Looking for best commuter ebike

[achiang]

I'm looking for a commuter ebike for a 12 mile commute that's mostly flat, most are on paved paths and road and part is on trail. I'm 5'10", 140 lbs. I've read that many bikes can get up to 28 mph with pedal assist. My question is, which bikes can get to this speed with the least amount of effort, so that I'm not sweaty when I get to work?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Chris Hammond]

So to clarify, the max unassisted speed on any production ebike is 20 mph. The class 3 bikes will have an assisted max speed of 28 mph, and some will have an "off-road" mode that will allow assistance above 28mph.
However, you need to understand maintaining 28mph requires a LOT of energy from the battery. You are likely to use ~30 watts/ mile at that speed. Thus your 12 mile commute will use ~ 360 watt/hours each direction. Thus you will need a battery with a minimum capacity of > 720 W/h, and even then you would be using nearly 100% of your battery. That is not good for battery longevity, and you will find your range decrease over time fairly rapidly.

Now there are plenty of ebikes that are class 3. But only a few have battery options > 700 W/h. Your price range will determine what is available to you. On the low end price wise, Juiced Crosscurrent S has a 48V, 19.2 Ah battery option (922 Wh) for $1999, (they have a bigger 52V/ 21Ah option for $2999). The problem here is primary high demand, the bikes are currently backordered until May. On the high price end of the spectrum, Reise and Muller Supercharger has a dual battery option for 1000 Wh that runs ~$7000.
If you provide more info on your price range, riding preferences, need to maintain highest posible speed, etc. I'm sure others will provide feedback as well.

 

[Dewey]

The Biktrix Stunner with the 52V 14ah battery would have a 728 Wh capacity, it has a BBS02 motor that can go 28mph, and a 7-speed IGH so you could shift gear when stationary at stop lights. Biktrix's Juggernaut HD has the more powerful BBSHD motor and 960 Wh battery option but would be a very different riding experience on 4" wide tires and a heavy frame, other bikes like the Juggernaut include the Juiced RipCurrent S and AddMotoR MOTAN M-5800.

 

[achiang]

I recently tried out a used 2015 Specialized Turbo X. It has a 468 Wh battery, which should last the 12 miles, but then I'd need to charge it at work to get home. Does anyone have experience with this bike? Thanks!

 

[Dunbar]

I recently tried out a used 2015 Specialized Turbo X. It has a 468 Wh battery, which should last the 12 miles, but then I'd need to charge it at work to get home. Does anyone have experience with this bike? Thanks!

Is it 12 miles one-way or round-trip? That battery should just barely work if your R/T commute is 12 miles. But as the battery degrades the range would start to suffer. Many people don’t realize that, if you charge the battery to 100%, you only get 400-500 cycles before it is degraded by ~50%. Also, if you don’t want to pedal much you should be looking for a cadence sensing bike. Juiced Bikes gives you the option of cadence sensing or pedal assist in the display settings on the Rip Current and Cross Current S.

 

[achiang]

Is it 12 miles one-way or round-trip? That battery should just barely work if your R/T commute is 12 miles. But as the battery degrades the range would start to suffer. Many people don’t realize that, if you charge the battery to 100%, you only get 400-500 cycles before it is degraded by ~50%. Also, if you don’t want to pedal much you should be looking for a cadence sensing bike. Juiced Bikes gives you the option of cadence sensing or pedal assist in the display settings on the Rip Current and Cross Current S.

It's 12 miles one way. My plan is to ride to work, and then recharge there before riding home and then recharging again at night. If I'm buying a used bike, is there any way of telling how many cycles are left on the battery? All I know about this bike is that it's been ridden 750 miles. I do prefer to pedal, but I just don't want to be as sweaty as I get when I do the ride today with a non-electric bike.

 

[Dunbar]

There’s no way to know how many charge cycles are on the battery. It’s also a proprietary battery design that may be hard to find replacements for in the future and it’s quite expensive (close to $1k to replace.) I wouldn’t personally buy a bike with such a small battery if you need to go 24 miles round trip. You will kill that battery pretty quickly if your’e commuting 5 days per week on it charging it to 100% twice per day. If you want to cruise at 28mph you are going to need 30-35Wh/mile to make that commute.

 

[Deleted member 803]

There are many eBikes that will meet your needs. I would suggest that if you do not plan to do a lot of mountain biking that you look at a rear hub motor. They are gear independent, get up to speed more quickly and maintain that speed with a steady cadence. Are you looking for a diamond frame or a step-thru. Do you want to sit upright or a more forward lean. How important is comfort? Is weight of the bike an issue? Do you want a throttle in addition to pedal assist and is it important to have assistance to 28mph? Lots of questions to be answered. If you want a suggestion simply PM me and I will provide some guidance.

 

[achiang]

There are many eBikes that will meet your needs. I would suggest that if you do not plan to do a lot of mountain biking that you look at a rear hub motor. They are gear independent, get up to speed more quickly and maintain that speed with a steady cadence. Are you looking for a diamond frame or a step-thru. Do you want to sit upright or a more forward lean. How important is comfort? Is weight of the bike an issue? Do you want a throttle in addition to pedal assist and is it important to have assistance to 28mph? Lots of questions to be answered. If you want a suggestion simply PM me and I will provide some guidance.

Comfort is somewhat important. I don't need a throttle. The most important thing for me is pedal assist to 28 mph, so I can get some exercise, but not be completely sweaty when I get to work. Weight of the bike is secondary. In terms of frame, I prefer the diamond frame over step through. Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 803]

SmartMotion Pacer is one of our best selling commuter bikes for a good reason. Solid build quality and component set, rock solid Dapu rear hub motor, 28mph. With average cadence on rolling roads you will probably maintain 22-24 mph without breaking a sweat. Order with 17.5A battery and you are good for 60-80 miles. Has full throttle if need be and you can switch on the fly between cadence and torque sensing.

 

[rich c]

I'll guarantee you'll be sweaty if you attempt to maintain 28mph in the summer. Not while you are riding of course, that's a lot of wind. But when you stop you will.

 

[JoePah]

The 28 mph is not a steady cruise speed. You will easily cruise at 24 mph, and your average trip speed will be around 20 mph.

At your weight and height, there are many choices that will easily provide over 30 miles on a single charge.... I weigh 190 lbs and was getting 35 miles on a basic Stromer ebike in hot Florida.

Since you have so many choices, it comes down to budget and style.. Find some dealer and demo as many bikes as possible, look for year end models or demos.

There are geared hub motors, direct drive hub motors and mid drives.. They all have their strong points.. The simplest and lowest maintenance I'd get a direct drive motor.. but it's a personal choice.

 

[gv1]

I would be willing to purchase a Vintage Cafe Electric Bike or a Stromer ST1X cold and sight unseen. They check all of the important boxes (performance, quality, ride, battery power and battery endurance, dependable and reliable heavy-daily use for years, safety, and customer support), but they are expensive. I am sure there are others in that category, but everything else requires more research and visits to ebike shops. Pedelec only bikes should be acceptable in all states and communities for the foreseeable future.

 

[ROJA]

I recently tried out a used 2015 Specialized Turbo X. It has a 468 Wh battery, which should last the 12 miles, but then I'd need to charge it at work to get home. Does anyone have experience with this bike? Thanks!

Check out the great Specialized forum here on EBR: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/forum/specialized/

I will tell you that the 2015 Turbo X with its 200W motor is a great bike, but it maxes out the assist at 26 mph (not 28) and it will require substantial effort to reach that speed (even with the bike providing max assist).

Going 25 mph on the flat takes (very roughly) 525 Watts. A relatively fit recreational cyclist can put out about 200W with fair bit of effort (think the pace you'd keep for a hard one-hour ride).

 

[gv1]

Check out the great Specialized forum here on EBR: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/forum/specialized/

I will tell you that the 2015 Turbo X with its 200W motor is a great bike, but it maxes out the assist at 26 mph (not 28) and it will require substantial effort to reach that speed (even with the bike providing max assist).

Going 25 mph on the flat takes (very roughly) 525 Watts. A relatively fit recreational cyclist can put out about 200W with fair bit of effort (think the pace you'd keep for a hard one-hour ride).

That is useful info on Watt demands. Can the 250w or 350w Brose and Bosch motors satisfy there 28mph claims under normal flat road conditions and with relative ease?

 

[gv1]

That is useful info on Watt demands. Can the 250w or 350w Brose and Bosch motors satisfy there 28mph claims under normal flat road conditions and with relative ease?

additional info to my question: Brose and Bosch mid-drives and their 28 mph Pedelec claims

 

[ROJA]

I think the end of your reply was cut off?

I'd love to hear from Brose or Bosch owners whether they can cruise at 28 mph on the flats and how much effort is required.

Strava estimates that it takes 743W to go 27.7 mph (I weigh about 150 lbs and my bike is around 65 lbs). Obviously adjust that if you and your rig weigh more or less.

The power (Watt) figures you're seeing are "nominal" and I have a hard time finding info on what the real/max sustained power is for various bikes. Let me know if you find a source.

There is a decent amount of e-bike data available on Strava and from what I'm seeing it's rare for anyone to actually sustain 28 mph.

Check out the Luna Cycles Roam Fusion - there is a guy on strava who goes much faster than I do (low-mid 30s) without pedaling. This must be a megapowerful bike (it's technically for "off road" use only, so probably not technically street legal here in CA). I know nothing about reliability or quality, but it has a huge battery and tons of power if you want to go fast with or without pedaling.

 

[gv1]

I think the end of your reply was cut off?

I'd love to hear from Brose or Bosch owners whether they can cruise at 28 mph on the flats and how much effort is required.

Strava estimates that it takes 743W to go 27.7 mph (I weigh about 150 lbs and my bike is around 65 lbs). Obviously adjust that if you and your rig weigh more or less.

The power (Watt) figures you're seeing are "nominal" and I have a hard time finding info on what the real/max sustained power is for various bikes. Let me know if you find a source.

There is a decent amount of e-bike data available on Strava and from what I'm seeing it's rare for anyone to actually sustain 28 mph.

Check out the Luna Cycles Roam Fusion - there is a guy on strava who goes much faster than I do (low-mid 30s) without pedaling. This must be a megapowerful bike (it's technically for "off road" use only, so probably not technically street legal here in CA). I know nothing about reliability or quality, but it has a huge battery and tons of power if you want to go fast with or without pedaling.

I don't know where...additional info to my question: Brose and Bosch mid-drives and their 28 mph Pedelec claims..... came from. My post ended with...and with relative ease?

It does appear that 28 mph is a moving target. The first requirement is to follow a generally accepted guideline such as Calif. Class 3 which allows a max motor750W-nominal and PAS only above 20 mph to 28 mph max. An experienced competitive rider can easily pedal a properly set ebike to 28 mph. My mom? think again. The high end 500W and 750W TDCM hub motors appear to be one of the best performers and most consistent.

 

[Dunbar]

I believe the Brose and Bosch units peak in the 550-600W range. I have an e-bike with 600-700W of peak power (an original Cross Current) and it can’t hold 28mph under a range of conditions (headwind and incline). The mid-drives are slightly more efficient so my Cross Current is probably pretty close to the Brose/Bosch power to the rear wheel. Something else most people don’t appreciate is that power drops as the battery voltage drops. Once you get under 50% battery you’ll notice the bike feeling more sluggish. IMO, on a speed pedelec you need around 1000W to be able to reliably cruise at 28mph in a variety of real-world conditions.