Budget first eBike for all-weather commuting

[1lilBike]

Hi folks!

I'm looking for an ebike for errands and a short commute (3 mi) with mixed surface (gravel/dirt/pavement) and just one hill, but it's a doozy. In general my area is rolling hills. I used to be an avid rider (road and cross) but my health doesn't allow me to ride anymore, so I'm looking for an ebike as a way to get back out there. I commuted for 12 years in all weather in the midwest. Sometimes it was an adventure!

Ebike wise, I've ridden the Specialized Como, a Townie, Trek Verve, a Detour, and several Raleighs. I had trouble adjusting to the upright position and sluggish handling of all the bikes I rode except the (very expensive!) Raleigh gravel bike. Like driving a tank vs a Mercedes, I guess, after two decades of road bikes!

Important:
torque sensor (for help from standing stops on hills, and also I liked the integration, it felt very natural)
lights, fenders and racks
<3K$, preferably under 2.5
reliability
Cold- and wet-weather hardy

Not so important:
battery life (Most of my planned trips are short, <5 miles)
throttle
max speed
motor size (with my low weight it doesn't seem necessary to have the largest motor)

Nice-to-have:
less dirt-vulnerable drive train (if money was no object I'd go belt drive and internally geared hub, the gravel dust chews up drive train parts.)
not a step-through
a lighter bike
skinnier tires
something I can purchase locally (my LBSes are great and I'd like to support them, plus ongoing support is wonderful)

Me: early 40s, 115 pounds, 5'7" w/long torso & arms, reach more like someone 5'9"
cargo: 15 pounds average, 30 pounds likely on grocery runs.

I know I'm dreaming big here, thanks for any suggestions you can give!

 

[Dewey]

Try the Giant LaFree E+1 in Medium, this has an internal gear hub, belt drive, and 26"x2.3" tires. Note the E+2 model has a derailleur so be sure to ask your Giant dealer to let you test ride the correct model. Or if you really want the diamond frame and thinner tires, consider adding a front hub motor kit on a Priority Classic and mount the battery where the bottle cage is.

 

[1lilBike]

Try the Giant LaFree E+1 in Medium, this has an internal gear hub, belt drive, and 26"x2.3" tires. Note the E+2 model has a derailleur so be sure to ask your Giant dealer to let you test ride the correct model. Or if you really want the diamond frame and thinner tires, consider adding a front hub motor kit on a Priority Classic and mount the battery where the bottle cage is.

Cool, thanks Dewey! A couple good options. I missed the Giant in my general searching, and I"m sure there's a Giant dealer in town. Exciting. I'll check it out.

I am not that picky about the tire/frame stuff, it's just a nice to have. The step-thru reminds me of the first 'grown-up" bike I rode, my Mom's Raleigh 3-speed.

 

[XyloSesame]

Try the Giant LaFree E+1 in Medium, this has an internal gear hub, belt drive, and 26"x2.3" tires.

My wife absolutely loves her LaFree Gates-drive and I'm a bit jealous of the internally geared hub myself.

I picked up a Giant Toughroad for my commute; the 'gravel grinder' style was a perfect blend of everything I liked from my LBS. Ask your LBS for last year's model -- that brought my price down to a somewhat more manageable amount.

 

[fr8dogjoe]

Look into the FLX trail with the touring package. Looks like good on/off all weather capability.

 

[1lilBike]

My wife absolutely loves her LaFree Gates-drive and I'm a bit jealous of the internally geared hub myself.

I picked up a Giant Toughroad for my commute; the 'gravel grinder' style was a perfect blend of everything I liked from my LBS. Ask your LBS for last year's model -- that brought my price down to a somewhat more manageable amount.

Haha, I've never had an internal hub, but boy does it sound nice. Even with regular cleaning, the gravel dust was tough on the drivetrain, and I was always messing with a chain or derailleur that was messed up. Kinda wonder why internals are not more standard, at least on non-road bikes.

 

[ebikemom]

Kinda wonder why internals are not more standard, at least on non-road bikes.

I entered ebike shopping with a head full of ideas of the superiority of mid-drive bikes, based on internet research. I bought from a place that had both mid- and hub drives in their commuter model. The dealer explained to me that the internal geared hub was a maintenance-free workhorse that, yes, made it harder to manage tires/flats, but that, in the long run, was a better choice for suburban/urban riding (in his opinion, of course). We got four hub drive bikes, and have been very happy with them for all of our urban/suburban riding, hill climbing, etc. I have almost 4,000 miles on my bike. Yes, you can feel the PAS gently "kick in", which some folks say doesn't feel "natural" (you know the bike is helping you), but it's great fun.

I just suggest with PAS systems that you TRY THE BIKE if you can because some systems on cheaper bikes are all-or-nothing and kick in suddenly. My dad, for example, won't use the PAS on cheap online bike because it startles him so much. Yes, he is 80, but there are other folks who have had this experience of too-sudden PAS problems, or PAS that isn't graduated to go with the different levels.

Happy shopping!

 

[1lilBike]

Look into the FLX trail with the touring package. Looks like good on/off all weather capability.

Will do, thanks!