Ebike advice and possible adaptation

[traceya2000]

Hello,
I have had a knee replacement and am not able to get as much of a bend in that "bionic" knee. I realize I can raise my seat to have more of an extension but I really want to be able to put a foot down without having to sort hop on and off the bike as the replacement surgery has also left me with some balance issues. Is there a measurement that would tell me how far forward the crank set or hub is from the seat angle so I could compare my current ride (Blix Vika +) with other step through models such as the Rad Mini Step Through or the Rad Runner Plus. I purchased the Vika so I would have a little assist if challenging hills and create less stress on the new knee. Does anyone have knowledge of elongated seats or seats that might have longer rails thus allowing me to scoot my bum back a bit to get a little more forward extension of the leg which then wouldn't be using as deep of a bend (short of going with a total recumbent). It might work to change out to an angled seat post but my son in law bought me a really great new post with shock absorption so I'm tying to avoid changing that out. My husband thought he might try attaching longer rails to the current seat if he can calculate the point at which there would be concern it might break. I feel like even just a very small movement back could make a big difference in my ability to enjoy riding again.
Thanks for any advice!

 

[traceya2000]

Maybe - would there be a way to get the angle degree as that would tell me how far forward of the seat that bottom bracket is since that might tell me how much of an angle and forward my leg could extend.

 

[6zfshdb]

There are saddles available with longer rails such as these by Selle:

Stratos

The most versatile Professional line saddle. Perfect for both road and MTB racing, Stratos easily adjusts to a wide range of builds. Recommended for pants sizes: XSSML

www.sellesmp.com

Leather Bike Saddles | Anatomica Saddles for Cyclists

We anatomically design our American-made carbon and leather bike saddles to relieve perineal discomfort and eliminate excess weight for peak performance.

selleanatomica.com

I'm not sure what seat post you have but the action of the suspension can be adversely affected by positioning the saddle too far to the rear

A dropper seat post is another possibility but you would have to give up your existing suspension post. The PNW Coast combination dropper / suspension post is a possibility:
https://www.pnwcomponents.com/products/coast-suspension-dropper-post-external

IMO, it works well to absorb major shock from riding on very rough surfaces but it does little to reduce higher frequency vibration on smoother surfaces.

 

[alphacarina]

Maybe time to consider a trike? I bought one for my wife and it's so much fun I'm riding it more than she is!

Don

 

[traceya2000]

Thanks for the suggestions! I will look at the saddle and post suggestions. As to the trike - I would love it but the etrikes are soooo heavy. I want to take it along with our motorhome and I worry about being able to lift a trike up and down.