Boomer and balance

W

wilson6543

New Member
I am a 65-year-old lady that really wants to be able to get outside and have some fun. I have back issues and so need to stay as upright as possible and do need help getting up hills etc. I recently tried a bike tour just to see if an electric bike will work for me. While it was a lot of fun I fell 3 times making turns, one time messing up my ankle. I was riding a Pedego and it felt a bit unwieldy and difficult to control especially at lower speeds. I had a blast overall so don’t want to give up the concept but need to find something where turning and controlling isn’t so difficult. It may be because the battery was on the back but I have no point of reference so really don’t know. I’d appreciate recommendations for bikes that are stable during turns and at lower speeds in particular. I am a bit tall (5’6”, 130 lbs) and my legs are on the long side so I’ve always thought my center balance is kind of high so that may be a factor too. Thanks for the help in advance.

i sort of stumbled upon this site and love the video reviews and commentary!
 
Heaven knows there is no shortage of choices, but you might want to go look at a Specialized Como. Upright riding position, very nicely maneuverable and easy to manage, dealers everywhere. Extremely popular.

I will note that my wife’s Pedego threw her on the ground as well when she steered it just a teeny bit too much... those nice big balloon tires will give you a physics lesson in a hurry when they bite in and the rest of the bike still wants to go straight. Leaning more that steering is your friend!
 
Thanks- I looked it over and wonder if you have a recommendation for a throttle included bike? I live in CO and even the bike paths get steep. I tried not using one but couldn’t get going without almost spilling over (again). Something with shock absorbers would be nice too - save my back. I can’t say money isn’t an object but only want to buy one once. Thanks again.🤕
 
I bought a Magnum Metro and had similar problems turning when I first started riding it after not riding for years due to arthritic. knees. Took me about a month of riding 5x/wk to get enough skills built up and learn how to handle it comfortably, mostly because it has such a high speed in PAS 1 (12 mph). You may find the same thing.

It has a throttle, basic front shock and I added a Thudbuster seat post. I'm in my second year riding it, just over 4000 miles, only problem was one flat tire. Living on very low retirement budget, glad I spent the $2000 on it. Love it.

If you're near Denver check out eBikes USA in Cherry Creek, good selection of bikes in all price ranges. I strongly recommend trying as many as you can.
 
bobsii makes a good point and that could have been the issue

i haven't ridden a pedego in a couple of years but their pas levels used to be horrible, way too fast
the pedego shop told me at the time they used throttle for everything and pas like a cruise control because pas level 1 was so fast- imo ridiculous, hopefully they have fixed this

there are several bikes that have cheap lousily programmed controllers and this can cause a lot of issues

i ruled magnum out because of this


surface604 has a throttle and was much more controlled in low pas levels

the specialized como is a mid drive torque bike so won't have those problems but does not have a throttle
it responds to how hard you are pedaling and gives you power the harder you pedal, very smooth but you have to do more of the work and be in the right gear to get the power you want

are you close to some bike shops? would be best to try and ride a few, different motors and motor positions ride very different
the more you can test ride the better so you can feel the differences

if you find some bikes that interest you a lot of times brands will have a facebook page and you can contact an owner who has that bike and would let you test ride it

the cheaper hub drive bikes tend to have this issue more, you should not have that problem with mid drive bikes like trek, specialized etc but those mid drives do not have throttles
stromer is one hub drive that has great pas, but they tend to be pricey and i would want a dealer nearby for warranty if issues



so bottom line is it is best to test ride any hub bikes first to make sure the pas is controlled
 
wilson6543 said:
Thanks- I looked it over and wonder if you have a recommendation for a throttle included bike? I live in CO and even the bike paths get steep. I tried not using one but couldn’t get going without almost spilling over (again). Something with shock absorbers would be nice too - save my back. I can’t say money isn’t an object but only want to buy one once. Thanks again.🤕
Click to expand...

Take a look at Dost bikes, the Drop would be great for you. Has ability to get up hills with a MID DRIVE verses hub drive, 750w nominal motor, lots of torque (>100) and plenty of amps to move the electrons. Not too fat tires although as mentioned, leaning is your friend. Has a throttle, very usable rack, good breaks and importantly a shift sensor so the motor don't eat your chain plus more reasons. It also has an adjustable stem, which most do not. It allows you to move the whole handlebar mechanism to a comfortable position, possibly more upright, if that's what you desire. The owner and his team come from the mountain bike industry. Most of the components are a little beefier than normal. TWO YEAR WARRANTY. The only thing I would add is a suspension seat post. Super easy to install when you get the correct size. Helps the back... I understand.

I'm not sure of your budget but you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a decent ebike. However, spend what you can so you don't regret it later. A local bike shop (LBS) should be able to work on this mid drive motor since it's just a bicycle with a motor at the pedals.

If you have more questions this is a perfect place to do it. Lots of friendly help here. Narrow it down to 2 or 3 and compare what you get for the price. Please keep us posted. Good luck!
 
wilson6543 said:
I am a 65-year-old lady that really wants to be able to get outside and have some fun. I have back issues and so need to stay as upright as possible and do need help getting up hills etc. I recently tried a bike tour just to see if an electric bike will work for me. While it was a lot of fun I fell 3 times making turns, one time messing up my ankle. I was riding a Pedego and it felt a bit unwieldy and difficult to control especially at lower speeds. I had a blast overall so don’t want to give up the concept but need to find something where turning and controlling isn’t so difficult. It may be because the battery was on the back but I have no point of reference so really don’t know. I’d appreciate recommendations for bikes that are stable during turns and at lower speeds in particular. I am a bit tall (5’6”, 130 lbs) and my legs are on the long side so I’ve always thought my center balance is kind of high so that may be a factor too. Thanks for the help in advance.

i sort of stumbled upon this site and love the video reviews and commentary!
Click to expand...

Hello,
Welcome to EBR. I love your determination and desire to ride. There's nothing like it. I'm really concerned about you falling 3 time on one ride.
It seems like something is very wrong.

I urge you to visit a competent bike shop ( assuming you can find one that is seeing customers ). Hopefully a shop with a certified bike fitter on staff.
A contributor to your falls could be as simple as a poor fit between you and the Pedego. Do a test ride under the watchful eye of an expert.

Falls can be serious... I was nearly stopped while on my eMountain Bike, barely moving, hit bump, my bike started to lean to the right ( my weak side)
What to do ? In the second I had to think I said " I'll land on my shoulder" Not a smart move. I have a torn rotator cuff, right shoulder.

Good luck,
John
 
Sorry to hear, that’s really painful...I was on a rental Pedego, too big, battery and motor in the back so totally unbalanced. Fortunately I’m on the mend and really enjoyed ebiking so want to keep after it. Like you suggest I am going to shops and narrowing the field. Mid motor, battery low and center, hydraulic brakes, uptight style with some sort of shocks. I’m only looking at bikes that I can test drive. The only thing that’s hard to find is a throttle with the features listed. I am persistent and happy to ask for help. I will get there eventually! Thanks
 
I just got my 1st ebike recently and absolutely love it. Do the ton off research on the net, get some ideas of what you think you would like. Then test ride anything you can. One of the LBS in your area should have what you want and need. If you have limited experience with ebikes going Into a big purchase like this, I think buying online is a difficult proposition. It is to much money to spend if you haven’t turned the pedals.
 
Whatever bike you get I am 99% certain that falling won’t be an issue once you get a little more practice riding. I am 68. Long time cyclist but had been off the bike a few years. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in Dec 2017 and when I picked up riding again last July I was in terrible shape. I had had electric bikes in the past, among my stable of bikes, and I knew that ebikes are great for rehab.

Last July I bought a Veego Semi-Fat. I have had tons of fun on that bike but I wont recommend it - mostly because you have to do maintenance and troubleshooting when there are issues and there will be. Also the brakes and wheels are low quality. I did put over 3000 miles on the bike. The small size of the bike and the fat tires are great if you are concerned about bike handling. The first month I fell 3 times and have not fallen since. You will get over the balance and handling issues with a little more time. A big advantage of the small wheel folders is that they offer a lot of adjustability of position. A bike to consider is the Rad mini low step.

Currently I am riding a Specialized Como. It is the most well balanced predictable handling bike I have ever ridden. The low step is more like a mid step. You are tall enough that would not be an issue. I added a Thudbuster ST seatpost which helps eliminate shock.

The riding experience of mid motor torque sensing and hub motor cadence sensing with throttle is quite different. Climbing with the torque sensor and mid motor is actually much better. Climbing with the throttle is just relying on the bike to carry you; it also eats up battery at a high rate. It did take me a few rides to learn how to use the power settings and get a feel for climbing. I regularly climb a local mountain on my Como and there is no way my Veego would work for that without running out of power or burning out the motor.

It really depends how much you are going to ride. If you plan on doing rides of no more than 10-15 miles and riding occasionally, and if you are riding hills but not mountains then a hub motor and throttle is OK And maybe preferable. An issue with a lot of the cheaper bikes is cheap brakes. I would urge you to seriously consider that the bike should have hydraulic disc brakes if possible. They will give you better control.
 
A fairly light, upright bike with a throttle is the Aventon Pace 350 or 500 - they do have a dealer network, so maybe there's one near you?

www.aventon.com

Aventon Bikes: Electric Bikes Redefining Adventure

1,800+ authorized bike shops & test rides ✅ 2-year warranty ✅ Fast & free shipping over $100 ✅ Explore premium electric bikes, accessories, & more. ✅ Redefine adventure
www.aventon.com www.aventon.com
 
The Orbea Optima weighs under 40lb, but it's a Class 1 without a throttle https://www.orbea.com/us-en/ebikes/urban/optima-asphalt/cat/optima-e50-usa. There are a few Orbea dealers in Denver https://www.orbea.com/us-en/dealers/us/denver, co

Bike Friday also make lightweight ebikes, for example the Ever-E-Day weighs 36lb and has a mid-drive motor, but again I'm unsure if these are Class 1 without a throttle https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-bikes/ever-e-day-electric-cargo-bike Any And All Bikes in Englewood, CO, is a Bike Friday dealer, they also sell trikes in case you wanted to test ride a three-wheeler
 
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I doubt that your height/body proportions have much to do with it. Have you been riding non e-bikes recently? If so, have you had any falls riding regular bikes? If you have, then my guess is that the bike might not be the issue. We're more or less the same age. I've noticed that my sense of balance isn't what it used to be, especially when I'm on a ladder. As I understand it, our inner ear loses some of its fine tuning as we get older. If your balance is the problem, you might want to try an e-trike. They don't all look like something only the very elderly need to use. For example, there are recumbent e-trikes that are very stable and potentially quite fast.

If your falls were only on a Pedego e-bike (the rack mounted battery means they have a high center of gravity and their bikes are heavy), I would try a lighter mid-drive bike (lower center of gravity). It may just be a matter of getting used to two wheeled e-bikes and finding the right one.
 
wilson6543 said:
I am a 65-year-old lady that really wants to be able to get outside and have some fun. I have back issues and so need to stay as upright as possible and do need help getting up hills etc. I recently tried a bike tour just to see if an electric bike will work for me. While it was a lot of fun I fell 3 times making turns, one time messing up my ankle. I was riding a Pedego and it felt a bit unwieldy and difficult to control especially at lower speeds. I had a blast overall so don’t want to give up the concept but need to find something where turning and controlling isn’t so difficult. It may be because the battery was on the back but I have no point of reference so really don’t know. I’d appreciate recommendations for bikes that are stable during turns and at lower speeds in particular. I am a bit tall (5’6”, 130 lbs) and my legs are on the long side so I’ve always thought my center balance is kind of high so that may be a factor too. Thanks for the help in advance.

i sort of stumbled upon this site and love the video reviews and commentary!
Click to expand...

So, what are your thoughts???
 
My wife (now 76) rode a Blix Aveny ebike for a couple of years and liked it a lot. But her balance was declining and the last year she rode the Aveny, she suffered several falls. She also had a fall down the steps at home, so we decided that continuing on the 2 wheel ebike was just too risky for her. Incidentally, the Blix bike did have a throttle and it helped a lot for smooth controlled starts, but she still suffered several falls.

So last summer I got her the Evelo Compass etrike, and she has been enjoying it a lot. It is limited to 15 MPH maximum speed, but on a trike that is plenty fast. Since you can't "lean" a trike in corners, you really have to slow down when turning as they can easily tip over if going too fast in a turn. So far she has not had any spills with the Compass in over 500 miles of riding. For her the trike has been a life saver and allowed her to keep riding.
 
So I got the Bulls Evo Speed Wave and love it! The extra power works great on hills and it’s a very balanced bike. Been riding it around to get used to riding a bike again (and relearning shifting) and loving it. Great to have something to do outdoors while social distancing. Thanks for the advice!
 
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