E-Mtn, Upright, Infrequent, Middle-aged

[DigiSnapMark]

Have some property in the mountains of Colorado, and would like to explore more on a bike. Recently tried my first e-bike while on vacation, and wow did a light bulb go off in my head!

I'm 58, but not dead yet. Lots of experience with dual-sport motorcycling, and can reasonably do 20 miles rides around town on a human powered comfort bike.
Hate craning my neck while on a bike, so it's got to be fairly upright.
Mostly gravel, some pavement, some hiking trails, everything will be hilly.
Likely used on a few weekends, and some longer weeks of the year.
Thinking wide tires would be really nice, but not ready for 4"!
Would like to keep under $2K, as it's just for recreation.

After a weekend of looking online, am thinking:
- Surface 604 Shred
- Voltbike Enduro
- M2S Kush (looks heavy)

Anything other great ideas?
TIA!

 

[CodyDog]

First of all 58 is just a Kid! For hilly trails I would suggest a mid drive with a torque sensor and high torque rating (newton meters).

Any FS bike in that price range will probably have lower end components. Stay away from any thing heavy. I'd check out a good quality hard tail. If you can up your budget, you can get a better bike (especially for MTB).

 

[DaveMatthews]

Have some property in the mountains of Colorado, and would like to explore more on a bike. Recently tried my first e-bike while on vacation, and wow did a light bulb go off in my head!

I'm 58, but not dead yet. Lots of experience with dual-sport motorcycling, and can reasonably do 20 miles rides around town on a human powered comfort bike.
Hate craning my neck while on a bike, so it's got to be fairly upright.
Mostly gravel, some pavement, some hiking trails, everything will be hilly.
Likely used on a few weekends, and some longer weeks of the year.
Thinking wide tires would be really nice, but not ready for 4"!
Would like to keep under $2K, as it's just for recreation.

After a weekend of looking online, am thinking:
- Surface 604 Shred
- Voltbike Enduro
- M2S Kush (looks heavy)

Anything other great ideas?
TIA!

I had both the 604 Shred, and the Voltbike Enduro on my list when shopping.
Big difference between hub and mid drive I guess, as hub gets a throttle but heavier rear end. No throttle on most mid drives that I am aware of, so do you want power even while not pedaling?
I ended up opting for a mid drive for the weight balance and exercise.
What ticks your boxes?

 

[ebikemom]

That is so awesome! I'm in your age group, and for me the lightbulb went off about a year ago, and it took me some time (at the time I had to wait for one of my kids to turn 16), but got our ebikes in late April (and in the meantime the law changes so could get one for my 13 year old also!), and my light is glowing strong! We love our ebikes!

I'd encourage you to see what your local bike shops have and try those bikes! It's great to have that local service if anything goes wrong. One of our four bikes has needed warranty service, and awesome that we haven't had to ship it back to the company, but could take it to the local bike shop and get a loaner. You can also get info here from folks who have bought all different kinds of ebikes, and that's super helpful. This forum is well moderated, so a great place to share ideas and learn what others really think about their bikes.

Also--I noticed you said it is just for recreation. A lot of ebikers find that their usage creeps up--if they love it for recreation, then why not for errands? Shopping? I never imagined I'd use my bike as much as I do. I put 10-35 miles a day on my bike. I'm glad I picked a high quality bike that feels great to ride. As my son says, the only part of ebiking he doesn't like is getting off the bike!

Happy shopping and trying bikes!

 

[Bert-Russell]

Hi All .. I'm new to the forum and checking things out, especially regarding the Voltbike Enduro as I'm leaning very heavily to it as my first ebike. What bike did you DigiSnapMark end up going with??

 

[FlatSix911]

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Have some property in the mountains of Colorado, and would like to explore more on a bike. Recently tried my first e-bike while on vacation, and wow did a light bulb go off in my head! I'm 58, but not dead yet. Lots of experience with dual-sport motorcycling, and can reasonably do 20 miles rides around town on a human powered comfort bike.
Hate craning my neck while on a bike, so it's got to be fairly upright.
Mostly gravel, some pavement, some hiking trails, everything will be hilly.
Likely used on a few weekends, and some longer weeks of the year.
Thinking wide tires would be really nice, but not ready for 4"!
Would like to keep under $2K, as it's just for recreation.

After a weekend of looking online, am thinking:
- Surface 604 Shred
- Voltbike Enduro
- M2S Kush (looks heavy)

Anything other great ideas?
TIA!

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...es/ebikes-electric-bikes-elite-eadventure.htm

This might work... Shimano E5000/6010M 1X9 Spd Front Suspension Adventure Hybrid MTBs $1699

• Shimano E5000 Electric MidDrive
  418Wh Rated E6010 Lithium Battery
  WTB TCS Tubeless Compat Rims
  Advanced Hydroform ALU Frames
  Rockshox RECON w/LockOut
  Shimano Hydraulic Disc Brakes