Experienced cyclist looking to buy his first electric bike-could use some advice...

J

jazzkrow

New Member
Hello from Green Valley, Az. and Portland, Or. I split my time equally between these two places as I chase the sun. I have been cycling for well over 35 years-almost exclusively road biking. I own 6 bikes- Klein touring (Performance), Trek 5200, older Litespeed (2002) with triple crank, as well as a recumbent trike (Catrike), and a hybrid bike from Jamis.
I have no interest in off road biking at this time.
I have been considering buying an electric bike for shopping and day touring including some hill riding and would like a (Class 3?) electric assist that does 28 mph.
Battery on down tube. I would like an electric that could possibly do a 50-62 mike distance as the maximum that I would do in a day..
Weight would be a consideration-and possibly transporting the bike back and forth to Portland.
There are many electric bike shops in Portland, where I am now for the Summer.
I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on bike brands, models, and local shops.
Thanks, Jeff
 
For a road style e-bike, I would look at the Trek CrossRip+, Bulls Dail-e Grinder, and the Giant Road-E+ 1. These will do 50-62 miles as long as you aren't only using the highest level of assist. The Trek and Bulls come with a rear rack, and the Bulls has fenders and front suspension as well.
 
Welcome to the forum.

Go here for a compendium of reviews of Class 3 speed pedelecs. First run through, you might look at battery size. If you want to ride 50+ miles, you're going to want a bike with a fairly large battery.

Having narrowed the field, then you can look at other factors, such as weight, accessories, etc. You might compare the ones that interest you to the forums here on EBR. Some brands have tons of user input here, which is so valuable. Some have very little. That matters to a lot of people; it did to me when I was choosing. Are they available at a store near you, or can they be bought direct-to-consumer? (Some prefer one, some prefer the other. I was happy to buy a bike online and have not regretted the choice.)

Folks will chime in with specific suggestions and here's mine: I'm really happy with the Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent S. This bike is offered in several different sizes, three colors, and with a great choice of battery sizes. Mine has a 48 volt, 17.4 amp-hour battery, and I have ridden over 50 miles on a charge a number of times. They no longer offer the 17.4 Ah battery, but have now have a 19.2 Ah battery that fits your requirements. With higher voltage and larger capacity you can ride faster and farther. Hard to beat that. If you have any interest in a fat-tire bike, Juiced makes the RipCurrent S, with much that same specs as the CCS but with a slightly more powerful motor and a 52 volt, 21 Ah battery.
 
Hello and Welcome
I am very new here as well, but I have learned a couple of things so far. You have to make some decisions.
*Build it yourself are buy one ready to go.
*Buy online or from your local LBS
*Mid-drive or Hub drive
*What are you willing to spend?

These decisions will help narrow down the field. Once you have decided on a few candidates head over to the part of the forum that has all the brands and go from there. There is a lot of info here and some really knowledgeable people. And dont forget the video reviews Court has available.

I decided on this as my first choice:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/quick-eplus-2018

And this was my second:
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I decided on these models because of price and there are local bike shops that carry both brands within 20 minutes drive/ride. Sizes available also were a factor. I received a lot of good help here in coming to this decision and the forum made it pretty fun.

Again, welcome and enjoy yourself.
 
Things that we want to know from you on the things that you prefer;
1. Price bracket.
2. Drop bars or not. If you want drop bars then the list is limited to about 5 ebikes.
3. If non drop bars, do you prefer hub drive vs mid drive. The drive train on hub drives tend to last a long long time (shorter life than normal for mid drives), If you get Bulls that has Bosch power with chain ring having 22 teeth count (equivalent to 56 teeth) then the drivetrain may have longer life compared to other mid drives.
 
I think I would prefer mid drive. With all things considered, are hub drive bikes heavier?
I can get by with upright (non drop bars).
I could pay $2500-3500+
I usually buy used bikes as better value, but with lack of knowledge here and with rapid changes in technology, perhaps buying new makes more sense.
I have test driven just a few e-bikes, and found them to be a blast.
I am interested in quick acceleration from a stop or starting uphills from a stop sign.
I am in good shape to pedal long distances-my concern is being out on a long ride (50+ miles) and running out of power.
I would use the upper ranges of assistance only when absolutely necessary so maybe the range is not an issue
I ride with strong club riders. Typically 17+mph on the flats.
Hope this helps with advice.
Thanks for all the help so far..
 
jazzkrow said:
I think I would prefer mid drive. With all things considered, are hub drive bikes heavier?
I can get by with upright (non drop bars).
I could pay $2500-3500+
I usually buy used bikes as better value, but with lack of knowledge here and with rapid changes in technology, perhaps buying new makes more sense.
I have test driven just a few e-bikes, and found them to be a blast.
I am interested in quick acceleration from a stop or starting uphills from a stop sign.
I am in good shape to pedal long distances-my concern is being out on a long ride (50+ miles) and running out of power.
I would use the upper ranges of assistance only when absolutely necessary so maybe the range is not an issue
I ride with strong club riders. Typically 17+mph on the flats.
Hope this helps with advice.
Thanks for all the help so far..
Click to expand...

Range - weight - price are all interconnected.

For longer range (50 miles), ideally, you would want 750+Whr battery, but then it creases the weight substantially.
If you could get a ~40lbs E-bike, then with 500whr battery + fair bit if your own power, you could get 50 miles.

If you are 6ft+ in height, I would strongly recommend you to get this one. They will ship the bike to your nearest dealer and for the money, it's a absolutely great value. it has top of the line DT Swiss wheels, just a great bike overall.

https://www.haibikeusa.com/sale/2016-xudro-race-s-rx.html

Xduro Race S Rx.JPG

Most importantly, it tips the scale at 42lbs and with the aero riding position, you should get 40+ miles using a 500Whr pack.

You could get a 2017 Giant Road E for $3500 at most dealers across the nation. Here is a fun video featuring that bike.
This is also a fairly light weight bike.


Now, if you get something with 750+Whr, then you're looking at 53+ lbs of weight.

Any Trek bike shop would be able to get you a police E-Bike. For the money, it's top class. Swap the fork for a lighter carbon one and you're again in the sub 44 lbs zone.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...ountain-bikes/police/police-electric/p/22241/

There are other bikes with bigger batteries and weight, Stromer, Riese & Muller, but they are often poor value compared to some of the bikes mentioned above.
 
One thing to think about before choosing. Are you a spinner? (cadence in the high 80's and above) if so then you will be very happy with any Bosch or Shimano mid drive. Other brands have their motor assist fade away at higher RPM.
 
Thanks.
What are some other opinions of the Giant Road E bike?
It has a Yamaha motor as opposed to the Bosch..
Would this bike be a good one to take to a club ride of 30-50 miles with strong road club riders?
 
Drop by PX Cycles, 7816 N. Interstate we have a drop bar bike you can try and knowledge to share. Tuesday-Saturday
 
Thanks, Mark for the Bosch vs Yamaha motor video!
Appears that for longer distance rides that Yamaha may be the way to go? (40-60 miles)..
 
jazzkrow said:
Thanks, Mark for the Bosch vs Yamaha motor video!
Appears that for longer distance rides that Yamaha may be the way to go? (40-60 miles)..
Click to expand...

Battery capacity and weight have more to do with range than motor. Brose also makes nice (quiet) mid-motors.

Check out Bulls' lineup. You're likely interested in their eSpeed or urban bikes (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) Some come with 650wh batteries, which should get you the range you want
 
jazzkrow said:
Thanks, Mark for the Bosch vs Yamaha motor video!
Appears that for longer distance rides that Yamaha may be the way to go? (40-60 miles)..
Click to expand...

Both are equally efficient, so it is more of a rider's preference on how the motors provide power assist. The Bosch has a wider RPM range and needs less gears (only one chain ring).

Here is another another back to back comparison of 2 equally equipped trekking bikes, except for the motor.

IMG_9571-copy-1.jpg


https://electricbikeaction.com/bike-comparison-haibike-sduro-trekking-rc-vs-xduro-trekking-rx/
 
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