Beginning the search with unique parameters

[bwfox]

I am 65 years old. I am 5'11" and have a nearly 35" inseam coupled with a very short torso. I have been riding bikes my entire life. I have dealt with Type 1 diabetes for 55 of those 65 years. Due to that I ride with a prosthetic left leg and a partial right foot. Due to my lack of stability it helps to have a step through or ladies frame for easier mounts and dismounts.
Currently my bike is a Rivendell Clem L or Ladies bike. Very old school long wheelbase and ultra long chainstays. Superb ride but no assist and my legs have atrophied to a point where there are times I could use the assist.
I have been scouring the web for ebike details. I am surprised by the level of componentry or lack thereof. All the images show riders with their knees bent at full extension. Most of the step through designs seem to only come in one size. When I look at spec sheets I see a lot of 7 speed low end derailleus and shifters.
I like what I see with the CERO One cargo bike and I like the 9sp Gazelle in a larger frame.
I live in a remote town in the NE corner of NV. There are a couple of ebike dealers in SLC, UT about 3 hours away. I will go visit them and do some test rides.
My riding is cycle therapy. I ride for 10-20 miles 3 to 5 times per week. Mostly a flat 5 mile loop around town multiple times. I have other options but I would need some assist to venture out and ride more options.
My saddle height is set at 31.5" from center of crank to top of seat.
I have looked at examples of both a mid drive and hub motors. None of my riding is going to be serious climbs or offroad.
I'd like to get my wife back out there too. I think the CERO might get her out again. Perhaps then a Gazelle in a large frame would work for me too?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I am 65 years old. I am 5'11" and have a nearly 35" inseam coupled with a very short torso. I have been riding bikes my entire life. I have dealt with Type 1 diabetes for 55 of those 65 years. Due to that I ride with a prosthetic left leg and a partial right foot. Due to my lack of stability it helps to have a step through or ladies frame for easier mounts and dismounts.
Currently my bike is a Rivendell Clem L or Ladies bike. Very old school long wheelbase and ultra long chainstays. Superb ride but no assist and my legs have atrophied to a point where there are times I could use the assist.
I have been scouring the web for ebike details. I am surprised by the level of componentry or lack thereof. All the images show riders with their knees bent at full extension. Most of the step through designs seem to only come in one size. When I look at spec sheets I see a lot of 7 speed low end derailleus and shifters.
I like what I see with the CERO One cargo bike and I like the 9sp Gazelle in a larger frame.
I live in a remote town in the NE corner of NV. There are a couple of ebike dealers in SLC, UT about 3 hours away. I will go visit them and do some test rides.
My riding is cycle therapy. I ride for 10-20 miles 3 to 5 times per week. Mostly a flat 5 mile loop around town multiple times. I have other options but I would need some assist to venture out and ride more options.
My saddle height is set at 31.5" from center of crank to top of seat.
I have looked at examples of both a mid drive and hub motors. None of my riding is going to be serious climbs or offroad.
I'd like to get my wife back out there too. I think the CERO might get her out again. Perhaps then a Gazelle in a large frame would work for me too?

Contact @Mikey-
He runs an ebike dealership and can help you out with the right bike.

 

[Mikey-]

Contact @Mikey-
He runs an ebike dealership and can help you out with the right bike.

Ravi! You gotta call me. Hit me up on FB messenger for BMB, my digits are there.

 

[indianajo]

I am 65 years old. I am 5'11" and have a nearly 35" inseam coupled with a very short torso.
. Most of the step through designs seem to only come in one size. When I look at spec sheets I see a lot of 7 speed low end derailleus and shifters.
My riding is cycle therapy. I ride for 10-20 miles 3 to 5 times per week. Mostly a flat 5 mile loop around town multiple times. I have other options but I would need some assist to venture out and ride more options.

You are lucky that your leg length is "normal". Mine are 28".
For best exercise, I like a geared hub motor that I can ride human powered most of the time. I'm also diabetic, and regular aerobic exercise keeps the A1C down. I swim badly, so biking is the next best method. Only if the wind is over 12 mph in my face or my trip is over 25 miles do I use the electricity. However, if a knee starts giving pain, which can happen at my age, I have the electricity available. I'm a Viet Nam era Army vet and have the inevitable missing cartlege in my knees. I'm riding a direct drive hub motor now on the bike in the avatar, but it drags me down about 2 sprockets and 25% of my speed unpowered.
Your right, the best geared hub motors are only compatible with 7 speed freewheel sprockets. There is only so much room in a 130 mm dropout. There is one vendor of a cassette compatible geared hub motor, ebikeling, but his motor is only compatible with 36 v batteries. Most of the larger batteries are 48 v. I don't know of any vendor selling a complete e-bike with that motor. One can upgrade to SRAM shifter, which my bike above has, but one is stuck with a motor with the 7 speed cluster. Even on ebikelings product I doubt if there is room for an 8 speed cluster. The bike in my avatar won't fit you, the larger size frame is a stepover. The bike's 8 speed chain & SRAM shifter work on the 7 speed freewheel, with 1 missing speed on the upshifts. I've just found out that Lunacycle is selling the MAC geared motor with freewheel, so I'll be upgrading shortly to that. I'll be buying the 12t model since I carry all my groceries & supplies on the cargo bike. 23 mph is fast enough on a bike without suspension.
Speaking of the CERO, I would find a 20" wheel very rough on the pavement we have in S. Indiana. Unless Nevada pavement is as good as German, I wouldn't buy any wheel smaller than 26". I get forced into potholes occasionally by passing cars.
Rad & Juiced & Magnum sell hub motor bikes. Mid drive bikes can't be ridden unpowered except the Yamaha, which you should check out. Geared hub or not matters in the drag unpowered department. I can't search for you, the base page of this site has stopped searching for me. Best of luck.

 

[Alaskan]

I suspect you will find a good fit in the Riese & Muller Nevo GH Vario It has a continuously variable Internal hub, Gate carbon fiber belt drive a deep step through with a very solid, no wobble frame and comes in three sizes. It is a very easy bike to mount. Riese & Muller bikes are at the top end both in terms of cost and quality. For your kind of riding I suspect you will find the Nuvinci/Vario very convenient, and comfortable. The Nuvinci/Vario combined with the belt drive make for a very low maintenance and clean drive train. At 6'1" and a 32 " inseam, I rode one and the seat was only about two inches above the seat tube with at least another 8 inches of seat height available.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

You can save a bunch by opting for a 2018 Demo version of the same bike. The differences are no front rack and it used the older style battery that is not integrated into the down tube. (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[harryS]

If you have a bike that fits you well, like that Rivendell, another path is electrify it or another like it.

I wonder that with your prosthetics if torque sensor pedal assist is strictly necessary, although that could be arranged. Do you really need to be putting the level of force on them needed to move a bike? My wife (age 67) has the seats lowered on her ebikes as low as they will go, in clear violation of established leg extension norms, yet she can do a 25-30 mile ride with me and uses levels 1-3 of a 5 level cadence assist system.

I photoshopped a frame battery and a rack battery onto a Clem. The frame is curved and may not have enough length for a downtube battery, but a rack would fit and is better if the frame battery restricts mounting the bike. For your described riding needs, a small geared hubmotor would work. It would be safer on the back, but it's in front for illustration. I converted several bikes like this. No concerns about setting off on a 25 mile ride in strange place with them. They ride as well as the original bike before the motor, and rim brakes are entirely adequate for speeds under 20 mph. A small geared motor is 5-8 pounds. A battery is 6-8 pounds for a 10-12 AH unit. That's all that a bike for your purposes will need, and you can go 25 miles at 14 mph on a nice day in flat ground. At these speeds, there's no concern about the weight of a rack battery affecting handling either.

I would apply these comments to any commercial bike you might consider. Get a bike that fits. A step thru is likely even better. Test ride a few with cadence and torque sensor to see if how you like them.
If lower lever power/battery will meet your needs, why spend for range you wouldn't use.

The biggest obstacle to converting a bike is technical ability, Not an issue with indianjo and myself, but I appreciate where others come from. One can certainly save a lot of money doing so. A battery is $500-600. Motor kits are $250. Knowing how to solder, check voltages, well that takes time. I learned it in high school.

 

[6zfshdb]

I am 65 years old. I am 5'11" and have a nearly 35" inseam coupled with a very short torso. I have been riding bikes my entire life.
I have been scouring the web for ebike details. I am surprised by the level of componentry or lack thereof. All the images show riders with their knees bent at full extension. Most of the step through designs seem to only come in one size.

I'm 6' 2" with a 34" inseam and at 72, have two bad hips. I looked at ebikes for almost 2 years before buying. I definitely need a step thru and the lack of larger frame sizes was indeed discouraging. I overlooked many bikes that were perfect in every other way due to their smaller frames. The solution for me was this extra long seat post:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C69HG4/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The post is 450mm long and can be safely used to raise the seat height on a small frame bike. It is available in several diameters and with the proper shim, will fit most bikes. The suspension provides a comfortable ride and it can be used with most bike seats. My wife is 5' 2" with a 28" inseam and we can both ride the same bike.

 

[Alaskan]

Note that the both Nevo Bikes I recommended come with that exact seat post.

 

[bwfox]

If you have a bike that fits you well, like that Rivendell, another path is electrify it or another like it.

I wonder that with your prosthetics if torque sensor pedal assist is strictly necessary, although that could be arranged. Do you really need to be putting the level of force on them needed to move a bike? My wife (age 67) has the seats lowered on her ebikes as low as they will go, in clear violation of established leg extension norms, yet she can do a 25-30 mile ride with me and uses levels 1-3 of a 5 level cadence assist system.

I photoshopped a frame battery and a rack battery onto a Clem. The frame is curved and may not have enough length for a downtube battery, but a rack would fit and is better if the frame battery restricts mounting the bike. For your described riding needs, a small geared hubmotor would work. It would be safer on the back, but it's in front for illustration. I converted several bikes like this. No concerns about setting off on a 25 mile ride in strange place with them. They ride as well as the original bike before the motor, and rim brakes are entirely adequate for speeds under 20 mph. A small geared motor is 5-8 pounds. A battery is 6-8 pounds for a 10-12 AH unit. That's all that a bike for your purposes will need, and you can go 25 miles at 14 mph on a nice day in flat ground. At these speeds, there's no concern about the weight of a rack battery affecting handling either.

I would apply these comments to any commercial bike you might consider. Get a bike that fits. A step thru is likely even better. Test ride a few with cadence and torque sensor to see if how you like them.
If lower lever power/battery will meet your needs, why spend for range you wouldn't use.

The biggest obstacle to converting a bike is technical ability, Not an issue with indianjo and myself, but I appreciate where others come from. One can certainly save a lot of money doing so. A battery is $500-600. Motor kits are $250. Knowing how to solder, check voltages, well that takes time. I learned it in high school.

View attachment 30683 View attachment 30684

harry, I like the Clem a lot. I already have the rear rack, fenders and a front basket. So there is just the motor and install. I have the mechanical ability but not a lot of electrical experience. If there are clear concise instructions, my son and I could do it. This way potentially could be better to get my wife back out there on an eassisted bike and later, if I needed to keep up with her, I could add it to my Clem. I have used the thud buster seat post before and I like them, but wouldn't need one right away. Much of my supposed issues are due to my thoughts and habits developed by my many years of riding and fitting bikes. I am a slow casual rider just getting in my therapy.

 

[bwfox]

You are lucky that your leg length is "normal". Mine are 28".
For best exercise, I like a geared hub motor that I can ride human powered most of the time. I'm also diabetic, and regular aerobic exercise keeps the A1C down. I swim badly, so biking is the next best method. Only if the wind is over 12 mph in my face or my trip is over 25 miles do I use the electricity. However, if a knee starts giving pain, which can happen at my age, I have the electricity available. I'm a Viet Nam era Army vet and have the inevitable missing cartlege in my knees. I'm riding a direct drive hub motor now on the bike in the avatar, but it drags me down about 2 sprockets and 25% of my speed unpowered.
Your right, the best geared hub motors are only compatible with 7 speed freewheel sprockets. There is only so much room in a 130 mm dropout. There is one vendor of a cassette compatible geared hub motor, ebikeling, but his motor is only compatible with 36 v batteries. Most of the larger batteries are 48 v. I don't know of any vendor selling a complete e-bike with that motor. One can upgrade to SRAM shifter, which my bike above has, but one is stuck with a motor with the 7 speed cluster. Even on ebikelings product I doubt if there is room for an 8 speed cluster. The bike in my avatar won't fit you, the larger size frame is a stepover. The bike's 8 speed chain & SRAM shifter work on the 7 speed freewheel, with 1 missing speed on the upshifts. I've just found out that Lunacycle is selling the MAC geared motor with freewheel, so I'll be upgrading shortly to that. I'll be buying the 12t model since I carry all my groceries & supplies on the cargo bike. 23 mph is fast enough on a bike without suspension.
Speaking of the CERO, I would find a 20" wheel very rough on the pavement we have in S. Indiana. Unless Nevada pavement is as good as German, I wouldn't buy any wheel smaller than 26". I get forced into potholes occasionally by passing cars.
Rad & Juiced & Magnum sell hub motor bikes. Mid drive bikes can't be ridden unpowered except the Yamaha, which you should check out. Geared hub or not matters in the drag unpowered department. I can't search for you, the base page of this site has stopped searching for me. Best of luck.

indianajo, very thorough post. Thank you for that info. If I were to electrify my Clem would there be a lot of drag when not riding with assist? You already answered that, and I would be leery of ruining the delightful ride of my standard Clem.
I think initially, I would get my wife on an ebike and see if I needed/wanted to add the e assist to mine at a later date. I'm not thinking I need a throttle, but just pedal assist. My bike has microshift friction shifters, setting the limiter screws should accommodate any freewheel. The only issue would be going to 8 sp chain.
OTOH, if I buy a CERO One for my wife, I could have a thudbuster seatpost setup with my saddle and there is enough adjustment in the stem to make it work for me. I could play with that bike before I decide what I want.

 

[bwfox]

I suspect you will find a good fit in the Riese & Muller Nevo GH Vario It has a continuously variable Internal hub, Gate carbon fiber belt drive a deep step through with a very solid, no wobble frame and comes in three sizes. It is a very easy bike to mount. Riese & Muller bikes are at the top end both in terms of cost and quality. For your kind of riding I suspect you will find the Nuvinci/Vario very convenient, and comfortable. The Nuvinci/Vario combined with the belt drive make for a very low maintenance and clean drive train. At 6'1" and a 32 " inseam, I rode one and the seat was only about two inches above the seat tube with at least another 8 inches of seat height available.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

You can save a bunch by opting for a 2018 Demo version of the same bike. The differences are no front rack and it used the older style battery that is not integrated into the down tube. (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

View attachment 30686View attachment 30687

These are obviously desirable options, but a bit outside of my commitment level at the moment. That is also subject to change as my priorities rearrange themselves!

 

[indianajo]

If I were to electrify my Clem would there be a lot of drag when not riding with assist? You already answered that, and I would be leery of ruining the delightful ride of my standard Clem.

To clarify, geared hub motors do not drag. They have a one way clutch in them. Direct Drive motors do drag. So for optional electric riding, geared hub motors are the type to buy. Or buy a bike with one. They are rather rare these days, people seem fearful of the possible wearout of the gears in 10000 miles? on a $350 product. Lots of motors brag about being gearless, which for people that do not ride unpowered is a slight plus. I was searching for a geared motor to replace my loggy DD motor, and several vendors have some that look like they are because of the small diameter, but the only description is the wattage & wheel size. Not even the # of spoke holes are you allowed to know.

 

[bwfox]

I am intrigued by The CERO One cargo ebike. The Shimano mid drive with the enhanced battery seems like it offers one of the better range potential. The extreme adjustability offers the opportunity to set it up for my wife or myself with a couple of quick adjustments. I would buy a 400mm seatpost with my saddle of choice and use the standard 350mm with Sue's choice of saddle. I like the high end Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, Shimano derailleur and rear 10 speed shifter. I especially like the 11-42 Shimano 10 speed cassette. We are retired, we don't commute, but we could certainly do our grocery shopping and going to the Post Office.
I don't mind the 20" front wheel. I have a lot of miles on 20" wheels on a recumbent trike. I love Schwalbe Big Apples and Big Ben+ tires.
This ebike ticks all my immediate concerns. It would be my introduction to ebikes and I still have my Rivendell Clem to ride.

 

[harryS]

This vendor recently moved to amazon. His warehouse is in the Chicago area, and I bought my first ebike kit from him in 2015. The link is for a 500W geared motor kit, that uses modular connectors, usually only sold with production bikes. While there is still an ugly controller to hide, the wiring is simple to do and looks good. The only user connections will be made to the battery. There one can either solder a connector or use crimp-on automotive bullets.

https://www.amazon.com/EBIKELING-Wa...rds=ebikeling&qid=1552414603&s=gateway&sr=8-6

I've bought four motor kits from him. I can vouch for the models that use the LED display. The LCD version gave me problems. The above kit uses a different LCD so I can't ay anything about that.

The LED display is basic. Three assist levels, good for riding at 12 mph. 15mph, and 18 mph. If you want to poke along at 8 mph, you have to shut off power. There is a throttle that overrides assist and and take you close to 20 mph on a 26" wheel and 36V. The controller is a 36V 22A unit.

As stated, no problems with my original kit. The motor has not come off the bike since 8/2015. About 2000 miles, but only because I got the bug to build other bikes.

 

[bwfox]

This vendor recently moved to amazon. His warehouse is in the Chicago area, and I bought my first ebike kit from him in 2015. The link is for a 500W geared motor kit, that uses modular connectors, usually only sold with production bikes. While there is still an ugly controller to hide, the wiring is simple to do and looks good. The only user connections will be made to the battery. There one can either solder a connector or use crimp-on automotive bullets.

https://www.amazon.com/EBIKELING-Wa...rds=ebikeling&qid=1552414603&s=gateway&sr=8-6

I've bought four motor kits from him. I can vouch for the models that use the LED display. The LCD version gave me problems. The above kit uses a different LCD so I can't ay anything about that.

The LED display is basic. Three assist levels, good for riding at 12 mph. 15mph, and 18 mph. If you want to poke along at 8 mph, you have to shut off power. There is a throttle that overrides assist and and take you close to 20 mph on a 26" wheel and 36V. The controller is a 36V 22A unit.

As stated, no problems with my original kit. The motor has not come off the bike since 8/2015. About 2000 miles, but only because I got the bug to build other bikes.

OK. Thanks, I have it saved!

 

[bwfox]

Alright, alright, alright!
I ordered an Evelo Galaxy Fully Loaded. Comes with Nu Vinci Harmony rear hub, Gates carbon belt and Bafang 750w mid drive. This will primarily be the wife's bike, but I will have a separate 400mm seatpost with a saddle for me and either change the bars or put a seperate adjustable stem on it for me to play with. I see a second one coming this summer. Maybe an Auora in the bigger frame size. I'll see whether I want the conventional NuVinci or go with another Harmony.
Fun times ahead.
I may even decide to to put a motor on my Riv Clem L!
Thanks for all the help and suggestions!