Ebike for a short flat commute

[mindfield]

Hi all,

First off, I wanted to thank the creators of EBR for developing such a terrific resource. The best source of information on ebikes hands down.

I am looking for an electric bike for a short (~2 mile) flat commute in a hot and humid climate (Houston). I tend to sweat a lot when biking, which is very undesirable due to the nature of my work and the lack of showers in the building. So I would prefer a bike with a throttle, to minimize pedaling on the way to work. Half of the commute will be on relatively quiet city roads with numerous stop signs and another half through a university campus so I don't need a speedy bike. Front suspension would be a plus as most roads in this area leave much to be desired. I am 6'1 185 lbs and prefer high-step frames. Budget is about 2K, give or take a few hundred - this will be my first ebike, and the area is notorious for bike thefts, so I don't want to invest a lot at this stage. Unfortunately, there are very few LBS that carry/demo ebikes in Houston so I will likely have to order online.

Surface604 Colt checks all the boxes but I am concerned about its build quality and QC. Voltbike Bravo looks good too but I can spend more (up to $2,300) if this will give a significant bump in quality or reliability. Any advices will be appreciated.

 

[indianajo]

If it is big enough for you the recent voltbike bravo looks cool. https://electricbikereview.com/voltbike/bravo/ Ought to be at 27.5 tires and 23" seat post -stem post. Bafang hub motors have a good reputation, and I have the tektro mechanical disk brakes on the bike left - they work fine, have required one adjustment in 15 months and about 2000 miles. I decended a 10% grade at gross weight 280 lb so the tektros are quite capable, and I only have the 160 mm disks. The bravo has the 180 mm. The integrated fenders should help keep your pants clean. I think a brown stripe up the rear is so uncool. I ride in the rain a lot, I don't drive anything but U-haul trucks anymore.
About security, if you have dedicated bike racks the abus bar device is difficult to cut with a battery grinder. If you don't, and I don't, I use a 6' cable and lock to fasten to light poles or live electrical conduits or gas pipes. A member who attends locksmith conventions reports all padlocks except the Abus Rock can have the cylinder shattered in one shot of a stud installer. The abus Rock takes 3 shots. I'd prefer the Abus granite that has a shorter hasp that would be harder to grind through, but he didn't say anything nice about that one.
About cables. I can saw a chain in about 10 minutes by hand, a cable is more like 30. I've been using a 1/4" master cable covered in plastic, but the member above postulated that battery grinders could cut through those in about 2 minutes. I "upgraded" to a lumintrail 12 mm diameter one, from e-bay, but it is lighter than the master so contains less steel and more fiber. Don't waste your money. I've since upgraded to a mcmaster.com 3/8" stainless steel sling 8947T14 6' which is quite a bit heavier, but it requires you coat it with plastic yourself (9560T7 blue rubber coating). Stainless steel is a **** to cut with grinder wheels, it doesn't melt away after it is red hot like carbon steel.
I grew up in Houston. You must be either near Rice or TSU? Nobody could safely ride anywhere near UH IMHO. I never got near HBU, so I guess that is also a possiblity? I wasted 4 years at Rice, then transferred to UH where the physics teachers speak English instead of symbols, and graduated after a year.

 

[mindfield]

Thanks a lot @indianajo Yes I commute to TMC across the Rice campus. We have dedicated bike racks but I still hear about stolen bikes from my colleagues from time to time. Very useful info about Abus, will definitely look it up.

So far I am trying to decide between Voltbike Bravo and Juiced Crosscurrent S, and perhaps Surface Colt. Too bad Houston is a complete ebike desert!

 

[Nova Haibike]

For such a short commute, you might also consider an e-scooter. It would be nearly as fast, easier to transport, lock up, and cheaper to replace if it did get nicked. You may even be able to take it into your office so you would not need to worry about theft. Of course it wouldn't be as versatile as an e-bike with which you could carry things, go longer distances, or get some exercise.

 

[Solom01]

Have you considered a simpler, electric bike such as the Eglide? For a short 2 mile commute on flat ground why add the complexity of a zillion things that can break, need to be adjusted and so forth? I have about 2k miles on an Eglide SS and have had no problems with it. It's a single speed, so no constant messing with chain wear, derailleurs and what not, and, best of all, is pretty darn stealth looking so it won't attract thieves as much as a fancier bike. If it gets stolen it's inexpensive enough that it won't be the end of the world. It doesn't have a suspension system (one less thing to go wrong) but adding a seatpost suspension is simple, inexpensive and makes it pretty comfortable. If you've been reading these forums half of the entries are about things going wrong with bikes (including really expensive models). Why deal with all that when a simple single speed in your situation will allow you to enjoy biking instead?

 

[mindfield]

@Timpo -thanks for the tip, will look them up.

@Nova Haibike - I thought about an alternative to a bike, like a scooter or a skateboard. However, I would have to ride in traffic for about a mile or so, and both of them are less stable than a bike. Besides, the pavement in my area is very far from ideal so the small wheels would not be desireable.

@Solom01 - you are making an excellent point. I don't really need those extra speeds for the flat commute. There is a short incline/ramp near my work but shouldn't be a problem with the throttle. The Eglide SS looks great although it is lacking front/rear fenders and the front fork is rigid. I guess I can live with the latter and install fenders myself... Thanks a lot for the tip!

 

[Reserved11]

Completely agree with guys! With the rise of traffic and population growth in major cities it becomes more popular to use E-scooters. I mean using them for road from home to scool or work. E-scooters can remove almost all inconveniences related to traffic. I'm also considering about purchasing one for myself and noticed a nice review from these guys https://whatever-tech.com/best-electric-folding-scooter-reviews/ . Hope to help you, man)