5K budget, something fast, stealthy, commuter but can still go offroad?

[bike_nut]

Im looking for an Ebike for riding around town. I want something that looks fairly like a regular bike but after a top speed of at least 28mph. It would be nice to take it off-road also but my main priority is city commuter riding

Ive got a budget of about 5k US.

If anyone can suggest the best bike for me it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[JRA]

Where I live over 90% of the commuters ride drop bar bikes. So in order to be able to blend in I decided to go that route but found that there were not many drop bar options so using a suitable bike I built one up from kit components using a front hub motor. I decided to go this route because I wasn't happy with the way PAS/mid drive interfered with my desired pedaling and want to keep the motor separate from it and have enough gearing to be able to pedal effectively at speed along with the motor.

In return I get really good performance with motor assist to over 30 mph, can ride on pavement and gravel roads and even do off road exploring albeit at a mellow pace and have a 30+ mile range with over 20 mph average speeds. The front wheel drive feature has gotten me up some seriously sketchy climbs also. Cost to put together was half of your budget.

 

[bike_nut]

Thanks but im really after a ready made bike!

 

[ROCebike]

Im looking for an Ebike for riding around town. I want something that looks fairly like a regular bike but after a top speed of at least 28mph. It would be nice to take it off-road also but my main priority is city commuter riding

Ive got a budget of about 5k US.

If anyone can suggest the best bike for me it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

I have a Pedego Ridge Rider and upgrading it with a Body Float and new saddle. This is an amazing bike for versatility, the torque sensor is very smooth engaging, and 20 gears of mountain biking provides lots of options. I love the throttle override for pushing off at intersections and a quick hit as needed. It's not a speed pededelec, but I can peddle over 22mph still with motor. Good battery (now using Panasonic) and stealthy MTB appearance. I might change the tires to Marathons next as I'm really 80/20 road and packed trails. Other than speed, this is a great bike for your specs and under budget.

Options I considered were the Riese and Meuller Charger Series. Great machines, not as stealthy with Bosch mid drives, but I really like the concept of belt drive and Rohlhoff geared hub. These bikes are built to order in Germany and I didn't want to wait. It's more expensive than your budget but I'll probably buy one in the future for a touring bike. Propel Bikes would be a great dealer for you.

Other option I considered was the Bulls Outlaw. It's got both speed and high torque, a rare combo since its usually a trade off between the two. Not at all stealthy with the battery case frame mounted, but it can meet your specs.

Lastly, a fabulous deal is available from Amego in Toronto. Virginia has been in the ebike business for over seven years and she really know her stuff. They got a deal on prior model Stomers which are still better than most competitors new best models. A great deal in CDN $ can be had with online order shipped to your home. Amego has just launched their own branded bike. The Infinity is really well spec'd and a great price. Available in May.

BTW, I'm 6'2" and now 220 lbs.. Down 5 lbs since owning the Ridge Rider. The benefit of riding a 60 lb bike with and without the motor. I m very satisfied. It does everything well and kitted out for $4k. I haven't needed service but I know Pedego is best in class for support. With your budget of $5k, don't underweight dealer Support in your list of requirements. It's a lot of money to potentially sit unused while waiting for a part delivery.

 

[bike_nut]

Thanks so much for your reply. Unfortunately im in Australia on the other side of the world

 

[ROCebike]

That does change things. I've seen a few threads from Aussies looking for local OEM support. Given you geographic challenge, you'll want reliability. Most bike shops can support the basics, but I'd opt to buy an ebike brand that's well proven over years. It's the motors and controller combo that needs proven reliability. Too many first builds are buggy or not refined. Pedego is probably your best bet. They've been around for a long time and Dapu motors are pretty much bulletproof. Pedego support is exemplary. A Stromer would be my next choice. Swiss built, multiple generations and very nice rides. Few problems ever. That leaves Bosch mid drives. Given their market share, they've been optimized through volume. I still like the Charger from R-M.

One other consideration is replacement battery. When it's time, plan on a long lead time. Most air carriers won't carry Lithium batteries of ebike size. You might even have transport issues on ocean or land to Australia. The batteries shipping as a component on new bikes seem to be allowed. So future proofing a replacement battery might be best to go with a Bosch bike since they are standardized. Check locally to be sure.

 

[James Kohls]

What do you mean by off-road? Hard packed dirt trails? Mud? Grass? Something you can take out on the weekends to the mountain bike trails? Pretty much any bike can "go" off-road, but tires and suspension are going to be two of the biggest factors to how enjoyable it is. For commuting, do you need fenders? A rear rack? Most full suspension bikes are not good options for racks and fenders (at least full coverage fenders).

If you want good off-road performance, getting a mid-drive mountain bike and a 2nd wheelset to swap out from knobby to road tires may be a good choice. Otherwise, if you are not going to be aggressive in your off-road riding, switching from road tires to gravel tires on a bike with a decent front fork may be sufficient—possibly add a suspension seat post into the budget as well. You'd loose some efficiency, but gain versatility.

There are certainly stealthy mountain bikes that do 28MPH, like the Bulls E-STREAM EVO 45 FS or the more road/gravel oriented Specialized Turbo X. Otherwise, just get a commuter style speed pedalec and put some more aggressive tires on it.