Looking for recommendations. I know nothing

[Goatmastwrson]

Hello forum members. I apologize in advance if this thread is annoying or repetitive. I recently got a new job 8 miles from home in a very urban city. Flat terrain. I want to continue to bike to work but often work erratic hours and feel that perhaps an electric bike could alleviate some of the stress of the commute and work I do. I weigh 180lbs, am 5ft6in and appreciate visually appealing bikes. Budget is under 2k. Also, i like to haul cargo sometimes. Like a random trip tp grocery store or whatever. Can you recommend anything? Thank you for reading.

 

[Barry S]

Hello forum members. I apologize in advance if this thread is annoying or repetitive. I recently got a new job 8 miles from home in a very urban city. Flat terrain. I want to continue to bike to work but often work erratic hours and feel that perhaps an electric bike could alleviate some of the stress of the commute and work I do. I weigh 180lbs, am 5ft6in and appreciate visually appealing bikes. Budget is under 2k. Also, i like to haul cargo sometimes. Like a random trip tp grocery store or whatever. Can you recommend anything? Thank you for reading.

Your commute distance is the same as mine, but I've got a few rises in the road to deal with. The fact that your commute is flat terrain gives you a lot more options since you won't need a powerful motor. You can do a search on EBR and filter it by price to start. Once you've got a short list of contenders, check out their full review on EBR as well as user comments here on this forum and from YT posters.

I too am shopping for my first ebike and need to keep it under $2k. Since I need power for hill climbing, I looked at bikes with no less than a 500w "geared" hub. My short list came down to models offered by Juiced Bikes and Voltbike. For JB, it's there new CrossCurrent S. For Voltbike, it's between their Elegant and the really cool Yukon 750 Limited. Voltbike is an online vendor, and living in Hawaii, a trip to their store in Canada is a little out of the neighborhood for me to do a test drive. One of the local bike shops here used to carry Juiced Bikes but after having difficulty getting replacement parts from them he stopped. So, going with either bike will be based on my research and the reviews of others.

Have fun shopping and just ask the Forum if you have any questions.

 

[rich c]

Not sure how you reached your budget number, but $3000 should get a considerably better bike. The short commute will let you choose about any size battery, but if I rode everyday, I'd want at least a suspension fork and suspension seat post. Then I would insist on hydraulic brakes, and higher end derailleurs. I'd look at 27.5" tires as they take urban street bumps very well. I'd probably need a speed version capable of 28mph, because I just never got out of the house on time before I retired. Now I like the 28mph bikes because they are so damned much fun in my retirement!

 

[JohnT]

I don’t have any specific suggestions, but if I were you, I would focus on looking for quality and reliability, since you’re a commuter. Your range and power requirements shouldn’t be too hard to meet, but you don’t want to have your bike breaking down often or have it sitting around because you can’t get parts.

Depending on how much you want to carry, a good size set of panniers, plus maybe a rear basket or box, is enough for most people. If you need more, you could always get a trailer.

 

[EbikesRock]

Not sure how you reached your budget number, but $3000 should get a considerably better bike. The short commute will let you choose about any size battery, but if I rode everyday, I'd want at least a suspension fork and suspension seat post. Then I would insist on hydraulic brakes, and higher end derailleurs. I'd look at 27.5" tires as they take urban street bumps very well. I'd probably need a speed version capable of 28mph, because I just never got out of the house on time before I retired. Now I like the 28mph bikes because they are so damned much fun in my retirement!

Agree unless you can build your own.

 

[Leandro]

If your bike has a wheel size of 700c/28in or 26in, the Copenhagen Wheel may be worth a look. The wheel will replace your bike's current rear wheel. The trademark red hub of the Copenhagen wheel contains all the components needed to electrify a bike. This includes the motor, battery, controller, torque sensor, and accelerometer. The wheel is made to pair with an app on your smartphone via bluetooth. The phone can be placed in your pocket or on the bike's handlebar. The motor system works flawlessly and even has regenerative braking! To initiate the regenerative braking, just pedal backwards. Within a quarter revolution of back pedaling the bike will begin to slow down. The regenerative braking and other options can be configured to a rider's liking within the Copenhagen Wheel app. The wheel retails for $1,500 and is a great introduction to e-bikes, especially for rider's that are attached to their current bicycle and just need a bit of help.

 

[rich c]

If your bike has a wheel size of 700c/28in or 26in, the Copenhagen Wheel may be worth a look. The wheel will replace your bike's current rear wheel. The trademark red hub of the Copenhagen wheel contains all the components needed to electrify a bike. This includes the motor, battery, controller, torque sensor, and accelerometer. The wheel is made to pair with an app on your smartphone via bluetooth. The phone can be placed in your pocket or on the bike's handlebar. The motor system works flawlessly and even has regenerative braking! To initiate the regenerative braking, just pedal backwards. Within a quarter revolution of back pedaling the bike will begin to slow down. The regenerative braking and other options can be configured to a rider's liking within the Copenhagen Wheel app. The wheel retails for $1,500 and is a great introduction to e-bikes, especially for rider's that are attached to their current bicycle and just need a bit of help.

How long have you owned one? There seemed to be some reservations about the system on the review you posted. What has been your experience? Does that $1500 include the rim and spokes? At that cost, it doesn't look like an introduction system. You can buy complete bikes for less.

 

[Alphbetadog]

Hello forum members. I apologize in advance if this thread is annoying or repetitive. I recently got a new job 8 miles from home in a very urban city. Flat terrain. I want to continue to bike to work but often work erratic hours and feel that perhaps an electric bike could alleviate some of the stress of the commute and work I do. I weigh 180lbs, am 5ft6in and appreciate visually appealing bikes. Budget is under 2k. Also, i like to haul cargo sometimes. Like a random trip tp grocery store or whatever. Can you recommend anything? Thank you for reading.

If you have a bike you already like to ride, consider installing a kit on it. I have 2 of the Electric Bike Outfitter kits on our tried and true '80s & '90s bikes and absolutely love them.

 

[Leandro]

We have a demo model here in our Brooklyn shop. There has been a lot of research and development put into the Copenhagen wheel and that is evident in its design. It responds really well and has a lot of neat features. Aside from only having a 1 year warranty, it seems to be a really well built system and the service team is quick to respond with help.

The Copenhagen hub, spokes, nipples, rim, tube, tire, and cassette/single speed cog are all included. You can build your own wheel on their website.