Cyclist husband that I'm looking to keep up with-- help choosing!

it compares well with my Yamaha PW-SE powered gravel bike
The 48V 'B' version is super smooth and if mounted well, very quiet. Anyone handy can do it. That Breezer has an 8-speed internal hub with an extra-strong E1 chain. It cost $240 and sold the next day before it was even finished. Yes, you can have a better bike, save the planet, while saving money.
 
Just curious, have you ridden a Trek, Specialized, Giant, or similar mid-drive for comparison?
No, and I'm sure they're superior to my middle-tier hub-drive in many ways. But the OP has a very specific use case and a budget, and a less expensive torque-sensing hub-drive of decent quality may well meet her needs within her budget.

Have you tried a good torque-sensing hub-drive?

Not pushing a torque-sensing hub-drive — especially if the OP rides big hills. But given the totality of the OP's comments, she might do well to test one.
 
No, and I'm sure they're superior to my middle-tier hub-drive in many ways. But the OP has a very specific use case and a budget, and a less expensive torque-sensing hub-drive of decent quality may well meet her needs within her budget.

Have you tried a good torque-sensing hub-drive?

Not pushing a torque-sensing hub-drive — especially if the OP rides big hills. But given the totality of the OP's comments, she might do well to test one.
Yes I have. The last one was actually a Surface 604 Rook! A decent bike for the $$$, but the response and feel of the hub drive even with the torque sensor isn’t as natural to me as the mid-drives I have owned/ridden. There’s still a notable delay when starting and stopping pedaling similar to other hub drives I have ridden. That’s personally a showstopper for me.

As far as cost, my Serial 1 with a Brose mid-drive was less than the retail price of the Rook….just have to keep a lookout for the deals!
 
If you want to pedal mostly and use the motor for hills or after you get tired, you want a bike that doesn't drag the motor with your feet. Trek bikes are mostly bosch, and only the most expensive bosch motor has the clutch necessary to ride unpowered drag free. Allant 7 says it is a bosch Performance line CX, which might be that model, but I don't know. Ask the bike shop. What I do know, spare bosch batteries are >$1000 and have sometimes been unavailable for a year. WIthout a throttle you would set the PAS level to zero. If you stop for a meal or bathroom break, having a spare $1200 battery in a bag on the bike is a theft risk.
The specialized turbo vado 4 stepthru has a brose middrive motor, which has a clutch to permit riding without power without drag. It was $2500 when I checked, possibility of end of summer sales the website said. Again extra batteries are not going to be cheap. Again no throttle, you would set the PAS level to zero.
With your low annual usage, geared hub motor bikes don't drag unpowered. The batteries can be much cheaper. Often they are generic dolphin batteries, instead of patented form fitting designs. These can be bought from a 3rd party, like reentron. One $2200 geared hub drive model is the surface 604 sunny day. It comes with torque sensing, plus a throttle. Standard battery at that price is 12 AH, but they offer 20 AH battery as an option. https://electricbikereview.com/surface-604/2023-sunny-day/ I get 30 miles out of 1/2 of a 17.5 AH battery, but I pedal about 2/3 the distance, the flatter parts.
The disadvantage of geared hub motors, the gears can wear out at ~3500 miles. I've ridden it home that way, no drag with the power off. Another disadvantage, you cannot climb steep long grades as they have in the Rockies and Sierras, the winding will burn if you lug it for an hour. I climb 77 rolling hills up to 15% grade here in my county, with 80 lb groceries, no problem with motors over 350 w. The surface are 500w.
The advantage of geared hub, new motors built into a wheel are <$500. I keep a spare in my garage and when I wear out a motor, am back on the road in 2 days without giving my bike a ride in a car to the bike shop. Another advantage of geared hub, they carry the motor higher than a mid-drive so you get an inch or 2 of higher water you can pedal through. Don't cross rivers that high, but I have a couple of underpasses that fill up in the rain that I cross through. Third advantage of geared hub, the chain can last twice as long as the same width chain on a mid-drive bike. Chains are not expensive, but I find them harder to change that the power wheel. I always mess up the chain routing the first & second time. Plus it takes $40 in tools to change a chain.
Happy shopping & later riding.
Why would you set the PAS to zero without a throttle? Sorry, doesn't make sense to me.
 
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