Court - you used to live in Austin, Can Neo Cross or a STromer ST1 handle the Barton Ck Greenbelt

[Longhorngary]

I live in west Austin, in the Lost Creek neighborhood. I trying to settle in on an ebike that I can commute to work 2.5 miles but would mind hitting the Barton Creek Greenbelt from time to time as our neighborhood back right up to it. Can you give any input? I'm 6'3" 250# and would need to deal with W. Austin hills.

Thanks
Gary

 

[Ann M.]

Hey Gary, I moved to Austin in the 70's and have mountain biked Barton Creek more than a few times; great technical trailwork and water when there's not a drought. The Neo Cross is a great riding bike; however, that motor is not strong enough for your size person and that trail. The smaller 36V battery might be a concern, since you're gonna burn through more power off-road.

The Stromer ST-1 might be a possibility; however, that bike generally comes with a 36V, 396watt/hr battery and this bike is heavier than the Neo Cross and other mid-drive style bikes. If you can get it configured with their 36V ST522 battery (522watt/hr) then you'd be a bit more secure having adequate range. Still this bike design is primarily street, so it all depends on how much time you plan to be on the trails.

Take a look at some mid-drive, 48V systems, like the 2014 IZip Peak, with the TransX drive, which has phenomenal torque--interpret that as-Hill Climbing, Yeah! (2015 isn't available yet, but when it arrives, it's a full suspension bike) or the Haibike XDuro RX 29er with the Bosch mid-drive system. Both of these bikes have 48V down tube mounted batteries, so your weight distribution feels natural. And they weigh less than your average ebike, only 48lbs.

Another, less pricey option that would have the power, range & frame strength that you need might be Prodeco Tech's Phantom X-3, with the 500watt hub motor & 36V 16ah Lithium battery (that's a hunky 576 watt/hours of juice). This bike, like all of those mentioned comes with hydraulic disc brakes; a plus for trail riding. Down side, rear mounted battery, throttle drive rather than pedal assist, but a lot of bike for the $$$$!

Whatever you choose, just get out there and ride--Austin is blessed with a number of great mountain bike trails and several local mountain bike clubs,

 

[Admin]

I live in west Austin, in the Lost Creek neighborhood. I trying to settle in on an ebike that I can commute to work 2.5 miles but would mind hitting the Barton Creek Greenbelt from time to time as our neighborhood back right up to it. Can you give any input? I'm 6'3" 250# and would need to deal with W. Austin hills.

Thanks
Gary

Hi Gary, Ann had some excellent tips there and I agree for the most part. Given your height, I'd steer towards electric bikes that come in multiple sizes and given the extra weight and interest in off-road I'd lean more towards mid-drive, especially if you get a full suspension bike because it will reduce the unsprung weight compared to a bike with a geared hub motor. My two favorites that fit this advice which can be found in Austin at Rocket Electrics would be the Felt DUALe or Felt NINEe. If these are outside of your budget, the Haibike FS 27.5" or Haibike 29" are great and a bit more affordable... there are lots of Haibikes including the Fatsix with fat tires and front suspension here to explore. I'd avoid pre 2015 ProdecoTech models for trail riding given the rear mount battery (I believe they have some new mid-mount options). And for the best price but still mid-drive the IZIP E3 Peak is a great model and it comes in a full suspension setup now too