Integrated Battery Mid-Drive with Throttle

[ThatBenGuy]

I'm looking to get my first ebike to use as an all-rounder. It'll mostly serve as a replacement to run quick errands around town, with the occasional paved or gravel city trail. I'm a moderately experienced analogue mountain biker, and I enjoy managing my own gearing. Having a motor that isn't making use of the cassette seems counter-productive to me, so I'd like to avoid a rear hub motor, especially cadence-sensor setups because of the jarring (to me) lag in response.

I'm in Ontario, Canada, so throttles are fair game, and having the ability to quickly cross intersections and get up to speed quickly after a stop signs is very appealing. I also dislike the humpback look of non-integrated batteries, but that might be too many requirements, so I'm willing to let that go if I have to.

My ideal ebike would have:

• Mid-motor
• Throttle that can override PAS level
• Has a rear rack, or at least mounting points for a rack
• Looks mostly like an analogue bike (integrated battery)
• Can handle some light off-roading

My current contender is the Rize RX. The power and tinkerability of the Bafang motor is really appealing, and this bike has some pretty amazing value, but is a little overly rugged and has the ugly battery bump.

An obvious comparison to that bike are the Biktrix bikes, but those are even more rugged, have the battery bump, and fat tires, which I really dislike.

I've seen Evelo bikes have pretty much all the features I'd like, but don't ship to Canada.

The Ohm Quest bikes used to come with throttle according to reviews, but I think their switch to Shimano mid-drives means the throttle is gone. Does anyone know if the EP8 can have a throttle?

I like the idea of supporting a Canadian company (and it seems like they're almost the only ones with throttled mid-drives anyway), but international companies are fine too, so long as they ship to Canada. I'm fine with minimal support and doing my own maintenance, but I don't want to DIY.

 

[ki11a]

The Ariel Rider Class C has all the boxes cept for an integrated battery, maybe you should check it out

Also check out Dost ebikes, they are awesome and based in Canada, and have ebikes that check all your boxes....but are a bit pricey.

 

[Dewey]

Also the Hilleater Galiano uses a hub motor but the electrics are supplied by Grin Tech including a Canadian designed programmable controller, torque pedal assist and a throttle, plus a powerful motor and 52v battery. The business is located near Vancouver, BC.

 

[6zfshdb]

If you can live without a torque sensor, take a look at the Dost Kope:

DŌST Bikes – 120 mile long-range electric bikes

An unrivalled electric bike and experience. 120 miles on a single charge. Bikes in stock today.

dostbikes.com

It has an integrated battery and a second add on "hump" battery as an option.

 

[AHicks]

In defense of the "ugly bump", especially when considering a Bafang Ultra powered bike, that motor and others of similar size are going to need a pretty healthy sized battery to support them if they are going to have good range. One of the reasons the Rize bikes do pretty decent when it comes to "bang for the buck" is because they come stock with a 19.1ah battery. That vs. making them some exotically priced option.

Anyway, my point is it takes a lot of cells to come up with a 19.1 ah capacity. ANY bike I'm aware of with a battery that size is going to have a pretty noticeable "bump".

BTW, I have a recently purchased Rize Pro Rx, purchased just a few weeks ago, that I love. Would do that again without a second's hesitation.... -Al

 

[JRA]

If as you say you like to manage your own gearing I think you at least owe it to yourself to try a torque sensing hub bike. Frankly I prefer hub motor bikes for road use and your input at the cranks via gear selection is just as much a prime motivator as with a mid drive I feel. I totally agree that a throttle as you envision it is a useful tool and you will have a much larger selection of bikes that use hub motors that have throttles than mid drives.

iGo is a company that is local to you and has a nice looking line of bikes at a decent price and has been in business for years. Maybe you can find a dealer that carries them and give them a go, you might be surprised.

 

[ThatBenGuy]

If as you say you like to manage your own gearing I think you at least owe it to yourself to try a torque sensing hub bike. Frankly I prefer hub motor bikes for road use and your input at the cranks via gear selection is just as much a prime motivator as with a mid drive I feel. I totally agree that a throttle as you envision it is a useful tool and you will have a much larger selection of bikes that use hub motors that have throttles than mid drives.

iGo is a company that is local to you and has a nice looking line of bikes at a decent price and has been in business for years. Maybe you can find a dealer that carries them and give them a go, you might be surprised.

Yeah, I had thought about it and considered the Surface604 Colt since it has a torque sensor, but I don't have an easy way to try it out without buying.

 

[JRA]

That is why I suggested a local company, you wouldn't deal with them directly but they have a pretty large dealer network in your area.

iGO Electric Bikes CA

With over 15 years experience, iGO Electric is a Canadian ebike company making purpose built electric bicycles for the North American market.

igoelectric.ca

If you can actually test both systems you will be sure which will work best for your needs, brand is not as important until you go for what you decide on.

 

[vincent]

You might try the Facebook owners page for some of these bikes and see if anyone will let you test ride... I have done that a couple of times

 

[6zfshdb]

I'm looking to get my first ebike to use as an all-rounder. It'll mostly serve as a replacement to run quick errands around town, with the occasional paved or gravel city trail. I'm a moderately experienced analogue mountain biker, and I enjoy managing my own gearing. Having a motor that isn't making use of the cassette seems counter-productive to me, so I'd like to avoid a rear hub motor, especially cadence-sensor setups because of the jarring (to me) lag in response.

I'm in Ontario, Canada, so throttles are fair game, and having the ability to quickly cross intersections and get up to speed quickly after a stop signs is very appealing. I also dislike the humpback look of non-integrated batteries, but that might be too many requirements, so I'm willing to let that go if I have to.

My ideal ebike would have:

• Mid-motor
• Throttle that can override PAS level
• Has a rear rack, or at least mounting points for a rack
• Looks mostly like an analogue bike (integrated battery)
• Can handle some light off-roading

My current contender is the Rize RX. The power and tinkerability of the Bafang motor is really appealing, and this bike has some pretty amazing value, but is a little overly rugged and has the ugly battery bump.

An obvious comparison to that bike are the Biktrix bikes, but those are even more rugged, have the battery bump, and fat tires, which I really dislike.

I've seen Evelo bikes have pretty much all the features I'd like, but don't ship to Canada.

The Ohm Quest bikes used to come with throttle according to reviews, but I think their switch to Shimano mid-drives means the throttle is gone. Does anyone know if the EP8 can have a throttle?

I like the idea of supporting a Canadian company (and it seems like they're almost the only ones with throttled mid-drives anyway), but international companies are fine too, so long as they ship to Canada. I'm fine with minimal support and doing my own maintenance, but I don't want to DIY.

Take a look at the Pedego City Commuter Mid Drive:
https://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/product/city-commuter-mid-drive-edition/
No battery "hump" since it uses a rear rack battery and with a rack bag or panniers, it is hard to tell it's an e-bike.

My only complaint about the bike is it has no front suspension. A rockshox or similar fork suspension can be easily added. I did it on my Pedego and it took about 30 minutes with basic tools.

It isn't a Canadian company but they do ship to Canada. They also ship parts directly to the owner without going through a dealer.

 

[Apu]

I'm looking to get my first ebike to use as an all-rounder. It'll mostly serve as a replacement to run quick errands around town, with the occasional paved or gravel city trail. I'm a moderately experienced analogue mountain biker, and I enjoy managing my own gearing. Having a motor that isn't making use of the cassette seems counter-productive to me, so I'd like to avoid a rear hub motor, especially cadence-sensor setups because of the jarring (to me) lag in response.

I'm in Ontario, Canada, so throttles are fair game, and having the ability to quickly cross intersections and get up to speed quickly after a stop signs is very appealing. I also dislike the humpback look of non-integrated batteries, but that might be too many requirements, so I'm willing to let that go if I have to.

My ideal ebike would have:

• Mid-motor
• Throttle that can override PAS level
• Has a rear rack, or at least mounting points for a rack
• Looks mostly like an analogue bike (integrated battery)
• Can handle some light off-roading

My current contender is the Rize RX. The power and tinkerability of the Bafang motor is really appealing, and this bike has some pretty amazing value, but is a little overly rugged and has the ugly battery bump.

An obvious comparison to that bike are the Biktrix bikes, but those are even more rugged, have the battery bump, and fat tires, which I really dislike.

I've seen Evelo bikes have pretty much all the features I'd like, but don't ship to Canada.

The Ohm Quest bikes used to come with throttle according to reviews, but I think their switch to Shimano mid-drives means the throttle is gone. Does anyone know if the EP8 can have a throttle?

I like the idea of supporting a Canadian company (and it seems like they're almost the only ones with throttled mid-drives anyway), but international companies are fine too, so long as they ship to Canada. I'm fine with minimal support and doing my own maintenance, but I don't want to DIY.

Following. These are the same parameters I am looking for. Did you make a decision yet?