Hello new to ebike looking for first commuter

[Broncobusted]

Hello all just a newbie question here. I have about a 20 mile commute and up until last fall I was doing this on a MTN bike. I usually rest a few months in the winter and start up again in spring. This year I just don't look forward to the climbs anymore. I am turning 50 and everything just seems to hurt worse . I am looking at rad I think type 1 or C3 type 3 bikes. I am about half and half street and river trails. About 600 ft elevation change. Just looking for any thoughts on e bikes or suggestions.
Thanks for any response

 

[fooferdoggie]

if you plan on doing this every day you really need to be a much better bike that will hold up to that much riding. one that you dont have to wait for parts if something happens.

 

[Broncobusted]

Thank you for that. I also have the option of renting or leasing a rad in my city where the maintenance is covered without owning the machine any thought on that. Thank you again.

 

[indianajo]

Commuters need serious steel & aluminum. Not kiddie grade grey metal. Rad has 270 posts on "known problems & solutions" thread today on brand forum. They are good at supplying replacement parts, but are not known for great life.
Bikes in the upper tier based on the numbers of those problem posts, Trek, Giant, Yamaha, Gazelle, Reiss & Mueller, Kona, Cannondale. Lots of people ride Specialized long distances but some cracked frames have been reported. I consider my Yuba in the upper tier, but you may not want to carry groceries (I do without a car). Blix has only one post on the problems list but the brand is pretty new, coupla years.
For example a kiddie grade 6 speed Shimano rear axle broke under my enormous 180 lb. I don't jump curbs or picnic tables. A kiddie grade Shimano 7 speed rear, the race unscrewed and dropped the balls 4 miles from home. No locknut in that design. Could have been a 30 mile push, I ride that far out. The 8 speed Shimano rear axle on my Yuba has >8000 miles on it and no problems yet. I've stretched no spokes on the yuba wheels, do no adjusting. The real steel cables on the Yuba stay put for ~4000 miles, whereas kiddie grade cables on my diamondback & Pacific MTB's required constant adjustment.

 

[m@Robertson]

Hello all just a newbie question here. I have about a 20 mile commute and up until last fall I was doing this on a MTN bike. I usually rest a few months in the winter and start up again in spring. This year I just don't look forward to the climbs anymore. I am turning 50 and everything just seems to hurt worse . I am looking at rad I think type 1 or C3 type 3 bikes. I am about half and half street and river trails. About 600 ft elevation change. Just looking for any thoughts on e bikes or suggestions.
Thanks for any response

If you were happy on your mountain bike, why not stay happy with it? You already know the maintenance quirks of the bike. Add a motor. It doesn't have to be a powerhouse. A TSDZ2 or a BBS02. A BBSHD if you have a wide bottom bracket. Or a BBSHD and just de-tune it so you have a very powerful motor running at 10-20% of its capability and thus never ever wears anything out.

With only a 600 ft climb it sounds like a geared hub motor would also work, but if you want something that doesn't care about climbs, thats a mid drive. Also a hub motor means you need to build a new wheel.

Living with maintenance on an ebike is more about building the bike right in the first place so there isn't any (no more than a normal bike at least). Since its a daily driver and not a recreational vehicle you of course need reliability.

How To Build An Ebike From Scratch: Planning

We’re building a bike! Lets do it smart though. We’ll see a simple project management framework. There’s even a complete parts list here.

talesontwowheels.com

 

[ElevenAD]

Imho any Rad bike will handle that commute just fine and they will get you the parts if there is an issue. I would still recommend a bike with a middrive for commutes with any significant inclines, why not just rent one of the Rads before purchasing make sure you like it but also check out some middrives if you have the opportunity.

 

[Broncobusted]

Thank you all for the info. I am looking forward to moving into the ebike world. I keep hearing mid drive so I will do more research into this type of machine.
Thanks again. Happy trails

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

Thank you all for the info. I am looking forward to moving into the ebike world. I keep hearing mid drive so I will do more research into this type of machine.
Thanks again. Happy trails

I do a short commute (under 5 miles) and previous commute was 10 miles on a rad mission 1 and an aventon pace 500. Fairly flat with a slight downhill there from top of hill into river valley and reverse I’m way home . Could use regular bike especially in the morning but man it’s sure nice having the motor on the ride home and the throttle is awesome after a longer day and if it’s hotter outside. No regrets on the bikes and both have a little over 1000 miles and running fine with no maintenance yet a year in. I do find the rad mission 1 to be more relaxing to ride because it’s a single speed and there is no odometer which tells me speed. I find on my aventon I look at the odometer too much and don’t appreciate the river and sights and also thinking about shifting too much.

 

[AHicks]

If you have a chance to rent a RAD, I would encourage you to do just that. I don't know what they get for that kind of thing, but if you can swing it, try the City and the Rover in the areas you see yourself riding most often. Betting you learn a TON. Then maybe, you'll be a much more educated buyer.

Mid drive to me is about hills. The more you have, and the bigger they are, the easier they are to justify.

I've got a ton of time on both the geared hub type bikes (like the RAD bikes), and a big mid drive. IMHO, all else being equal, the geared hub bikes are brain dead simple to ride. Jump on and go. That makes them pretty attractive to a lot of riders. The mid drives are more like a sports car. A little more thought goes into riding one, but may people enjoy that as well!

Whatever you end up with, I would want a throttle. That's me though.

 

[CodyDog]

Budget is always a consideration in purchasing any e-bike. I always say spend as much as you can and get as much as you can.

With that being said, I owned a Rad in the past and would consider it an entry level e-bike, this is based on components and price as well as ownership. For a lot of commuting I would recommend a bike with better components and a mid drive.

 

[Broncobusted]

Thanks for all the input. After all the talk about mid drive and now that I know what that is .I am looking at the lectric x premium it looks like a good entry level for my needs. Thanks all

 

[Comotose 3.0]

I just bought a 2022 specialized COMO 3.0 and it’s brought the joy back to commuting for me. I am closing in on 50 as well and I love it. Highly recommend the bike, its a dream to ride and can take anything you want to throw at it.