Ahoy from WA!

[DeiviJones]

Hi everyone, name's Davy and I'm new to the ebike world. After moving to WA and trying to use my regular mtb as a daily commuter I have come to realize the hills in these parts are brutal! While I like to think of myself as a fit guy always looking for adventure, knowing everywhere I go involves brutal hills can bring a heavy sign to my motivation day after day. After a couple days of powering up the hills for a good workout, the rest of the week or during rain/snow I found myself walking my bike up these hills instead of riding, making my commuter longer time-wise and having the "SHAME!... SHAME!..." lady from Game of Thrones pop into my head.

This brought me looking into the ebike world! I always thought of ebikes as a way to avoid exercise, but honestly my point of view has changed on that massively! Now I realize basically an ebike opens one up to a world of further distance and takes away everyday burdens that a manually powered bike runs into. With an ebike I can still get my exercise in while having the potential to take it easy when I want or overcome obstacles that I would have avoided in the first place with a normal bike.

This brought me to my wishlist;
Portability, power, range, and multi-use.
I came to the conclusion of wanted a folding bike (coming from having a normal folding mtb before), as well as something that can power up massive hills and still have the range after those hills for about a 10mile commute to work. Also the ability to ride on and off road is always fun. After researching many brands I came across the Eahora X6. As this seemed to check off many boxes something else was just missing. Digging into Eahora's website I realized they had newer bikes coming soon, including the X5 and X7! Both having great color choices and a regular and plus model at some of the cheapest prices I've found yet for the features.

Now, I have pre-ordered the Eahora X7 plus and am hoping to make it my new daily commuter/everyday fun/trail bike! I haven't found much info or reviews on Eahora bikes so if anyone has any input or wants to discuss, I'm all ears!

Cheers!

Eahora X7 Folding E-Bike | 100% Assembled; 750W Cruise Control Bike;

Eahora X7 folding bike is a great choice for anyone looking for a fast, comfortable bike that can be easily transported. The 750W motor ensures you'll be able to get where you're going quickly, while the 15 ah battery means you can ride for extended periods of time. Plus, the 100% assembled...

www.eahoraebike.com

 

[TomD]

Welcome to WA. If you want to power up massive hills and still have some battery left for your commute I think you'll be happier with a mid-drive which allows you to take advantage of your bike's gearing to tackle hills. A couple years ago I bought a cheap 250W rear hub from Costco for grins (I figured what the heck with the return policy, why not) and burned out the motor trying to go up a steep hill at the end of my first ride! After that I ended up getting a cheap mid drive and am much happier as it can tackle any hill. That said perhaps a stronger rear hub motor with a smaller wheel like the Eahora might cut it for you. With a rear hub you are kind of forced to attack hills with more power and speed as opposed to just gearing down like you can with a mid drive. Either way steep hills will take a bite out of your battery, particularly if you're not pedaling hard.

 

[MikeDD]

I think you are going to find the 500W motor too small. If you are in Seattle, there are many bike shops to test ride bikes. I have a Rad Mini I test rode in Seattle, it will climb the hills and so will other bikes.

 

[Alaskan]

Go checkout Seattle Folding and Electric Bikes in Ballard. They have been around a long time, are very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.

Unless you are a capable bike mechanic, it may be a mistake buying Chinese mail order bike from an unproven company in a segment that has lots of players coming and going. It's way better to buy from a reputable local bike shop that can service your bike, readily get needed parts and give you good advice. They carry the Tern Vectron which is a very solid, well built folding bike with a Bosch mid drive motor that has the best reliability record for motors and batteries as well as an excellent cargo rack. It is more money but if you are commuting, my opinion is that you will soon be taking the bus while waiting for parts to come in the mail. You take a big risk, buying an inexpensive, new to the market, bike with bottom end components and no track record, that the bike you are buying won't provide reliable, daily transportation, which is what you said you wanted to buy.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[DeiviJones]

Welcome to WA. If you want to power up massive hills and still have some battery left for your commute I think you'll be happier with a mid-drive which allows you to take advantage of your bike's gearing to tackle hills. A couple years ago I bought a cheap 250W rear hub from Costco for grins (I figured what the heck with the return policy, why not) and burned out the motor trying to go up a steep hill at the end of my first ride! After that I ended up getting a cheap mid drive and am much happier as it can tackle any hill. That said perhaps a stronger rear hub motor with a smaller wheel like the Eahora might cut it for you. With a rear hub you are kind of forced to attack hills with more power and speed as opposed to just gearing down like you can with a mid drive. Either way steep hills will take a bite out of your battery, particularly if you're not pedaling hard.

Thanks and thats a great point. I have been hearing more and more about mid-drives. I have been powering up my hills about 3/5 days a week so Im hoping it’ll be just enough to allow me to not stop everyday.

 

[DeiviJones]

Go checkout Seattle Folding and Electric Bikes in Ballard. They have been around a long time, are very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.

Unless you are a capable bike mechanic, it may be a mistake buying Chinese mail order bike from an unproven company in a segment that has lots of players coming and going. It's way better to buy from a reputable local bike shop that can service your bike, readily get needed parts and give you good advice. They carry the Tern Vectron which is a very solid, well built folding bike with a Bosch mid drive motor that has the best reliability record for motors and batteries as well as an excellent cargo rack. It is more money but if you are commuting, my opinion is that you will soon be taking the bus while waiting for parts to come in the mail. You take a big risk, buying an inexpensive, new to the market, bike with bottom end components and no track record, that the bike you are buying won't provide reliable, daily transportation, which is what you said you wanted to buy.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Wow that is a good lookin bike! I am mostly on the Kitsap side but commute into Seattle. Thats still no excuse from checking out some of the local shops like you mentioned! I am open to checking out all bikes and upgrading to something more pricey should the need occur! Eahora has a handful of bikes already out that I've seen mostly positive reviews, definitely a risk still though I agree. Thanks for your reply and feedback!