First e-bike for a 68 year old - buying help needed

Stefan Mikes said:
It is the previous generation of Como (Gen 1). I would not recommend it because it might be problematic to get a new battery, motor or some spare parts in the future.
Also, this older Como has no suspension fork, making it a 100% urban machine.
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Maybe so, but it is half price and it os Specialized and they stand behind their products. Its our 5th Specialized bike.
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
That's the best advice you've received so far.
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Good point but any big brand should have dealers in most areas so if you get for example a Trek then any Trek authorized dealer will be able to support it. I would be far more concerned with online only brands. I have a Bikesdirect gravel bike with Bafang M800 and good luck getting that serviced in US. As far as I know the only option is sending it in to the Bafang California offices. I actually have my motor there now due to an issue after 3k miles.
 
dariusf2 said:
Maybe so, but it is half price and it os Specialized and they stand behind their products. Its our 5th Specialized bike.
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That's right. However, that e-bike generation began in 2017, and now it is 2024. I was lucky to accumulate batteries for my Gen 1 Vado 6.0, replace the display + remote set, and have my e-bike "lifetime frame warranty" repaired but the farther we move into the future the more difficult it would be to maintain the older e-bike. (I agree to the "half of price" argument). I was recommending Vado SL, which is a relatively new design and it does not cost an arm & a leg to buy new.
 
When it comes to low maintenance can't bet middrive motor with belt drive and internal geared hub (IGH) eg Gazelle 380.
The additional purchase price and extra weight are worth it compared to high maintenance derailleur drivetrain,which is lot more expensive in parts and labour to maintain.

Don't get to hung up on battery size, 500wh is long day in the saddle if you use lower assist levels. Taking charger and topping up at cafe during lunch is one way to increase your range on long rides. Can always buy extra 400wh(cheaper) battery if regularly doing long rides.
 
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There has been a few suggestion for the Como. My wife's Como will tackle about any hill, rides great and the quality has been superb.


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I agree you will likely want a step thru and a larger battery. However also consider relative bike weight that you may need to handle. For that reason I dont like heavy fat tire bikes. Lighter bikes are often able to take you farther as long as battery is large enough. Any bike over 60 lbs is too heavy for me. I would be sure to get a bike with reliable shifting, not a single speed. Also agree you should check out what your local bike shop has and try to test ride some bikes. However, with your mentioning knee issues I would think twice about a torque sensing bike. You may be better off with a bike with a cadence sensor and a throttle - less wear and tear on your knees. I have ridden several moderate weight step thru cadence sensor bikes that are reasonable in price including my Espin bike. My brother has a similar Velotric Discover 1 and it works well for him dispute his foot and back issues. Aventon makes bikes in different sizes and several have torque sensors. Ride 1 up does too but the frames on some bikes seem large and service may be an issue. Some bike shops carry Aventon, Velotric and Pedego as well as the more pricey bikes like Trek and Specialized. I know I would not want to spend more than 2K on my first e-bike.
 
BET said:
However, with your mentioning knee issues I would think twice about a torque sensing bike. You may be better off with a bike with a cadence sensor and a throttle - less wear and tear on your knees. I have ridden several moderate weight step thru cadence sensor bikes that are reasonable in price including my Espin bike.
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"Bad knees" aren't all alike. Some tolerate loads that others don't. And some riding environments have more vertical and more traffic than others. Test, test, test is the only sure way to know what works for a given rider in given setting.

My bum knees are quite happy with my torque-sensing assist, and I wouldn't trade it for simple cadence-sensing assist under any circumstances. The key to success here is a well-implemented throttle -- specifically, a progressive throttle that adds instant power, up to full power, to whatever's going on, and does so in all non-zero assist levels.

Put that kind of throttle on a torque-sensing ebike, and you have a very versatile power delivery system. Simply layer in throttle whenever your knees encounter loads they don't like -- e.g., on starts or during sudden bursts of speed in traffic.

I usually need the extra help for only a second or two at a time. Then I'm back to pedaling as I was moments before. I may well shift or adjust assist level to maintain a knee-friendly cadence afterward, but often no need to do either.

Between throttle bursts, you have all the advantages of torque-sensing assist. You're in charge. Use the throttle as much or as little as you like. Pedal as strenuously as you like. Pamper your knees as required.

NB: Not all throttles work this way. Test riding is the only sure way to know how the throttle and torque-sensing implementations on a given ebike work together. Official product pages seldom mention these particulars, and LBS personnel may have no clue.

Good luck to the OP.
 
Logwog said:
I want a step through, mid hub bike with natural pedal assist. am considering a Gates carbon drive, like Gazelle C380
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I have two carbon belt drive Gazelle 380+ (28 mph assist). One is a 2022, and the other is a 2023. I wanted a maintenance free, no fuss, easy to ride bike made by a well known company that produced a quality product, plus I wanted a carbon belt drive so that I didn't have to deal with cleaning/repairing/replacing/ chains that got filthy or fell off, and the delicate derailer that went with them.

There are zillions of bikes out there with chains because chains are cheap. They also require a lot of work to keep them in good shape. Don't settle for them. You'll be sorry in the long run. The carbon belt drive Gazelle ticked all the boxes for me. Spending the money for a bike of this high quality caliber is well worth it for the ease of use and ease of mind in regards to the least amount of maintenance out there for a bike.

PS - I'm 2 years older than you and have 3 carbon belt drive ebikes (two Gazelle380+ and a Giant LaFree), and one chain driven (Specialized). Giant only made the carbon belt drive for 2 years then went back to a chain because it was cheaper. I rarely ride my Specialized Vado anymore because things on it are prone to breakage/failure (blown motor and now broken power switch) and I'm not keen on having it break down (again) and leave me stranded (again). The Gazelles have been 100% reliable. The only maintenance needed on them is brake pad replacement when the old pads are worn down.

One suggestion - do have the bike shop add Tannus Armour inserts to your tires to prevent flats. Best option ever!
 
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gladiataar said:
I'm going to step outside the mainstream box and mention a bike that my wife and I both test rode earlier this year at a local bike shop -- the Tenways Ago T. Although my wife ended up buying a different bike that day, the description in your post reminded me of that test drive. It's hard to explain, the Ago T just felt "light" compared to other belt driven ebikes we had tested. For some reason, it rode more like my traditional Trek 12-speed -- but with a motor. Strange, given that it actually weighs about the same as the Gazelles we had tried, and they were very similiar feeling, but the Ago T just seemed to get-out-of-the-way more than the others.

On paper, it checks all the right boxes: Belt drive, mid-drive motor, low-step thru frame, internally geared hub, torque sensor, hydraulic brakes, and front suspension. The motor, a Bafang M420, is pleasantly quiet, and being a name brand, is most likely serviceable at a local bike shop. It isn't as silent as a Brose motor (like you would find on Specialized ebikes) , but certainly not intrusive, and edged toward a slightly quieter sound than the Bosch motors on the Gazelles we had tried. The manual shift is a stepless (infinite range) twist grip Enviolo hub -- also common and readily serviceable. The 14Ah (500 Wh) battery falls in line with several of the Gazelles. In the lower pedal assist levels, you shouldn't have any trouble falling into your requested 25-50 mile range. Ride and spec-wise, I'd consider the Ago T similar in many ways to say, a Gazelle Arroyo C5, but $1300 cheaper ($2699 vs. $3999).

During a side-by-side test drive that day, for some reason the Specialized Como 4.0 (rated 70nm) had more oomph than the Ago T (rated 80Nm), which was surprising. I'm 250lbs, but if you're 150lbs or less, I'm pretty sure this difference would be a non-factor, unless you plan on consistently riding in an overly hilly area. The only other thing worth mentioning here is that I have no experience to share regarding the customer service and/or longevity of this brand.

Just another brand/model to consider.
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I'm going to test ride a Tenways Ago T tomorrow. I hope it rides as nice as it looks.
 
Rexlion said:
I'm going to test ride a Tenways Ago T tomorrow. I hope it rides as nice as it looks.
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Would love to hear your impressions -- good or bad. There is very, very little written about the Tenways brand here on EBR.

As previously mentioned, I found it a tad underpowered for a person of my weight (250lbs), but on flatter terrain or for someone 100lbs lighter, it would be worth a test drive. It seemed to ride lighter than its spec'd weight. Motor noise wasn't intrusive either, something I finding myself more sensitive to, as a newcomer to the world of ebikes. Price seemed to be in line with similarly equipped brand/models too.
 
gladiataar said:
Would love to hear your impressions -- good or bad. There is very, very little written about the Tenways brand here on EBR.

As previously mentioned, I found it a tad underpowered for a person of my weight (250lbs), but on flatter terrain or for someone 100lbs lighter, it would be worth a test drive. It seemed to ride lighter than its spec'd weight. Motor noise wasn't intrusive either, something I finding myself more sensitive to, as a newcomer to the world of ebikes. Price seemed to be in line with similarly equipped brand/models too.
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I didn't buy the Tenways Ago T. Nice looking ebike, though. It didn't have as much hill climbing power as my current ebike, a Ride1Up LMT'D; the Tenways hub's rated torque is about 20% less than my MXUS hub IIRC, and I just read today that the Enviolo has a 14% efficiency loss versus a derailleur. The brakes on the Tenways were adequate but not as good as mine. The Enviolo shift process seemed backward to me, and I often shifted up when I meant to shift down & vice versa. The seat and suspension seatpost were nice, and the ride was smooth and comfortable. I like the upright sit position, and the adjustable-angle front stem is nice to have. For leisurely pedaling around a town where the hills are all less than 7-8% grade, the Tenways would be quite nice. But I was trying this ebike in a neighborhood with some steep streets, probably in the 10-15% range. I weigh 160 btw.
 
DaveMatthews said:
What about something like this...

www.momentum-biking.com

Vida E+ Low -Step (2022) | Low Step Through Electric Bike | Momentum Bikes US

Enjoy a new stylish ride on the Momentum step through electric bike, Vida E+. Our SyncDrive Life motor provides the electric bike 20mph speed to help you ride s...
www.momentum-biking.com www.momentum-biking.com
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That's a good looking bike, and it satisfies most of your wants. I notice they are cagey about weight, however, which in my suspicious mind means it's quite heavy. Very similar to mine, an Ariel Rider C Class, also a step-thru (and over 70 lbs). The Shimano Nexus 7 is an internally geared hub (IGH), which I have, and like very much.l Don't ever want to go back to a derailleur if I don't have to. Mine was a bit cheaper--about $1800, but I'm doubtful that model is still available, though the company is still around. I have had mine 2+ years, and about 2100 miles, with no issues, not even a flat tire. I am committed to an upright riding posture, as my wrists and hands suffer too much riding in a sportier (more forward and aerodynamic) position. Oh, the C Class has a small battery, and consequently not much range, but that isn't a problem for me.
I'm 86 yo, for what it's worth; so if anything I say sounds like gibberish, consider the source.
 
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Kayakguy said:
That's a good looking bike, and it satisfies most of your wants. I notice they are cagey about weight, however, which in my suspicious mind means it's quite heavy. Very similar to mine, an Ariel Rider C Class, also a step-thru (and over 70 lbs). The Shimano Nexus 7 is an internally geared hub (IGH), which I have, and like very much.l Don't ever want to go back to a derailleur if I don't have to. Mine was a bit cheaper--about $1800, but I'm doubtful that model is still available, though the company is still around. I have had mine 2+ years, and about 2100 miles, with no issues, not even a flat tire. I am committed to an upright riding posture, as my wrists and hands suffer too much riding in a sportier (more forward and aerodynamic) position. Oh, the C Class has a small battery, and consequently not much range, but that isn't a problem for me.
I'm 86 yo, for what it's worth; so if anything I say sounds like gibberish, consider the source.
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I've looked at Momentum ebikes before. I observed taht they never list the weight on the website. Ever. Doesn't matter which model.
 
I looked at Evelo and Zen and went with Zen. Evelo bike was also great but I did not want an automatic transmission. Good people and customer support with
both companies.
 
I bought a C380 2 1/2 years ago and will never go back to a chain bike again. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the carbon belt drive and Enviolo hub - together they make riding a dream! (And maintenance much simpler.) The seat is super comfortable as well, even on longer rides - absolutely no complaints. One caveat, though, which is true for most any ebike, is the weight. It is heavy and while I can lift it, I definitely try not to. We bought an ebike ramp for our car that has the option to roll the bike onto it. (So far, we usually lift them onto it, but the ramp option is nice to have.)
 
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