Help! Can't get my wife to try ebike.

[Kayakguy]

She rides an analog Electra step-thru for errands around our fairly flat town. But yesterday, we had to climb a long (over a mile) and fairly steep hill, and she struggled to make the climb. Had to walk the bike much of the time, and won't use her granny gear because going so slow is "too wobbly". I would dash ahead of her for a hundred yards or so, then stop and wait for her to catch up. When I offer to buy her an ebike, she refuses to discuss it, because she "doesn't want to have to learn a new technology." Hell, she's less of a luddite than I am, and is 10 years younger (75). She has mastered her smart phone, while I am still stuck in the dumb phone era. She can't help but see how much more power the "E" gives me, but is not swayed by that at all.
I don't think we will do much riding together, because it isn't fun for either of us.
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to approach this? Or should I just give up?

 

[rtp]

I always forget when we're in NC that you can't buy alcoholic beverages on Sundays until after 11 AM. I'll be picking up stuff for a nice dinner, or to take as a hostess gift, get to the cash register, and be denied if it's too early. I know they think I'm a heathen liberal Yankee wino !

LOL - one of my first trips to NC/TN mountains was for a big car event (Deal's Gap/Tail of the Dragon ... ), so after a day of hot top-down zipping around the mountains, some of us went to go get some dinner...wound up finding an Italian place, we ordered some pizza and appetizers, then asked for some pitchers of beer. It wasn't a Sunday but it was in fact an entirely dry county. I swear that took like 15 minutes to understand.
'There is pizza, therefore beer must be coming. I don't understand.'

We continue to periodically get 'surprised' on various mountain trips in the general areas when we come in on a late Saturday night of whether we can or can not manage to pick up a bottle of wine...

 

[rtp]

OP - what bike do you ride? Have you ever offered to swap for 'just a while,' including if, for example - YOU want to see what it's like to ride a 'normal' bike now? Preferably ask to do this - up a hill.

I threw my wife into it on a trip to Europe, scheduled an ebike tour in Germany or somewhere, and she was super nervous initially along the lines of - 'I haven't ridden a bike in over 10 years', me reminding her of the phrase of people never forgetting how to ride a bike, etc. and telling her if she didn't like it, we'd leave. We had a lot of fun, to the point I did some homework on ebikes when we got home, and found some 'reasonable' models she might like, and brought her to a few ebike shops (none nearby) so 'we can both try some out and see.'

Found a decent deal on a Gazelle Medeo used with 26 miles on it and she loves it. She absolutely hated my BBHSD fat tire bike, but we've swapped off on my X2 eMTB and she can see the appeal, is fine and enjoys riding it, although not the level of dirt/off-road I prefer. We've done road trips bringing the bikes, and have done some pretty long rides together now. We have a new baby now so on semi-hiatus but starting to look into the whole 'baby trailer' thing now.

Good luck!

 

[Rexlion]

Could end in divorce.

An ugly ebike split. I can picture the battle over who gets the front half of the tandem.

 

[6zfshdb]

My wife and I used to ride our conventional MTB's frequently but age began to catch up with us. I switched to e-bikes 5 years ago but my 5' 2" wife finds the heavier e-bikes too difficult to handle. I solved the problem by getting her a class 2 bike that looks very much like her old MTB. The throttle allows her to compensate for the extra weight.

 

[AHicks]

My wife and I used to ride our conventional MTB's frequently but age began to catch up with us. I switched to e-bikes 5 years ago but my 5' 2" wife finds the heavier e-bikes too difficult to handle. I solved the problem by getting her a class 2 bike that looks very much like her old MTB. The throttle allows her to compensate for the extra weight.

Has to have a throttle.....

 

[teskow]

Has to have a throttle.....

I agree. Putting a motor on a bike to assist the rider should have as many ways to do that as possible. Yes, a throttle being one of them.

 

[DMW]

Try to find a dealer that offers a light mid drive bike. That is what I went to from an analog bike. On 0 boost it disconnects and is like riding a steel frame bike. My wife has always been faster than me with her analog bike. Now I can add boost when needed and we stay together. Sadly, she doesn't get long breaks every 5 miles waiting for me to catch up any more.
Try to find her something light and simple, that just helps her pedal when she wants it.

Try to find a dealer that offers a light mid drive bike. That is what I went to from an analog bike. On 0 boost it disconnects and is like riding a steel frame bike. My wife has always been faster than me with her analog bike. Now I can add boost when needed and we stay together. Sadly, she doesn't get long breaks every 5 miles waiting for me to catch up any more.
Try to find her something light and simple, that just helps her pedal when she wants it.

I am looking for the bike you just described. Lightweight e-bike that I could easily turn off the assist and be able go without feeling like I am riding my old heavy childhood bike of 60 years ago. Do they exist? Probably but I would like to have some $$$ left when I find the dream e-bike. E-bikes are heavy. Mine is 46 lbs and I feel like it is always overpowering me. It is hard to move, if you crash it is heavy and hurts, it requires more effort and upper body strength to move the bicycle and steer than a lighter weight bicycle. Many women like me just don't have the upper body or core strength (due to surgery or health issues) that is needed to manage a heavy bike. I understand why she would not have a heavier bike.
Good luck.

 

[Rexlion]

I am looking for the bike you just described. Lightweight e-bike that I could easily turn off the assist and be able go without feeling like I am riding my old heavy childhood bike of 60 years ago. Do they exist? Probably but I would like to have some $$$ left when I find the dream e-bike. E-bikes are heavy. Mine is 46 lbs and I feel like it is always overpowering me. It is hard to move, if you crash it is heavy and hurts, it requires more effort and upper body strength to move the bicycle and steer than a lighter weight bicycle. Many women like me just don't have the upper body or core strength (due to surgery or health issues) that is needed to manage a heavy bike. I understand why she would not have a heavier bike.
Good luck.

One possible solution is to take a lightweight regular bike (of a design you know you like) and have it converted. I think a modest size battery, a motor, and associated bits might add about 10 lbs? If you happen to be anywhere near Petaluma CA, we have a forum member who could fix you up in style.