Any Suggestions ?

[Vince R]

Hi, my name is Vincent, I am 67 and would love to treat myself to an ebike for both exercise and fun. I want something in the $1.5 - 3 k range, Foldable, both PAS and throttle, lots of power for hills, able to do both, on and off road. puncture proof (or close to it) tires, front and or rear suspension would be nice . Also, able to get wet if caught in rain and very dependable. I know I am asking a lot but, can anyone recommend a make and model ? any ideas and/or suggestions is also appreciated.
thank you,

 

[Omaha Action Man]

My only advice is to avoid Addmotor, I have a problem after 200 miles and was told "good luck".

 

[Dewey]

Check out Court's reviews of folding ebikes https://electricbikereview.com/category/folding/, some manufacturers using the same motor differ on whether or not they provide a throttle eg the Tern Vektron D8 and Evelo Quest Max both use the Bafang Max mid drive motor but the Tern does not use a throttle where the Evelo does. In general if a bike is a Class 1 it has pedal assist but no throttle, if Class 2 it has both pedal assist and a throttle. Some folding Class 2 ebikes with a throttle use a mid drive motor like the Evelo Quest but more use a hub motor like the RadMini Step-Thru, Sondors Fold, or VoltBike Mariner. Somewhat surprisingly folding ebikes in general aren't lightweight and that might matter if you're looking for a fitness bike, you might be missing out on lighter ebikes that might not need so much power but be equally good or better at assisting your pedalling when hill climbing if you rule out anything that doesn't fold. Don't worry too much about riding in the rain, just don't spray down the motor, battery, or display, with a hose after riding off-road, you might care more about whether or not you want to buy from a shop near you that can service the bike vs buying online mail order

 

[Nova Haibike]

If you want it to fold, get a folding fat bike. I suggest you avoid suspension. Suspension with smaller wheels have very little travel, making them virtually useless. On top of that, they add weight and complexity, and the pivots and so on wear out...and you won't be able to get replacement parts.

 

[Vince Romeo]

Thank you for the advice , i will research further.
Have a great day

 

[bonefish101]

Check out the Rad Mini, that ticks most of those boxes, not sure about the off-road capability though. Tons of videos on YouTube.

 

[ez3putt]

Hi Vincent, welcome aboard. I am 72 and my checklist was very similar to yours. I actually had a Rad Mini in the shopping cart, but never pulled the trigger because my additional research convinced me I needed/wanted a step through. I was able to test ride a VeeGo folding Fat Tire bike which did check all the boxes and put a deposit down on one. Although I ultimately bought the VeeGo 750, I was very impressed with the folder. Both bikes are 20" fat tire with the same front suspension. While I am not an aggressive off-roader (ie: never had both wheels off the ground and at my age, I hope I never do), I occasionally ride over some pretty rugged terrain and have never bottomed out the suspension. Personally, I would not want an off-road bike without front suspension and a suspension seat post.

Both the Rad and the VeeGo are heavy, 67 and 63 lbs respectively. I just felt the VeeGo represented a better value and I was dealing with the west coast of Florida rather than the west coast of Washington. Good luck with your search.

 

[Vince Romeo]

Hi Vincent, welcome aboard. I am 72 and my checklist was very similar to yours. I actually had a Rad Mini in the shopping cart, but never pulled the trigger because my additional research convinced me I needed/wanted a step through. I was able to test ride a VeeGo folding Fat Tire bike which did check all the boxes and put a deposit down on one. Although I ultimately bought the VeeGo 750, I was very impressed with the folder. Both bikes are 20" fat tire with the same front suspension. While I am not an aggressive off-roader (ie: never had both wheels off the ground and at my age, I hope I never do), I occasionally ride over some pretty rugged terrain and have never bottomed out the suspension. Personally, I would not want an off-road bike without front suspension and a suspension seat post.

Both the Rad and the VeeGo are heavy, 67 and 63 lbs respectively. I just felt the VeeGo represented a better value and I was dealing with the west coast of Florida rather than the west coast of Washington. Good luck with your search.

Thank you so much !
Appreciate your input and advice.
Have a blessed day !