Best eBike for Hills for Novice Rider

[Delairen]

Hey there folks!

I've been wanting an ebike for a while and I think I'm ready to finally throw down on one but I find myself really overwhelmed with all the different choices and terminology.

I test rode and nearly purchased a Rad City 5 Plus, but at the last minute I started reconsidering. We live at the top of a very large hill and I have health issues that can affect my stamina - one of the reasons why I wanted an ebike was so that I could get more active and try to increase my stamina and lose weight, so I think I want something with enough oomph that if I wear out before I get home, I'm able to rely on the throttle to get me up the beast of a hill that we live on. The Rad City that I test drove on San Francisco hills still needed a fair amount of peddle power to make it to the top of a hill. Which on that day was fine, but I'm worried about other days when it's not. I'm also mildly concerned that the carrying capacity isn't quite the best fit for my needs. I'm a bit on the heavier side, and I'd like to be able to do short grocery trips and errands without worrying about running over the carrying capacity.

So I would love & appreciate some suggestions to help guide my search and help me find the best ebike for my needs. Here's my wish list:

Able to carry at least 300lbs
Step Through Frame
Preferably not too heavy
Motor/Throttle powerful enough to manage hills with minimal rider input if necessary
Good for a Novice Rider
Mostly going to be used on city streets and paved surfaces
Preferably something that will last for a while and that I can grow with as a rider as I get better and more experienced

Ideal Budget would be <$2,000 but I can stretch up to ~$3,000 (or maybe even a little higher) for something that really hits all those nails and is comfortable to ride on.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/assistance!

 

[Dewey]

Where are you located? If you are willing to drive out to Grass Valley, CA, in Northern California check with Kyle Bolton if he still has the used Biktrix Stunner listed here https://boltonebikes.com/pages/in-store-bikes its listed as an ex demo that can only be bought in store. The bike was reviewed here https://electricbikereview.com/biktrix/stunner/, it does weigh 64lb but would otherwise meet most of your needs. A similar mail-order ebike that uses the same BBS02 motor as the Stunner and weighs about the same is the Rize City MD

If weight is a deal breaker, consider a Vanmoof X3 you can test ride in their San Francisco store. A friend has one she uses for the school run, she appreciates how the smaller 24" wheels lower the bike, although granted it is not a step through frame. It has a boost button that acts like a throttle, an automatic 4-speed Internally Geared Hub, optional racks front and rear, has a hub motor with similar power to the RadCity but weighs 20lb less than a RadCity.

 

[john peck]

See EBR review for NCM Moscow, $1200, Climbs anything, plenty power, tough bike.

 

[Delairen]

Where are you located? If you are willing to drive out to Grass Valley, CA, in Northern California check with Kyle Bolton if he still has the used Biktrix Stunner listed here https://boltonebikes.com/pages/in-store-bikes its listed as an ex demo that can only be bought in store. The bike was reviewed here https://electricbikereview.com/biktrix/stunner/, it does weigh 64lb but would otherwise meet most of your needs. A similar mail-order ebike that uses the same BBS02 motor as the Stunner and weighs about the same is the Rize City MD

If weight is a deal breaker, consider a Vanmoof X3 you can test ride in their San Francisco store. A friend has one she uses for the school run, she appreciates how the smaller 24" wheels lower the bike, although granted it is not a step through frame. It has a boost button that acts like a throttle, an automatic 4-speed Internally Geared Hub, optional racks front and rear, has a hub motor with similar power to the RadCity but weighs 20lb less than a RadCity.

I'm in the Bay Area, but Grass Valley is a bit of a hike from me, but the Biktrix Stunner does look like an interesting option. The RadCity was also 64lbs and I didn't find it to be too heavy. Though it does look like their website is currently sold out on the Stunner Step Thru model. :-( Maybe I should reconsider that grass valley option after all.

Sadly the Rize City MD has a weight limit of 275, though but the Rize Leisure might be an interesting option unless there is something my inexpert eyes are missing about it?

I probably should have mentioned that I also test rode the RadRunner and didn't really enjoy the smaller wheel size so between that and the non-step thru frame on the Vanmoof, I don't think it's a good fit.

 

[Gordon71]

Hey there folks!

I've been wanting an ebike for a while and I think I'm ready to finally throw down on one but I find myself really overwhelmed with all the different choices and terminology.

I test rode and nearly purchased a Rad City 5 Plus, but at the last minute I started reconsidering. We live at the top of a very large hill and I have health issues that can affect my stamina - one of the reasons why I wanted an ebike was so that I could get more active and try to increase my stamina and lose weight, so I think I want something with enough oomph that if I wear out before I get home, I'm able to rely on the throttle to get me up the beast of a hill that we live on. The Rad City that I test drove on San Francisco hills still needed a fair amount of peddle power to make it to the top of a hill. Which on that day was fine, but I'm worried about other days when it's not. I'm also mildly concerned that the carrying capacity isn't quite the best fit for my needs. I'm a bit on the heavier side, and I'd like to be able to do short grocery trips and errands without worrying about running over the carrying capacity.

So I would love & appreciate some suggestions to help guide my search and help me find the best ebike for my needs. Here's my wish list:

Able to carry at least 300lbs
Step Through Frame
Preferably not too heavy
Motor/Throttle powerful enough to manage hills with minimal rider input if necessary
Good for a Novice Rider
Mostly going to be used on city streets and paved surfaces
Preferably something that will last for a while and that I can grow with as a rider as I get better and more experienced

Ideal Budget would be <$2,000 but I can stretch up to ~$3,000 (or maybe even a little higher) for something that really hits all those nails and is comfortable to ride on.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/assistance!

The Rad City is not made for hills. Rad Rover has twice as much torque as the city and would be the best choice for that particular brand.

 

[Gordon71]

Sorry,I was thinking of the older Rad City. The newer one does have more torque but still less than the Rad Rover.

 

[Delairen]

The Rad City is not made for hills. Rad Rover has twice as much torque as the city and would be the best choice for that particular brand.

I’m not married to any particular brand at this point.

 

[Delairen]

Sorry,I was thinking of the older Rad City. The newer one does have more torque but still less than the Rad Rover.

Unfortunately the Rad Rover has the same weight capacity as the city, which is a little lower than I would prefer. I could probably get by with it if I had to, but I'd feel a little more confident getting groceries and running errands with something that had a little more.

 

[AHicks]

A few thoughts. I'll start with the fact I'm 70, and 6'2"/315lbs - one of the bigger guys you'll see riding a bike. I often ride a coastal area with big rolling hills. Not mountains with miles long inclines, just hills.

Regarding the hills, a mid drive is clearly superior, BUT, we're also talking rookie rider here. While a hub drive is clearly the easiest to ride, the better climbing mid drive is going to take some skill when shifting and trying to keep it in the right gear when it's being pushed hard in the hills. Idea being both types have their own set of advantages, but both have significant downsides. Worth mentioning here is the significance of a heavier load. In my experience, there is a definite difference in what it takes to get a heavy load/butt to the top of a hill as compared to a load/butt weigh half as much. My wife is my riding partner and she's a hair less than half of my weight. I KNOW she can get away with far less power than I can....

Regarding the weight capacities, some input there as well. I have a very modified '17 RAD City that is now very similar to the newest Rad City 5, but on steroids. My bike was built with hills in mind and has about twice the power a a RAD City 5 might have (a geared rear hub rated at an easy 1000 watts). I mention this as weight capacity has never been an issue with this bike, even when considering the extra stress involved with the extra power.

Last, I also have a Rize RX Pro that started out life as a Bafang Ultra powered fatty, but has since been converted for use with more conventional 27.5x2.8" tires. Yes, it can climb a wall if asked, but I mention it as it's never had an issue with my weight either.....

Last thought. This call is not an easy one. I like the idea of a mid drive, but I would not be surprised to learn there may be some extra maintenance required while the rider is coming up to speed with the required shifting. In this case, with the heavier rider/loads and the hills, it's probably the safest bet.

 

[kmccune]

See EBR review for NCM Moscow, $1200, Climbs anything, plenty power, tough bike.

For some unknown reason People are shy of these NCM offerings, oft times we get caught up in the HP and range game( important- not always essential as I have been learning) I f you save initial money, leaves some room for upgrades. An expensive bike is nice OTH is it $1000-$1500 nicer?

 

[ElevenAD]

Look im going to save you some time and money, if you want to lug 300lbs plus up large hills with minimal rider input you will need a Bike with a High power mid drive, imho no hubmotor bike is equipped to handle throttling up hill with that much weight unless its dual motor. You could be asking for overheating issues, i would go with a big middrive so you can utilize your gears!

Rize RX

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Multi-Purpose

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Juggernaut Ultra Beast 2

Ultra bikes are equipped with the latest version of the Ultra motor with metal reduction gears. SRAM drivetrain and 160Nm of torque make this bike the very best bike that money can buy. This is the most powerful eBike on the market equipped with a torque sensor.

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these bikes have the motor power you need but i would check the weight limit on the "Stepthrue" Biktrix. if it were me i would buy the Rize RX.

 

[john peck]

For some unknown reason People are shy of these NCM offerings, oft times we get caught up in the HP and range game( important- not always essential as I have been learning) I f you save initial money, leaves some room for upgrades. An expensive bike is nice OTH is it $1000-$1500 nicer?

A lot of people have the mindset that more expensive means better; cheap is bad.
My 1st ebike,(now a parts bike), cost more than twice as much as my moscow &
wasn´t half as good a bike. The first had some innovative engineering that was experimental
at best & failed. The moscow is just an 80s mtn bike with a very good German motor.
All function tried & true, all parts common, readily available, & inexpensive, thus keeping
the price down. If a model specific part breaks on a pricy bike you can wait months. If you
total one yur out $5k. My bike is a very rugged design, but were I to total it, I could still
afford another. So what if it´s a VW instead of a Porsche. P.S. range is very good.