Looking For A Full Suspension Skinny Tire Step Through Commuter

[Stefan Mikes]

People who think a throttle isnt neccessary have never had a health problem and only see an ebike as a toy for exercise. I see an ebike as a tool for transportation.

Some people who have three medical conditions ride without throttle. I wonder how you would ride in Europe, where throttle is not allowed.

 

[Mango1234]

I wouldn't and there are probably many others in Europe who are excluded due to absurd rules

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Will you deny riding on the throttle is actually riding an electric motorbike? Where is the "cycling" in this? The pedals that serve as footrests?

 

[Mr. Coffee]

People who think a throttle isnt neccessary have never had a health problem and only see an ebike as a toy for exercise. I see an ebike as a tool for transportation.

This must be news to the millions of people in Europe who use e-bikes as a primary form of transportation. For that matter, that is big news to the tens of millions of people all around the world who use unpowered bicycles as a primary form of transportation.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

How much suspension does a given rider in a given place with a given purpose really need? This turns out to be complicated stuff with no universal answer.

Rather than assume, best to rent some ebikes with different suspension options and see for yourself what best suits your personal needs.

Consider my case: Same rider and place, two very different ebikes. Mainly a recreational rider with occasional shopping trips. Bum knees but no other significant health issues from a cycling standpoint.

My 70 lb step-thru has an aluminum frame, a spring fork, and a spring suspension seat post — all of decent but not high quality. Also has 27.5 x 2.3" tubed hybrid tires running at 35 psi.

Ride quality is acceptable but not great on local roads and trails, some quite rough. Certainly wouldn't want any less suspension on this one. No idea what rear suspension would do for me here.

My 38 lb high-step has an aluminum frame with a rigid aluminum seatpost and a 20 mm spring shock (Specialized Future Shock 1.5) built into the stem. No other suspension, but it does have a compliant carbon fork and tubeless hybrid 27.3 x 1.5" (700x38 mm) tires also running at 35 psi. All high-quality stuff.

Ride quality on this one is surprisingly good — in fact, significantly better than on the step-thru in most settings. Certainly wouldn't want any more suspension on this one for my purposes.

Point of story: You don't need full suspension or fat tires to get decent ride quality. Assume nothing, study up on the pros and cons, and test before deciding instead.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

It is important to keep in mind that suspension in a mountain bike is not at all designed for comfort. They are designed to keep the rubber side down and the rider more or less in control on serious jank. The suspension in most e-mountain bikes, and any low-cost models, are largely decorative. If you tried to shred in one of them the bike would quickly be reduced to debris and the rider would be lucky to get away with a few broken bones.

Bicycles in general are not at all designed to be comfortable. With some very rare exceptions.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Another thought. There are lots of people on here with a history of injuries and health problems. Many of them do just fine on bikes without throttles or suspension.

 

[Mango1234]

Seems many misread the title of this thread. It is, paraphrasing: "Please give suggestions if you know of an ebike with a certain set of features" I guess I could have titled it "Please give suggestions if you know of an ebike with these features and Keep your opinions in some other thread if you have nothing positive to contribute and also dont attack my interests." That seemed too long for a title

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Come on, dude. You asked a question on an internet forum! What exactly did you expect?

People here are usually at least trying to be helpful. And people here have many years of experience with e-bikes and what works and what does not work and what is a godawful waste of money. If you ask a question and don't like the answers maybe you should think about that.

It is all free advice here. If you have a problem with the quality maybe you ought to pay someone to get the answers you are looking for.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

There aren't many options for a step-thru, full suspension, rear hub, with road tires. I ended up getting this for my wife. She wanted a full step thru, but she is satisfied with the mid-step thru.

Highly recommended! CC (Bafang M620, Full Suspension)

Frey CC: Most famous step through full-suspension e-bike. Bafang M620 Mid-drive System, built-in Big Capacity Battery System 840WH and more. Check now!

www.frey.bike

She rode the Aventon Level, full step thru with a suspension seat post for several years. The Suntour suspension seat post worked well to minimize road bumps.

https://www.aventon.com/products/aventon-level-step-through-commuter-ebike?variant=43285115076803

Suntour SuspensionSeat Post

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Seems many misread the title of this thread. It is, paraphrasing: "Please give suggestions if you know of an ebike with a certain set of features" I guess I could have titled it "Please give suggestions if you know of an ebike with these features and Keep your opinions in some other thread if you have nothing positive to contribute and also dont attack my interests." That seemed too long for a title

Hmmm, I didn't see a "please" or "thanks in advance" in any of your previous posts. And now I see a lot of entitlement.

Frustrating to get replies that miss your point, I know, but the path from a question to some useful answers is never a short, straight line around here. It's up to the OP to glean what they can. In my experience, just the way online forums and free advice work.

 

[mschwett]

Hmmm, I didn't see a "please" or "thanks in advance" in any of your previous posts. And now I see a lot of entitlement.

Frustrating to get replies that miss your point, I know, but the path from a question to some useful answers is never a short, straight line around here. It's up to the OP to glean what they can. In my experience, just the way online forums and free advice work.

I suggested a bike very close to his wish list. Oddly, no reply.

 

[BlackHand]

Ummm... Biktrix RogueHawk FS ST pretty much meets your wish list. 24x3 tires so not quite fat. Personally, it doesn't look like a very comfortable bike, but whatever floats your boat. That coil shock has 50mm of travel while a good suspension seatpost can give 35mm travel - food for thought.

RogueHawk FS Step-Thru

The RogueHawk FS is a powerhouse with one of the most powerful rear hub motors from Biktrix. Its 70V 20Ah 1400Wh battery, paired with a 3300W peak motor, delivers intense off-the-line speed that lets you dominate any terrain. The full suspension frame keeps you comfortable while you harness that...

biktrix.com

A much pricier and refined suggestion would be the Moustache J on. This bike looks like it was designed with comfort in mind. No throttle, so only people who treat their bikes like toys are allowed to own it, apparently.

 

[Mango1234]

Thank you for the suggestions. I like that RogueHawk, I would definitely get in trouble with that.
p.s I was attacked first, so refer to the post with the smiley emoticon right before I replied in kind.
And I guess I'll request it again,
If you don't have something positive to contribute, ...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I was attacked

How so?

 

[lnanek]

You could always build your own. I ride an Ariel Rider X-Class full suspension fat tire ebike, but I put a narrow tire on the front. All you really need to know how to do is how to remove the short axle on a narrow tire front wheel and put in a long axle, like from a back wheel. It's pretty commonly done when greasing the wheel bearings anyway, so lots of how to videos out there.

And have plenty of spacers/nuts. I also had to use extra long disc brake bolts. For spacing the disk brake rotor out, it's considered safer to use a solid metal disk with holes in it rather than use a stack of washers/nuts on each bolt.

I also only ride on pavement and the occasional hard packed dirt for my work commute. So I totally get not wanting fat tires. That said, if I had a medical issue requiring maximum amount of suspension from all possible sources, well, the one good thing about fat tires over narrow tires is that they are a cheap form of added suspension.

 

[February]

Just read an interesting thread on reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/15qlsz4

What I found interesting was not the posts about people who switched to fs(although the fs people are in the majority on that post), but the people who specifically didn't and the reasons why. And they all made perfect sense. Whether you simply want or need better feed back from your bike and the ground or whether your whole mind set is focused on trails and how you need to plan your riding, it all makes very good sense to me. I can understand why others would not want fs.

As regards throttle, as I posted in another thread, I almost never use mine, instead I use the pedal assists. After overdoing it the previous day, I had to bike a short distance to my local municipality to drop off paper work. Throttled the whole way there and back and although the ride was choppy due to the limiter, was happy I had that option. The best argument for throttle, emergency situations. Break your ankle or leg or anything else, that throttle could save your life. Sprained both my ankles at the same time as a child. Could not imagine the pain involved trying to make it home or to help on an a ebike with no throttle with even a sprained ankle, let alone a hairline or compound fracture. No luck if I break my right hand, wrist or arm, but I still like the throttle option if I need or want it. I had initially planned on replacing my half throttle with a full throttle, but since I almost never use it, will be upgrading to a simple thumb throttle. It would probably make more sense to switch the display or throttle so they are both on the same side, but I'm so used to throttling with my right hand and "sticking" with my left, that's the set up I will keep:

My old motorcycle jacket had the words "Hold Fast" patched on the right sleeve and "Hang Loose" on the left. Motorcyclists will get this

 

[February]

I splintered a tarsal bone maybe on the same day I spun the stator on an Espin fattire bike(hated that bike,sold it back to the guy I got from ( after installing a 1500 watt ft motor wheel and switching it to 3x26" fatties and a paintjob- he loved it!
after a few rounds with ft bikes not that big a fan of fattires these days and the splintered tarsal on top of the rapid hike back to the house,hurt very bad. The PA thought I had gout till it was xrayed.

Ouch! P.S. If any one wants the half throttle "ergo" grips That came with my VIVI when I upgrade, send me a message. I'd rather they went to a good home than end up in a landfill. They are for classic 22mm bars. I think shipping would be around $5. I'll be giving them away when the time comes.

 

[il Munduato]

Juggernaut FS Step-Thru MTB

Unleash the power of the Juggernaut FS Step-Thru, Biktrix’s latest masterpiece in electric mountain biking. Designed with the seasoned rider in mind, this Full Suspension, Low Step eMTB combines power, endurance, and comfort for an unparalleled riding experience. Key Features: Powerful...

biktrix.com

Here's one.

And just ignore the "enthusiasts" as they search out threads to bash throttle use.
Sure you can do without... But they just don't get the benefits. I use it to start in any up hill or rough terrain situation and it saves my knees. Sure I could struggle through without but that initial force on my bad knees is felt even starting down hill in the lowest of gears and my motor starts assistance immediately.
There's tons of features that can be done with or without... But unless their bike has it.. they'll bash it.
They know nothing of being an individual or thinking outside the box to suit ones personal likes or needs. All they know is what the LBS tells them. Take for example that suspension is designed to keep the rubber down on the trail. Sure it is.. but what they don't get is that it's not exclusive and that some level of comort to riding in general is gained. A tuned to pavement fs bike can ride more comfortably than a rigid frame. Funny as it doesn't seem to be that hard a concept to digest to me. Same goes for the throttle.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

And just ignore the "enthusiasts" as they search out threads to bash throttle use.
Sure you can do without... But they just don't get the benefits. I use it to start in any up hill or rough terrain situation and it saves my knees. Sure I could struggle through without but that initial force on my bad knees is felt even starting down hill in the lowest of gears and my motor starts assistance immediately.

For all the reasons you mentioned, my 70 lb torque-sensing step-thru hub-drive is a much better ebike for having a progressive on-demand throttle. And I always pedal with effort — usually at low assist.

A throttle's a valuable riding tool, nothing more — especially for knee preservation and instant bursts of speed in traffic. In fact, torque-sensing assist with that kind of throttle turns out to be a very versatile power delivery system for an ebike. One or two seconds at a time is all it takes for the throttle to earn its keep.

In contrast, my newer 38 lb power-sensing high-step mid-drive has no throttle. And surprisingly, my knees and I generally don't miss it on that bike — except in traffic and up steep driveways.