E-bike for Daughter - 28 mph with hills and low step

[Acey]

Three miles on a 45 mph road with half the drivers barely 18, before 8AM and after 3PM in the winter with the sun low in the sky? There's still a 20 mph differential. That's too risky in my opinion. Lots of flashing lights are needed.

I guess I need to clarify that my "Like" of this post was for the part about "lots of flashing lights needed."

 

[MisterM]

Parent to parent: You've made a lot of assumptions about the commute, my daughter's abilities, and my judgement. I wasn't asking for an opinion on whether we should allow her to do this or not.

Heaven forfend someone offer sound advice which you then can't wait to take offense. Sigh.

 

[ebikemom]

@Citycrosser , none of us knows your exact roads, etc., upon which you are basing your judgment--folks are sharing what they imagine based on their own locales, or are sharing their own experience.

I hope you find a bike that works well for your daughter. My two teenagers enjoy their ebikes, and we find them to be a great asset for our family as well, to all be "plugged in" to ebiking!

 

[whonderfulgrace]

My daughter is interested in getting an e-bike instead of a car. Woohoo! However, she has some interesting requirements. Her commute to high school is only 5 miles but quite hilly and, for safety sake, I'd like her to be able to maintain at least 20 mph up the hills and 28 mph on the flats. Here's the tough part for me, she wants a low step and a relatively hidden, integrated battery. She likes the look of the Faraday Cortland S but it tops out at 20 mph:

View attachment 26297

I have a Magnum Metro+ and would love for her to get the Metro but she's not too keen on the color and styling. Anything else out there like the Cortland but in a Class 3? Anyone have experience with the Cortland and how it handles hills?

Model S from elwctric bike company is a step thru, 20 mph up hill is rough, but it does powee up hills nicely about 13-15mph for steep hills. Slight inclines, well it slays them .

Check out the website for the electric bike company. They are responsive and have a sustainability effort out there.

Best,

 

[Citycrosser]

Heaven forfend someone offer sound advice which you then can't wait to take offense. Sigh.

Seriously? I wasn’t asking for advice on whether she should be making this ride to school. Had I been doing so, I would have provided more information about the route and such. And sound advice should be based on an understanding of the situation and only offered when asked for. Sound advice was not offered. You guys do make this entertaining though!

 

[indianajo]

Glad you're still here and communicating.
Just to supplement Acey's experience, I've owned about 5 step through frames and none of them had a flex problem. I weighed 213 in 2008 but am down to 156, but the last 10 years I have carried up to 60 lb supplies plus a 40 lb basket on the back since I don't drive a car anymore. Specifically a discount store ninieties Pacific Quantum steel frame MTB step through was quite competent as a frame. Not an E-bike though. My first e-bike conversion was a seventies Huffy Savannah step-though 10 speed, quite a substantial piece of steel. That had a 20 lb basket set, and I carried 6 gallons of water (48 lb) in it. My 2017 yubabikes bodaboda has an aluminum step through frame, and doesn't flex either.
I do highly recommend disk brakes in inclement weather. I ran an Austrian 3 speed with rim brakes into the side of a car in the rain when the lady ran a stop sign after I'd stopped and restarted across. I was wearing a flourescent green t-shirt; she must have been nearly blind or stoned. Oh, the Huffy Savannah with rim brakes one time, at 2 mph I ran over a tree limb that rolled up into the front brake, jammed the wheel, and threw my on my chin. I don't think disk brakes can do that.

 

[Citycrosser]

Glad you're still here and communicating.
Just to supplement Acey's experience, I've owned about 5 step through frames and none of them had a flex problem. I weighed 213 in 2008 but am down to 156, but the last 10 years I have carried up to 60 lb supplies plus a 40 lb basket on the back since I don't drive a car anymore. Specifically a discount store ninieties Pacific Quantum steel frame MTB step through was quite competent as a frame. Not an E-bike though. My first e-bike conversion was a seventies Huffy Savannah step-though 10 speed, quite a substantial piece of steel. That had a 20 lb basket set, and I carried 6 gallons of water (48 lb) in it. My 2017 yubabikes bodaboda has an aluminum step through frame, and doesn't flex either.
I do highly recommend disk brakes in inclement weather. I ran an Austrian 3 speed with rim brakes into the side of a car in the rain when the lady ran a stop sign after I'd stopped and restarted across. I was wearing a flourescent green t-shirt; she must have been nearly blind or stoned. Oh, the Huffy Savannah with rim brakes one time, at 2 mph I ran over a tree limb that rolled up into the front brake, jammed the wheel, and threw my on my chin. I don't think disk brakes can do that.

Agreed on the disc brakes. And I’ve had my daughters current step through up to 45 mph while descending and didn’t experience any flex. Thanks!