Advice on buying first e bike

[Sierratim]

For all of those racing grandpa's...

Lithuanian startup AKO shows off leaning electric three-wheeler with 300 km range

AKO is a Vilnius, Lithuania-based EV startup that has been hard at work developing the AKO Trike. This two-seater electric...

electrek.co

Yes! Can I fit a grandkid or two on the back?

 

[JDuck]

I'm age 69 & when I take a downhill tight curve at 30 mph, a 3 wheel would fall right over and scrape my arm leg and maybe helmet all the way until we stopped. 3 wheels are for grandma's at 6 mph around the retirement community. Or people with a heart condition or inner ear problems. I'm 8 mph average on the level w/o power but I take full advantage of any down hills if the pavement is dry.
BTW, my bike weighs 94 lb with battery, motor, rack, full set of tools to allow repair off the cell phone grid. I have no trouble handling it. You'll see I have my battery out on the front over the wheel, to balance the loads in the back. Also keeps any possible battery fires away from my crotch.
Note to OP, I live in a hilly area, and my bike has 3 front speeds & 8 back. I pedal unpowered with a geared hub motor unless the wind is >12 mph in my face. Keeps the heart pumping. No drag from a geared hub motor.

Unless you get a tilting trike. They are AWESOME! And solve the tipping issue.

 

[indianajo]

I don't need a trike. I have good motor skills age 70. I'm fine on two wheels. 3 wheels would slow me down to 3 mph into a 30 mph headwind. Unpowered.

 

[BET]

Lot of options. Suggest a step thru. Hub motor cadence bike so it gives more assistance. Aventon has various sized frames and you might get bike shop support. If you just want a cheaper bike to get around, you might consider a $900 Lectric step thru - my daughter has one. Very adjustable and approachable. Peppy. Lectric Step thru's go about 8 mph in PAS level 1. It might not do well if you have lots of steep hills. It is 65 lbs. Bikes with thinner tires would be lighter. See if you can test ride some bikes to see what is comfortable for you. Make sure you are comfortable getting on and off. You can also get a lighter 20 inch wheel bike without fat tires but it probably will not be as stable. Check out REI and some local bike stores.

 

[yippyfingers]

In addition to choosing your requirements for an ebike, be very careful in choosing a company to deal with. I did tons of research and then bought an ebike from Eunorau in December of 2020. Their advertising said that the bike would have a torque sensor, but I received a bike with a cadence sensor. Their return policy was of no use to me because I had violated it by assembling and riding the bike, which is how I discovered that it had a cadence sensor. I opened a dispute with Paypal but was denied because they don't cover "motor vehicles". Eunorau was of no help, as was their apparent parent company BTN. If you read the "terms of service" on the Eunorau home page, you won't believe your eyes. If I understood it correctly, they are not responsible for accuracy of any information on their website. Good luck if you decide to deal with Eunorau.