High range requirements, health issues.. Is an ebike right for me? Which one should I get? I would love some help! :)

[dangerface]

Hello
First post!

So, I'm looking to find a bike!

I'm just going to get personal right off the top.

I'm on disability assistance for mental health and chronic pain. It's stuff that some days doesn't show up or really bother me at all, and is pretty much not something you could tell by meeting me, but on the days when things flair up getting around and doing errands or connecting with community or just going and getting in the woods and doing things that would be really helpful for me become really challenging on my regular bike, walking or even by bus. Unfortunately it also means that while I do have a rewarding part time job and some other rewarding side hustles, especially before COVID, I've never been able to handle working enough to be what one would call, 'gainfully employed,' and a vehicle besides a pedal bike has always seemed out of the question thus far because of my budget. I tried my friend's ebike recently and was overjoyed with the freedom it gave me! I found a handful of great spots in Vancouver, Canada where I live I'd never been to on my first hour long ride! I have decided it's important for me to make an investment and get myself a vehicle. E-bikes have seemed like a great option except that I've realized that my friends bike doesn't get nearly far enough for me (I want something I can basically use in place of a car that I can ride all day and charge relatively quickly) and range is exactly the thing that drives the price up the most.

I'm working with an ABSOLUTE MAX budget of 2500 (And even that is a good 1500 more than I am all that comfortable spending) and am looking at 2nd hand bikes to stay withing budget but I know so little about bikes and so far the process has been really overwhelming and difficult.

I know this is an ebike forum, but I have also been considering gas powered bikes as well because it seems range/vs cost might work better and some are legal here if anyone is up for weighing in on that.

I would really love help/advice (Especially if there's someone that would be willing help me go through adds and find something!!)

Here's some me specs:
- I just under 6 ft and weigh just over 150 as far as bike size requirements.
- I need something that either is upright, or makes sense to have a higher handle bar stem and basically couch of a seat put on so my body is the least aggravated possible
- I do not have a drivers license/budget is an issue so something like a gas scooter or motorcycle aren't an option

Thank you very much!

 

[FlatSix911]

Hello
First post!

So, I'm looking to find a bike!

I'm just going to get personal right off the top.

I'm on disability assistance for mental health and chronic pain. It's stuff that some days doesn't show up or really bother me at all, and is pretty much not something you could tell by meeting me, but on the days when things flair up getting around and doing errands or connecting with community or just going and getting in the woods and doing things that would be really helpful for me become really challenging on my regular bike, walking or even by bus. Unfortunately it also means that while I do have a rewarding part time job and some other rewarding side hustles, especially before COVID, I've never been able to handle working enough to be what one would call, 'gainfully employed,' and a vehicle besides a pedal bike has always seemed out of the question thus far because of my budget. I tried my friend's ebike recently and was overjoyed with the freedom it gave me! I found a handful of great spots in Vancouver, Canada where I live I'd never been to on my first hour long ride! I have decided it's important for me to make an investment and get myself a vehicle. E-bikes have seemed like a great option except that I've realized that my friends bike doesn't get nearly far enough for me (I want something I can basically use in place of a car that I can ride all day and charge relatively quickly) and range is exactly the thing that drives the price up the most.

I'm working with an ABSOLUTE MAX budget of 2500 (And even that is a good 1500 more than I am all that comfortable spending) and am looking at 2nd hand bikes to stay withing budget but I know so little about bikes and so far the process has been really overwhelming and difficult.

I know this is an ebike forum, but I have also been considering gas powered bikes as well because it seems range/vs cost might work better and some are legal here if anyone is up for weighing in on that.

I would really love help/advice (Especially if there's someone that would be willing help me go through adds and find something!!)

Here's some me specs:
- I just under 6 ft and weigh just over 150 as far as bike size requirements.
- I need something that either is upright, or makes sense to have a higher handle bar stem and basically couch of a seat put on so my body is the least aggravated possible
- I do not have a drivers license/budget is an issue so something like a gas scooter or motorcycle aren't an option

Thank you very much!

Welcome to EBR! You will be amazed at the mental health benefits that come from riding an E-Bike.

Take a look at test riding some bikes locally to decide if you prefer a cruiser, commuter or step-through design.

Based on your requirements, you may want to consider pre-owned in addition to new... many bikes are backordered due to Covid-19.

 

[dangerface]

I'm ideally looking for something that I can go about 100 km from my house and back in a day at least. It kinda sounds to me from everything I'm reading about e-bikes that that's a bit of a pipe dream? I still might go the e-bike route if that's totally unrealistic but that high 2500 number is just what I would be willing to finagle if it meant getting something that could actually go as far as I'd like and be reliable. Otherwise it doesn't make sense to allot that much of an investment to it.

 

[dangerface]

Welcome to EBR! You will be amazed at the mental health benefits that come from riding an E-Bike.

Take a look at test riding some bikes locally to decide if you prefer a cruiser, commuter or step-through design.

Based on your requirements, you may want to consider pre-owned in addition to new... many bikes are backordered due to Covid-19.

Thanks for the welcome!

I definitely want something upright - My standard bike is cruiser style and basically has a couch of a seat. I don't need a step through but I need the overly comfy seat and upright style for my back.

I'm definitely looking at pre-owned price wise, but I hadn't thought of that about back orders because of COVID. Good point!

 

[byunbee]

100km is equivalent to 62 miles each way which means you are looking for 124 miles range. Unfortunately, ebike with such range doesn't exist currently. If you go eco mode on a highly efficient motor 250w Bosch, Brose, or Yamaha you may get 50-60 miles. Batteries usually take 3-6 hours to charge depending on the charger. So if you want to make a round trip with less than couple of hours between the trip there and back, you'll need a 2nd battery. Batteries for those motors typically run $600-$900. If you have a place to charge your battery and will be there for 4-6 hours, you may get away with having 1 battery while carrying your charger with you.

With that said, it may be good idea to look for a good 2nd hand low mileage ebike from a quality brand and spend the money left over for a 2nd battery.

bicycle blue book is a good place to start. They often have prior year models they are trying to unload with 1 mile on the odometer for sometimes thousands less than original MSRP.
Crazy Lenny usually has some good deals, but right now with peak bike sales due to COVID-19, I haven't seen anything worth buy in couple of months.
I found my bike online that was part of an estate sale for $1100 for a 2015 Haibike Xduro Urban with 1 mile on odometer. The original MSRP was $4500 I believe.

 

[FlatSix911]

100 km / 60 miles is a realistic range for an EBike with a +500kWh battery in low/medium assistance.
Here are three retailers that I would recommend for a good deal on a wide selection of quality bikes.
Take a look at what interests you and feel free to ask questions... there is a wealth of information from EBR members.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

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[dangerface]

100km is equivalent to 62 miles each way which means you are looking for 124 miles range. Unfortunately, ebike with such range doesn't exist currently. If you go eco mode on a highly efficient motor 250w Bosch, Brose, or Yamaha you may get 50-60 miles. Batteries usually take 3-6 hours to charge depending on the charger. So if you want to make a round trip with less than couple of hours between the trip there and back, you'll need a 2nd battery. Batteries for those motors typically run $600-$900. If you have a place to charge your battery and will be there for 4-6 hours, you may get away with having 1 battery while carrying your charger with you.

With that said, it may be good idea to look for a good 2nd hand low mileage ebike from a quality brand and spend the money left over for a 2nd battery.

bicycle blue book is a good place to start. They often have prior year models they are trying to unload with 1 mile on the odometer for sometimes thousands less than original MSRP.
Crazy Lenny usually has some good deals, but right now with peak bike sales due to COVID-19, I haven't seen anything worth buy in couple of months.
I found my bike online that was part of an estate sale for $1100 for a 2015 Haibike Xduro Urban with 1 mile on odometer. The original MSRP was $4500 I believe.

I does seem like having 2 batteries would be the way to go. Thanks for the tips!

100 km / 60 miles is a realistic range for an EBike with a +500kWh battery in low/medium assistance.
Here are three retailers that I would recommend for a good deal on a wide selection of quality bikes.
Take a look at what interests you and feel free to ask questions... there is a wealth of information from EBR members.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Hot New eBikes! Save Up to 63% Off Electric Bicycles +FREE SHIP 48

Keep watching this page Hot New eBikes! Save Up to 63% Off Electric Bicycles +FREE SHIP 48

www.bikesdirect.com

Used Bikes For Sale - Marketplace - BicycleBlueBook.com

BicycleBlueBook.com's marketplace of used bikes for sale offers a safe, secure, and easy experience that is unmatched. ✓ Shop for used bikes here.

www.bicyclebluebook.com

100km is equivalent to 62 miles each way which means you are looking for 124 miles range. Unfortunately, ebike with such range doesn't exist currently. If you go eco mode on a highly efficient motor 250w Bosch, Brose, or Yamaha you may get 50-60 miles. Batteries usually take 3-6 hours to charge depending on the charger. So if you want to make a round trip with less than couple of hours between the trip there and back, you'll need a 2nd battery. Batteries for those motors typically run $600-$900. If you have a place to charge your battery and will be there for 4-6 hours, you may get away with having 1 battery while carrying your charger with you.

With that said, it may be good idea to look for a good 2nd hand low mileage ebike from a quality brand and spend the money left over for a 2nd battery.

bicycle blue book is a good place to start. They often have prior year models they are trying to unload with 1 mile on the odometer for sometimes thousands less than original MSRP.
Crazy Lenny usually has some good deals, but right now with peak bike sales due to COVID-19, I haven't seen anything worth buy in couple of months.
I found my bike online that was part of an estate sale for $1100 for a 2015 Haibike Xduro Urban with 1 mile on odometer. The original MSRP was $4500 I believe.

Before I joined this forum I'd been looking at this one: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Would you mind weighing in on it? I'm concerned it may be too small for me for one, but not sure.

 

[FlatSix911]

Not sure if he needs another battery... I think he was talking about a 100 km round trip.

I'm ideally looking for something that I can go about 100 km from my house and back in a day at least.
It kinda sounds to me from everything I'm reading about e-bikes that that's a bit of a pipe dream? I still might go the e-bike route if that's totally unrealistic but that high 2500 number is just what I would be willing to finagle if it meant getting something that could actually go as far as I'd like and be reliable. Otherwise it doesn't make sense to allot that much of an investment to it.

 

[byunbee]

Not sure if he needs another battery... I think he was talking about a 100 km round trip.

You may be right. It wasn't 100% clear. If 100km round trip, as long as it's mostly flats and he keeps it in eco mode, he should barely make the trip on one battery.

 

[byunbee]

Most bikes on bicycle blue book are old models that are new or with very low mileage (<50 miles). Some people prefer brand new, but buying a prior years bike that's better built by more reputable manufacturers with better components is definitely not a bad way to go.

 

[dangerface]

You may be right. It wasn't 100% clear. If 100km round trip, as long as it's mostly flats and he keeps it in eco mode, he should barely make the trip on one battery.

I did actually mean 100 km there and 100 km back!

 

[dangerface]

Not sure if he needs another battery... I think he was talking about a 100 km round trip.

I should have worded that differently - I did mean 100 km there plus 100km back.

 

[pmcdonald]

I should have worded that differently - I did mean 100 km there plus 100km back.

Whoah, okay.

A 200 km round trip is quite the ride. My 500Wh Yamaha-powered bike could just do it under windless, near-flat conditions on minimum assist with lots of leg help. Others here with similar bikes have pushed near 250 km on a charge. But this is really hypermilling territory, not what I'd call relaxed, everyday riding.

Could we trouble you for a little more context, if you're willing to share? Is this there and back in a day. If so that's a massive amount of time in the saddle (8 - 10 hours per trip). If not will you have the chance to recharge overnight? 100 km is a lot more doable that 200. As Captain Slow asked, is public transport an option to do the bulk of the distance?

If this is for the purpose of day trips I feel a moped or cheap motorcycle might be more suitable. Others here can advise on whether those are realistic options in your budget.

 

[dangerface]

If that's the case, 100km is easy.

Almost any ebikes sold in Japan can do well over 100km.

In the US and Canada, the range is much shorter because of 20mph (32km/h) and 28 (45km/h) speed limit.
Japan has strict 15mph (25km/h) limit, so that's why they tend to get much longer range.

Basically, just turn the assist down. You'll get 100km easy.

Look at 3:33 in this video.
After 100km, someone had 4% battery left, but other people had nearly half left because they didn't use much assist.

Any particular Japanese models you suggest?

Whoah, okay.

A 200 km round trip is quite the ride. My 500Wh Yamaha-powered bike could just do it under windless, near-flat conditions on minimum assist with lots of leg help. Others here with similar bikes have pushed near 250 km on a charge. But this is really hypermilling territory, not what I'd call relaxed, everyday riding.

Could we trouble you for a little more context, if you're willing to share? Is this there and back in a day. If so that's a massive amount of time in the saddle (8 - 10 hours per trip). If not will you have the chance to recharge overnight? 100 km is a lot more doable that 200. As Captain Slow asked, is public transport an option to do the bulk of the distance?

If this is for the purpose of day trips I feel a moped or cheap motorcycle might be more suitable. Others here can advise on whether those are realistic options in your budget.

I 'd thought about motorcycles but the insurance / not having a license of any kind are a barrier. Ideally I want to be able to do cycle touring days where I bike for the day, camp and keep going - go and visit family and that kind of thing and get to places transit doesn't go and take myself camping (where there isn't electricity). Basically I'm trying to come as close as I possibly can to what I would do with a little car with space for a mattress in the back if I could afford it. I can do pretty long rides without pain, it's really navigating hills that starts to hurt my knees/back ect and cut my energy quickly which is why the assist would help so much, but I hadn't really thought about the fact that it would take 8-10 hours to get 100 km.. I've done rides close to that long but not quite and it's definitely a lot in a day.

I've never had a vehicle of any kind besides my pedal bike and I guess I will probably need to adjust my expectations a lot.

Thanks so much to everyone helping me with this. My ADHD brain has so much trouble sorting information online and trying to compare and process details without being able to have the actual bikes right in front of me and live people to actually talk to!

 

[pmcdonald]

Ideally I want to be able to do cycle touring days where I bike for the day, camp and keep going - go and visit family and that kind of thing and get to places transit doesn't go and take myself camping (where there isn't electricity). Basically I'm trying to come as close as I possibly can to what I would do with a little car with space for a mattress in the back if I could afford it. I can do pretty long rides without pain, it's really navigating hills that starts to hurt my knees/back ect and cut my energy quickly which is why the assist would help so much

Ah, that info helps a lot. The touring folk here should be able to offer some advice on bikes and strategies. They're navigating similar issues (power availability vs range). Have you read through the threads below?

touring strategies

For some time, I've been planning to do a credit card tour from the RTP area in North Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee (roughly 350 miles according to Boogle maps' bike routes). I'm hoping to average a little over 70 miles/day and will be relatively lightly loaded (tools, change of clothes or...

electricbikereview.com

Is anyone trying to solve charging on the road?

I'm a life long cyclist who would like to use my e-bike to go farther and faster. For me THE biggest challenge is charging while on the road. Solutions include carrying multiple batteries and fast charging. The first solution requires that people carry multiple heavy batteries, which eventually...

electricbikereview.com

Best bike for long distance touring?

I've looked all over this forum and don't see that anyone has asked this question. If you could have any ebike, what bike and bike set-up do you think would be the best for long distance touring, like the entire West Coast or across the USA? Thanks in advance!!

electricbikereview.com

 

[Alex M]

You want 100 km to get there, and 100 km back, 200 km total? With a stock battery you aren't going to make even 100 km one way, not in a hilly Vancouver.

Besides, 100 km one way is A LOT of riding, more than 3 hours, given Canadian 32 kmh limit for ebikes. Your ars isn't going to like it, consider taking your bike on public transit. Most buses have bike racks in front.

 

[FlatSix911]

I should have worded that differently - I did mean 100 km there plus 100km back.

Thanks for the clarification on your commute. I think the Yamaha Cross Core would be a good choice with a high quality motor & battery.

Court reviewed the bike on EBR and it has a maximum rated range of 129 km in eco mode... you would be fine with 100 km in the real world.

Yamaha Cross Core Review

Price: $2399 | Model Year: 2019 | A sleek affordable commuter from Yamaha, a household brand name going for a balance of price, performance, efficiency, and a purist feel, for years they did their homework studying their applications on Haibike, Giant, etc, using data and analysis to make...

electricbikereview.com

 

[FlatSix911]

For $2,500 Canadian, not really but i will post one model anyway.

It is called Yamaha YPJ EC (known as Yamaha CrossCore in the US market).
The Yamaha CrossCore is $2,399 US, I don't know how much in Canadian, but it will be over $2,500.
Also, I am not sure if it's available in Canada. You'd have to contact Yamaha.

Yamaha YPJ EC
(In the US it is known as, Yamaha CrossCore)

RANGE:
High: 89km
Standard: 109km
Eco: 148km
Eco Plus: 222km

The above range was quoted from Japanese site, although the bike is identical, Japan has strict 15mph (25km/h) regulations. Therefore, the US version will likely have less range due to increased top speed of 20mph (32km/h).
However, you can just run on lower assist mode to conserve the battery.

Yamaha YPJ EC (Japanese site) : https://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/pas/ypj/ypj-ec/
Yamaha CrossCore (US Site) : https://www.yamahabicycles.com/bikes/crosscore/

Crazy Lenny has the Cross Core available for $2.399... I am sure they can do far better with a phone call.

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[byunbee]

He already confirmed 100km total, not 200km.

Nope...He confirmed that's it's 200km total.

"I should have worded that differently - I did mean 100 km there plus 100km back. "

 

[rich c]

I'm wondering how much throttle time you intend since you also mentioned the gas bike, and your disability. That definitely makes 200km a serious problem.