Hello, new to Ebikes and Ebike forum and would like some input if possible.

[Stizz19]

Hi there, I am looking at getting an Ebike for the wife and I. I am 6ft, she is 5'4ish. We were looking at a few different models like the:

Biktrix Stunner or Stunner LT
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Voltbike Elegant (for wife)
https://www.voltbike.com/voltbike-elegant.html

Voltbike Bravo (for me)
https://www.voltbike.com/voltbike-elegant.html

Crosscurrent S (52V may be overkill?)
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

We will be commuting from home and there quite a few big hills, especially some big climbs on the way back. Round trip its about 38km. We would also like to do longer trips on the bike on weekends and such so that is why i was leaning towards a bigger capacity battery.

I like the idea of the mid-drive motors for the hill climbs so i was really leaning towards the Stunner. Most of these bikes may be a bit too big for my wife, aside from the step-through versions of course. The more i research the more i actually want to invest more money for a better bike because I am afraid if we go cheap and end up loving it and logging thousands of miles it may be worth it for the extra cash.

Any suggestions on bike size for my wife, i have no problem with anything.

Also to add I ride my Specialized tri-cross as a commuter to and from work so I am very comfortable on bikes, and i have ridden an ebike in the past as well. Wife will be fairly new but with practice she will be up to speed (pun intended) in no time.

 

[elliot friedman]

All one can say is test ride as many as you can in your price ranges. You'll know which feels best and then inquire as to reputation and reliability.

 

[Deleted member 4210]

Agree w Elliot. Definitely have to test ride. Some ebikes might be over powering for your wife, or accelerate too quickly. Or just not be a good fit and affect safety. And nobody here on the forum can make a better recommendation bc we don't know where the bike will be ridden, physical strength or weight of rider, body arm and leg length, tires or seats preferred, and so on. Just too many variables. Elliot just gave you the best free advice you'll ever get here on the forum. Good luck and happy ebiking !

 

[DWN]

I have a long history as bike rider/racer/triathlete. Along with my packed stable of various 2 wheeled options, have had an ebike for 2.4 year. I have loved the options it has opened up for me during 2.4 years of surgeries and medicines for stage 4 cancer. My wife, with a life long history of riding bikes and touring around the world, had been off them for 15 years because of injuries and chronic illnesses.
I recently shopped for a bike for her.
I am about 6'2" and she is 5"6'. Obviously, our wants and needs have many different variables. My advise, listen to her. Let her ride the different bikes, without comment from you, and see what brings a smile to her face when she rides the ebike. I personally gravitate toward, strong motors and bigger batteries. I have a Rad Rover, with upgraded 52 v battery. I love, love, love it. That bike is intimidating for my wife. After researching online, I visited local shops and one near by, started carrying all the Trek/Electra/Specialized ebikes. I thought the Trek Verge+ fit the bill, power/battery/stepthru. When Sally rode it, I could tell, she did not feel right. I took her to the store, let her try different ones. When she got on the Electra townie Go!, it just felt right. Wgt was reasonable, battery would give her up to 80 miles. feel was relaxed.
A winner for her! Not my first choice, but after riding it 5 - 6 times, I get why it works for her.
Good Luck to you both.

 

[MechaNut]

Before picking specific makes and models of e-bikes I'd suggest asking yourself these questions:

1) How comfortable are you with wrenching on a bike?
2) Do any local bike shops you trust carry e-bikes?
3) Are there any local bike shops that will service e-bikes that they don't sell?

Those questions are the most important ones to answer in my opinion. If you aren't very comfortable wrenching on bikes, and you don't have a local bike shop that you trust that is willing to work on e-bikes they don't sell your experience may not be the best if you pick a brand of bike that only uses a direct sales model (like Juiced, Rad Power Bikes, etc). You're going to be spending a significant amount of money on a pair of good e-bikes and it is important that you can enjoy them over the long term and that includes being able to get them serviced, or being able to do the servicing yourself.

If you aren't comfortable servicing bikes I'd recommend seeing what e-bike offerings are available at local bike shops that you trust. At a minimum that would ensure that you can get maintenance service for the bikes over the long term.

 

[DWN]

I second MechaNut's comments!!

 

[Stizz19]

Are you from Canada? If so, have you looked around for Amego?
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I highly recommend Amego because they're one of the best bang for you buck if you look at the components.
Every bike you posted has mechanical disc brakes except Juiced CrossCurrent S which comes with hydraulic.

To me, hydraulic brakes are must have if you want to ride it everyday and commute.
I used have mechanical disc brakes on my Juiced CrossCurrent Air and I hated it. I upgraded to hydraulic disc brakes later on, it is much better.
Mechanical disc brakes are just too weak, needs lots of adjustments (I had to adjust every 1 or 2 weeks).
Hydraulic brakes feel like butter and made my commute a lot more pleasant.

Here, I did the math for you, hydraulic brakes for ebikes aren't cheap.
$238 lever + $30 rotor x 2(front & rear) = $536 Canadian + tax & shipping
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Amego comes with Das Kit (German company) motor & display, Schwalbe tires and generally have pretty positive customer service.

The Amege Elevate is only at $1999 Canadian (I think the Elevate is on sale for limited time only), which is really deal in my opinion.
But unlike Infinite, the Elevate doesn't come with fenders, rack, chainguard, suspension seat post, lights and those components that are meant for commuting.

Thanks for your suggestion. I will look into the Amego. I have been heavily leaning towards the CCS and there is a semi-local dealer that i can go try it out and buy from as well. Hydraulics are a must for me so that is one of the main reasons i am leaning toward the CCS. Plus i was looking at the 52V with a 21ah battery for long trips and like how it looks like a regular bike. My wife may need to get something like (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) if the CCS is too big.

 

[steve mercier]

My two cents says make sure she tries at least one mid- drive bike. My wife is 5'4" and 67 and she loves her Trek womens powerfly 5 in the 15.5" frame size