Ebike newb, Tall w/ chronic back problems & ancient ebike repair!

[RunForTheHills]

The Office Bag isn't padded, but the slot for the laptop is set away from the outside of the bag towards the bike and the back is stiff. I put my laptop in a sleeve for extra padding. My XPS 17 is a large laptop and fits in the bag.

 

[PedalUma]

Welcome to EBR. Please go to Search and enter Dutch Bike. See the video.
These bikes allow riders to have a ramrod vertically straight back. They are designed as everyday transportation in all weather, not as weekend toys or sporting goods and Dutch Bikes have many unique characteristics. Men ride step through bikes that are made for tall people. Here is one attached below that I made electric with a mid-drive. Mid-drives are much better than hub-drives. It will fit some one who is 6' 6". You can be within the upper limit of your budget by converting a good used Dutch Bike and it will out perform bikes from stores or online. Look for a bike with a torque sensor because these are much better than regular pedal assist, PAS.
I work on electric bikes every day. The Charger is not worth investing in unless it has sentimental value. Donate it for a tax deduction and move forward. You can have a great bike that fits your needs, has style, and comes in on budget.
A used Boda Boda has a similar riding position geometry to a Dutch Bike. You would have plenty of room for gear and they are not all that heavy given their carrying capacity. A used non-electric one can be had for about $600. A new electric one is worth $3300 plus tax. That is the first class order of bike you will be riding.
Again,
Welcome!

 

[PedalUma]

Welcome to EBR. Please go to Search and enter Dutch Bike. See the video.
These bikes allow riders to have a ramrod vertically straight back. They are designed as everyday transportation in all weather, not as weekend toys or sporting goods and Dutch Bikes have many unique characteristics. Men ride step through bikes that are made for tall people. Here is one attached below that I made electric with a mid-drive. Mid-drives are much better than hub-drives. It will fit some one who is 6' 6". You can be within the upper limit of your budget by converting a good used Dutch Bike and it will out perform bikes from stores or online. Look for a bike with a torque sensor because these are much better than regular pedal assist, PAS.
I work on electric bikes every day. The Charger is not worth investing in unless it has sentimental value. Donate it for a tax deduction and move forward. You can have a great bike that fits your needs, has style, and comes in on budget.
A used Boda Boda has a similar riding position geometry to a Dutch Bike. You would have plenty of room for gear and they are not all that heavy given their carrying capacity. A used non-electric one can be had for about $600. A new electric one is worth $3300 plus tax. That is the first class order of bike you will be riding.
Again,
Welcome!
View attachment 89579

I just worked on this red one, making it into a seven-speed from a one-speed. It has the right size, up to 6'10", and geo for your needs but has some down sides. 1) It is $2200. 2) It is heavy at 71-pounds. 3) It is a hub-drive so it cannot climb. 4) The battery is too high and too far off center. 5) The manufacturer claims it expends 1200 Watts and 750 is the legal limit so you will be in trouble and can't go very far.

 

[hoboin]

hey guys thanks for the replies! I checked out the video on Dutch Bikes, i'm sold! I am basically a dutch person, blond, tall and love the outdoors! That is exactly the bike i want. The biggest issue i have with my current Bike, the Charger, is that it IS sometimes hard to get my leg over the bike to get ontop of it. The charger has a slightly downard top bar but nothing like the Dutch Bikes. Those Omafiets look amazing too, i love the black ones you posted with the weird shaped bar going down from the handle bars.. that is so unique looking i love it. And i just love the step through feature, i wouldn't care if people thought i was riding a women's bike. I am 100% behind a bike that is made for function of traveling and getting around easily and comfortably compared to speed!

I have no sentimental value with the Charger. When i told my boss i wanted to get an electric bike, he just happened to have it sitting in his basement unused and he let me use it because i am having car problems (he is also letting me use one of his cars so i can get to the office easily, we are semi-partners in business.)

We agreed that if the Charger works out i could buy it, or just use it as i need it. I told him recently that i knew i needed a new bike and that the Charger would be the "backup" or he could use it as he wanted once i get my new bike. And as far as buying a used Dutch Bike and putting in a motor and battery, i am all for that also! I was honestly hoping for a reply like that when i first came here. I have spent a lot of money on various bike tools trying to get this Charger bike up and running and also my old teenage years Mountain Bike, so i am loving working with and riding bikes. Since i am so tall and have 36" inseam i know finding a good bike could be hard, and modifying an e-bike seems like a very reasonable thing to save money because i am so tall and need the extra power and size of the bike.

The great thing about having the Charger bike for the last month, is seeing what i actually need in an electric bike. I have road over 20 trips averaging over 10 miles, and the 1.5 miles to get to the major bike path is EXTREMELY hilly and without the battery i have to walk the bike up parts of the Hill. I want to make sure that my future bike can make it up the hill everytime with little effort from me. I also want to still be able to exercise, my daily commute will be 8 to 9 miles and i honestly want to do it a majority of the time i go to work.

 

[hoboin]

After hitting 300 miles I noticed a problem with my left hand and I'm having a lot of pain, numbing and tingling, very weak and hard to grip things. I think it's cyclist palsy. I probably need to take a break for awhile and adjust things, I hope these feelings don't last long

 

[RunForTheHills]

I am not familiar with cyclist palsy, but you might want to install some bullhorns or buy a handle bar like the Surly Moloko that allow for different hand positions. That is not a suitable bike to convert to drop handlebars, but those can help with hand positions also.

 

[hoboin]

Thanks I'm going to try to get something like that today, I stayed off of it until yesterday and it's still bothering me a bit

 

[PedalUma]

Show a photo of your handlebar. I may be able to help. Were are you located @hoboin? I am in the SF Bay area. If you want to try a bike.
Here is one I made last week. I still have the black Dutch Bike. It is so much fun to ride.

 

[Briggsie]

Hello all, i am new to the forums and also new to e-bikes, i am 39 years old, 6 foot 3 with a 36" inseam with CHRONIC lower back problems along with neck problems, looking for a semi regular e-bike to use to commute to work when im healthy.

Also, my boss has an old E-bike, a 2004 AeroVironment Charger that we are trying to get up and working. He has had it for awhile and there are a few things we need to get fixed but maybe that could be easy.

The first thing i wanted to do on these forums was to ask what kind of ebike i would actually need. I am gathering up all the info in order to make a new thread, my biggest questions are regarding if i should even do this with my chronic lower back problem. I am very athletic and used to bike a lot up until late teen's before my car, but i have multiple herniated discs for over 10 years due to being a professional photographer and carrying heavy camera gear, i have quit doing that job and i am having less back problems and i really want to get back into riding because my work is right next to an amazing bike path in Northern Virginia, the W&OD trail which i live 1.5 miles from.

Anyways just a brief introduction and i look forward to getting on an e-bike ASAP.

I'm riding a Gazelle ebike -- the T9 Medeo Classic. It's a step-through bike, and I don't have to swing my leg over it. On a recent bike tour I saw several men riding step-through bikes. I'm a woman, but I have prosthetic hips. I also have really bad low back problems and other mess-ups in my back. I can ride over 40 miles and my back is fine. It's walking that badly affects it. I really LOVE this ebike. Lots of people on the bike tour had problems with their bikes, but I never had one glitch with the Gazelle. It's made in Holland where they know a lot about biking. Good luck. (I use a Rock Bros trunk bag with drop down panniers when I need them.

 

[hoboin]

Hey i am in northern virginia, so complete opposite of you in san fransisco! I ordered a cheap grill attachment that will flatten the hand more so than what i currently have. In the photo you can see a black bar to right of the left brake (and in the middle is a bluetooth speaker) that was my mirror that just broke yesterday. I was riding on a small path with a wall to the side and i avoided hitting a frog and bumped into the wall breaking my mirror. I gotta get another mirror i really like having one on a bike since i ride on a lot of roads.

I am officially hooked and addicted to biking. Because of the car problems i have been using my bike to get to work and get groceries and now that it's been almost 2 weeks without a car, i'm just so happy with my life and what i am doing now. With my back condition, rest is killer on my body. I have to stay active or my body wastes away and the electric bike gives me enough extra strength to allow me to go hours without any back problems at all.

I will continue using the charger until i figure out which electric bike to get next. Still the budget is around $2000, i can't go any higher because i need to purchase a car before a bike. So the Charger bike is doing great for the cost, absolutely free right now and if i want to offer a price to my boss i can probably get it for around $500.

The biggest issue that i have with my current electric bike are: 1. Not enough power to get up steep hills. 2. Cadence sensor was installed near the kick stand and it gets knocked or moves and the bike can't read the sensor often at the end of long trips, not sure what that is about (not sure if i am kicking it when i put the kickstand down or if heat from the summer is loosening the gaffer tape that keeps it in the ideal position.

 

[hoboin]

I just worked on this red one, making it into a seven-speed from a one-speed. It has the right size, up to 6'10", and geo for your needs but has some down sides. 1) It is $2200. 2) It is heavy at 71-pounds. 3) It is a hub-drive so it cannot climb. 4) The battery is too high and too far off center. 5) The manufacturer claims it expends 1200 Watts and 750 is the legal limit so you will be in trouble and can't go very far.

I have a question, why do you say a hub drive cannot climb? Hub drive are internal hub gear? Like my shimano nexus 7? I thought a lot of dutch bikes come with internal hubs and are they not good for climbing?

 

[PedalUma]

Nope. I have a seven-speed Nexus with a mid-drive that powers the chain. Hub motors drive the axle, and not through the chain and gears. Internal gears are great for climbing as long as the chain is driven by the motor, so it can use the variable Torque/Speed ratios to mechanical advantage. True, some hub motors have 'gears' so they can be a bit smaller, but these gears do not shift. Hub motors are one-speed motors. Most have gears slapped on the side for the rider's power, not for multiplying the motor's power. Hub drives do not connect to a sprocket.
Here is a three-speed mid-drive. The motor connects to the chain and the chain connects to the sprocket and the sprocket drives the gears and the gears drive the axle.

 

[hoboin]

ok i see, it's a bit complicated because i am not an expert on bike parts and all that, but i am slowly learning. I believe my current electric bike, the Charger, is a mid-drive motor because it's near the crankset and works with my cadence.

 

[RunForTheHills]

ok i see, it's a bit complicated because i am not an expert on bike parts and all that, but i am slowly learning. I believe my current electric bike, the Charger, is a mid-drive motor because it's near the crankset and works with my cadence.

And you are correct. A hub drive motor is laced into the wheel with the spokes. There are some other uncommon motors such as a friction drive motor that mounts against the tire.

 

[PedalUma]

That is

And you are correct. A hub drive motor is laced into the wheel with the spokes. There are some other uncommon motors such as a friction drive motor that mounts against the tire.

That is correct. A hub-drive is essentially similar to a Rubbee in its function with the motor merely spinning the wheel. Could never figure out is it is better to be the rubbie or the rubbor.

 

[hoboin]

Well here is another update. 600 miles and it's my main vehicle. I biked to work 5 times last week and biked to my doctor's appointment to get trigger point injections in my neck and upper back, that is where all my pain is now. Almost no pain in my lower back accept the occasional sore lower back muscle but only after riding for 3 hours or more and my whole body is just sore so not worried really about my lower back at all. This has changed my life for the good, so much less pain because my body needs motion, rest is the worst. So just being active twice a day for around an hour has relieved so much pain!!!

The only issues I'm having regarding pain are sore leg muscles which I expected, very sore neck and upper back which is my main problem not biking (I have kyphotic posture and stance, head leaning forward as I work with computers and sit all day) and a lot of pain in my left hand. I'm trying to use the bull horns more but today my whole left hand was hurting for about an hour after I got to work. I bought an ergonomic grip and that might need to be adjusted. Maybe I need to out grip on my steel bull horns?

I feel like on my future bike upright position is going to be a must with maybe swept back handle bars seem like a more natural position for hands for riding many hours a day.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and help I really appreciate it so much

 

[theemartymac]

Well here is another update. 600 miles and it's my main vehicle. I biked to work 5 times last week and biked to my doctor's appointment to get trigger point injections in my neck and upper back, that is where all my pain is now. Almost no pain in my lower back accept the occasional sore lower back muscle but only after riding for 3 hours or more and my whole body is just sore so not worried really about my lower back at all. This has changed my life for the good, so much less pain because my body needs motion, rest is the worst. So just being active twice a day for around an hour has relieved so much pain!!!

The only issues I'm having regarding pain are sore leg muscles which I expected, very sore neck and upper back which is my main problem not biking (I have kyphotic posture and stance, head leaning forward as I work with computers and sit all day) and a lot of pain in my left hand. I'm trying to use the bull horns more but today my whole left hand was hurting for about an hour after I got to work. I bought an ergonomic grip and that might need to be adjusted. Maybe I need to out grip on my steel bull horns?

I feel like on my future bike upright position is going to be a must with maybe swept back handle bars seem like a more natural position for hands for riding many hours a day.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and help I really appreciate it so much

My experience has been very similar to yours, although thankfully no chronic back issues.

I found adding a moderate riser bar with about 12 degrees of backsweep (vs 8 stock) really made my bike very comfortable without being fully upright. You can go to a moustache bar with anywhere from 16 to 45 degrees if you want a fully upright position, but I find that a bit of forward lean helps when you want to put the power down, stand up on the pedals, or still ride a flowy park trail or mild single track. The bike you end up with will decide a lot.

And ergonomic grips are gold. I have Ergon GP5's on one bike with large horns, and SQLabs 702's with integrated inner-bar-ends on the other. Both are highly recommended depending on your riding preference and final bar selection. It did take me a while to find the magic angle for the grip paddles and it involved a bit of seat adjustment, then grips, then lather rinse repeat until happy.. Good luck with the hunt!

 

[Gordon71]

And if your budget allows, consider and demo a quality full-suspension bike. You can achieve a reasonable result with a suspension seat post and either a decent front fork or a handlebar suspension stem, but nothing smooths out the bumps and jars like a well designed full suspension bike with fully adjustable (often air) suspension. You can make these as comfortable as a rolling sofa if you have the funds.

It's one of those things where your back will get stronger with regular riding, but you have to get there first...

Also fat tires will help.

 

[hoboin]

So I'm looking to raise up my handlebars 5 inches, anyone have any suggestions for that? I feel very comfortable when my hands are up on the top bull horns but don't have access to breaks and shifter so raising the bars up 5 inches and using the regular bars seems like a good idea.

 

[RunForTheHills]

You have a quill stem. You will need to measure the diameter of the handlebars at the clamp to know the clamp size. The best way to measure that is with calipers. Look for riser quill stems. 5" is a lot. you may need to do a combination of replacing the stem and the handlebars. The Jones SG 2.5 Loop Bar has a 2.5" rise. It is also likely you will have to replace the brake and shifter cables with longer cables.