Hey Brandon, I agree that the
IZIP E3 Dash is a wonderful ebike and Currie offers pretty good support. You could probably use it on light trails but go easy with the narrow hybrid tires...
It's not a lot of fun haggling price but if you approached the shop and explained that you're ready to pull the trigger and want to buy local so you can also get accessories and come back for maintenance etc. they might be willing to hit your $2,500 mark. You could also volunteer to split the difference at $2,600 or ask them to throw in free tuneups and accessories if you go for the full $2,800. I know some shops offer great little freebies when you buy a new bike and this lets them hit the MSRP while still sweetening the deal
I've also had luck with the Easy Motion ebikes and really like the
Neo 650B which has larger tires and a better suspension fork for off road use. All of this combined offers a smoother ride and the bike is very stealth given the 350 watt geared motor vs 500 watt direct drive on the Dash. I think the drive technology is more advanced on the Dash (uses speed, cadence and torque in assist) but the battery stands out more and there have been some issues with it recently (that said, Larry is actually on here helping people and Easy Motion has been somewhat absent). For more on the Neo 650B hit up
@Ravi Kempaiah who has owned one for quite a while now and rides all over Washington DC.
Another great bike to consider is the Volton Alation 350 Mid-Drive that uses an 8Fun BBS01 and goes for ~$2,500 if I remember correctly. This is an awesome bike with a solid warranty, integrated battery and pedal assist + throttle. I'm working on a review for it right now but here's the
review of the mid-drive unit it works with and the
Volton section of the site so you can see what the hub-drive Alation's look like.
