Does an ebike that meets all of my activity needs exist?

[mieks]

Hello! Nice to e-meet you all! I’m new to the forum and new to ebikes. I actually haven’t ridden a bike regularly in about 20 years but am intrigued by ebikes as a way to have an active commute and to avoid being in crowded trains and buses where my face is in random people’s armpits. I’m hoping to get some advice regarding a reliable ebike that can meet these activity needs (listed in order of importance):

1) Comfortable fit for 5’2” woman with short legs who prefers an upright riding position
2) Daily 5.5 mile commute each way with 625ft climb on the way home
3) Ability to bring my 17lb dog to/from work in a rear basket a couple of times a week + my work laptop + sometimes some groceries
4) I would love to spend less than $4k because I’m a social worker and don’t get paid the big bucks
5) My boyfriend also wants to be able to fit the ebike in the back of his Honda Fit and he’d consider getting one too so we could go on riding getaways together.

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide your input and advice! I really appreciate it!

 

[Dewey]

Tern Vektron would be a good choice because it folds and can sit on the end of its rack to facilitate loading into a car, has a very adjustable stem and seatpost to accommodate riders from 4'10" to 6'5", a very sturdy frame-integrated 'Atlas' rack with pannier hangers that can easily carry your dog in a basket and groceries in panniers at the same time, is available to test ride at Tern dealers all around you in San Francisco including the awesome New Wheel, and uses the Bosch system with a 400wh battery pack - ask your boyfriend to consider getting his ebike with the Bosch system so you can share battery packs! For a more basic but still good folding bike with a low stand-over height you might test ride the Blix Vika though Blix recently adopted a new direct sales model so may have lost some dealers so check with Blix which bike shops in San Francisco still carry their models in stock

 

[Rick53]

Specialized Como

 

[indianajo]

1) Comfortable fit for 5’2” woman with short legs who prefers an upright riding position
2) Daily 5.5 mile commute each way with 625ft climb on the way home
3) Ability to bring my 17lb dog to/from work in a rear basket a couple of times a week + my work laptop + sometimes some groceries
4) I would love to spend less than $4k because I’m a social worker and don’t get paid the big bucks
5) My boyfriend also wants to be able to fit the ebike in the back of his Honda Fit and he’d consider getting one too so we could go on riding getaways together.

My yubabikes bodaboda left does those, except maybe # 5. https://yubabikes.com/product-category/electric-cargo-bikes
You'll see the electric bodaboda is now $3200. I bought mine without electricity for $2000 with the panniers (bags) double leg kick stand and front basket, then added electricity for $900.
Check carefully that the electric bodaboda they are selling fits 62" women, as mine would but the frame these days looks a little different. There are dealers in SF, you should be able to go sit on one. My pant inseam is 28", which I can't actually buy anymore. All my height is in my back.
As far as fitting in a car, mine will not fit in a compact Hyundai Elanta, but will in a mid sized Toyota Camry. That is with bungee cords holding it in, and the hatch held down with more bungee cords.
It is all aluminum except the front fork, so the weight is quite good compared to my steel Pacific Quantum MTB with steel baskets I rode previously.
BTW quality and performance were superb. Shifters were more precise than the MTB, the disk brakes actually work in the rain, the turned back handlebar helps delay the numbness I was getting in my hands from a straight bar. I did change my seat because OEM was uncomfortable, but I am not a woman. Mine can start 330 lb gross, the bike, 165 lb me, and 60 lb groceries, on a 15% grade. My 17.5 AH battery can carry me up the 77 hills over 30 miles, and probably some more if I keep the uphill speed down. Tried that last week into a 10 mph wind, got home (no groceries) 30 miles with the battery still in the green.
I've bolted an aluminum box & angle perimeter frame on top of the "book rack" to make carrying wide and long packages more easy. I strap them down with heavy twine. I regularly carry 40-60 lb groceries 30 miles, and have carried such items as a 6000 BTU A/C and a pickup tire on the back. The stretch frame reduces overload on the rear tire, putting my weight on the front tire.
Happy shopping.

 

[Over50]

Tern Vektron would be a good choice because it folds and can sit on the end of its rack to facilitate loading into a car...

Just one thing to note: if you add the luggage truss to the front of the bike, it makes it a bit longer in the folded position. In my case, I load it into the back of my Hyundai frequently but I cannot rest it on the rear rack footpegs. Instead, I have to rest it on the two feet that are under the motor in the same fashion as you would rest the Gen 1 bike. I'm sure glad they kept those feet from Gen 1 to Gen 2 which allows 2 different ways to rest the bike when folded. Just wanted to point this out because the luggage truss allows for a variety of storage options and is highly useful however it does increase its folded footprint/length.

 

[harryS]

Something like an Lectric XP will carry your dog and climb the hill. Most bikes will handle the 625 feet if spread out over 3 miles. If it's all in 2000 yards, that's steep. The Lectric XP is a bulky and heavy bike though,

Review: Lectric XP e-bike is the epitome of low cost meets high-speed fun

This summer I got the chance to check out an early production prototype of the Lectric XP fat tire electric...

electrek.co

Qualisports makes some nice traditional light weight folders. As do others.

I've carried our 8 pound dogger on the back of my light weight folder. Since you're small, I think you could manage a well behaved 17 pounder behind you.

I own both a fat tire and skinny tire folders, shown below, and here's a comparison of the tires 20x4" vs 20x2"
>


Your buying choice really depends on how much local shop support you want. THey will cost more, as they should, when you want shop support.

 

[mieks]

Thank you all so much! This is super helpful!

 

[FlatSix911]

Here are 2 well priced mid-drive options that should meet your needs and have no problem climbing hills.

2020 Electric EF3 Folding eBike, Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery, Shimano STEPS Mid-Drive $1599
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...icycles/ebikes-electric-folding-bikes-ef3.htm

2020 Front Suspension Electric Elite eUrban, Advanced Integrated Battery, Shimano STEPS Mid-Drive $1799
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...cycles/ebikes-electric-bikes-elite-eurban.htm

 

[SabrinaBlix]

The Vika+ is super easy to handle and you can add up to 55lbs on the rear rack which is designed to hold a large basket. There are a lot of owners who carry dogs on their Vikas and feel super comfortable doing so. Let me know if you have any questions on the Vika!

 

[goldconch]

Give some thought to logistics of where you may need to park the bike at night and at work....will it be bolted to a garage wall charging? Does it need to fit in an elevator, or go up stairs? Is there a boss that will allow you to wheel it into your office? Are there active bike thieves in either area? For my needs, I went for high-portability and low-end on entry price, but am tuning it up to what I want. I don't want someone to clip the chain on the lock on a $4000 bike and whistle-off into the sunset, so for the most part, I take it indoors. Not everyone will want to do that though. Also, take a survey pedal on your commute road and check the route condition. You may determine you'll want to have a suspension - esp at 25mph. Sharing the ride with a friend is a great idea.

Something like this might check a lot of boxes...
https://www.joulvert.com/collections/all/products/joulvert-stealth