First timer

[moebergs]

Hi everyone - It never occurred to me to buy an ebike until I rented one for three hours in Europe. Now I am buying two, for my wife also.

So now I have the choice to make and I could use some guidance. I’m restricting my choices two bikes that stores I trust sell and service.

I’m hoping to stay under $2500. I like comfortable bikes, and I anticipate still peddling a lot and only using power to help me out. I am 66, pretty fit. My wife is 55 and a spinning teacher. So, needless to say she now leaves me in the dust when we ride together.

We test rode a Raleigh 2018 detour. We were both comfortable, enjoyed the ride and thought it was fine and love the $1500 price. I came across the 2018 Electra townie Gi and the Trek Verve +. I plan to test ride them tomorrow but sat in them and liked the feel.

My question is, because I know I am very easy-going and not that particular so I’m sure I will like both of those bikes. Opinions on my best choice? I hope to go on lengthy ride with my wife. I live in a hilly but not crazy hilly area I also might try commuting 15 miles to work.

Is there something else I should consider?

Thanks for all the

 

[Angela M.]

Hi and welcome to the forum! I love hearing couples riding together It sounds like you've done quite a bit of research already, give it a bit and I'm sure you'll get many great opinions from other members of the forum.

 

[Dewey]

A suggestion is to buy two bikes that use the same sort of battery so you could use one as a spare if only one of you is riding - double your range!

As for your choices, consider an Electra Townie Go! 8i model with an internal gear hub rather than derailleur gearing. With an IGH you can shift down gear when you are stationary which helps if you stop facing up hill and need to change down. Consider adding a seatpost suspension for extra cush.

 

[moebergs]

Thanks. Do you think disc vs drum brakes is a big seal? Bike store can install seat pist suspension?

 

[ebikemom]

My thoughts ...

• Brakes are great for stopping the bike, and all of them work to do that. I wouldn't make that a sticking point, or choose one bike over another because of the type of brakes. My bike has great disc brakes. Very happy with them. The disc brakes on my bike are also very easy to adjust from either side of the bike, and since I ride a lot they do need adjusting from time to time as the pads wear down. You might ask the bike shop how to do that little job if it isn't something you already know how to do. I didn't know how to do that because I'd only had bikes with rim brakes in the past.
• What will make you happiest riding is your fit to the frame geometry and your physical comfort on the bike while riding. I think you will enjoy having an upright posture, like the bikes you've tried already.
• Along the lines of what you are thinking, I agree that having a bike from a local dealer who will stand behind it is wonderful. I suggest asking the dealer what service they provide for the bike, and finding out the length of warranty and whether that includes labor or not (labor is the killer expense on repairs, for sure!)
• And, test riding is great! Good for you!
• Finally, I love having multiple bikes with the same battery. Easy to swap out if I forget to charge and other-person-doesn't-need-bike

We enjoy riding solo, as a couple, mom-teen, dad-teen, whole family... now I'm off to ride with teen daughter to her Saturday AM activity (just to be social)! Then swinging back home to have a recreational ride with teen son. Bye!

 

[indianajo]

Thanks. Do you think disc vs drum brakes is a big seal? Bike store can install seat pist suspension?

I put an IGH on my self pedaled bike before I went electric. Main problem with the drum brake in an IGH, nobody stocks the replacement shoes. When it wears out, apparently you buy a new IGH hub. Disk brakes, some brands the shoes are available, although I haven't found any pads for the tekkos on the bike shown left. A new set of shimano disks brakes would be under $200 however.
Other thing with IGH, they drag compared to a derailleur. there are 5 or 8 little planetary gearsets whirring around in there. You only select one. The IGH slowed me down about 30 minutes on my 30 mile trip to my summer camp. Yes, IGH shifting is cleaner than derailleur. The bike left is a 7 speed derailleur plus the rear hub motor.
The advantage of a hub motor, you can pedal home with a dead battery or a blown controller. Which I had to do several times as I worked through the garbage batteries sold on Amazon & E-bay. I also pedal most of the time, using the electricity only into horrid headwinds or on trips over 25 miles. Geared hub motor drags less than DD, but the sources of geared hub motors are drying up this year. I am also 66 and like to exercise my heart with my regular commuting. Just 30 miles with a 15 mph headwind is 5.6 hours, & that is too much exercise.

 

[moebergs]

As it turns out, I want a syep through and the Rlectra Townie with the IGH isnt availabke and the Trek Verve not availabke until July. So maybe I buy the step through Townie Go with the Derrailleur ($100$ less. Or I look again stvthe 2018 Raleigh detour? I saw Yamahas but the one I liked was $3;000, a little over budget. So i’m still up in the air.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I saw Yamahas but the one I liked was $3;000, a little over budget. So i’m still up in the air.

You should check out 2018 Haibikes that are on sale: https://www.haibikeusa.com/sale-bikes.html
Great bikes for the money.

 

[ebikemom]

Does Haibike make step-through upright-ride models? I haven't found any ...

 

[Dewey]

Does Haibike make step-through upright-ride models? I haven't found any ...

The Haibike Sduro Radius Tour is a mid step with 20” wheels but not really what the OP is after. I like Gazelle’s mid-drive step through’s, my local Gazelle dealer is offering $700 off the 2018 Arroyo now they have a new version coming out and it’s a great step through with a good drivetrain Bosch mid-drive and Nexus 8 IGH.

 

[moebergs]

I think I’m linited to the bikes my LBS sell. Pedego, too $, Verve+ not available, Raleigh Detour 2018, very feminine color (maybe I can still buy it), maybe the Townie Commute Go that I think I can get for $2,699. No Haibike dealers here. Ive seen Yamahas and Bulls but a lot of $. A local shop carries Magnum and Blix but didnt think I’d like them.

So next step is try the Commute Go oand maybe a Raleigh Redux but not a step through.

 

[Dewey]

I think I’m linited to the bikes my LBS sell. Pedego, too $, Verve+ not available, Raleigh Detour 2018, very feminine color (maybe I can still buy it), maybe the Townie Commute Go that I think I can get for $2,699. No Haibike dealers here. Ive seen Yamahas and Bulls but a lot of $. A local shop carries Magnum and Blix but didnt think I’d like them.

So next step is try the Commute Go oand maybe a Raleigh Redux but not a step through.

You might prefer the larger 700c wheel size of the Townie Commute Go over the 26” wheels on the Townie Go. Or you might prefer the class 3 performance of the Raleigh Redux. Let us know your thoughts after your test rides.

 

[moebergs]

I rode the Magnum Metro, liked the confort but the surge of power made me uncomfortable. I like pedaling, just want a boost. Loved a Bulls but it was $4,200. Then rode a Bulls Cross E Wave with a Bosch Active plus motor and bought it! It was comfortable, enough power to get me up the steep hill with me working and that’s what I wanted. Plus very important, an excellent shop to service it. Immediate dilemma is I live 28 miles (and he is about my closest shop) so I have to figure out how to get it home - might be a long first ride.