Help find me a specific e-bike for a lady

[Stefan Mikes]

Friends, you are really helping me. Thank you!

Stefan, does Giant sell their Liv brand in Poland?

The E.Dailytour I found is indeed a Liv. I fell in love with that e-bike and what's interesting, the E+ 2, while cheaper than E+ 1, is a newer model with great specs and a nice colour. I think there is a possibility of a demo ride. I will greatly recommend E+ 2 to my friend.

Stefan, you mentioned step thru frame. How low of a step thru? Are the Comos/Vados low enough? I would consider my Vado a mid-step but it’s a couple years old. The 2020 frames might be different.

Are any low step Treks available? There might be more options available in Europe than there are here in US. Your friend is fortunate to have access to your experience.

If my friend does not like the Giant, a Como or a Vado will be the second option. She tried riding my Lovelec and she got excited with e-bikes (actually, it was her hubby who damaged my derailleur but some people are like that...) She reads my stories about my rides in a private circle on Facebook, so she believes in Specialized and she trusts me.

I found no Trek e-bike I'd like to recommend to the friend.

I ride my +2 on auto assist all the time - the only thing I do is change gears when necessary, and I find it's not necessary very often - usually ride between 3rd and 5th, occasionally downshifting to 2nd if the hill is really big and long, or 8th if I'm on a long flat and want to pedal. I love that feature

Patricia, you focused my attention to Giant e-bikes and I thank you very much for that. The Auto Assist will be a perfect selling point to convince Anita. Fancy that! Six sensors, including Inclination! Funny enough,the E.Dailyytour E+ 1 has only got 4 sensors...

 

[PatriciaK]

Happy to be helpful, Stefan!

 

[FlatSix911]

A friend of mine, female, decided to take a plunge and buy herself an e-bike this Spring. There are the following criteria:

1. A (true) low-step commuter
2. Class 1
3. Mid-drive motor, no throttle. The motor has to be either Brose or Yamaha or Bosch or Shimano
4. From a big American or European brand. (The American brand that exports their products to Europe)
5. List price limited to US$3100

I could say cheaper models of Specialized Como or Vado might do the trick. Other options?
Please help me thinking.

I think this checks all of the boxes...although you may have to arrange for special Euro shipping.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...cycles/ebikes-electric-bikes-elite-eurban.htm

2020 Front Suspension Electric Elite eUrban, Advanced Integrated Battery, Shimano STEPS MidDrive

$1799 USD

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If the shipment were so simple matter, I would be already ordering a BH bike from Crazy Lenny's
There is an additional matter: the import tax and the Value Added Tax, the latter calculated on the sum of the product price and of the shipment cost. It is different if the company is UE based or the distributor is in Europe.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Besides, I looked at Trek e-bikes available in Poland. Some Verve+ e-bikes might be of interest, yet Trek bikes seem to be overpriced. A Verve+ that would fit in the budget has very poor specs. True, Specialized e-bikes are not very much better in this respect but Vados and Comos at least look beautifully.

I'm more and more surprised how good the Giant Liv e-bikes are. Exciting is even the fact that there comes a very good and capable display with the SyncDrive (Yamaha) motors. Trek's Verve+ comes with Bosch Purion which is decidedly not that good. Not sure what comes as a display with Vado 3.0 but I'm afraid it might not be the TCD-W.

 

[FlatSix911]

If the shipment were so simple matter, I would be already ordering a BH bike from Crazy Lenny's
There is an additional matter: the import tax and the Value Added Tax, the latter calculated on the sum of the product price and of the shipment cost. It is different if the company is UE based or the distributor is in Europe.

Why not have the bike delivered to a friend with a US address and then ship to your final destination.
This approach could make economic sense if the purchase price is less than 50% of your home market.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I think only the sea freight could be arranged. When the ship unloads the cargo in Gdynia, there will be customs officers there. Small chance a bike would pass unnoticed.

In general you're right, there are things you can transfer without involving the customs but a friend of mine had his electric quitar from the US cleared out by customs. He paid the same as he would have bought the same quitar in Thommann in Germany. Not a good deal.

The only single good deal I managed in a similar matter was buying the Pentax K-1 camera in Norway. Especially as I recovered the 25% VAT on taking the camera out of Norway. With cheap air tickets and free stay on Oslo at my manager home, that was a deal.

Bikes? Where will I get technical support for Motobecane in Poland? No, no, no.

 

[TomD]

How about a cube? Court just reviewed this bike and I thought it was interesting to see it heavily discounted in the UK. They claim to ship to the US for $150 but I can't imagine that's correct. It probably wouldn't work well for a US customer as likely limited to 25 kmh with a European charger. Not sure if they ship to Poland or not?

Get Your Wiggle On | Cycle, Run & Outdoor Shop | Wiggle

Prepare to get your Wiggle on. We have the awesome gear you need to cycle, run, hike & swim from the world's leading sports brands. No excuses, LET'S GO!

www.wiggle.co.uk

They have a 2019 model with 500wh battery.

Get Your Wiggle On | Cycle, Run & Outdoor Shop | Wiggle

Prepare to get your Wiggle on. We have the awesome gear you need to cycle, run, hike & swim from the world's leading sports brands. No excuses, LET'S GO!

www.wiggle.co.uk

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The pandemics has turned everything upside down. My friend wouldn't buy any e-bike right now. Also, the availability worsened.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

To all who have participated:

My friend has chosen her first e-bike. That would be the Giant E.DailyTour E+ 2 (2020), size M. The promotion price is equivalent to US$2680 (including taxes). The Giant distributor has such model and size. The LBS will let my friend demo-ride similar bikes to determine the actual needed size of the Dailytour. She has to prepay something in advance.

If you're interested, I may report the progress.

Ah. The LBS is in the walking distance from her home!

(See @Browneye? I am all for Giant if the bike is right)

E.DAILYTOUR E+ 2 LDS POWER 25 KM/H M '2020

Firma Giant wymaga aby rower był dostarczony do klienta w 100% gotowy do jazdy, w związku z tym możliwy jest tylko odbiór osobisty w naszych salonach lub dostawa naszym transportem na terenie Warszawy i okolic. Automatyczne wspieranie pedałowania, nawigacja i zintegrowane oświetlenie sprawiają, ż...

www.bikeman.pl

 

[Marci jo]

To all who have participated:

My friend has chosen her first e-bike. That would be the Giant E.DailyTour E+ 2 (2020), size M. The promotion price is equivalent to US$2680 (including taxes). The Giant distributor has such model and size. The LBS will let my friend demo-ride similar bikes to determine the actual needed size of the Dailytour. She has to prepay something in advance.

If you're interested, I may report the progress.

Ah. The LBS is in the walking distance from her home!

(See @Browneye? I am all for Giant if the bike is right)

E.DAILYTOUR E+ 2 LDS POWER 25 KM/H M '2020

Firma Giant wymaga aby rower był dostarczony do klienta w 100% gotowy do jazdy, w związku z tym możliwy jest tylko odbiór osobisty w naszych salonach lub dostawa naszym transportem na terenie Warszawy i okolic. Automatyczne wspieranie pedałowania, nawigacja i zintegrowane oświetlenie sprawiają, ż...

www.bikeman.pl

Googled it and I’m liking the deep step through frame, plus adjustable stem.
Pretty bike!

 

[Browneye]

Hmmm, a model we don't have here in US.
Looks perfect.
We love our SyncDrive assist, very sorted.

EDIT: So I found a UK site with this model so I could read specs. Basically this looks like a simplified Amiti, internal geared rear hub, cleaner frame design, the 'Life' assist motor which is a little less than the 'sport' motor, but same 700c wheels. Comes with fenders and rack which is a plus, but appears euro-spec does on the Amiti as well. (no fenders in US spec). Appears to be a really nice bike. I don't know anything about those geared hubs, but people seem to like them verses a derailleur.

The Amiti is going to be a little faster with the sport assit motor, more versatile with its gravel tires, a tiny bit more $$ it would seem. More similar than different though. Appears the DT might be a newer model - says it has the 500w pack with the smaller motor, so will have a little longer range.

DailyTour:

Amiti:

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thank you Captain!

@Browneye, I hear you. Amiti is unavailable here. Yet I have understood the needs of my friend. As good as she is in her own profession (she's very good), she is a bike laic. She needs a bike to easily get on and off. She might want to ride in a skirt (why not?) She's decidedly not stupid (quite opposite!) but why to bother her with the derailleur? The DailyTour can work in a full Auto assist I guess, and possibly it has the inclination sensor? The price is very good compared to Turbo Como. Giant is very very strong in Poland with excellent customer care.

She may want to commute to work, and the distance is not big (why should she drive a car?) Riding will be good for her fitness, too. 500 Wh on a Class 1 bike with no hills around is great.

My objective is to make Anita my riding partner. I would ride with her on low assist levels not to intimidate her. She rode my Lovelec once last Autumn and she got enchanted with e-bikes. She relies on me as her adviser.

I'm just waiting until we could go together to her LBS to collect her bike.

 

[Browneye]

And you could get a Trance-E at the same time!!!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

And you could get a Trance-E at the same time!!!

Where's my 700 Wh battery?

 

[Indira]

Hello - sorry for jumping in an almost finished debate, but have a dilemma with a Giant model that I want to buy - dealer in Croatia has Entour E Plus 1 on great discount ($1800 discount price), but the model from 2019. Is it reasonable to buy it, since there are no new models yet, and this Energy pack is a one-year-old battery, with 400W, compared with new ones that are 500 or higher...?
I am 50 years old lady , need a bike for daily commuting, 40 km to go to work and back, with 300 m difference in altitude... Would 400W battery do the job?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hi Indira! Is it a brand new bike with a new battery? If yes, it is nothing wrong with one year old battery because the new battery is "hibernated" and can be stored in that state for several years. If this e-bike was used by the dealer -- don't buy it.

I don't personally like e-bikes with the battery mounted on the rear rack. This occupies your precious space where you could carry a pannier. It is also not really good because the weight of the bike is at the rear.

I can see Giant Croatia offers this e-bike:

DailyTour E+ 2 LDS Power (2020) | E-bike bike | Giant Bicycles International

This versatile and practical E-bike is ideal for daily use in a variety of environments. It comes with all the built-in features you can think of, including a kickstand, lights, fenders and racks—all neatly designed and...

www.giant-bicycles.com

• A beautiful ladies' e-bike
• 500 Wh battery
• The gears are in the hub so no complicated derailleur that is also expensive to maintain; you'll be only replacing the chain from time to time
• True low-step: You can even wear a skirt if you like!

If this is available, your dealer can order the bike from the warehouse. Questions:

1. What is you maximum budget in kuna?
2. Is your area hilly? You say the elevation gain would be 300 m, it is almost flat terrain with few hills, isn't it.
3. Is the 40 km round trip? I always recommend a large battery and my experience with a Giant 500 Wh e-bike is 50 km with 800 m elevation gain leaves 25% battery charge if you are riding on Eco and Eco+ modes (Normal mode to conquer hills only). 400 Wh might leave you with the battery empty.

Finally, my friend bought no e-bike. Perhaps the weather is nasty in Poland still.

Pleased to meet you Indira! Nice to have a Croatian on the Forums!

 

[Indira]

Happy to be accepted to this community, too . Thank you for your suggestions, Stefan!
Yes, "DailyTour" is really beautiful (especially since I'm not super happy with the looks of Entour), but is also double the price (since this Entour is on 40% discount), and my max budget is 15000 kunas (waaay over my head, but decided that the part of that investment will come back from saved gasoline). It is 40 km roundtrip, with inclines mostly on my way back home, and I plan to bring the charger with me and charge it while in office. Hope to commute with bike at least six months out of one year. And yes - I plan to wear a skirt on a sunny day )

I was worried if one year in the shop can significantly weaken the battery.

 

[Browneye]

Happy to be accepted to this community, too . Thank you for your suggestions, Stefan!
Yes, "DailyTour" is really beautiful (especially since I'm not super happy with the looks of Entour), but is also double the price (since this Entour is on 40% discount), and my max budget is 15000 kunas (waaay over my head, but decided that the part of that investment will come back from saved gasoline). It is 40 km roundtrip, with inclines mostly on my way back home, and I plan to bring the charger with me and charge it while in office. Hope to commute with bike at least six months out of one year. And yes - I plan to wear a skirt on a sunny day )

I was worried if one year in the shop can significantly weaken the battery.

A forty km commute is likely a couple of hours. You must be in fantastic shape! You're likely adding four hours to your day.
The bike will do it just fine, likely without a recharge at your office. Surely try it a few times and see how your range does based on how you ride.

Expect zero degradation of the battery as a 2019 model. If it's a new bike out of the box I wouldn't hesitate one bit - in fact I bought three of them - all good.

Interesting how many different models from Giant we see internationally. Never heard of that model. The Entour is a nice looking example, but as Stefan mentions your battery is on the rear rack instead of in the downtube. That would not be my first choice, but if the bike suits you otherwise it could be a good choice, and appears to be an excellent value at the 'on sale' discounted price.

The LIFE motor version is their casual riding assist system - same thing you find in the LaFree. I personally have not ridden one of those, I have the sport and pro models, but I would expect it to perform adequately. Range is very good with the 400w pack, I consistently get 70km range with our two with the sport motor. The life motor's max assist level is a bit lower than the up-models, but also a little more efficient. Range will not be an issue.

The Daily Tour is a little more robust example of the bike type, and would also encourage you to try them both if at all possible. From what I can tell, both have 700c wheel size, and they make for a wonderfully easy to ride example, able to cover a lot of ground for the effort. Definitely my preference for a road-going bike. And there are some great tire options for durability and puncture resistance for the long travel rider. Likely tubeless ready. Your dealer can assist, and setup the bike to fit you.

EDIT: In reviewing the models and intended use, I also would recommend the AMITI if it is available. Much more well suited for intended use. Yes, a more substantial investment. I would encourage any new rider to not get too hung up on budget unless it's just financially impossible. You only buy initially, and then get many years of use. The upfront cost is just one part of it - more important to get a bike that suits well.

 

[Marci jo]

Hi Indira! Is it a brand new bike with a new battery? If yes, it is nothing wrong with one year old battery because the new battery is "hibernated" and can be stored in that state for several years. If this e-bike was used by the dealer -- don't buy it.

I don't personally like e-bikes with the battery mounted on the rear rack. This occupies your precious space where you could carry a pannier. It is also not really good because the weight of the bike is at the rear.

I can see Giant Croatia offers this e-bike:

DailyTour E+ 2 LDS Power (2020) | E-bike bike | Giant Bicycles International

This versatile and practical E-bike is ideal for daily use in a variety of environments. It comes with all the built-in features you can think of, including a kickstand, lights, fenders and racks—all neatly designed and...

www.giant-bicycles.com

• A beautiful ladies' e-bike
• 500 Wh battery
• The gears are in the hub so no complicated derailleur that is also expensive to maintain; you'll be only replacing the chain from time to time
• True low-step: You can even wear a skirt if you like!

If this is available, your dealer can order the bike from the warehouse. Questions:

1. What is you maximum budget in kuna?
2. Is your area hilly? You say the elevation gain would be 300 m, it is almost flat terrain with few hills, isn't it.
3. Is the 40 km round trip? I always recommend a large battery and my experience with a Giant 500 Wh e-bike is 50 km with 800 m elevation gain leaves 25% battery charge if you are riding on Eco and Eco+ modes (Normal mode to conquer hills only). 400 Wh might leave you with the battery empty.

Finally, my friend bought no e-bike. Perhaps the weather is nasty in Poland still.

Pleased to meet you Indira! Nice to have a Croatian on the Forums!

Pretty bike Stefan! That step through is very tempting.