4Cs - Cruiser, Cute, Comfortable, Cheap (under $2K)

[Cali Mom]

I'm overwhelmed with the choices and struggling to make a decision. My husband has a Radrover and friends have Pedego models so I want to keep up with them.
I think I like the Blix Avery or Sol, the SixThreeZero Around the Block and the EBC Model Y.
I'm not young or athletic nor do I have much experience (though I've rented several times on vacation and had a blast).
I hope to mostly ride for fun on weekends on paved roads and avoid hills if I can and I'd love to find something soon.

Can I find the "4C" bike of my dreams?
What would the braintrust recommend?
What is your guidance on how to evaluate/choose, especially given the limited availability of test riding during Covid?
TIA

 

[Dewey]

The Electric Bike Company Model Y does look cute, with a powerful motor you can keep up with anyone, although adding accessories soon pushes the price up https://electricbikereview.com/electric-bike-company/model-y/.

The Blix Sol would be another good choice in light of the updates they made last year, more powerful 500w motor, bigger battery, etc. https://blixbike.com/products/sol-electric-cruiser-bike

Another cruiser is the Aventon Pace 500 which is sold through some bike shops as well as direct, although I have read some feedback on this forum that pedal assist level 1 was set a bit too high and wanted to race off the line up to 12mph although I’ve also read this was supposed to be being fixed in the controller https://electricbikereview.com/aventon/pace-500/

You might like to test ride an Electra Townie Go! 7D, it is available at Trek bike shops or from REI where you can get a 10% member dividend. It’s different from the others here in that it does not use a throttle and cadence sensor but instead uses a torque sensor for the pedal assist and you need to pedal all the time, in some respects this would make it more bicycle-like to ride. The motor is less powerful than the others however so if you mean to keep up with your friends you might prefer one of the others. Courts review is here https://electricbikereview.com/electra/townie-go-7d/

 

[Cali Mom]

REI is a great suggestion, I'll check out the Townie Go. I haven't looked into the Aventon either, so thank you for that.
I agree with your assessment of the Model Y - by the time I had the color and options of my choice, it was out of my price range.

I haven't seen too much on the Sol, though I like the style and it seems like it might be a good match for my needs. I'm having a hard time determining if the Sol or Aveny would be better for me - I like the Aveny accessories, but could add most of them to the Sol. No lights though, not sure if that's important for me.

 

[McCorby]

As Dewey suggested......The Electra Townie Go! 7d by Trek. You get the huge advantage of Trek’s large dealer network for sales and service support.

Townie Go! 7D Step-Thru | Trek Bikes

Discover your next great ride with Townie Go! 7D Step-Thru. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

 

[Achterbahn]

Putting the electric aspect aside for a minute, Electra also has been making cruisers for decades. The Townie is a great bike, insanely comfortable. I had a traditional Cruiser 7D in college and it was absolutely the best

 

[Dewey]

REI is a great suggestion, I'll check out the Townie Go.

The nice thing about REI is they have in-house bike technicians who can add accessories. For the Townie Go! because of the upright riding position where you put more weight on your lower back, you might like to consider having them replace the rigid 27.2mm seat post with a suspension like this to add more Cush. Because the Townie allows you to put both feet on the ground when you are stopped you probably won’t need to use the dropper function, the comments on this REI seatpost mention it does not come with the operating cable and handlebar lever in any case so you can just use it as a regular suspension seatpost, if you wanted to REI could add them but instead I suggest you buy a pannier bag to carry your stuff, REI sell a bunch, some have useful features like the ability to carry them off the bike like a tote, or a cross-body strap bag, or a backpack.

 

[Cali Mom]

Putting the electric aspect aside for a minute, Electra also has been making cruisers for decades. The Townie is a great bike, insanely comfortable. I had a traditional Cruiser 7D in college and it was absolutely the best

You are right! I went by REI - no electric bikes, but I sat on a traditional Townie and it's very comfortable!

 

[Cali Mom]

After checking out REI and several LBS in my area, I was discouraged with so little available, lengthy wait times and no opportunities to test ride.
As it turns out, a woman in my neighborhood had a relatively new (few months) Rad City she needed to sell. She had purchased many extras and had hardly used the bike. She offered it at a price I couldn't resist. I wasn't intending to go this way, but after pouring through this forum and praying for direction, I feel this is a great place for me to start. Looking forward to joining my husband and friends on a ride in the near future.

Did I get all 4 Cs?
Cruiser - not exactly, but a city-bike seems to be a cousin of the cruiser? I was looking for a bike that is recreational/social and this will do the trick for now.
Cute - It's not pale-pink, but I'm ok with the look. It has a nice rear rack (is that what it's called?) that would be very cute with a baguette and bunch of flowers.
Comfortable - so far, so good. I like the step through, the seat adjusts to a perfect height for me, it has decent power for my neighborhood (hilly), it's easy to use
Cheap - Not a very pretty word, but I was kind of feeling that way. The price tag for e bikes was a big hurdle for me. I'm thankful I found a way to get started without committing so much money to a bike I am not sure of. This forum helped me understand that my "dream bike" specifications will likely evolve with experience.

Thanks for your help. See you out there!

 

[Achterbahn]

After checking out REI and several LBS in my area, I was discouraged with so little available, lengthy wait times and no opportunities to test ride.
As it turns out, a woman in my neighborhood had a relatively new (few months) Rad City she needed to sell. She had purchased many extras and had hardly used the bike. She offered it at a price I couldn't resist. I wasn't intending to go this way, but after pouring through this forum and praying for direction, I feel this is a great place for me to start. Looking forward to joining my husband and friends on a ride in the near future.

Did I get all 4 Cs?
Cruiser - not exactly, but a city-bike seems to be a cousin of the cruiser? I was looking for a bike that is recreational/social and this will do the trick for now.
Cute - It's not pale-pink, but I'm ok with the look. It has a nice rear rack (is that what it's called?) that would be very cute with a baguette and bunch of flowers.
Comfortable - so far, so good. I like the step through, the seat adjusts to a perfect height for me, it has decent power for my neighborhood (hilly), it's easy to use
Cheap - Not a very pretty word, but I was kind of feeling that way. The price tag for e bikes was a big hurdle for me. I'm thankful I found a way to get started without committing so much money to a bike I am not sure of. This forum helped me understand that my "dream bike" specifications will likely evolve with experience.

Thanks for your help. See you out there!

That's great! Congrats on the bike! In my opinion, the rad city is pretty comfortable and pretty upright. It's not a Townie in terms of comfort, but trust me, very few bikes will be. I'm sure you will love it - it will likely be better suited than a cruiser for hilly areas. I'm in SF so I had to accept I wouldn't have the same level of comfort I had back in SB where everything was flat