E-Bike for recovery. But which one?

T

TinyBear

New Member
Hi all this my first post here. I have been doing a lot of research on a bunch of e-bikes. But I admittedly know nothing about e bikes and been out of the cycling scene since 2012 (got hit by a car on one my motorcycles and got pretty messed up physically). Despite a few attempts to get back to cycling a mix of pain and laziness has repeatedly set me back. Despite this I have for past few months really been working at it again and actually enjoying it. But sadly my rides are just very limited these days by lack of fitness and pain setting in.

So looking for a e mountain bike to supplement my other bikes (09 Giant Boulder SE, 10 Giant Seek1). To allow me longer rides again. Along with a bike to assist in pulling a trailer with the kids 2.5 and a soon to be new born. (Don’t have a trailer yet more have I ever trued pulling one before).

Budget is $3000cdn. I’m 36 years old 5’10 and 260lbs.

Bikes I have been researching are:
-Giants Fathome E+3. This bike checks most of the boxes. But is right at limit of my budget. Realistically more out the door. It’s also has a low capacity battery.

-Voltbike Yukon 750. This one is priced where I want and has a HUGE batt capacity. but I dislike the shifter style and don’t have any interest in the throttle. Also not sure I really want a fat bike

-Voltbike Outback. I like this one as again priced nicely and full suspension could possibly ease some of the harness from bumps on my battered legs. bit again I hate that shifter setup and I not sure if a full suspension bike work ok pulling a trailer

-Rad Rover. This ones mostly the same as the volt bike Yukon but more $$$ and poorer brakes. But great reviews.

Priorities for me are. Around 50km range on mid level pedal assist, comfort, light off road use, able to pull a trailer. Most of all reliability.
 
Well a mountain bike is really not required. But it’s the style of bike I most preferred riding.

I love the out doors and trails. I spend a lot of time off roading on motorcycles and ATVS. I have enjoyed exploring this great country’s remote places (last summer was a motorcycle trip to camp on James Bay). So for me cycling was always a exercise that allowed me to also explore more trails that my motorized off roaders were not allowed on.

These days I can’t really explore trails on the bicycles due to injuries as much BUT I still want to hold on to hope then when I have a good day I can have a bike I can grab and go hit a easier trial etc.

Also riding my Hybrid bike now is really painful. It’s a fully ridged bike with 700x32c road bike tires. The ride is harsh to say the least and my battered bones don’t enjoy it like I once did. (It is fast though and easy to pedal in comparison). Point being a mountain bike I just generally find more comfy.
 
Essentially what I am dealing with when riding is advancing arthritis in my left knee. A partially fused left ankle. Some Nerve damage to both lower legs. Left legs now an 1” shorter than the right. Weakened shoulders (multiple dislocations). I also have a section of my left leg just above the ankle that’s kinda missing. So it looks like there’s a bite out of my leg lol. This causes a lot of pain over time as the tendons are compressed in a tight area so lots of ankle movement makes for some pain and swelling.

Rest of the injuries I had don’t really affect cycling.

But all that being said. It sounds I think a bit worse than it really is. I function mostly just fine and I walk most days without a limp. I work as a diesel mechanic that can be quite physical. And I would say I have about 80% of my mobility back.

What I lack these days most is cardio flexibility and leg strength. And I’m not allowed to kneel down. Oh and going to government facilities and airports take more time now a days because i set off the damn metal detectors now lol.
 
Somethings seems confusing in your message. The Yukon appears to be more than the Rad Rover, but you say it is less? You say you have no interest in a throttle, but I suspect that is because you have never ridden an e-bike before. Since you are trying to do longer rides, and currently have some physical limitations, a throttle is maybe the most important feature for you to have to cover various terrain and be able to tune the bike to your level.

To help with your physical limitations you probably want a bike with a Cadence sensor only, or one that can be switched from torque sensor to cadence sensor. A torque sensor bike is more natural feeling, but a cadence sensor bike is an easy way to just control your physical input with the gears and your speed with the assist level and throttle. With a Torque sensor based bike if the gears don't get you to where you need to be and the speed you want you may be able to use the throttle to get their but it some what depends on how the throttle is implemented on the Torque sensor based bike and any limitations they have imposed. Most important is with the Throttle you won't end up stranded if you go too far and just have to stop or have a pain episode. All common problems with age and medical conditions where a throttle is most helpful.

The DJ Bikes MTB (no fat tire, but they have one of those as well), Rad Rover, and that new Ride1UP 750 all look like good starter e-bikes for you in your price range. I don't know much about the Yukon, but looks about the same as the DJ and Rad bikes for more money (YUKON 750 LIMITED (2019) $1,799).

The Yukon 750 2019 does have the hydraulic breaks which might be nice, but the other bikes are not at the power levels where they really need it. The Panasonic 16Ah battery on the Yukon is very nice.
 
Looked up the voltbike yukon. It has a shimano 7 speed thumb shifter. this is the kind of shifter that caused a 10 cm x 1 cm cyst above my thumb joint in 2016. Fortunately you can change shifters pretty easily. I changed it to a suntour twist shifter, that caused pain in my wrist joint instead of in my thumb. Various twist shifters are available from thebikeshopstore.com The SRAM one wasn't any better than the suntour one, really, just more expensive. As a lightly framed person, my joints are just not up to fighting the spring that is built into all rear derailleurs as you down shift. The cyst finally faded away by fall 2018.
I've started designing a 3" diameter twist shifter mechanism to increase travel and decrease force. Twist shifters as sold have a 1" wide grip area, which requires substantial thumb pressure to make it move. My 3" diameter grip will have a 4" long grip area. Until I perfect it, I've given up shifting on the rear entirely. I use the left thumb shifter for the front, which I manage to do a direct push instead of the swiveling thumb required of the right index shifter. I'm stuck in middle 2nd speed except when wind is light I can go to high second speed. On the one hill I ride in town, I drop to low 2nd speed. When i complete this low force shifter, I will put a handle on the bottom for even more leverage. On the bottom because I don't want to impale my belly on it if I go over the bars again.
I looked at shimano and sram electric shift. They are only available for 11 speed rear sprocket clusters, and only for drop bars. I would abandon biking entirely before I ever ride with my neck craned like the drop bars require. And 11 speed clusters would require 5 shifts out of every stop sign, at most of which i actually stop as compared to those idiot drop bar club riders. Currently I'm doing one shift out of some stop signs, 42 to 52 front sprocket or 24% ratio change.
As for IGH, I bought a Sturmey Archer S80 8 speed, and its shifter spring was even stronger than the one in the derailleurs. Also, it drug some unpowered by comparison with the derailleur mechanism. Slowed me down about 20% over 27 miles unpowered. Also that particular IGH model the shift pawl started popping off every mile after 600 miles, which can be really annoying as the only way to put it back on is to lay on the ground face up, wind up the spring with pliers, and force the pawl in. I would hope the rolloff and Shimano IGH don't have this problem.
BTW I ride down 15% grades sometimes with 60 lb of groceries, and I don't really see the point of hydraulic brakes. Disk brakes yes, they are actually effective after riding through a puddle. My rather substandard hands are quite capable of squeezing cable pull 160 mm disk brakes to a very rapid stop.
 
Last edited:
indianajo said:
I've started designing a 3" diameter twist shifter mechanism to increase travel and decrease force. Twist shifters as sold have a 1" wide grip area, which requires substantial thumb pressure to make it move. My 3" diameter grip will have a 4" long grip area. Until I perfect it, I've given up shifting on the rear entirely.
Click to expand...
I'm interested in this, care to share anymore info?
 
CityExplorer said:
Somethings seems confusing in your message. The Yukon appears to be more than the Rad Rover, but you say it is less? You say you have no interest in a throttle, but I suspect that is because you have never ridden an e-bike before. Since you are trying to do longer rides, and currently have some physical limitations, a throttle is maybe the most important feature for you to have to cover various terrain and be able to tune the bike to your level.

To help with your physical limitations you probably want a bike with a Cadence sensor only, or one that can be switched from torque sensor to cadence sensor. A torque sensor bike is more natural feeling, but a cadence sensor bike is an easy way to just control your physical input with the gears and your speed with the assist level and throttle. With a Torque sensor based bike if the gears don't get you to where you need to be and the speed you want you may be able to use the throttle to get their but it some what depends on how the throttle is implemented on the Torque sensor based bike and any limitations they have imposed. Most important is with the Throttle you won't end up stranded if you go too far and just have to stop or have a pain episode. All common problems with age and medical conditions where a throttle is most helpful.

The DJ Bikes MTB (no fat tire, but they have one of those as well), Rad Rover, and that new Ride1UP 750 all look like good starter e-bikes for you in your price range. I don't know much about the Yukon, but looks about the same as the DJ and Rad bikes for more money (YUKON 750 LIMITED (2019) $1,799).

The Yukon 750 2019 does have the hydraulic breaks which might be nice, but the other bikes are not at the power levels where they really need it. The Panasonic 16Ah battery on the Yukon is very nice.
Click to expand...



You are correct I have never ridden an E Bike. My thoughts on not wanting a throttle were that having the throttle from my understanding limits where you can take the bike as it classes the bike differently. Otherwise I am fine with it. Reasoning for riding bicycles is purely exercise and fun. My commute is too far and too early. I use cars or my motorcycles for that purpose.

The shifter complaint would be an annoyance to me but not a deal breaker and I’m sure down road I can replace With something else.

In Canada the Rad rover retails for $1999. The Yukon 750 is $1899. So close enuff but the Yukon does have the bigger battery and better brakes.

Those other bikes you mentioned. Have they been around for a bit or just one offs? I see soooooo many e bikes out there I just want something reputable that’s going be there next year lol.

As it stands I am leaning towards the Volt Bike options for cost and features. Company’s been around for 5 years at least and seems to be reputable.
 
You have great idea. an ebike will get you back out there. Can you ride a few and then decide? or rent a few? or borrow one? Most of us are very willing to 'show off' our bikes. Good luck. you can't really go wrong here...
 
I aplaud you in your effort to keep your wheels turning! The gaint can't really be compared to those other bikes it on a different level weather you like Giant or not.
 
....Can you ride a few and then decide? or rent a few? or borrow one? Most of us are very willing to 'show off' our bikes.



First, a huge congrats to you for your efforts!

I’m in agreement, test ride many, rent, borrow. Given your specific challenges there’s a bike out there for you.

Have you considered an ebike with a throttle? It would get you home should a problem arise (and there was enough battery left!). I tried one, a Pedego, but I’m a bit on the lazy side and would use the throttle more often than I should.

And for rough rides a suspension seat post and wider “cushy” tires help.

Looking forward to seeing what you decide.
 
Thanks every one. I will most definitely try as many bikes as I can. But as of right now the snows flying. So will likely have wait for spring.
 
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