Looking for a Commuter/Paved Trail Recommendation

[Mr_Reality]

Need some help picking a good commuter and paved trail bike. Range is important with 50-60 mile round trips (not possible to charge). Looking at these options with local bike shops

Yamaha Cross Connect
Specialized Turbo Vado EQ
Trek Verve+ 3
Kona Dew-E

Does anyone have any experience with these options or recommendations?

 

[Dewey]

Those are all great ebikes, test ride as many as you can

 

[Mr_Reality]

Those are all great ebikes, test ride as many as you can

That’s one of the issues. None of these are in stock and all have to be ordered at LBS. I have a Turbo Levo so I do have a sense how that motor behaves.

 

[Dewey]

Are you a big guy? I noticed in the video reviews Court and the other reviewers mentioned Yamaha ebikes are a better fit for average or smaller riders, but Yamaha have a transferable warranty which is nice. The other three are new this year. You won’t go wrong with any of these. Specialized might suit a roadie, certainly it’s the lightest, and the dual battery option extends powered range, although it also sounds like it rides great unpowered, Kona Dew is a rock solid commuting pedal bike so I expect the ebike model sticks to their winning formula, I like the step-through Trek Verve 3. All good choices.

 

[Mr_Reality]

Are you a big guy? I noticed in the video reviews Court and the other reviewers mentioned Yamaha ebikes are a better fit for average or smaller riders, but Yamaha have a transferable warranty which is nice. The other three are new this year. You won’t go wrong with any of these. Specialized might suit a roadie, certainly it’s the lightest, Kona Dew is a rock solid commuting pedal bike so I expect the ebike model sticks to their winning formula, I like the step-through Trek Verve 3. All good choices.

I am 5’7 and about 200 pounds. I typically prefer a smaller bike when I am between frame sizes. Usually ride a medium.

 

[Dewey]

If it was me I don’t have indoor bike storage so I wouldn’t choose the Specialized because of the non-removable frame battery, I prefer to bring the battery indoors out of the heat. But the others are Class 1 if you want Class 3 28mph the Specialized would be the one to go for, and if you have a garage go for it.

 

[Sierratim]

These models cover a wide range of motor torques, 35-70Nm, as well as battery capacities. Lower torque models will get more miles per battery KWh. Unless you have extreme self control higher torque motors will get lower 'mileage'.

What type of bike assistance do you see yourself needing? This will be a function of your fitness level and your route topography. You should get a bike matched to your need, even if it gets lower mileage. If the resulting range is too low you can then add a range extender battery or a 2nd battery.

 

[AlanDB]

It is not only topography. I have been surprised at how wind can affect the range on a battery charge. With topography, when you go up, you (usually) eventually go back down and gain back a portion of what you lost. A tail wind can really increase your range, while a direct head wind will kill it. Even a side wind reduces the range significantly. So if you live in a windy area, don't count on the advertised range estimates.

One of the things I like to watch on my Bosch Nyon display is the miles ridden (on a charge) and the estimated range (miles remaining). Add them together and you get a estimate of the total calculated range you can get on a battery charge. When riding against the wind, this sum tends to go down 2 or more miles for each mile ridden. Of course the same is true when going uphill, but then when you coast on the down slope, the estimated range tends to recover a lot (but not all) of what you lost on the uphill climb.

 

[byunbee]

That’s one of the issues. None of these are in stock and all have to be ordered at LBS. I have a Turbo Levo so I do have a sense how that motor behaves.

That's something that can't be avoided in the current market. The good thing with those options are they are all from big reputable companies and all solid choices, so you can't go wrong.

I would recommend listing some criteria (torque, battery size, dual battery option, weight, riding position, local dealer, etc.) that are important to you and prioritize them. Then, compare against each bike's specifications to see which best meet your needs.