Bike for my son

[Chad Miller]

I am looking for a bike for my son. He is on the Autism Spectrum but fairly high functioning. He is 19 and loves riding his bike. We are not sure if he will ever pass his driving exam so public transportation and Bikes may possible be his only options.

He is 6' 2" 270 pounds so a pretty big man. I was initially looking at the Fat tire bikes for him because of his size and weight but the E-Bikes have caught my interest. I live in Sioux Falls SD so one question is does anyone know if I have a local company that sells and services bikes? He will have no interest in off road biking it will be a straightforward street bike with him commuting from work and school.

Looking for recommendations on bikes we should look at based on our location, his size, and how he is going to use the bike.

 

[harryS]

Hi Chad, there are electric fat bikes. Quite comfortable, even w/o suspension.

My main concern for someone in your situation is that you might want a bike where you can lock down the speed. While commercial bikes are generally liited to 20 mph with throttle or pedal assist, maybe you want it slower?

Second concern is bike theft. You probably want to look into insurance.

 

[JRA]

Even at his size and weight it doesn't mean he has to have a bike with super wide tires. I would be more concerned that you get him on a bike that has a torque sensing PAS, Pedal Assist System, as it will afford a more natural pedaling experience that will be most like what he is used to on his current bike. A cadence sensing system takes some liberties with the pedal strokes that can lead to surprise bursts of power that he may not be able to handle functionally.

I would start by visiting the local bike shops and see if there are any that sell and service e bikes. Otherwise you might check on Craig's List or other local social media platforms as there might be someone that can do a kit conversion to his existing bike. I would recommend the TSDZ2 mid drive as it is torque sensing and very easy to adjust to. Probably about a thousand to do a conversion.

 

[Chris Hammond]

Rad power bikes makes a FTB called the Rad Rover. It's actually reviewed on EBR as a best buy for inexpensive FTB. They upgraded their batteries this year to 48V 14 Ah using Samsung cells. Pricing starts at $1499. It's a class 2 bike so assisted speed is limited to 20 mph.
Juiced bikes also just released a FTB called the Rip Current S. It comes commuter ready with front and rear lights and fenders, plus a rear rack. Base battery is similar at 48V 13.5Ah. It has a bigger battery option of 19Ah for $299. Pricing starts at $1699. It comes as a class 3 bike, but the factory can reprogram to class 2 before shipment.
Neither is likely to have a dealer close by to you. There are plenty of other options out there. Good luck.