40 mile round trip commute

[schmitty]

Looking to get my first ebike. It will be just a commuting bike on pavement or brick street. No dirt trails, I've got a carbon fiber mountain bike for that.
My commute will be twenty miles one way with about 200 ft of climbing. I live in Florida so having a throttle to use during the summer is something I want. I'd also use it for grocery getting and other errands. I'd be able to charge it during work. Ive ridden the magnum cruiser and liked that. I like the look of the blix aveny but haven't been able to ride that. The juiced ccx seems like a good bike also. I think I like the look of the aveny more.
So basically
City design
Throttle
Fenders

 

[TAZMANIMAN]

Check Eric with Farbike.com his shop is in Florida and he sells the X-Treme brand. Look at the 48v models. My wife and I ride 30-40 miles on railroad trails with bumps and soft sandy areas, so if you are in Florida with only a 200ft incline on hard road surfaces I would think 40 wouldn't be difficult. The nice thing is you can call him and talk with him. I live in Ny state but talked to Eric first and bought ours through him which made me feel more secure about my purchase.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Looking to get my first ebike. It will be just a commuting bike on pavement or brick street. No dirt trails, I've got a carbon fiber mountain bike for that.
My commute will be twenty miles one way with about 200 ft of climbing. I live in Florida so having a throttle to use during the summer is something I want. I'd also use it for grocery getting and other errands. I'd be able to charge it during work. Ive ridden the magnum cruiser and liked that. I like the look of the blix aveny but haven't been able to ride that. The juiced ccx seems like a good bike also. I think I like the look of the aveny more.
So basically
City design
Throttle
Fenders

I recommend you visit https://www.crazylennysebikes.com/ in Winter Garden, Florida. This is perhaps the largest E-bike store in Florida and they have 100 models on the floor for you to try.
The owner Lenny is a wonderful man and he is at the FL store this weekend. I am sure you will find a suitable bike during your visit there.

Here are some options for you.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

https://www.magnumbikes.com/product/magnum-metro-plus/

 

[hurricane56]

How fast do you want to ride? A 21 mile commute is doable on a 400wh battery at mid to low assist levels, any faster and a 500wh battery or larger would be required.

 

[schmitty]

I'd actually like a bike with a higher speed because I can ride 20mph on my mountain bike on my own. So I think those would be considered class 3?BBut really if there was one with a throttle that exceeded 20, would be ideal. I sweat very easily and want to keep that to a minimum so either very high assist or a throttle would be best for me.

I went to crazy Lenny's last week and rode a couple different bikes. I liked the ride of the magnum cruiser but not sure of the looks. Like I said, I like the looks of a city bike as opposed to a 90s mtb or cruiser. Also I forgot to mention I'd like to keep it around $2000 or less.

 

[hurricane56]

if the throttle use above 20mph is an absolute necessity, you’re going to be looking at DIY or a non street legal bike from Luna Cycle or possibly a JuicedBike HF1000. I have a somewhat comparable commute profile, 17 miles with 200 ft or less elevation gain. My semi-DIY fatbike commuter will probably need about 13-15 amp hours (around 650wh) to maintain a 25mph average. Once you get above 25mph it take a ton of power to stay there especially if it’s throttle only.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I'd actually like a bike with a higher speed because I can ride 20mph on my mountain bike on my own. So I think those would be considered class 3?BBut really if there was one with a throttle that exceeded 20, would be ideal. I sweat very easily and want to keep that to a minimum so either very high assist or a throttle would be best for me.

I went to crazy Lenny's last week and rode a couple different bikes. I liked the ride of the magnum cruiser but not sure of the looks. Like I said, I like the looks of a city bike as opposed to a 90s mtb or cruiser. Also I forgot to mention I'd like to keep it around $2000 or less.

No conscientious manufacturer is going to produce bikes that go 25mph on throttle only because that goes beyond the legal definitions and frankly such a customer should buy a moped or someother DIY stuff.
Only DIY shops like Luna are going gaga over such things and it skews the public perception of E-bikes.

A bike that goes 25mph on throttle, retails for < $2K, reliable with support, matches your aesthetic appeal can be hard to find.
Good luck with your search.

Reliability - low price - speed. Pick two. You can't pick all three!

 

[rich c]

200 feet of climbing in Florida? You must be riding some Interstate overpasses. I wouldn't have guessed that much elevation change in the whole state! LOL
I would slightly disagree with Ravi. When you throw low price in the equation with speed and reliability, you may only be able to pick one. Remember, with your commute, you'll be around 9,000 - 10,000 miles a year. That's several chains, several sets of brake pads, probably at least one new battery pack, etc. Higher end components have the initial expense, but in nearly all cases, longer life.

 

[ebikemom]

Class 3 ebikes go faster than 20MPH, but do NOT have throttles. Throttles are on Class 2 bikes that are limited to 20mph. Class 1 are no throttle and limit of 20mph.

With your plan of heavy use, it might worth considering hub drive, as with a hub drive the wear on the rest of the bike is the same as for a conventional bike, while mid-drive bikes put a lot of wear on the chain. Hub drives are great commuters. There's lots of online interest and talk of the superiority of mid-drive bikes, but hub drives are effective, low maintenance, and practical.

 

[schmitty]

200 feet of climbing in Florida? You must be riding some Interstate overpasses. I wouldn't have guessed that much elevation change in the whole state! LOL
I would slightly disagree with Ravi. When you throw low price in the equation with speed and reliability, you may only be able to pick one. Remember, with your commute, you'll be around 9,000 - 10,000 miles a year. That's several chains, several sets of brake pads, probably at least one new battery pack, etc. Higher end components have the initial expense, but in nearly all cases, longer life.

3 overpass on the committe commute and Central Florida is Hillier than most people think. No 3000 ft climbs or anything but your can climba bit and it had the same grade as places up north, look up Sugarloaf mountain.
Also i don't want to spend another 4 Grand this year on a bike.
When i ride the magnum cruiser, it was very easy to just cruise at 26 with the assist.

 

[TAZMANIMAN]

Our bikes have 5 pas levels and throttle works to 25mph, bikes were $1600 each.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

I'd actually like a bike with a higher speed because I can ride 20mph on my mountain bike on my own. So I think those would be considered class 3?BBut really if there was one with a throttle that exceeded 20, would be ideal. I sweat very easily and want to keep that to a minimum so either very high assist or a throttle would be best for me.

I went to crazy Lenny's last week and rode a couple different bikes. I liked the ride of the magnum cruiser but not sure of the looks. Like I said, I like the looks of a city bike as opposed to a 90s mtb or cruiser. Also I forgot to mention I'd like to keep it around $2000 or less.

The throttle only operates up to 20 mph for legal compliance.

The setting of my Magnum Metro+'s program can be changed so that the throttle will continue to power above 20 mph (I just did it on mine). However, I don't use the throttle above 20 mph but at least it's there in case I needed it.

My Luna BBSHD also has a throttle that continues to power above 20 mph, it's program setting can be changed (throttle setting, PAS settings, power assignment setting, power limit, etc...). I detuned mine so it can perform just like the other factory class 3 ebikes. I just posted my latest program settings here.
https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/tune-it-down.25262/

I anticipated that the BBSHD will have shorter life on the drivetrain. I just changed the chain at 2,400 miles and the drivetrain noise went away and it feels like a brand new ebike again.

 

[Chris Hammond]

As an owner of a Juiced CCS, I will say the bigger battery that is on the CCX adds a level of utility that your other choices lack. My commute is 30 miles each way, I have the big 52V pack, and I generally only charge to 80% to improve longevity of the pack. But I also have the ability to have more performance, speed, and range by fully charging when needed. I think all your choices are probably good, and I certainly agree with Ravi that going and doing some test rides is a great idea.
I don't think you should disregard the benefit of a battery with double the capacity of the others however.

 

[erider_61]

Class 3 ebikes go faster than 20MPH, but do NOT have throttles. Throttles are on Class 2 bikes that are limited to 20mph. Class 1 are no throttle and limit of 20mph.

With your plan of heavy use, it might worth considering hub drive, as with a hub drive the wear on the rest of the bike is the same as for a conventional bike, while mid-drive bikes put a lot of wear on the chain. Hub drives are great commuters. There's lots of online interest and talk of the superiority of mid-drive bikes, but hub drives are effective, low maintenance, and practical.

The Ariel Rider I am looking at is class 2 with a throttle and can be unlocked to do 28 mph

 

[mrgold35]

RadCity 48v 750w direct drive rear hub with regen braking Class II with throttle and 14 ah battery
- $1700 (+$200 jump because of tariff)
- 2.3" Plus size tires and front suspension for smooth urban ride
- fenders, headlight, rear light, twist throttle,180mm mechanical brakes, and adjustable handlebar stem
- built in rear rack w/ 60 lbs capacity and option for front mount rack for 275 lbs max weight (folks have not had an issue going +300 lbs)
- 16" and 19" sizes
- 25-45 mile range
- throttle cut-off can be adjusted in less than 10 seconds up to 25 mph in 1 Km/h increments (I set my Radrover to 22 mph)
- pretty much a standard urban bike with ebike components added. Can be easily upgraded.