Hi everyone

[kiyar]

Hi! I'm from New York and I'm thinking about buying an e-bike. I like cycling, and currently, I'm riding a hybrid bike. But since I face some issues with my knees, I think switching to an e-bike would be a wise decision.

 

[6zfshdb]

Welcome to the forum!

For me, my e-bike is a minor miracle. It's allowed me to continue riding with my bad hips & knees.

You won't be disappointed!

 

[kiyar]

Welcome to the forum!

For me, my e-bike is a minor miracle. It's allowed me to continue riding with my bad hips & knees.

You won't be disappointed!

Thanks! It is great to learn from the experience of others! I'm glad you can enjoy riding regardless of your health issues. I hope to have such an opportunity soon

 

[JGcycle]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Hi! I'm from New York and I'm thinking about buying an e-bike. I like cycling, and currently, I'm riding a hybrid bike. But since I face some issues with my knees, I think switching to an e-bike would be a wise decision.

Welcome aboard! You'll get good help here.

My ebike's a real knee-saver. It has both pedal-assist and a throttle, and I wouldn't part with either one. Many members don't like throttles, but if you have bum knees, definitely worth considering.

For example, my own knees hate the low-cadence, high-torque regime in standing starts — especially when I fail to downshift enough beforehand. (Not all stops are planned.) But 1 second of throttle off the line, and poof, my knees are at a happy cadence.

Ditto for when I need to squirt out of trouble unexpectedly, as in traffic. Downshifting and upping the assist takes a lot more time and attention when I should be accelerating and watching the cars and pedestrians instead. In this regard, the throttle's also a valuable safety feature.

Otherwise, the throttle's on standby. Since I like to pedal, almost always ride in the lowest assist level using gears first, then higher assist to keep the cadence knee-friendly. Without the assist, many of the steep hills around here would simply be off-limits knee-wise.

To make the even steepest hills doable, I replaced the stock 42t chainring with a 38t, dropping my gearing to 31 to 95 gear inches. A cheap but very good move for bum knees on a heavy ebike.

 

[6zfshdb]

As mentioned above, for riders with disabilities, a bike with a step thru frame and throttle can be very helpful. I also find cruise control to be a great feature. You can set whatever speed you want and, using the appropriate gear, apply a comfortable level of pedal pressure to assist the bike.

You may not think these features a necessary now but things can change. Consider the future since you'll want to enjoy your expensive investment for as long as possible.