Hello from SoCal (or soon to be!)

[Briansc7]

Hello all!! I am new to ebiking and do not yet own one, nor have I even test riden one. I am relocating to the greater LA area in about a month and plan to begin bike commuting again. In the past I was an avid cyclist completeing such rides as the STP (Seattle to Portland), a 200 mile ride which I completed as the one day version - human power alone. I was also a regular bike commuter in the Seattle area. That was a few years back and I have fallen of the wagon so to speak I will be working in the Long Beach area but will take up residence about 35 miles away, phew! thats to much for me to tackle on human power alone!! I mean why sit in traffic for two hours when I could make the commute in that time (maybe a tad less) and get a workout. I have alot to learn about bike commuting in the LA area, which at first glance appears to be not so friendly?!? Anyway, hopefully I can confidently identify a robust/dependable ebike that can help me bridge the distance gap on a daily basis. As I began looking into manufactures and models I quickly became lost in what appears to be a sea of options, WOW! I've joined the forum to learn, get advice, and eventually share my experience. Any advice, thoughts, wisdom or otherwise are greatly appreciated!

 

[indianajo]

Welcome to the site.
Good fortune in finding a safe route in intense LA.
What is good about LA is a great selection of electric bike shops. So you can find a dealer with a great reputation for service, and also stock that might fit your needs. Out here in flyover land one can only touch pedego , the rest is all viewable only through a screen.
Takes me 3.5 hours to go 30 miles pedal power alone, if a headwind doesn't slow me down. If you're a head forward drop handlebar biker, your speed would be double, but 35 miles is still a stretch. Look for a suspension bike, or fatter wheels than my 2.1". At the higher speeds you're contemplating you'll need some cushioning against pavement faults.
Drop handlebar electric bikes are rare. Check out this recent thread for some: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/worlds-lightest-ebike.25535/

 

[MisterM]

Hello all!! I am new to ebiking and do not yet own one, nor have I even test riden one. I am relocating to the greater LA area in about a month and plan to begin bike commuting again. In the past I was an avid cyclist completeing such rides as the STP (Seattle to Portland), a 200 mile ride which I completed as the one day version - human power alone. I was also a regular bike commuter in the Seattle area. That was a few years back and I have fallen of the wagon so to speak I will be working in the Long Beach area but will take up residence about 35 miles away, phew! thats to much for me to tackle on human power alone!! I mean why sit in traffic for two hours when I could make the commute in that time (maybe a tad less) and get a workout. I have alot to learn about bike commuting in the LA area, which at first glance appears to be not so friendly?!? Anyway, hopefully I can confidently identify a robust/dependable ebike that can help me bridge the distance gap on a daily basis. As I began looking into manufactures and models I quickly became lost in what appears to be a sea of options, WOW! I've joined the forum to learn, get advice, and eventually share my experience. Any advice, thoughts, wisdom or otherwise are greatly appreciated!

35 miles one way commute is a long grind, even on an ebike. I'd check out if there are realistic bike routes - if you're stuck on roads in LA traffic, you're taking your life in your hands.

 

[Briansc7]

Welcome to the site.
Good fortune in finding a safe route in intense LA.
What is good about LA is a great selection of electric bike shops. So you can find a dealer with a great reputation for service, and also stock that might fit your needs. Out here in flyover land one can only touch pedego , the rest is all viewable only through a screen.
Takes me 3.5 hours to go 30 miles pedal power alone, if a headwind doesn't slow me down. If you're a head forward drop handlebar biker, your speed would be double, but 35 miles is still a stretch. Look for a suspension bike, or fatter wheels than my 2.1". At the higher speeds you're contemplating you'll need some cushioning against pavement faults.
Drop handlebar electric bikes are rare. Check out this recent thread for some: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/worlds-lightest-ebike.25535/

Cool on the bike shops. I'm planning to buy from a brick and morter, I'll need the help. Yep, I'm the head forward drop handlebar biker - if I'm riding I'm racing, which isnt always good but I dont seem to be disciplined enough to meter myself to a slower ride until I become exhausted. So yeah, on my road bike I'm comfortably getting a 35 miler in about 2.25 hours or so. Yeah, front suspension would be great and no drop bars on this application for me. thanks for the comments!

 

[Briansc7]

35 miles one way commute is a long grind, even on an ebike. I'd check out if there are realistic bike routes - if you're stuck on roads in LA traffic, you're taking your life in your hands.

Yeah, it is def long. If I could bus one leg, that'd be much better, though still challenging day in day out. From google maps, it looks like about ~half of the ride could be on bike path (can I ride a Type 3 and just 'slow down'?). And on the roads about 70%ish has a bike lane. I'll just have to take a look for myself once I get down there - moving in about a month.

I was thinking that a 35 mile ride on ebike would take about 1.5 hours or so?? On my road bike 35 miles takes me about 2.25 hours. In the olden day (about 5 years ago) my commute was about 15 miles with lots of hills and that took me about 1.25+ hours. My big worry is equipment wear out as in motors/batterys. Say I commute everyday, wow, thats alot in a year, probably enough to wearout the motor on a yearly basis?? I love riding though and would get a big boost if I could make it home on an ebike faster than I could driving!! I'm going to jump over to other forums to post about my commute and ask for help in identifying a few bikes to take a look at. Thanks much for your response!