus is you can usually find Giant dealers near where you live for a test ride. Try out as many ebikes as you can at any rate.

Giant LaFree at $2000 sounds like you would like it. It doesn't have everything on your wish list, but I found I love riding it and it is lightweight and easy to ride with no assist. I quite often just use the lower assist levels and it rides more like a bike than a motorcycle. https://electricbikereview.com/giant/lafree-e-plus-2/. A plus is you can usually find Giant dealers near where you live for a test ride. Try out as many ebikes as you can at any rate.

Thank you for that suggestion! I will check Giant out.

 

[Solom01]

Interesting. I have yet to ride a mid drive that feels anything like a real bike because they get the q factor all wrong, but most people don't seem to notice. Since she has a lower budget and is new to this maybe she isn't aware of the increased wear and expense to the chain/drivetrain caused by a mid drive? Unless she has a local bike shop she trusts will she be willing to service the bike herself?

 

[Art Deco]

See what bike shop brands ...Trek, Specialized, Giant... are in your area and go test ride or rent for a day something from a couple different shops. You won't find much available under $2000, but you'll learn a lot and maybe find something you like.

 

[PatriciaK]

I also love my Giant La Free E+2! Great bike for under 2K.

That being said, it does lack a couple of things you say you want. Lights, for instance - but you might want to consider whether adding your own lights might be better than having them as an extra drain on your battery. Also, no phone charging port either, though, again, charging from the bike is another battery drain. Personally, I prefer not to have extras using the battery - it lasts longer for rides that way.

I don't worry about wear and tear on the chain, either. For recreational riding on roads and paths, it's not an issue.

Good luck with your search!

 

[Trilissa]

I also love my Giant La Free E+2! Great bike for under 2K.

That being said, it does lack a couple of things you say you want. Lights, for instance - but you might want to consider whether adding your own lights might be better than having them as an extra drain on your battery. Also, no phone charging port either, though, again, charging from the bike is another battery drain. Personally, I prefer not to have extras using the battery - it lasts longer for rides that way.

I don't worry about wear and tear on the chain, either. For recreational riding on roads and paths, it's not an issue.

Good luck with your search!

Thanks, Patricia!

 

[Trilissa]

Interesting. I have yet to ride a mid drive that feels anything like a real bike because they get the q factor all wrong, but most people don't seem to notice. Since she has a lower budget and is new to this maybe she isn't aware of the increased wear and expense to the chain/drivetrain caused by a mid drive? Unless she has a local bike shop she trusts will she be willing to service the bike herself?

Thank's Solom, I don't even service my own car. I would have no interest in servicing a bike. LOL! Would you agree that the mid-drive has a lot of less take-off speed than a rear moto?

 

[harryS]

If you're buying from a local shop, which you should do if you plan to have it serviced, you can always test ride to see if the assist is mild mannered enough for you. There must be a couple of shops in Denver,

For car transport, I think you'll have to get a trailer hitch attached to your Suburu and a platform rack, another $500 outlay for both,

If you buy a regular skinny tire 20" folder, those can be put inside a car by a small person, but not a fat tire folder. And if you're looking at folders, the Qualisports models are known to have a soft launch on assist.

 

[Black47]

Thank you So much for sharing this with me. Huge help! What are reputable brands and models that are affordable that have Mid-Drives? After watching the Candence/tourque video. What percent of mid drives have both cadence and torque together? So, with you sharing that my price point is hard to find, what is the lowest price/brand with the best quality you can recommend?

Thanks in advance!

The LaFree has multiple sensors and an auto mode assist as well. Most mid-motors from the big three brands start around $2500. The LaFree also has a belt drive internal geared hub for another $400. You can get mid-motors for less from Ariel Rider for example, but usually you would have to assemble them yourself, or pay to have it done, plus adequate customer service might be lacking. PatriciaK gives good advice and she has had her's a lot longer than I have.

 

[Trilissa]

If you're buying from a local shop, which you should do if you plan to have it serviced, you can always test ride to see if the assist is mild mannered enough for you. There must be a couple of shops in Denver,

For car transport, I think you'll have to get a trailer hitch attached to your Suburu and a platform rack, another $500 outlay for both,

If you buy a regular skinny tire 20" folder, those can be put inside a car by a small person, but not a fat tire folder. And if you're looking at folders, the Qualisports models are known to have a soft launch on assist.

Thank you Harry!

 

[Trilissa]

The LaFree has multiple sensors and an auto mode assist as well. Most mid-motors from the big three brands start around $2500. The LaFree also has a belt drive internal geared hub for another $400. You can get mid-motors for less from Ariel Rider for example, but usually you would have to assemble them yourself, or pay to have it done, plus adequate customer service might be lacking. PatriciaK gives good advice and she has had her's a lot longer than I have.

Thank you for that advice!

 

[PatriciaK]

Not sure how much oomph you want/need at take off.

There is a skill set to riding an ebike that's a bit different from riding an acoustic bike, and you will need to practice a bit. For instance, I have to remember to gear down when I stop (to 2nd or 3rd gear), even when cruising on the flat (I usually leave my assist on auto mode so I don't need to fool with that), in order to have a faster restart. The pedal assist kicks in pretty quickly, but, if I'm up in 7th or 8th gear, the bike is still going to be a slug from dead stop. An ebike is considerably heavier than an acoustic, so there's more weight to get moving.

I did not like the sensation of being pushed along that one gets from a hub motor - I preferred the more natural feel of the mid drive. Also, I live in a very hilly area, so gave up the quicker start for better power on the hills.

 

[Black47]

Thank you for that advice!

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Trilissa]

I'm quite the opposite.
I love hub drive because I like zippy bike, I like getting pushed around.

When I test rode Bosch mid drive and Stromer (hub drive) with torque sensor, I found them boring.
The torque sensor did really good job hiding the assist, making it "natural feeling" but for me, I could not tell when the motor was kicking in.

I know that many people do not like cadence sensored bikes because they can be unpredictable, but I enjoy the pushing effect.

There are torque sensored hub drive available, but since Trilissa wants to be able to ride the bike like normal bicycle without power assist, it needs to be mid drive.
Hub driven bikes are super heavy without electric power, whereas Yamaha or Bosch mid drive bikes will feel like normal bicycles without power.

Thank's, Timpo! I really appreciate the feedback!

 

[PatriciaK]

You're biggest problem right now is going to be FINDING bikes in stock. The Covid pandemic caused a surge in purchasing beginning a couple of months ago, and now many of the major manufacturers and even direct market outfits are out of bikes. My LBS has zero La Frees in stock, and hasn't for some time.

You're going to need to be patient and wait, perhaps for a month or more, for the supply too recover.

 

[ric14221]

I agree Giant LaFree Fun ride

 

[Redviggen]

Interesting. I have yet to ride a mid drive that feels anything like a real bike because they get the q factor all wrong, but most people don't seem to notice. Since she has a lower budget and is new to this maybe she isn't aware of the increased wear and expense to the chain/drivetrain caused by a mid drive? Unless she has a local bike shop she trusts will she be willing to service the bike herself?

Yes I have just discovered this after buying a Giant toughroad two days ago.... The Q factor is like 195mm.... coming from a road bike that 146mm?... that's a 5cm difference!
I'm having some knee pain now.
Looking for a replacement crankset now. Seems like there's not many options available. I'm thinking of finding an old taper road crankset and grind down the spokes on the driveside.... lol... anyone ever did this?

 

[Quick514Biker]

I'm quite the opposite.
I love hub drive because I like zippy bike, I like getting pushed around.

When I test rode Bosch mid drive and Stromer (hub drive) with torque sensor, I found them boring.
The torque sensor did really good job hiding the assist, making it "natural feeling" but for me, I could not tell when the motor was kicking in.

I know that many people do not like cadence sensored bikes because they can be unpredictable, but I enjoy the pushing effect.

There are torque sensored hub drive available, but since Trilissa wants to be able to ride the bike like normal bicycle without power assist, it needs to be mid drive.
Hub driven bikes are super heavy without electric power, whereas Yamaha or Bosch mid drive bikes will feel like normal bicycles without power.

Don't want to hijack this thread, & this is my first time posting ever on this forum. I'm also like you I like a zippy bike. Like the OP, I'm a first time buyer. Should I focus on hub drive bikes only? Would definitely a cadence sensor bike be better for me, instead of a torque sensor bike? Are there e-bikes with duo sensors(torque/cadence), that I can turn one of them if off at times(depending on what type of riding I want to do)?

I've been interested in the Ride1Up bikes, in particular their LMT'D model, originally because they had a torque sensor(supposely a better sensor system than a cadence), & they recently updated their controller to fix their surging issues. Should I be looking at Ride1Up's other models with cadence sensor instead as it might be a quicker bike for me, & would enjoy it more? I know all of Ride1Up bikes are hub drive. BTW, I have tested for a half a day, a Haibike commuter bike with the Bosch Performance CX(2nd G motor), & like it very much.