Hey all
I've been a casual cyclist for a few years and currently reside in the Seattle area. I'm looking to buy my first ebike to use for recreation and errands. For the last few months I've been researching what would be a good buy, but have felt overwhelmed with the huge selection of highly recommended models from all sorts of blogs and youtube channels.
Would love to be able to make ~30mi roundtrips while being able to pedal assist up the hills you'll find in the PNW. I think detachable battery would be preferred, but not a dealbreaker if the battery was internal but the bike was light. Fenders/rack are nice to haves. Also need a small frame size as I'm 5'3.
Some models I've looked at thus far:
- Priority Current (through Costco)
- Aventon Level.2
- Specialized Turbo Vado/Como
- Trek FX/Verve
I have a fairly flexible budget, but because I won't be using it as a mission critical daily commuter I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on the higher end established manufacturer models.
Would love any recommendations and general buying advice. I haven't personally worked on my own bikes much, outside of cleaning/lubing a chain - so being able to service it in a shop would be nice. With that said, I'm open to learning too.
Thanks in advance