First eBike recommendations

[npdion]

I'm about to upgrade from an older Trek Navigator 300 and am looking (on paper, so far) at three bikes:
Trek Lift, Electra Townie, and possibly the BikTrix Stunner. The Townie seems like a hog, weight-wise,
but it does have the Bosch mid-drive, which seems to appeal to other riders.
Any plans by Electra to build a stripped-down Townie? Any plans by Trek to go to the Bosch drive?
As background, I'm 5'8, 150 #, in reasonably good shape, and (most importantly) 76 years old.
I typically ride the Navigator recreationally 10-15 miles on an outing, but want to extend my range and
flatten those $%^&#@ hills.
Any and all suggestions, warnings, and recommendations would be welcomed, and thanks in advance.
And yes, I intend to test ride the Lift and Townie soon.

 

[mrgold35]

Do any of those bikes have pedal assist AND hand throttle? I live in NM and flattening inclines was one of my goals also. It really comes in handy to have 750w of full power on my RadRover with a twist of my wrist at any time without having to click a menu and/or change gears.

I would also make sure you can do zero pedal assist when needed. Don't want the e-bike surging forward to 4-6 mph if you are just creeping up to an intersection waiting on a light to cross or just making a tight U-turn.

The hand throttle also comes in handy if you have get off your bike to push the (50-60lbs) e-bike up really steep hills/embankments

I also get a lot of use from my 7 gears on my e-bike. My e-bike would be a lot harder to live with with a single gear with my hilly terrain in ABQ (4900-6200ft from middle of town to the foothills).

I even find my 7 gears are not enough sometimes when riding downhill. Gearing limits me to about 21-22 mph downhill on the RadRover compared to 28-30 mph on my GT Transeo 3.0 XL commuter bike on the same hill. The plus side is I can average 16-19 mph uphill on the RadRover as long as I have power compared to 8-12 mph on my GT Transeo (before my legs get tired on really long hills).

 

[Keith Merson]

Of those mentioned, personally I like the Electra Townie. That's partly because I love the classic cruiser style, partly for the Bosch drive, and partly for the internally-geared hub. BTW, kudos for still riding at 76 years young!

 

[miracle_ring]

I think this bike may be for you. It's a very comfortable bike. Good for outing
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Roseville]

First, I would select a bike shop who will support you and your ebike. I'm considering returning my Diamondback due to lack of ebike support at REI.

Of the three, I'd consider the Trek Lift or Electra Townie.

Ask your dealer about a test drive, and go straight to the hill you want to conquer, and see what happens.