Looking to buy first ebike for wife and I. <$4000, mid-drive

aufan

aufan

New Member
Region
USA
Much thanks for this site and your expertise!
  1. Want to buy direct/on-line, tired of looking at LBS's
  2. Will spend up to $4k each
  3. Mid drive with cadence and torque sensors (I think I want this based on what I've read)
  4. Step through with up-right riding position
  5. Looking for reputable manufacturer and reliable components
  6. Will be used in hilly subdivision
  7. Throttle preferred
Thanks for you help!
 
Depending on how tall your wife is she might like either the Evelo Aurora or Galaxy (the latter has smaller 24" wheels). Others include the EBT City or Cruiser, and the Pedego City Commuter mid-drive is available in a step through. All these bikes use variants of the Dapu MD 250 mid-drive which is one of the few mid-drive motors that offers both torque sensor and a throttle.

If you can forgo the throttle the Gazelle Ultimate C380, Moustache Lundi, and Trek Allant 7+ step through version, are nice step-through ebikes, as is the more powerful Cube NuRide. These bikes use Bosch motors with torque + cadence sensor but no throttle.
 
Last edited:
Dewey said:
Depending on how tall your wife is she might like either the Evelo Aurora or Galaxy (the latter has smaller 24" wheels). Others include the EBT City or Cruiser, and the Pedego City Commuter mid-drive is available in a step through. All these bikes use variants of the Dapu MD 250 mid-drive which is one of the few mid-drive motors that offers both torque sensor and a throttle.

If you can forgo the throttle the Gazelle Ultimate C380, Moustache Lundi, and Trek Allant 7+ step through version, are nice step-through ebikes, as is the more powerful Cube NuRide. These bikes use Bosch motors with torque + cadence sensor but no throttle.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for your recommendations! Will check them out!
 
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Here is another one to consider pic above and link below.


electricbikereview.com

Pictures - Zen Samurai Diamond and Wave designs

The Zen team is obsessed with quality and reliability. Every single component and design will be tested rigorously before it gets into full-scale production. This helps in identifying every possible weak point and strengthen the product. Some latest pictures of Zen bikes. Truly amazing what Paul...
electricbikereview.com electricbikereview.com
 
wabaseballfamily said:
Here is another one to consider pic above and link below.


electricbikereview.com

Pictures - Zen Samurai Diamond and Wave designs

The Zen team is obsessed with quality and reliability. Every single component and design will be tested rigorously before it gets into full-scale production. This helps in identifying every possible weak point and strengthen the product. Some latest pictures of Zen bikes. Truly amazing what Paul...
electricbikereview.com electricbikereview.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input and information! I will try to find out more about the Zen, looks really nice!
 
ebikemom said:
Is mid-drive plus throttle a thing?
Click to expand...
Ditto what Timpo said re Bafang and throttle. The Eurobike folks accuse us of riding our bikes like motorcycles but we don't. I use my throttle only in dire circumstances and maybe a bit at the end of a long ride for a hill ( if I have battery left ) when I'm dangerously tired and need to get home. And personally I never use it to go fast. I don't like to go fast much at all. I will use it a tad if starting out up hill but just to get rolling and it is important with the throttle to be in a low gear in this circumstance. And also to be experienced with the use of the throttle and know exactly what it will do. :)
 
Our local Trek shop has a very diverse full inventory of ebikes for sale. They all use Bosch motors which do not have a throttle but do deliver a really seamless ebike experience and are super reliable and have great service, tech support and parts availability. The service part really depends on the culture of each shop so a few visits to see the bike, test ride a few, chat up the staff, you will get that blank filled in with enough time spent. Their real edge right now is that they have bikes for sale that you can pay for and ride out the door whenever you want, unless you are looking for something at the higher end that you will want some custom components or substitutions. Your budget is realistic. They have a nice array of bike in your price range. Their ebike cover page is starts with a photo of the exact model I bought almost a year ago. It has been a joy to ride, not without a few things that needed warranty attention, but very reliable after working out two bugs.

www.trekbikes.com

Shop Trek Electric Bikes

Trek electric bikes add more speed, distance, and fun to any ride. No matter what type of riding you like to do, there’s an ebike for you. Shop now!
www.trekbikes.com www.trekbikes.com
 
reed scott said:
Ditto what Timpo said re Bafang and throttle. The Eurobike folks accuse us of riding our bikes like motorcycles but we don't. I use my throttle only in dire circumstances and maybe a bit at the end of a long ride for a hill ( if I have battery left ) when I'm dangerously tired and need to get home. And personally I never use it to go fast. I don't like to go fast much at all. I will use it a tad if starting out up hill but just to get rolling and it is important with the throttle to be in a low gear in this circumstance. And also to be experienced with the use of the throttle and know exactly what it will do. :)
Click to expand...
Well, I've been paying attention to people riding e-bikes here in Fresno California the last 6 months as I've been interested and researching to purchase myself. I'd say at least 3 out of 4 I've seen are not pedaling.
 
StevenC56 said:
Well, I've been paying attention to people riding e-bikes here in Fresno California the last 6 months as I've been interested and researching to purchase myself. I'd say at least 3 out of 4 I've seen are not pedaling.
Click to expand...
Same situation here. People on Rad bikes and Chinese Internet bikes are seldom pedaling or if they are it is at a cadence of around 20. Some are pedaling but not very many. This is clearly what they bought the bikes to do, which is just fine. No judgement here, just observation.
 
Last edited:
Alaskan said:
Same situation here. People on Rad bikes are Chinese Internet bikes are seldom pedaling or if they are it is at a cadence of around 20. Some are pedaling but not very many. This is clearly what they bought the bikes to do, which is just fine. No judgement here, just observation.
Click to expand...
To each his own like you said. But for me I need the exercise and I can be a bit lazy, so I purchased a class 1 e-bike which will help my personal needs and goals.
 
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