Between the Peak DS and the Ridge Rider...?

[morgueman]

Between the Peak DS and the Ridge Rider, which one would you choose? Requirements include mountain bike styling, full suspension preferred, throttle, 48V battery and enough power to get up some fairly steep hills. Has anyone ridden both of these? Thank you for any advice!

 

[Chris Nolte]

I've ridden both. My general recommendation is something with a Bosch motor for mountain biking, but between those two I would go with the center drive and full suspension on the Peak DS.

 

[morgueman]

Thank you! We prefer the Peak DS, but are concerned that it is a "class 3" and we want to take it to campgrounds and state/national parks. Should we seriously consider the Ridge Rider since it is a "class 2" and may be allowed in more places that we might want to ride?

 

[J.R.]

I don't own either bike, but I do own a couple of ebikes, one with a geared Dapu like the RR.

If I could save $1100 and get 140 watt hour larger capacity battery, the comparison would be over. 140 watt hours could easily translate into 14 more miles range. Range anxiety is one of the biggest topics on any ebike forum. I'd then take some of the savings and purchase a Body Float seat post suspension. That's just what I did with my 29'er hardtail eMTB.

Either way, welcome to the forum. Enjoy your shopping and have a blast with your bike!

 

[Cameron Newland]

Have you considered the Haibike SDUROs? You could get a class-1, full suspension SDURO for $3,000 or less, if I'm not mistaken. That would give you the suspension you want as well as good range. I own a 2015 IZIP E3 Dash, and though it's different than the Peak because it has a high-speed-wound hub motor instead of the Peak's mid-drive, I find that the range on the IZIP's 8.7Ah battery could definitely use some improvement. The Haibikes definitely have superior range to the IZIP E3 Peak. We're talking up to 55 miles on the Haibike vs. up to 35 miles on the IZIP.

I love the Ridge Rider. It's really powerful. It's probably Class 2, however, it might not be permitted on certain trails due to the fact that it has a throttle, so keep that in mind.

No matter what you choose, just get out there and ride the bikes at a dealer and buy whichever suits you best. Good luck!