Good bike for a man sized person?

[SinCo.Sam]

Hello my name is Sam, I found this forum from EBR’s youtube videos. I am what I like to call man sized, 330 pounds and 6’6” tall. I am a disabled vet with various lung problems that make it difficult for me to get any sort of traditional exercise. Due to that factor the last ten years have not been kind to my waist line. I have recently found electric bikes and am super excited to give them the old college try.

I have done a ton of online browsing on the internet. I live in the Denver metro area and visited the local bike shops and even went down to EBO and meet with Jason. Man there are way too many bike choices. I think that I want a Surly Ice Cream Truck with the XL frame and the EBO Fat tire kit. I found a bike shop that will install the kit for free if I buy them both together. It has a bit of a large price tag at $4000 out the door, but I am ok with that because both the bike and the kit have what seems like a pretty good warranty.

My question is to you wonderful people that know way more than me about these bikes and electric motor kits is, are these good choices knowing my size and weight? Can anyone come up with any other electric Fat Bikes and kits or ebikes that are comparable to the choice that I am about to make?

Thanks

 

[J.R.]

Surly chromoly frames are great whether you're a heavier rider or of average weight. It's a frame that can last you a lifetime. The components on the ICT are mid range, which is good. Far too many low priced ebikes with low level components that will not give you the quality ride we all want. The really expensive components are often expensive because they are lightweight. It's not really necessary for an ebike to have ultra lightweight components.

The EBO at 48v, 750 watt, geared hub looks like a solid kit. A little pricey, but should have the power you need. With local builder and support, looks like you're on the right path. Just make sure you discuss future support with the shop and get a warranty in writing. I'd doubt the bike will wear out anytime soon, it's the battery and geared hub on any bike you'll want good support on. Hopefully you'll get more input on the kit, as I don't have experience with it. @Thomas Jaszewski will likely have some knowledge and advice about EBO.

You might also consider in your budget many people change out pedals, saddle, handlebars and grips for comfort. Also touring racks, panniers, lights and some roadside and maintenance tools. Some people say owning a boat is akin to paying rent on a hole in the water, you'll find ebiking to be similar, on a smaller scale, but more expensive than initially thought.

Good luck. If you do have this bike built, post some pictures and your impressions.

 

[christob]

I'd only chime in to say, rehash the frame & motor kit choice with the shop folks, and probe them about their thoughts on that set up + your weight. I started at 303lb (6'2") on my ebike and very quickly it developed a constant rear-wheel chirping sound. The bike's website stated the fairly typical "250lb rider weight" note -- so in pre-sales emails I asked about that specifically, twice... the guys at the bike co. said they weren't concerned about my 303. (I cannot say today if my weight caused the chirping... but the bike co. guys hadn't encountered it before -- and none of them, physically, are close to my size!) So while I doubt the frame itself would give any problems for you, the various components (rims, tires, tubes, etc) may have other constraints that could potentially be problems "before" the frame had a problem...

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

It's great to see you're heading in this direction. E-bikes will surely have a positive impact on what you are intending to do.
There are lots of kits that provide exceptional power and they are a LOT of fun. I am not sure what your health situation is and how capable your lungs are right now. If at all possible, If I were in your position, I would pick a bike that would prompt me to PEDAL more rather than the fun aspect. There are bikes without throttle and provide adequate power but not overwhelming power. This is what I would need to downsize the waist.

I think you should give a serious thought about this Haibike - Trekking 4.0 2017 model. The specs on this page are incorrect but you can order it and they will ship it to your nearest dealer. Not the least, it's on sale for $2799. It's a high-quality bike that is built for heavy duty use. Wide rims, excellent wheels, hubs and tires. Build quality is way better than the Surly. Your size 60cm/64cm is still available at $2799.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I suggest you go to this dealer. They are one of the largest in Colorado and can help you with selection and warranty.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Ask for Terry. He is the owner.

 

[Gator]

I am 6' 5" and I am very glad that I went with the XL frame on my Giant Quick E +. It has a 300 lbs weight limit so I don't no if it is a real option. Maybe check with the LBS about extra heavy duty spokes, etc. Ebiking is a blast though and I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[tomjasz]

The EBO at 48v, 750 watt, geared hub looks like a solid kit. A little pricey, but should have the power you need. With local builder and support, looks like you're on the right path. Just make sure you discuss future support with the shop and get a warranty in writing. I'd doubt the bike will wear out anytime soon, it's the battery and geared hub on any bike you'll want good support on. Hopefully you'll get more input on the kit, as I don't have experience with it. @Thomas Jaszewski will likely have some knowledge and advice about EBO.

I thnk beyond a little pricey. A no name given hub motor, which could be nothing more than a $120 GD. And the rest are generic parts. At minimum I'd look at MAC for gear drives, eZee kits if you have the budget, but they won't be far off the price of EBO and FAR and away better quality. ALSO on the ebike.ca site you can pick a motor and battery and add your weight to the calculator and see how the motor will respond. Your weight will add to the overheating of a GD on grades over 4%.

 

[Dewey]

Motorize a Day6 Samson XL? They sell a version already fitted with an eRad branded BBS02 or BBSHD mid-drive motor that Court reviewed here. They have a large number of dealers.

 

[Riding High]

I am in the same size range and ended up with a Haibike from Best EBikes on Federal Blvd. They can get you a test ride so that you can see if it works for you. They did not have any xl frames in stock when I was there. They ended up ordering one for me on the basis that I would get to ride it before making purchase.

I have never ridden a Day 6 bike but looked into them, wanted a more traditional bike look and feel. They are supposedly workhorses though.

Happy rides

 

[John from Connecticut]

Hello my name is Sam, I found this forum from EBR’s youtube videos. I am what I like to call man sized, 330 pounds and 6’6” tall. I am a disabled vet with various lung problems that make it difficult for me to get any sort of traditional exercise. Due to that factor the last ten years have not been kind to my waist line. I have recently found electric bikes and am super excited to give them the old college try.

I have done a ton of online browsing on the internet. I live in the Denver metro area and visited the local bike shops and even went down to EBO and meet with Jason. Man there are way too many bike choices. I think that I want a Surly Ice Cream Truck with the XL frame and the EBO Fat tire kit. I found a bike shop that will install the kit for free if I buy them both together. It has a bit of a large price tag at $4000 out the door, but I am ok with that because both the bike and the kit have what seems like a pretty good warranty.

My question is to you wonderful people that know way more than me about these bikes and electric motor kits is, are these good choices knowing my size and weight? Can anyone come up with any other electric Fat Bikes and kits or ebikes that are comparable to the choice that I am about to make?

Thanks

Hey Sam, Welcome to the forum and thank you for your service for our Country. There are some very knowledgeable folks
here that will help to 'get you rollin' on an e-bike.

 

[DaleQ]

<snip>
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
I think you should give a serious thought about this Haibike - Trekking 4.0 2017 model. The specs on this page are incorrect but you can order it and they will ship it to your nearest dealer. Not the least, it's on sale for $2799. It's a high-quality bike that is built for heavy duty use. Wide rims, excellent wheels, hubs and tires.
<snip>

@Ravi Kempaiah - Thanks for posting about this. Can you give more information about what is incorrect about the specs on this page?
Thanks,
Dale

 

[JohnT]

I always recommend buying local if you can. It’s nice having someone to go to if something goes wrong.

Bikes that can handle your weight are hard to find. If the bike you mentioned can, that’s a good start. Someone said something about custom spokes. That might be a good idea. In any case, bigger riders need to keep a close eye on spoke tension. When tension gets uneven, some spokes work harder than others, and that’s when they start to break.

I love geared hub motors, and almost always recommend them. One of the exceptions is heavier riders with long steep hills. For them, I recommend mid-drives, especially with the large diameter tires on fat bikes. If you’re doing mostly flat riding, you should be fine with geared hubs. Short hills aren’t so bad either, even if they’re kinda steep. It’s the long ones that are tough, on both you and the motor.

At 6’6”, make sure your seatpost is long enough. On an XL frame, you might not have a problem. Depending on the geometry of the bike, if your seat is high, your hands could be relatively low. If they’re too low, you could change the stem and/or bars to bring your hands and body up. That’s not as aero, but it’s much more comfortable for most people.

Ebikes are a blast, and even if you don’t make the perfect choice, you’re in for a lot of fun!