Big Guy, Big Hills, not so Big Budget

[kenmorse]

I'm trying to decide the best bike to get. I'm a big guy (260), not so young (70) with some hip and knee issues. I hope to climb steep (15% grade for 1/2 mile) hill between home and town. So, looking for a good climber, with low step over, and pretty high weight limit.

I'm looking at 2 Rad Bikes, the Rad Wagon (possibly the 2017 on sale at good price), the Rad City Step Through, and the Juiced U 350, or possibly U 500

The Juiced has good step through height (20") but not sure how the small tires and front wheel motor will be climbing (400# weight limit is great)

The Rad Wagon has 350# weight limit, but 27" step through height. Not sure if 21 speed derailer will make a big difference for climbing. Rad City Step Through has 20" step through, but 7 speeds and 275# weight limit.

Can any of you offer me advice as to which is the best given my conditions?

thanks,

 

[rocky289]

Sounds like you need a Harley

 

[Chris Hammond]

You may want to consider a bike with a mid drive motor. The motor can leverage the bike's gears to make a more efficient low speed climber. That being said the climb you mention is relatively short, so I am sure the bikes you mentioned would do fine. No ebike is going to do that climb at high speed, so as long as that is not an expectation you should be fine.

 

[J.R.]

I'm trying to decide the best bike to get. I'm a big guy (260), not so young (70) with some hip and knee issues. I hope to climb steep (15% grade for 1/2 mile) hill between home and town. So, looking for a good climber, with low step over, and pretty high weight limit.

I'm looking at 2 Rad Bikes, the Rad Wagon (possibly the 2017 on sale at good price), the Rad City Step Through, and the Juiced U 350, or possibly U 500

The Juiced has good step through height (20") but not sure how the small tires and front wheel motor will be climbing (400# weight limit is great)

The Rad Wagon has 350# weight limit, but 27" step through height. Not sure if 21 speed derailer will make a big difference for climbing. Rad City Step Through has 20" step through, but 7 speeds and 275# weight limit.

Can any of you offer me advice as to which is the best given my conditions?

thanks,

I don't know if Juiced is still making the U350 or U500, an owner of that bike reported recently it was no longer offered new. Check on that to be sure they're new and not refurbished returns. The last thing you'd want to invest in is a discontinued bike. If it was discontinued, that's a shame, it was a good offering.

Take a look at Biktrix bikes, they sell the Stunner 750 watt mid drive bike in both high and low step frames. I don't own a Biktrix, but many here seem happy with them.

https://www.biktrix.com/collections/bikes/products/biktrix-stunner

Talk to @roshan the owner, he is also a member here. The bike should be powerful enough to handle the hills for you and the Stunner's frame geometry should be kind to your joints. Add a BodyFloat or Thudbuster seat post suspension (IF there is post room for you) to make it even more comfortable.

 

[Alex M]

I would go for step-through if I were you.
Stunner is getting better every year. With 750W motor and internal gears it sure looks nice.

Don't know how they determine those weight ratings - or how accurately. Many bikes don't list it at all, or give very approximate number.

Don't put too much importance in 10 gears vs 7, you will have several more "gears" in PAS levels of motor. Besides, all these models have a throttle.

Better climbing of mid-drives compared to hub drives is mostly/usually so ...

 

[ThomasFahey]

I, too, am 70 years old and weigh 265. I am a former masters world champion in the discus throw. I have a cabin in Northern California at an elevation of 2900 feet. A nearby road increases to an elevation of 7000 feet. I have a mid drive Haibike (2013) that I like to ride up the road until I run out of juice in the battery. I blew out the motor after after doing the workout for about 2 months. I understand that they make a higher torque motor.

 

[roshan]

I, too, am 70 years old and weigh 265. I am a former masters world champion in the discus throw. I have a cabin in Northern California at an elevation of 2900 feet. A nearby road increases to an elevation of 7000 feet. I have a mid drive Haibike (2013) that I like to ride up the road until I run out of juice in the battery. I blew out the motor after after doing the workout for about 2 months. I understand that they make a higher torque motor.

Ouch, that's unfortunate! What did Haibike say about the blown motor?