Hi folks,
The idea of an ebike has intrigued me for awhile now and over the past year or so I’ve looked quite heavily into the world of pre-built ebikes. Not really interested in DIYing anything at this point.
That said, I feel like I’ve not found one that necessarily fits the bill for the things I want/don't want, which are:
Wants:
- Integrated, removable battery (able to be charged off bike)
- Throttle (on demand throttle type preferred, not limited to after pedal)
- Integrated lighting (bonus points for brake lights that react to the brakes being activated)
- Frame that fits a smaller person (5’7”)
- Overall sleek, more minimalistic look on the fixie/hipster side of things (more on the side of Van Moof or Cowboy and less on the side of RadRunner or the Aventon Level)
- Priced around $1,750 USD (or less)
Don't Wants:
- Step-through bike frame
- Folding bike
- Fat tire bike
- Super heavy frame
In the past I looked pretty heavily into Wing Bikes (and for that matter Van Moof), as it kinda hits all of the above asks. However, a few things had me worried: 1) that the bike wouldn’t fit. They list it as fitting riders 5’6” - 6’4”, but seems like the frame size is ~58cm. My last bike was a Nashbar single speed cyclocross @ 52cm (pretty sure that was size...) and it felt too tall for me. That said, multiple people have remarked that the Nashbar SSCX ran tall (see posts like this) but it does have me a bit apprehensive. I also know they have the smaller "S" version of the Freedom, but something about the geometry looks like a kid's bike to me, so it's a no go there. 2) would be the customer service concerns. Seems like there are posts and reviews everywhere about issues with customer service. To be fair, I’ve also seen posts praising their customer service, but it does seem pretty hit or miss.
For a bit I also looked at the Ride1Up Core-5/LMT’d, but it’s missing the integrated lights and honestly I don't think I’m 100% sold on the looks. I know the customer service/reputation of Ride1Up is more established, though, so that was a trade off.
Overall, just looking for insight from the folks here who know a lot more than I do about the wide world of electric bikes. As a general aside, I'd love to stay in the $1,750 or less range, but if there's something that's just above there I'd consider it, too. Feel free to also shoot back things that are way outside that range as well - it'll help me daydream for the future! Regardless, know I'm asking for quite a lot here but the question remains: does the bike I’m looking for exist or am I chasing something that isn’t on the market (yet)?
The idea of an ebike has intrigued me for awhile now and over the past year or so I’ve looked quite heavily into the world of pre-built ebikes. Not really interested in DIYing anything at this point.
That said, I feel like I’ve not found one that necessarily fits the bill for the things I want/don't want, which are:
Wants:
- Integrated, removable battery (able to be charged off bike)
- Throttle (on demand throttle type preferred, not limited to after pedal)
- Integrated lighting (bonus points for brake lights that react to the brakes being activated)
- Frame that fits a smaller person (5’7”)
- Overall sleek, more minimalistic look on the fixie/hipster side of things (more on the side of Van Moof or Cowboy and less on the side of RadRunner or the Aventon Level)
- Priced around $1,750 USD (or less)
Don't Wants:
- Step-through bike frame
- Folding bike
- Fat tire bike
- Super heavy frame
In the past I looked pretty heavily into Wing Bikes (and for that matter Van Moof), as it kinda hits all of the above asks. However, a few things had me worried: 1) that the bike wouldn’t fit. They list it as fitting riders 5’6” - 6’4”, but seems like the frame size is ~58cm. My last bike was a Nashbar single speed cyclocross @ 52cm (pretty sure that was size...) and it felt too tall for me. That said, multiple people have remarked that the Nashbar SSCX ran tall (see posts like this) but it does have me a bit apprehensive. I also know they have the smaller "S" version of the Freedom, but something about the geometry looks like a kid's bike to me, so it's a no go there. 2) would be the customer service concerns. Seems like there are posts and reviews everywhere about issues with customer service. To be fair, I’ve also seen posts praising their customer service, but it does seem pretty hit or miss.
For a bit I also looked at the Ride1Up Core-5/LMT’d, but it’s missing the integrated lights and honestly I don't think I’m 100% sold on the looks. I know the customer service/reputation of Ride1Up is more established, though, so that was a trade off.
Overall, just looking for insight from the folks here who know a lot more than I do about the wide world of electric bikes. As a general aside, I'd love to stay in the $1,750 or less range, but if there's something that's just above there I'd consider it, too. Feel free to also shoot back things that are way outside that range as well - it'll help me daydream for the future! Regardless, know I'm asking for quite a lot here but the question remains: does the bike I’m looking for exist or am I chasing something that isn’t on the market (yet)?
I looked but wasn't sure what Wally World bike you were referring to.
