faraday cortland and me

[pamela]

Hi. I've owned many electric bikes over the years but as the bikes keep getting better and, at 65, my needs keep changing, I'm always on the lookout for the "right" bike for me. Right now I own a Pedego city commuter but I'm thinking of trading it in for the Faraday Cortland or Cortland S. Why? Because it looks great, it weighs less than the pedego (so I hope I'll be able to put it on a bike rack), the system is simple, and the frame, I hope, is smaller. I find the Pedego to be a bit big and clumsy for me and I don't always feel all that safe on it. And while having the throttle option is nice I feel like the whole system is more than I need.

I live in a rural area and not many e-bikes to try out or see in person. I've made many mistakes with online purchases so I thought I'd ask around. Does anyone have any advice? I must say, I'm drawn to how beautiful the Faraday bikes look and how bike-like they look and their simplicity and weight. While I used to look for a bike to commute to work on, I'm retired now and just want to take easy rides and run local errands.

While most of my riding does not involve many hills, I do have one fairly steep hill to climb to return home. As a not-very-athletic 65-year-old weighing 140 lbs, does anyone know if this bike will get me up my hill and home? If it can't it's kind of a deal-breaker.

Many thanks.

 

[pxpaulx]

to be peefectly honest I havealways found the faraday bikes to be too much form over function for an electric bike. With the improvements in motor and battery capacity since their bikes were introduced, there are much better bike options out there, and many are just as nice!

I really like my bulls bike. Their sturmvogel model (reviewed on this site) has a great brose motor and huge battery capacity, you'd be able to ride all over town for days on it without a recharge, or start taking even longer rides with your spare time. Take your time looking through the options here, and take your time choosing!

 

[pamela]

Thanks for the recommendation. It's still dead-of-winter here in New England so I do have time to look around. I appreciate your comments.

 

[Bicyclista]

Pamela, I had a chance to try a Faraday Porteur, which I believe has the same motor and battery as the Cortland. I am a bit older than you and I weigh just 10 more pounds, so I think my experience would apply to you. I specifically wanted to see if the Faraday could help me climb a tough, long hill, one that I would be unable to climb on one of my non-electric bikes. Fortunately, there was such a hill nearby, Texas Street in San Diego, averaging 10% grade and about half a mile long. The Faraday made it up easily, which surprised and gratified me. A truck driver gave me thumbs up when I reached the top, a testament to the Faraday's stealthy looks. It certainly doesn't look like an electric bike!

The most important thing about a bike is that it fits you properly, and you said your Pedego is too big and clumsy and you feel unsafe on it. The Cortland, with its step-thru design and light weight (41 lbs. is light for an electric bike!) would be an improvement. Its small motor is capable of climbing hills, but its small battery will limit your range to about 20 miles.

A more capable bike, among the ones Court has so helpfully reviewed on this site, would be the Bulls Lacuba EVO E8, which comes in different sizes and styles, including step-thru, for a proper fit. It also does not look like an electric bike. Its 2-inch wide tires will allow you to go on light trails and gravel as well as asphalt. It has a front suspension and you could add a suspension seatpost. Its range is probably at least double that of the Cortland, but it's 15 lbs. heavier.

Good luck on your search!