Help with ebike choice
- Thread starter Jackson
- Start date
Scarlet/Fire
Active Member
- Region
- USA
No experience with either- but the best bike is the one that gets ridden- unless you shift like a pro any mid drive bike could be frustrating- consider a belt drive with internal gearing if you want the ultimate user friendly EBike experience-
Thanks for the obvious re the best bike is the one that get ridden. Cannot afford a Belt drive with internal gearing like the Gazelle C380
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Think what happens when you are about to change a punctured inner tube in the rear wheel -- and you'll stop regretting owning the chain drive-train
Scarlet/Fire
Active Member
- Region
- USA
Me neither! Haha- a perk of some hub drives is a throttle,I can hardly imagine not having that feature- it comes in extremely handy when starting from a dead stop,after a few seconds I’m pedaling and letting the assist kick in- just a thought- cheers
Scarlet/Fire
Active Member
- Region
- USA
Rear drive/hub drive-not the same? Anyway just trying to help- a fantastic alternative to that gazelle is the Priority Current @ 2999 it 1k cheaper! Peace
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
In making recommendations, it helps to know the type of riding you plan to do, any limiting health conditions that need to be accommodated., what type of bikes you have had and enjoyed, your particular intended use, your budget. It also helps to know how handy you are being your own mechanic, .sourcing parts and if you have a good set of bike tools. The least expensive bikes that may look like a good deal but are not a good choice for folks who are not handy and need a good mechanic, eager to keep you happy with a bike that runs well. In that case a name brand bike from a local shop is well worth the extra money spent.
Much of the advice you get on forums is not in your interest. Most people are trying to justify their own choices by urging you to buy what they bought. Whatever you do, don't listen to anyone who tells you not to listen to the advice of others...Hah, I guess that eliminates me
The best thing you can do is be as precise as you can about how often and under what conditions you think you are going to ride. This will help a knowledgeable dealer guide you to a bike that will serve you best.
If you are like most of us you will ride your ebike more often and further than you ever imagined possible. Spending more money on a better built, safer, more reliable bike will be one of the best decisions you ever made. And I suspect I am not alone in that once I got going with my first ebike, I discovered latent capabilities within myself that lead down the road to longer. more athletic, endurance riding, something that never occurred to me going into it. Buying a better, more versatile bike at first kept me riding longer till I could afford the kind of bike that I eventually learned would be right for me. That process took over a year.
Add a grain of salt to the advice you get here. Some of it can be quite good and well informed but there are occasionally shills hiding in the corners, promoting their new brand. And then there is the fact that individuals riders often exhibit confirmation bias in their comments just wanting to give them affirmation for their choices.
Do it your self/retrofit guys can't imagine why someone would spend good money on a manufactured bike from the ground up ebike. Fans of low priced, Chinese made, hub motor bikes would not be caught dead on center drive bikes. Fans of German made equipment really don't hardly bother looking at bikes from other countries. Some people will never even look at a bike without a throttle, while other would never have a bike with one. fans of a particular brand will insist the one they chose is the only one to buy.
If you are like most riders, you are not a mechanic, don't have the know how, tools, time or interest in converting a bike to an ebike or maintaining your production bike. Some of us live for this stuff others just want to ride. Most will need help from a local bike shop. Don't expect people at that shop to care about keeping your bike running smoothly if you bought a bike on line.
The only support you will get from an on line seller, if you are lucky, is phone help to diagnose the problem and they send you parts to replace yourself or you will pay a local shop to replace for you.
If you decide that building out an ebike is not for you, it is likely best to spend a little more and have a dedicated local shop standing behind the sale in who's interest it is to keep you happy and rolling along.
The most common comment I have heard from new ebike owners is almost always something like: "I never imagined I would be riding a bike this often or this far" Buying a cheaper, mass produced bike may or may not give you the same quality of "whoopee!!" experience that boosts you right into an enthusiastic embrace of ebiking.
All too often people who buy lesser bikes seem to arrive at regrets sooner because the bike's inherent limitations just never quite enabled it to do what they want. Personally I ended up spending way more than I initially thought I would or should. Given how much time I now spend on my bike, something I never could have imagined, I am glad I spent what I did and got a bike I can count on, that enhances my enjoyment every time I ride it.
My advice: Make an honest assessment as to how you will be riding, road or trails, easy grades or mountain trails, commuting, exercise/fitness or touring. Take your time but don't get bogged down in research paralysis. Test ride lots of bikes until you find the one that puts the biggest grin on your face and the people selling it you like the best. Then, if you can possibly afford it, pay more than you first thought you were willing to spend. The pain of paying out some more money wears off quickly. The joy of riding a bike that really suits you will endure long into the future every time you saddle up.
Much of the advice you get on forums is not in your interest. Most people are trying to justify their own choices by urging you to buy what they bought. Whatever you do, don't listen to anyone who tells you not to listen to the advice of others...Hah, I guess that eliminates me
The best thing you can do is be as precise as you can about how often and under what conditions you think you are going to ride. This will help a knowledgeable dealer guide you to a bike that will serve you best.
If you are like most of us you will ride your ebike more often and further than you ever imagined possible. Spending more money on a better built, safer, more reliable bike will be one of the best decisions you ever made. And I suspect I am not alone in that once I got going with my first ebike, I discovered latent capabilities within myself that lead down the road to longer. more athletic, endurance riding, something that never occurred to me going into it. Buying a better, more versatile bike at first kept me riding longer till I could afford the kind of bike that I eventually learned would be right for me. That process took over a year.
Add a grain of salt to the advice you get here. Some of it can be quite good and well informed but there are occasionally shills hiding in the corners, promoting their new brand. And then there is the fact that individuals riders often exhibit confirmation bias in their comments just wanting to give them affirmation for their choices.
Do it your self/retrofit guys can't imagine why someone would spend good money on a manufactured bike from the ground up ebike. Fans of low priced, Chinese made, hub motor bikes would not be caught dead on center drive bikes. Fans of German made equipment really don't hardly bother looking at bikes from other countries. Some people will never even look at a bike without a throttle, while other would never have a bike with one. fans of a particular brand will insist the one they chose is the only one to buy.
If you are like most riders, you are not a mechanic, don't have the know how, tools, time or interest in converting a bike to an ebike or maintaining your production bike. Some of us live for this stuff others just want to ride. Most will need help from a local bike shop. Don't expect people at that shop to care about keeping your bike running smoothly if you bought a bike on line.
The only support you will get from an on line seller, if you are lucky, is phone help to diagnose the problem and they send you parts to replace yourself or you will pay a local shop to replace for you.
If you decide that building out an ebike is not for you, it is likely best to spend a little more and have a dedicated local shop standing behind the sale in who's interest it is to keep you happy and rolling along.
The most common comment I have heard from new ebike owners is almost always something like: "I never imagined I would be riding a bike this often or this far" Buying a cheaper, mass produced bike may or may not give you the same quality of "whoopee!!" experience that boosts you right into an enthusiastic embrace of ebiking.
All too often people who buy lesser bikes seem to arrive at regrets sooner because the bike's inherent limitations just never quite enabled it to do what they want. Personally I ended up spending way more than I initially thought I would or should. Given how much time I now spend on my bike, something I never could have imagined, I am glad I spent what I did and got a bike I can count on, that enhances my enjoyment every time I ride it.
My advice: Make an honest assessment as to how you will be riding, road or trails, easy grades or mountain trails, commuting, exercise/fitness or touring. Take your time but don't get bogged down in research paralysis. Test ride lots of bikes until you find the one that puts the biggest grin on your face and the people selling it you like the best. Then, if you can possibly afford it, pay more than you first thought you were willing to spend. The pain of paying out some more money wears off quickly. The joy of riding a bike that really suits you will endure long into the future every time you saddle up.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Word.
Thank you for that! We are probably of the same age group and yes we do know how to weed out the info and advise given.In making recommendations, it helps to know the type of riding you plan to do, any limiting health conditions that need to be accommodated., what type of bikes you have had and enjoyed, your particular intended use, your budget. It also helps to know how handy you are being your own mechanic, .sourcing parts and if you have a good set of bike tools. The least expensive bikes that may look like a good deal but are not a good choice for folks who are not handy and need a good mechanic, eager to keep you happy with a bike that runs well. In that case a name brand bike from a local shop is well worth the extra money spent.
Much of the advice you get on forums is not in your interest. Most people are trying to justify their own choices by urging you to buy what they bought. Whatever you do, don't listen to anyone who tells you not to listen to the advice of others...Hah, I guess that eliminates me
The best thing you can do is be as precise as you can about how often and under what conditions you think you are going to ride. This will help a knowledgeable dealer guide you to a bike that will serve you best.
If you are like most of us you will ride your ebike more often and further than you ever imagined possible. Spending more money on a better built, safer, more reliable bike will be one of the best decisions you ever made. And I suspect I am not alone in that once I got going with my first ebike, I discovered latent capabilities within myself that lead down the road to longer. more athletic, endurance riding, something that never occurred to me going into it. Buying a better, more versatile bike at first kept me riding longer till I could afford the kind of bike that I eventually learned would be right for me. That process took over a year.
Add a grain of salt to the advice you get here. Some of it can be quite good and well informed but there are occasionally shills hiding in the corners, promoting their new brand. And then there is the fact that individuals riders often exhibit confirmation bias in their comments just wanting to give them affirmation for their choices.
Do it your self/retrofit guys can't imagine why someone would spend good money on a manufactured bike from the ground up ebike. Fans of low priced, Chinese made, hub motor bikes would not be caught dead on center drive bikes. Fans of German made equipment really don't hardly bother looking at bikes from other countries. Some people will never even look at a bike without a throttle, while other would never have a bike with one. fans of a particular brand will insist the one they chose is the only one to buy.
If you are like most riders, you are not a mechanic, don't have the know how, tools, time or interest in converting a bike to an ebike or maintaining your production bike. Some of us live for this stuff others just want to ride. Most will need help from a local bike shop. Don't expect people at that shop to care about keeping your bike running smoothly if you bought a bike on line.
The only support you will get from an on line seller, if you are lucky, is phone help to diagnose the problem and they send you parts to replace yourself or you will pay a local shop to replace for you.
If you decide that building out an ebike is not for you, it is likely best to spend a little more and have a dedicated local shop standing behind the sale in who's interest it is to keep you happy and rolling along.
The most common comment I have heard from new ebike owners is almost always something like: "I never imagined I would be riding a bike this often or this far" Buying a cheaper, mass produced bike may or may not give you the same quality of "whoopee!!" experience that boosts you right into an enthusiastic embrace of ebiking.
All too often people who buy lesser bikes seem to arrive at regrets sooner because the bike's inherent limitations just never quite enabled it to do what they want. Personally I ended up spending way more than I initially thought I would or should. Given how much time I now spend on my bike, something I never could have imagined, I am glad I spent what I did and got a bike I can count on, that enhances my enjoyment every time I ride it.
My advice: Make an honest assessment as to how you will be riding, road or trails, easy grades or mountain trails, commuting, exercise/fitness or touring. Take your time but don't get bogged down in research paralysis. Test ride lots of bikes until you find the one that puts the biggest grin on your face and the people selling it you like the best. Then, if you can possibly afford it, pay more than you first thought you were willing to spend. The pain of paying out some more money wears off quickly. The joy of riding a bike that really suits you will endure long into the future every time you saddle up.
We have been riding Pedego pedal assist bikes now for 4 yrs and put on a lot of kilometers. We bought them when there was not much else in Ebikes in Canada.
Paid over $4k for each bike but now we find there are much better alternatives out there with the mid drive motors.
We ride a wide range of terrain and are limited on our Pedegos as they are so back heavy. We are looking for something with a mid dirive, front shocks, active riding posture.
I do really need the suspension seat post as i have neck and back problems.
So with that said we are looking in the neighborhood of a $5k bike. That is Canadian dollars (pesos) LOL
legsofbeer
Active Member
This makes zero sense. The only weight involved in a throttle is a few ounces for the throttle & cable itself, located on the handlebars.
legsofbeer
Active Member
Older model pedego bikes put the battery on a rack above the rear wheel. That's a bike layout issue, not a drive type issue.
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
In my "quiver" of ebikes I have a 2020 Trek Allant+ 9.9S and I owned a 2017 Cube Touring Hybrid 500EXC. As my first ebike, I have soft spot for the Cube but frankly the build quality of the Trek is somewhat superior and the support from out local Trek store, just a mere 1.2 miles from our home in Bellingham, WA is world class...giving Trek the edge. I really love riding my Allant. To make it more compliant and less bone jarring for this 70 year old frame, I put a Kinekt Body Float seat post on the bike and as the 9.9 comes with a fixed carbon fork, I also swapped out the handlebar in favor of the French made Baramind shock absorbing city model. As the 7 has a suspension front fork, it does not need that piece.
My experience both with the Allant 9.9S and the people behind it makes the Trek the best choice and the one that gets my recommendation.
You might mention more prominently that you are in Canada which limits you to a class 1 ebike. People will still ignore that and recommend budget high powered internet bargains that are illegal where you live, but at least some will confine their recommendations to bikes you can legally ride where you live.
My experience both with the Allant 9.9S and the people behind it makes the Trek the best choice and the one that gets my recommendation.
You might mention more prominently that you are in Canada which limits you to a class 1 ebike. People will still ignore that and recommend budget high powered internet bargains that are illegal where you live, but at least some will confine their recommendations to bikes you can legally ride where you live.
Hey Legsofbeer re the Pedego bikes the issue is not throttle weight it is the total imbalance weight of the battery pack on the back rack along with the Hub motor.
Therefore putting all the weight in the back of the bike behind the rider. Do get to do a lot of wheelies though. LOL
Therefore putting all the weight in the back of the bike behind the rider. Do get to do a lot of wheelies though. LOL
Akrotiri
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Europe
Can’t go wrong with either one. Especially considering both your choices are mid-drives as opposed to inferior hub drives.
Both Cube and Trek make great e-bikes. The trek allant 7 low step and Cube Kathmandu hybrid are both excellent and reliable.
There are many happy customers on these forums. Off the top of my head @Dallant bought one trek allant 7 for himself and a few short months later bought another allant 7 for his wife. I believe their in the same age group as you and your spouse as well. I think @skritikos has the cube Kathmandu hybrid.
What matters is that both e-bikes are mid-drives made by a European company and an American company which is the best way to go and Cube and Trek have great customer support and reliability.
I would steer clear of any online e-bikes as they are almost always inferior compared to products like Cube and Trek. There are outliers like Canyon which is a reputable and high quality online retailer of e-bikes and non-ebikes.
Some advice on these forums won’t be of good service and help to you such as posts #2,#5,#7 in this thread.
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Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
I know nothing of the Cube. I’ve had my Allant+7 since last May and now have 1200 miles and love it! No real issues. I rode a 27+ mile (very hilly) ride 3 times a week last year and hope to double that mileage this year. Planning a few long trips out west, the Black Hills area being one. We bought my wife a +7 Lowstep last October and she really loves hers. I’d recommend it as a great all-around ebike to anyone.
FWIW...I’m 66+ and had open heart surgery 5+ years ago and my wife has had 2 rounds of cancer.
FWIW...I’m 66+ and had open heart surgery 5+ years ago and my wife has had 2 rounds of cancer.
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Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
One thing I might mention about the Lowstep is that it is NOT Range Boost compatible vs the diamond frame version. That may or may not matter to you but it’s good to know.
Electric bike range extender – Trek Bikes
Add an extra boost to every ride with an e-bike range extender for riding longer, adventuring further, and exploring bigger than before.
indianajo
Well-Known Member
See this thread about the cost of Bosch batteries: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/batteries.41276/
In 1000 charges you'll probably need one. There are bikes with more generic batteries with multiple sources. Uglier, or course. wedge shaped plastic box out there visible on the diagonal tube.
BTW, I ride a hub motor bike, but put the motor on the front. You can't buy them that way, but it balances the bike a lot better than a motor in the rear. For sure don't buy another model with battery high on a rack in the rear above a hub motor.
In 1000 charges you'll probably need one. There are bikes with more generic batteries with multiple sources. Uglier, or course. wedge shaped plastic box out there visible on the diagonal tube.
BTW, I ride a hub motor bike, but put the motor on the front. You can't buy them that way, but it balances the bike a lot better than a motor in the rear. For sure don't buy another model with battery high on a rack in the rear above a hub motor.
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
How many full charges on your battery?
Scarlet/Fire
Active Member
- Region
- USA
Maybe I messed up the thread? But if you are asking me about the battery - I can only guess,maybe 100 charges to full? Although I’m trying to avoid that because I gather charging to 80% can extend battery life-
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