Ebike I want to pedal

[Brian10956]

I am looking to get my son an ebike and I’m having difficulty in making the best choice. My son wants a bike to exercise so he wants an ebike that’s can be pedaled most of the time he only plans on using the e-power if he’s unable to pedal, for example he cramps up or has an injury. He already has a bad back so he wants a bike with a suspension if possible and he wants to keep the weight of the bike around 60 pounds as he’s assuming heavier than 60 will be too hard to pedal. So I have 2 questions
1 - are we approaching this bike shopping correctly
2- can you suggest some bikes that can work for him
We would like to keep the cost around $1200 but it’s flexible

Will appreciate any advice or suggestions

 

[indianajo]

A bike with suspension <$1200 will be made of "steel" containing lead and copper, and "aluminum" containing zinc and silicon. Parts that stretch require constant adjustment.
Mid drives that the rider drags the motor with his feet unpowered include bosch. Direct drive hub motors drag unpowered as if one is in two sprockets higher than actually used. I ride a geared hubmotor about 75% of miles without power, at age 73. 12 miles today. No drag from the motor.
Weight on a bike costs energy when one pedals uphill. Your terrain matters.
When I was age 12-20 I rode an 80 lb bike frequently, my mother's 1946 Firestone safety bike. I rode this to work to avoid having my 3 speed "english racer" stolen. At age 18 I weighed 118 lb. Youth are full of springs. I rode all errands up to 14 miles from my home, requiring no "motor scooter" or "Mom's taxi". More distance I rode the city bus.
Body dimensions matter when selecting a bicycle. Type of terrain ridden on, posture of the rider, type of pavement or not. Load or not. At least one has to carry a security device, unless one never stops nor has a flat or malfunction. My SS sling rolls up to 16" diameter. Chains fold better and are a lot heavier for the same cutoff time.
One needs to get out to bike stores and try bikes on for size and fit. Brands that last more than a few weeks without adjustment include Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Specialized, Yamaha, Kona, Gazelle, Orbea, Reiss & Mueller, Blix. I ride a Yuba with 10000 miles on it, a heavy brand for those that buy groceries off their bike.

 

[Gordon71]

All Ebikes are meant to be peddled. The best approach for exercise would be to use a low PAS. (pedal assist) and then raise it when tired. As far as ease of pedaling I think tires are more important than weight with thinner higher pressure being easier to pedal. On the other hand a fat tire is going to give a much less harsh ride which is one of your concerns. However even fat tires are easy to pedal using higher PAS. I'm guessing in your price range Lectric might be a good choice.

 

[Catalyzt]

All good thoughts, though note that the Propella has no suspension.

The price and weight are going to be limiting factors. For that price range, even if you went up a bit, figure a hardtail (front suspension only) not front and rear suspension. The front suspension does seem more important to me, but my back is okay, it's my hands and neck that are more problematic.

The good news is, if you went the TSDZ conversion route, you could be talking far lower weight than 60lbs, as low as 42-45 pounds-- but be careful selecting the donor bike, that's where it gets tricky. The lighter donor bikes will have a wider bottom bracket, which will create chainline problems. Mine cost over twice your price because I wanted very low weight (42 pounds), but first gear is unusable, and even second has chain drops unexpectedly. You also have to have the mechanical chops to do the install yourself, or work with a builder. Also, forget CF-- can't really mount a TSDZ, the bottom bracket is even wider, and I don't know if anyone really knows how a CF frame would react to the stress.

There is some controversy about this, but my opinion so far is Tongshens do make you work! A friend of mine has a Bafang conversion in NYC on a cheaper eMTB hardtail, it's probably 47 pounds or so, and he gets a good workout, but it does have thinner tires, and he's finding the ride very hard. I take Gordon's points, but lean towards Indianjo's advice: There are so many variables. I'm a wiry guy, 150 pounds and 6 foot 1, fit but some health problems, and to me, light weight is really important. There are a lot of hills where I live, and some tricky cornering on broken pavement, dirt, gravel and many unpredictable surfaces. I really need at least 2.1 inch tires, which I run a little under their PSI limit, and I know that a lighter bike handles better for my body type.

I do ride my bike unassisted on flat terrain or a very mild uphill grade. I wouldn't buy a bike so heavy that I had to be using the motor all the time, and for me, that's what I would have to do with a bike over 50 pounds.

 

[gromike]

My favorite bike is a rear mounted direct drive hub motor with torque sensing on a full suspension MTB donor that I scored for $30. It's a Grin motor kit, the best of the hub motors, but they cost a heck of alot. I believe that you can get a great full suspension torque sensing mid-drive, but that will cost several thousand. My Grin kit hub drive was something like $1400, the bike was $30, the battery I already had. So, in realty, it was close to a $2000 ebike conversion.

 

[rob feature]

Gonna be a challenge to find something decent new that checks all the boxes, but might be able to find a used hardtail with front suspension & put a suspension seatpost on it.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

$1,200 is not enough even for a decent pedal bike.

The current price of Specialized Vado SL 4.0 (non-equipped) is US$3,500.

 

[sc00ter]

Lectric XP 3.O or Ride1Up Propella. Just upgrade the seatpost to a suspension post. Under $1200 and will do what you need. Other option is what was mentioned above, build your own.

 

[Doggyman1202]

Gonna be a challenge to find something decent new that checks all the boxes, but might be able to find a used hardtail with front suspension & put a suspension seatpo

$1,200 is not enough even for a decent pedal bike.

Very elitist, and not constructive in any way even if you believe that. I don't...And define "decent".

Admittedly, Brian and his son need to compromise on features, or they'll wind up with junk. Since Brian mentions exercise on the top line, I'd second the harrys suggestion for the new Propella, given it's relative light weight and torque sensor. No doubt I'm a lot older than Brian's son but I never needed or wanted a throttle (the Propella does not have one). When I injured myself, I wasn't about to climb back on my bike, pedaling or otherwise. If I cramped up, I'd work out the cramp off the bike, inasmuch as I haven't had that happen yet.
I ride primarily on dirt or gravel and do not miss or wish for the added weight, complexity and inefficiency of front suspension, and even more so on a bike in this price range.

 

[rob feature]

Very elitist, and not constructive in any way even if you believe that. I don't...And define "decent".

Admittedly, Brian and his son need to compromise on features, or they'll wind up with junk.

You just said the exact same thing a different way lol. Welcome to the elitist club.

I'll humor you and define decent though. Not a bicycle shaped object, but a bike that will last for years and not try to kill you.

 

[Brian10956]

Firstly thank you to those who have chimed in with advice. In looking around on line and in some local bike shops. We have decided to look for a bike that will meet what my son wants. We are trying is to limit our shopping to a bike with a 750 watt motor, torque sensor, level 2 upgradeable to a 3, weight without battery 60lbs. or less,
One bike he liked that would be stretching what we want to spend is listed below. My son is athletic but he is also too heavy and need to exercise more to get into shape

HOVSCO™ HovAlpha 26" Step-Thru Fat Ebike

HovAlpha Step-Through is elegantly designed with a front suspension fork, fat tires, a convenient low-step bike frame, and exceptional handling.

www.hovsco.com

As far as what hewill spend on the bike goes it’s really not written in stone we would prefer to keep it under $1500 at this point but if we saw one that checked all the boxes spending a bit more is absolutely doable.

In the spring I’m planning on moving up from my 3+ years old low mileage Aventon Level and currently considering the Wired Freedom. I offered the Level to my son but he said since it’s his money where spending he wants a new bike

 

[Brian10956]

Well we finally made a decision if we don’t change our mind again. My son is going to get the Wired Cruiser it over our original budget but it seemed to have more pluses than any others we found. For myself I’m leaning towards the Freedom .Although Wired was not perfect in all the things I was looking at it was at the top in almost all categories.

 

[Rexlion]

Well we finally made a decision if we don’t change our mind again. My son is going to get the Wired Cruiser it over our original budget but it seemed to have more pluses than any others we found. For myself I’m leaning towards the Freedom .Although Wired was not perfect in all the things I was looking at it was at the top in almost all categories.

88 lbs with battery? Yikes, that's heavy. I guess he'll get a workout.

FWIW I have been satisfied with my Ride1Up LMTD ebike. Looking at their page I see they no longer carry that model, but for 2 grand they have the mid-drive Prodigy which will have torque sensing (which is way more natural feeling than cadence sensors) for the pedal assist. The Prodigy weighs 58 lbs, or about 2/3 as much as that Wired Cruiser. No throttle, however.

For a budget-conscious option, Ride1Up has a model called Turris for $1300 that might be worth a look. Cadence sensor, but it does have a throttle if that is a must-have. 54 lbs.

A Kinekt suspension seatpost might be a nice addition to any one he chooses.

 

[Brian10956]

I agree on the Kinekt I already have it on my Aventon if I need it I’ll just move it over

 

[None]

Wired Cruiser has very high top speed (40+mph), powerful motor with high power output.
Not ideal or even dangerous for first time ebike rider.
Not ideal for someone who's not familiar with the rules of law on public roads, or even just riding among cars on public roads.
Not ideal for someone who wants to exercise, especially with the weight of the Wired Cruiser being 80+ lb. without batteries, 100+ lb. with both batteries.
Stock gearing on the Wired Cruiser is meant for higher speed operation (25+ mph), mostly with throttle and the leg spins as the speed dictates. Not ideal for stop & go traffic pattern, even when shifted into the lowest gear with pedal operation.
With 26"x4" tires, it's too much exercise even for strong, young, seasoned riders.
For someone who's mainly looking to exercise, 250w or 500w motor is sufficient, no need for 750w motor.

Plenty of ebikes that are better suited for exercise below $1200, no need to spend thousands like the Specialized Vado.
Granted I'm a seasoned bike mechanic that fix all my bikes, I have no problem getting a $500 Walmart 500w motor ebike that come with pedal-assist-only ebike for my own exercise needs.
It's weighs under 50 lb. with rack & panniers, but it's simple, easy to ride and cheap enough that if it gets stolen I'm not at a hugh loss.
I've been riding it for the last 8 month, zero issues.

 

[harryS]

I see more and more people on huge ebikes silently motoring into Mall parking lots to get groceries, It does contribute in a small way to cleaner air, but not that much for cardio. On one hand, they're more visible to motorists, so that's an advantage.

 

[6zfshdb]

As previously stated, almost any e-bike, regardless of weight, can be pedaled for exercise using minimal PAS.

Also consider parts availability and service locations. It can be difficult to find an LBS that will work on some bikes ordered online.

 

[new2thegame]

As previously stated, almost any e-bike, regardless of weight, can be pedaled for exercise using minimal PAS.

Also consider parts availability and service locations. It can be difficult to find an LBS that will work on some bikes ordered online.

Not really true. Ebikes like super73 and revv1 have pedals and even on pedal assist one it's 10-12mph and you're really not even pedaling. You're definitely not getting any real exercise on certain ebikes on even the lowest pedal assist level.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Not really true. Ebikes like super73 and revv1 have pedals and even on pedal assist one it's 10-12mph and you're really not even pedaling. You're definitely not getting any real exercise on certain ebikes on even the lowest pedal assist level.

I saw a bosch powered bike lien that and it was like huh? a bike that's not practical to peddle a lot, maybe why the guy was selling it.

 

[6zfshdb]

I didn't say ALL e-bikes could be pedaled like a conventional model. My wife and I do it on our Pedego's. With minimum PAS to overcome the added weight, they feel very similar to our conventional Trek MTB's.

Results of course, will vary with the bike & rider.

The trick to getting exercise on an e-bike is to resist the temptation to let the bike do most of the work. Some self control is required.