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

[Citycrosser]

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:

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?

 

[Alaskan]

20mph up hills is a tall order unless the bike is quite high powered, both big hub motors and big batteries. Usually those bikes are quite aggressively styled, typically more appealing to guys rather than young women.

 

[Citycrosser]

My Metro+ will hold 18 mph or so up most hills around here but, yes, the styling isn't so agreeable with her!

 

[Bicyclista]

If you like Magnum, why not a Magnum Ui6? It's a low-step Class 3 bike.

I had a Magnum Ui5 three years ago. I don't think I was ever able to go up a hill at 20mph (maybe 15mph tops), and I doubt there are many ebikes that can. Of course, it depends on what you mean by "hill," i.e. slope and length.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Check out the Juiced Bikes Ocean Current. On sale now for $1399. The 12.8 am hour battery sticks out some. Talk to them about whether they can put in the 8.8 Ah battery instead. I like the Sea Foam color, myself. Top speed is 24 mph instead of 28, but that's true of all the Pedego bikes too -- as @Amy about her feelings re: safety.

That Faraday Cortland bike is a looker, isn't it?

 

[Citycrosser]

The 500 series looks like it uses the same Reention Dorado case as my Magnum so I'm guessing we could swap batteries if needed. It's a nice looking bike. Any place near NYC that she could test ride one?

 

[Nova Haibike]

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.

I've rarely heard anyone say they wanted to go faster for safety's sake. Those few people that want to go faster is so that there is less speed differential with automotive traffic on busy roads. Is that going to be the case with her route?

 

[ebikemom]

Awesome that she wants an ebike! My high schooler and middle schooler have them, and I love that they are able to satisfy so many transportation needs and get some exercise to boot! Good luck finding a good fit for her needs. I understand the questions asked here, so won't repeat them.

I love the non-ebike-y look of the Faraday (says me, who carts a big battery in the back on my bike, though I LOVE my big battery for it's great range). Looks like a great choice, but can you get her to a local bike shop for some test rides? That will help a lot with the decision process.

Happy shopping!

 

[Citycrosser]

I've rarely heard anyone say they wanted to go faster for safety's sake. Those few people that want to go faster is so that there is less speed differential with automotive traffic on busy roads. Is that going to be the case with her route?

That's correct. There are no bike lanes so she'd be on a relatively quiet back road for the first two miles, which is fine. However, the last 3 miles is on a somewhat busy 45 mph two lane road. I'd like her to be as fast as possible on this portion. With only 10 miles roundtrip, she can use max assist on the 45 mph and hopefully stay up near 28 mph. She currently has a regular bicycle and is comfortable coasting down the hill by our house at 30 mph+ so she's comfortable at those speeds.

 

[Citycrosser]

Awesome that she wants an ebike! My high schooler and middle schooler have them, and I love that they are able to satisfy so many transportation needs and get some exercise to boot! Good luck finding a good fit for her needs. I understand the questions asked here, so won't repeat them.

I love the non-ebike-y look of the Faraday (says me, who carts a big battery in the back on my bike, though I LOVE my big battery for it's great range). Looks like a great choice, but can you get her to a local bike shop for some test rides? That will help a lot with the decision process.

Happy shopping!

Yes, we need to go test ride some bikes. The local e-bike shop scene is great in my area and even better if we head an hour south to NYC so we should be able to test ride nearly anything she shows an interest in.

 

[MisterM]

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?

Not many step thrus that can do 28mph. Bulls has a few. Cross Mover Step Thru with 350w Bosch Performance Speed motor is rated up to 28mph. (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

How about Evelo Aurora Fully Loaded with 750w motor and NuVinci hub? My wife really likes it because it's powerful and simple to shift - no rear derailleur https://www.evelo.com/electric-bicycles/aurora/

 

[Citycrosser]

Not many step thrus that can do 28mph. Bulls has a few. Cross Mover Step Thru with 350w Bosch Performance Speed motor is rated up to 28mph. (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

How about Evelo Aurora Fully Loaded with 750w motor and NuVinci hub? My wife really likes it because it's powerful and simple to shift - no rear derailleur https://www.evelo.com/electric-bicycles/aurora/

I like the Evelo and hadn't considered them yet. I do like the simplicity of it. Thanks!

 

[Dewey]

A couple other suggestions: Riese & Muller Roadster Mixte Touring HS, or the Gazelle CityZen T10 HMB Speed, both are purpose designed European speed pedelecs using the Bosch Performance Speed motor, hydraulic disk brakes, lights running off the battery, etc. is there a bike room at the High School? Buy a good lock and a bag for carrying the battery into school to store in a locker.

Links:

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Court’s review https://electricbikereview.com/riese-muller/roadster-mixte-touring/

&

https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us/gazelle-cityzen-t10-hmb-v4

Court’s review https://electricbikereview.com/gazelle/cityzen-speed-t10/

 

[Citycrosser]

A couple other suggestions: Riese & Muller Roadster Mixte Touring HS, or the Gazelle CityZen T10 HMB Speed, both are purpose designed European speed pedelecs using the Bosch Performance Speed motor, hydraulic disk brakes, lights running off the battery, etc. is there a bike room at the High School? Buy a good lock and a bag for carrying the battery into school to store in a locker.

Links:

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Court’s review https://electricbikereview.com/riese-muller/roadster-mixte-touring/

&

https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us/gazelle-cityzen-t10-hmb-v4

Court’s review https://electricbikereview.com/gazelle/cityzen-speed-t10/

My daughter is working to get a bike rack installed. Currently, there are four kids who ride bikes to school and then have to lock them to a fence. She'll definitely need a good lock and insurance, which I feel is well worth it.

And, thanks for the suggestions. The Gazelle Cityzen is a good looking bike.

Right now, we are planning to go test ride some things later this month so I'll let you all know once we make a decision. I'll enjoy having another family member e-biking!

 

[ebikemom]

My daughter is working to get a bike rack installed

This is a great advocacy point for all of us. When I go into a business that doesn't have a rack, I mention this need to the owner if I can do so easily--owners talk to landlords, and landlords often want to keep their tenants ... I also worked to get bike racks at my church ... they are on order!

 

[Acey]

My two cents: first, step-thru frames have flex and you can see it and feel it while riding. A true step-thru frame at 28mph would be scary. Look for a mid-step frame that attaches higher up the seat tube. We reconfigured our step-thru commuter for that exact reason.

I have 15-year-old twin girls and own an e-bike company. I don't allow them to ride to school because I have ridden their route on several mornings to gauge the safety of the commute and have had to make evasive maneuvers on three of four occasions. I'm a much more experienced rider (bike, e-bike and motorcycle) than the girls and don't know if they would have diagnosed or been able to avoid the same situations without hesitation or panic. Lots of "distracted" kids driving/texting. Lots of hurried parents. Chaos. The last attempt left me a bit shaken after a car full of kids swerved across lanes and cut me off as I was entering an intersection. It was really close. I now truly appreciate the extra stopping power of the 180mm discs on my e-bikes and the practice I spent on emergency stopping at top speed.

Parent-to-Parent, if you do buy a 28mph e-bike for your daughter, please consider a bike safety course. I make this recommendation to all my customers - especially those with no motorcycle riding experience. When you go faster, you have to make faster decisions and watch for potential problems much farther down the road. There are national groups that offer training with classroom study as well as actual riding instruction and practice in traffic. Given that option, my daughters decided to keep to our neighborhood and trails for now. And I sleep like a baby.

Also check your local laws. Most states have age and speed restrictions.

Lastly, I'm 185 lbs and the 500W geared hub motors on my Class II e-bikes propel me up steep hills at 17-20mph without pedaling (throttle only) from a dead stop at the bottom of the hill. My daughters fly past me at half my weight. Hope that helps you in your decision.

 

[harryS]

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.

 

[Citycrosser]

My two cents: first, step-thru frames have flex and you can see it and feel it while riding. A true step-thru frame at 28mph would be scary. Look for a mid-step frame that attaches higher up the seat tube. We reconfigured our step-thru commuter for that exact reason.

I have 15-year-old twin girls and own an e-bike company. I don't allow them to ride to school because I have ridden their route on several mornings to gauge the safety of the commute and have had to make evasive maneuvers on three of four occasions. I'm a much more experienced rider (bike, e-bike and motorcycle) than the girls and don't know if they would have diagnosed or been able to avoid the same situations without hesitation or panic. Lots of "distracted" kids driving/texting. Lots of hurried parents. Chaos. The last attempt left me a bit shaken after a car full of kids swerved across lanes and cut me off as I was entering an intersection. It was really close. I now truly appreciate the extra stopping power of the 180mm discs on my e-bikes and the practice I spent on emergency stopping at top speed.

Parent-to-Parent, if you do buy a 28mph e-bike for your daughter, please consider a bike safety course. I make this recommendation to all my customers - especially those with no motorcycle riding experience. When you go faster, you have to make faster decisions and watch for potential problems much farther down the road. There are national groups that offer training with classroom study as well as actual riding instruction and practice in traffic. Given that option, my daughters decided to keep to our neighborhood and trails for now. And I sleep like a baby.

Also check your local laws. Most states have age and speed restrictions.

Lastly, I'm 185 lbs and the 500W geared hub motors on my Class II e-bikes propel me up steep hills at 17-20mph without pedaling (throttle only) from a dead stop at the bottom of the hill. My daughters fly past me at half my weight. Hope that helps you in your decision.

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.

 

[Citycrosser]

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.

Wow, you guys are full of opinions based on very little information. Was it your intent to question my judgement as a parent? Because that's exactly what you just did. It's this kind of comment that makes folks not want to ask for help with anything. If you aren't answering the original post's question, you are doing it WRONG!

 

[Acey]

Sorry you feel that way. I thought it was informative and innocuous when I posted it. I'm an advocate for bicycle safety (the exact advice that offended you is in every one of my owner's manuals) and regret that you interpreted it as an assault on your parenting. In fact, I was trying to be very careful to not be judgemental (it would be a stupid business decision to tell people how to use their e-bikes) and not once did I question your decision or say it was a bad idea. (In my "parent to parent" comment I said "please consider...") My advice on frames and training is sound and fully assumed you would buy an e-bike for your daughter and, full disclosure, maybe consider one of mine. Attacking or challenging you would be counterproductive to my marketing efforts. Agree?

The point I was trying to make was to ride the route at the times she will and make your decision of what bike to get based on your own personal experience. It's the only way you'll truly know what works the best. I added my experience to illustrate the point and qualify my decision to not let my kids ride. I did this to isolate my experience to my specific traffic area and avoid coming across as questioning your parenting skills or thought process. Fail, I guess. Point of fact: there are several Acey DC E-Bikes parked every day at the same school my kids attend from other kids/teachers who ride them to class. And yes, I recommended safety classes to all of them.

To get back on topic, check out this thread in this forum for a variety of step-thru bikes, posted by other members: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/step-thru.15620/ Maybe you can find what you're looking for there.

And I just have to say, this is a public forum, not a private FB page. When I post I keep that in mind and try to educate all current and future readers. If my comments irk you but help someone else who reads this next year or five years from now, I'll still count that as a win. FYI: I've lost two friends (both experienced riders) to car/bike accidents and I've seen far too many ghost bikes in my area. My company is currently involved with local government to increase bike safety and I will continue to promote safety and riding courses - especially for young or inexperienced e-bike riders. (For clarity, that statement is NOT a direct reference to you or your daughter.)