A Novice ...and a senior too !

[Newt]

In my day I have owned a 10 speed bike and done some occasional biking . Never anything serious. Never to the point of calling it a hobby or sport.

I live in Marin County California which is a paradise for hikers and bikers. I’m attracted to the notion of an E bike because it would get me outdoors, give me exercise, and I would not have to worry about endurance or strength capability.

I live about half a mile up a meandering hill and by the end of any riding I would likely be more tired than at the start. Can you use the motor to basically ride uphill without any of your own physical effort, like a scooter?

Can anyone give me some rough idea of just how much physicality is involved in riding a e-bike in comparison to peddling a regular bike?

There is a very good electric bike shop right near where I live in Larkspur California called the new wheel. I believe they have a rental program which I would try to use of course before purchasing.

In the event I went ahead with this and then found it was not to my long-term liking, what is the resale value of a relatively new E bike? I would likely be looking at the higher end and more expensive types.

I would certainly appreciate Any input that any of you can provide to someone like myself who knows how to ride a bicycle but would consider myself basically a novice and who is also a senior, though in good physical shape ( not overweight, no knee problems, etc. )

Regards and thanks

 

[Deleted member 803]

eBikes require physical effort since most offer what is called pedal assist. This makes it easier to pedal. The amount of power can be regulated up or down based on your physical condition and of course the terrain. Some eBikes also include a throttle which does allow you to just sit there but they do use a lot of battery charge since there is no assist from the rider and the motor is doing all the work. Here are a couple of suggestions for you:

-test ride a number of eBikes both rear hub and mid drive types to get an idea of how they provide assist. In general rear hubs are easier to get up to and maintain speed, mid-drive motors are preferred for mountain bikes and extremely hilly terrain as they have more torque. Mid-drives in general do not have the same amount of oomph from a dead stop. Mid-drive assist is somewhat gear dependent while rear hubs apply power without regard to the gear you are in.

-explore both a step thru design that is easy to mount and a conventional triangle design where you have to throw your leg over the seat.

-get a realistic assessment of battery range. They vary greatly and manufacturers greatly exaggerate mileage claims.

-besides testing various makes and models, pay attention to how comfortable the geometry of the bike is for you. If the bike is not comfortable you will not ride it.

It doesn't sound like your needs are terribly demanding, but ask yourself the following questions and then have a dealer answer them.

-what type of roads will I ride on (mostly smooth, mostly off road and rough)
-how often do I intend to ride
-what is the warranty and does it pay for parts AND labor.
-will the dealer offer home delivery and warranty service pick up and delivery

The average price of an eBike is around $2500. You will find many quality models for under $2K and of course many for over $2.5K.

Disclosure, I am a dealer in the San Francisco Bay area. I suggest shopping many dealers as the quality of service, selection, and support varies between dealers.

As a biased opinion, we sell a LOT of Elby's (www.elbybike.com) to senior citizens as they are easy to mount, powerful, have a full throttle, and are built like a tank.

Good luck with your shopping!

 

[rich c]

How you ride might be based on what local laws are on the trails. Many localities are not allowing bikes with throttles on multi use trails. So that leaves a bicycle that ASSISTS. It's not a scooter! You won't have to put a lot of effort into the pedals, but your legs do have to move for each revolution.
Resale of eBikes is not good. You should expect to loose about half when you take it off the lot. Battery packs are so expensive, buyers are very leary of buying something like that used with no warranty.

 

[Deleted member 803]

Good points

 

[Mr. Coffee]

A couple of thoughts.

If you're not sure about this, I highly recommend renting several different ebikes over the next few weekends. Depending on the bike this will typically cost you $50-$75 per day.

After you have done that I'd recommend hitting your local bike shop and renting and/or trying out their ebikes

The reason I recommend making this complicated is that there are a lot of different brands of ebikes, and a lot of what will make a bike great for you is extremely subjective. There are a lot of great ebikes out there and I am sure you can find one that will be your friend.

If you look at Google Maps you should be able to figure out the elevation gain and length of the meandering hill you live up. If the climb is less than 300-400 feet per mile and there are no grossly steep sections nearly any electric bike on the market will get you up that hill with a modest amount of pedaling. If your hill climbs 500 or more feet per mile or there are a few really steep sections, conversely, you will be cranking pretty hard to make it up your hill unless you get something exotic (e.g. expensive) or something that isn't street legal.

Also keep in mind that you will probably also be purchasing a bunch of other stuff with your bike. Like a helmet, a bike pump, some bike bags, water bottles, tools, &c. And no matter how great your bike is, you also might end up replacing the seat, pedals, and grips. So keep that in mind when you are budgeting a bike purchase.

 

[ROJA]

Hey @Newt you are in cycling paradise up there in Marin County. And I've heard good things about that shop! I think that once you try an ebike, you will feel like a kid again - it really is that much fun! The nice thing about ebikes is that you can work as little or as much as you'd like.

Lots of good advice here, so I just wanted to say GO FOR IT! And let us know how it goes!

 

[tishlw]

hi there...new wheel has a great selection and will let you ride anything---you'll also get a chance to determine what degree of power you want...and things like whether you want a throttle or not. My friends that are new to this ended up with RadRovers....they are in their 60's. Power, reliability and comfortable ergonomics make their $1,499 price tag a good start before investing $3-5K. Look up rad rover owners on facebook.

 

[Newt]

Many thanks to all who replied...
I'm greatly encouraged
Will be hitting the demos this weekend!