Got it narrowed down, but need help with final decision for ‘6’4, 280 frame

M

Mister Ug

New Member
Region
Canada
Ok,
My wife started me on this 😬. She was thinking an Ebike would be great for her to go back and forth to workon. So, I started researching them and had a look around to see what’s available. In doing so, I now want one as well 😊
Only three years ago I was putting 100km a week on my regular bike. Didn’t use it for commuting though, cause as much fun as it was going to work (mostly downhill), it was not so fun coming home (two nasty climbs).

So, I’ve started looking locally and online, here’s what I’ve found. For starters, if I buy it from a local shop in Nova Scotia it’s eligible for a $500 rebate from the provincial government.

Shop #1, the owner is suggesting this one, iGo DISCOVERY - BONAVENTURE
• 500W Geared Rear Hub Drive
• Battery 48V/672Wh
• Range 90km/(56mi)
Price, $3000.
I’m leary of this one, because the owner says the bike is suited to me, but the igo brochure has this bike with a 250 lb weight capacity.
I like it that his shop is now only 10 minutes from my house.

Shop #2. This one I had to do some investigating to find out info about the bikes they sell. No online reviews anywhere for the “BMG” brand they sell. Shop only opened in Nov./21, so no local reviews of shop either. The other brand they sell is Italwin, which I have found some info online. BMG is the initials of the 3 gentlemen who own the shop. The bikes themselves are made in China by Haidong

The two bikes I’m interested in are the
BMG Dolphin - $2300 it’s a great fit size wise, little Leary of the battery size
Range per Power: 31-60km,
Front Fork: Hydraulic Suspension Fork
Sensor: Cadence Sensor, Pedal Assisted
Display: LCD Display
Max Speed: 20-40km/h
Battery: 36V/16ah Lithium Battery
Derailleur: 7 Speed Shimano/Microshift
Controller: 36V Controller Integrated with Frame

the other bike is a BMG Pathfinder $2800 , it can be be found on the Haidong webpage as the Haidong Pathfinder
i like this bike because it fits me well, has 300 lb weight capacity.
info
  • Removable 48V, 16Ah Samsung lithium-ion battery, meet a 55-mile commuting journey.
  • Continuous 500W brushless gear hub motor with a peak value of 750w, freely traversing urban blocks and hills.
  • With 27.5″ x 2.4″ Panasonic puncture-resistant tires, can resist punctures by sharp materials. A bit wider than ordinary tires, making the commuting journey smoother.
  • Fast and smart 48V 3 amp charger, it only takes 5 hours to fully charge the battery
Now as much as I like these bikes, I can’t help but be leary of them and the shop. Little too new and unknown for my comfort level.
I did read that Haidong makes bikes and parts for a lot of other companies.

the other local shop is a Giant shop and they advertise a Momentum Lafree E+ (2800) That comes in three frame sizes, nothing about weight. Like that it has a mid drive Yamaha motor. Hopefully will make it over to shop next week.

Onlime the Rad bikes seem to be everywhere. The two I am most interested are the Rad City Plus, love the look of it and is tall enough for me. Weight Capacity is close.
The other one I’m interested in is the Rad Wagon. Love that it’s very versatile and rated for 350 lbs. little concerned of the strength of the seat post, because at 6’4 It will be quite extended for me. (I did bend a seat post with a previous bike).
 
Keep an eye for how the bike is rated. My Trek is rated at 300 pounds, which INCLUDES the weight of the bike. I’m about 6-1 and weigh about 245 so I’m right at the weight capacity. The bike weighs about 50 pounds.
 
Nothing is impossible, but regarding that broken frame, just as a counterpoint, I have been riding a '17 RAD City for a while now. I'm 6'2" and 315. Further, the stock electronics and power were all replaced for more powerful stuff. The rear hub is now a geared rear hub offering an easy 1000w capacity. Further, if the seat post that was installed at the time of the failure were the correct length, I doubt seriously the damage would look like the picture. Point being, that would look like a case of ignorance and/or abuse from where I'm sitting. The seat post installed when that frame let go couldn't have been inserted more than an inch or two. If it had been the length suggested by seat tube manf's, it would have extended well below that failure point - making that failure nearly impossible......

So back on point, if you have these bikes available to try out, suggest you take advantage of that situation and do that! If I had that chance, I would be paying very close attention to the controls. Like, what happens when you start pedaling? Does the bike take off like a jack rabbit and accelerate to 10-12 mph if you keep pedaling? How hard is it to maintain speeds under 10mph?

I don't know about the hills in the area you plan on riding most, but if they are significant, an average geared rear hub (say 500w) may not be up to the task for guys our size. I spend a lot of time in an area with rolling coastal hills and learned that the hard way. For those situations, you may want to check out the mid drives. Yes, they take the price up a notch, but they get the job done. Your wife, if she's like mine, can get away with far less power. I buy the most available. On your test drive, if you are able, point the bike at the worst hills available and see how it acts. If it will accelerate while climbing you're probably good to go. If it needs wide open throttle to climb, you may find that's going to be marginal power at best. NOBODY likes to get off their bike and walk it to the top of the hill. Mid drive bikes, even with marginal power, can be geared down as low as necessary to climb about anything. You may not be going very fast, but you will be climbing with authority on anything short of a wall.
 
Mister Ug said:
I don’t think in Canada we are allowed motors over 500w. I do hope to try a few this week.
Click to expand...
I realize the legal stand point, so not going to say a lot about this, but if you are interested in more power, you might look into/ask about how well that law is regulated/enforced in the areas you ride.

State side, we are supposedly restricted to 750, but enforcement is near zero.....
 
Mister Ug said:
Ok,
My wife started me on this 😬. She was thinking an Ebike would be great for her to go back and forth to workon. So, I started researching them and had a look around to see what’s available. In doing so, I now want one as well 😊
Only three years ago I was putting 100km a week on my regular bike. Didn’t use it for commuting though, cause as much fun as it was going to work (mostly downhill), it was not so fun coming home (two nasty climbs).

So, I’ve started looking locally and online, here’s what I’ve found. For starters, if I buy it from a local shop in Nova Scotia it’s eligible for a $500 rebate from the provincial government.

Shop #1, the owner is suggesting this one, iGo DISCOVERY - BONAVENTURE
• 500W Geared Rear Hub Drive
• Battery 48V/672Wh
• Range 90km/(56mi)
Price, $3000.
I’m leary of this one, because the owner says the bike is suited to me, but the igo brochure has this bike with a 250 lb weight capacity.
I like it that his shop is now only 10 minutes from my house.

Shop #2. This one I had to do some investigating to find out info about the bikes they sell. No online reviews anywhere for the “BMG” brand they sell. Shop only opened in Nov./21, so no local reviews of shop either. The other brand they sell is Italwin, which I have found some info online. BMG is the initials of the 3 gentlemen who own the shop. The bikes themselves are made in China by Haidong

The two bikes I’m interested in are the
BMG Dolphin - $2300 it’s a great fit size wise, little Leary of the battery size
Range per Power: 31-60km,
Front Fork: Hydraulic Suspension Fork
Sensor: Cadence Sensor, Pedal Assisted
Display: LCD Display
Max Speed: 20-40km/h
Battery: 36V/16ah Lithium Battery
Derailleur: 7 Speed Shimano/Microshift
Controller: 36V Controller Integrated with Frame

the other bike is a BMG Pathfinder $2800 , it can be be found on the Haidong webpage as the Haidong Pathfinder
i like this bike because it fits me well, has 300 lb weight capacity.
info
  • Removable 48V, 16Ah Samsung lithium-ion battery, meet a 55-mile commuting journey.
  • Continuous 500W brushless gear hub motor with a peak value of 750w, freely traversing urban blocks and hills.
  • With 27.5″ x 2.4″ Panasonic puncture-resistant tires, can resist punctures by sharp materials. A bit wider than ordinary tires, making the commuting journey smoother.
  • Fast and smart 48V 3 amp charger, it only takes 5 hours to fully charge the battery
Now as much as I like these bikes, I can’t help but be leary of them and the shop. Little too new and unknown for my comfort level.
I did read that Haidong makes bikes and parts for a lot of other companies.

the other local shop is a Giant shop and they advertise a Momentum Lafree E+ (2800) That comes in three frame sizes, nothing about weight. Like that it has a mid drive Yamaha motor. Hopefully will make it over to shop next week.

Onlime the Rad bikes seem to be everywhere. The two I am most interested are the Rad City Plus, love the look of it and is tall enough for me. Weight Capacity is close.
The other one I’m interested in is the Rad Wagon. Love that it’s very versatile and rated for 350 lbs. little concerned of the strength of the seat post, because at 6’4 It will be quite extended for me. (I did bend a seat post with a previous bike).
Click to expand...
The "range" numbers provided are when the rider is doing 80% of the work and the electric motor is assisting. I would take 50% of the maximum published range and decide if that is enough for the trips distances planned.

The "commuter" e-bikes have head and tail lamps that are powered off the motor's battery pack and they have fenders and often a strong rear rack for carrying stuff securely.
 
Well I did a test ride on the Pathfinder and this one yesterday. Came up a hill in 3rd gear, pedal assist 5 at 20 km an hour, with very minimal effort. Birth bikes got up to 32 km hr very easily.
I’m hooked, now just need to make it happen $$.
928027D7-F301-4621-A04E-54044419FD08.png
928027D7-F301-4621-A04E-54044419FD08.png
 
FYI If you're in Canada and looking for a faster ebike, DOST bikes will sell you a un-neutered bike that will go 45km/h if you ask them. They don't have a fat bike option though.

I recently discovered this after owning a Cube ebike for a year, I am considering selling it and getting a DOST as I could really use more speed on my commute. I'm having a hard time finding another company that will do this.
 
When looking at bike weight limits, don't forget to include the weight of the bike PLUS ay cargo you may carry. Ebikes give you the ability to ride longer & farther which often leads to carrying more gear. The weight of extra clothing, batteries, tools, spare parts, rack bags & panniers can add up. I sometimes carry as much as 40 extra pounds on some of my rides.
 
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