Mid Drive and throttle options

[Rogerc53]

Been down and out with major health issue the last 6 months and have not been able to keep up with all the new ebike offerings.

I am 69 years old, 6’3” and 210 lbs. and not in the best health or shape. I currently have a Juiced Rip Current S that I really like. It is a hub drive, 1000 watts, and okay on hills. Just have not been able to ride it much.

I want to celebrate kicking cancers a$$ when I complete chemo in 3 to 6 months from now and want to get another ebike.

I have strength and leg issues so need a powerful bike for hills etc.

Criteria is:

Mid Drive

1000 to 1500 watts

Must have throttle

Hydraulic brakes

2.5 or 4 inch tires is okay.

Must do well on hills

Would like to have at least 40 mile range.

Buying online is okay I can assemble and fix most minor issues myself

Under $4000

In my brief review I have come up with the following brands that may suit my needs.

BikTrik Juggernaut Ultra Duo 3

Rize RX Pro

Frey HT 1000

Hoping the riders here know of others.

Also, what is the good, bad and the ugly of these bikes?

Thanks in Advance.

 

[Bubba zanetti]

Been down and out with major health issue the last 6 months and have not been able to keep up with all the new ebike offerings.

I am 69 years old, 6’3” and 210 lbs. and not in the best health or shape. I currently have a Juiced Rip Current S that I really like. It is a hub drive, 1000 watts, and okay on hills. Just have not been able to ride it much.

I want to celebrate kicking cancers a$$ when I complete chemo in 3 to 6 months from now and want to get another ebike.

I have strength and leg issues so need a powerful bike for hills etc.



Also, what is the good, bad and the ugly of these bikes?

Thanks in Advance.

Weight!

 

[m@Robertson]

Looking at the bikes you have on your list, I would consider upping the budget a bit ($4300) and taking a look at the Luna X2. Current model is spec'd with SRAM drivetrain and Rockshox suspension. And its a full suspension bike. At 210 lbs you are not over the weight limit for a FS bike and FS makes for a much more comfortable ride. Without the Ludicrous option I would guess its M600 motor is pumping out around 1000w. If you are set on an Ultra motor, the Luna Z1 is a similarly high-component-spec bike with a big battery and full suspension coming in at $4500.

Can't say I think much of the Biktrix Juggernaut. Just don't like the way they are marketing it. For example the front fork is a blah low end RST Renegade. You can upgrade to an awesome Wren but they want $769 for it. And they keep the RST fork. The Wren bought directly from the factory is $699. So you are overpaying for the fork and losing the ability to make a couple hundred bucks off selling the Renegade. And holy moly they want $500 to upgrade to Magura MT5e brakes. Those cost $300 on Fleabay which means I can find them cheaper if I look around.

Frey has a new lower-cost 'Evolve' line of FS bikes using a smaller motor. 95Nm output. Which is not the 160 Nm of the Ultra but its still more than you are going to get from any of the big name brands that also cost more, but rely on offering dealer service/care to justify their pricing.

I have found once you get up to about 2.5" tires you get most of the benefit of fat tires without the baggage. Thats most... but not all. I weigh 250 lbs and about half of my bikes are fat tire'd. Given the choice between a fat hardtail and a plus-tire'd FS Bike I'd go for FS for sure.

The negative of these bikes is not the mid drive or any wear/tear issues. Its the fact that when you buy a manufactured bike you also buy the compromises the manufacturer made to maintain profit margins. So the Rize uses a suspension post, but they use the Suntour that for larger riders can compress onto and damage itself. You already saw me mention the brake and fork issues on the Biktrix. Frey seems to get high marks for components. If I could get one shipped to me, thats the brand I would pick as they have made their reputation for powerful motors and bikes with premium components.

But really my first choice would be to build my own with a BBSHD. 160 Nm, I pick my own best-quality battery, I have the wheels hand-built with top end components. Etc. But that level of involvement is not for everyone.

 

[Nvreloader]

Roger
Here is another one to search over:
https://bikonit.com/products/bikonit-warthog-md750-ebike? variant=32240469475467
I have had mine since Feb 2022 and love it, check the spec's, between ALL of these type of EBikes, especially the STAND OVER heights for the top bar clearance,
the information on some of these bikes is WRONG, and a lot taller than posted.

The only bad thing is this motor is a Canbus protocol, and CANNOT be programmed, the UART protocol motor Can be programmed, lots better options, IMHO.
Go to the BRANDS SECTION here and read what is posted, for the motors/brands and lots of good info etc.

Bafang motor info section: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/forum/bafang/
Bikonit (Wart Hog) section: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/forum/bikonit/
HTH's,
Don

 

[AHicks]

After trying a bike with 4"/fat tires, I'm not a fan either. They FEEL bulky and they HANDLE bulky.

I bought a Rize RX Pro (fatty) and after finding out that I didn't care for the fat tires (at all!), converted it to a Rize RX with 2.8" tires. That's a seriously powerful hybrid with an awesome ride. I've found, through owning a few bikes and a lot of messing around that the 2.4"-2.8" widths are the sweet spot, not just when considering ride and handling but also rolling resistance. I think you're going to struggle finding a 4"/fat bike with a single battery big enough to get a 40 mile range regularly. The Rize w/the 2.8" tires is right there with it's 19.2ah battery when ridden conservatively in the hills.

At 6'1"/71 years old, and 315lbs, feel pretty qualified to disagree on the Suntour seat post - IF - you replace the stock "medium" spring for the stiff one. Then they work awesome! I have 2 of them now, and prefer the ride they provide to the Thudbuster LT (early and late styles) - which have also been upgraded for my weight.

Amazon.com : SR SUNTOUR Hard Red Spring for Size 27.2mm NCX Seatpost ONLY : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : SR SUNTOUR Hard Red Spring for Size 27.2mm NCX Seatpost ONLY : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

Latest bike, with just a few miles on it now, is the Evelo Atlas. This is a belt driven Bafang M600 powered bike using an Envoilio CVT transmission. Nowhere near as powerful as the Ultra based bike, but still has PLENTY of power on tap. This is a pretty serious stab at a nice bike, and it comes standard with 2.8" tires. This bike, ridden conservatively, may also hit 40 miles for range, on it's 14ah battery. Evelo customer service is just outstanding. Never experienced anything quite like it. I don't hesitate to recommend them for a second if this is something you may be able to use.

Atlas

Get all the features you want to explore 100-mile range in style. Includes the Enviolo CVT gearing system, Carbon Belt Drive, and a phenomenally powerful motor system. Plus 120 N.m. Torque with1200 Watts Peak Power you'll never worry about hills again.

evelo.com

Regarding the difference in Ultra vs. M600, the Ultra, with incredibly serious grunt on tap, is much less fussy about what gear it's in when you tell it to GO. The M600 is capable of nearly that same acceleration -IF- it's in the right gear! It'll reward you with some pretty sluggish acceleration if you're being sloppy/absent minded about where you are at that way. M600 is way quieter as well. Nothing there is objectionalble, something I would love to say about the Ultra, which runs with a subdued growl... -Al

 

[retiredNH]

There are a number of other members here who share your situation, including me, currently in chemotherapy.

Perhaps the best though, is Alaskan. See for instance, this thread https://electricbikereview.com/foru...s-for-meeting-a-health-challenge.37325/page-7 especially post 126, and this thread https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/evelo-omega-200-mile-review.49702/

While I can get by with my Trek Allant+ 8s still, if I get to the point where I need a throttle, I'll probably stump for a Evelo bike, based on the excellent reviews by Alaskan and others, such as https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/atlas-first-impressions.50093/

Cancer is a tough journey. Don't do your journey on the cheap. If you find you need to spend a bit more to get a better bike, why not do it? You deserve it.

 

[Rogerc53]

First thanks for all the feedback. It’s been a tough journey but I’ll make it. The read on Alaskan was a real inspiration. Everybody stay strong and keep peddling.

 

[Rogerc53]

There are a number of other members here who share your situation, including me, currently in chemotherapy.

Perhaps the best though, is Alaskan. See for instance, this thread https://electricbikereview.com/foru...s-for-meeting-a-health-challenge.37325/page-7 especially post 126, and this thread https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/evelo-omega-200-mile-review.49702/

While I can get by with my Trek Allant+ 8s still, if I get to the point where I need a throttle, I'll probably stump for a Evelo bike, based on the excellent reviews by Alaskan and others, such as https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/atlas-first-impressions.50093/

Cancer is a tough journey. Don't do your journey on the cheap. If you find you need to spend a bit more to get a better bike, why not do it? You deserve it.

There are a number of other members here who share your situation, including me, currently in chemotherapy.

Perhaps the best though, is Alaskan. See for instance, this thread https://electricbikereview.com/foru...s-for-meeting-a-health-challenge.37325/page-7 especially post 126, and this thread https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/evelo-omega-200-mile-review.49702/

While I can get by with my Trek Allant+ 8s still, if I get to the point where I need a throttle, I'll probably stump for a Evelo bike, based on the excellent reviews by Alaskan and others, such as https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/atlas-first-impressions.50093/

Cancer is a tough journey. Don't do your journey on the cheap. If you find you need to spend a bit more to get a better bike, why not do it? You deserve it.

Hope you’re doing well and making it through chemo. Thanks for the link to the Alaskan thread. Post how you’re doing and keep riding.

 

[retiredNH]

Hope you’re doing well and making it through chemo. Thanks for the link to the Alaskan thread. Post how you’re doing and keep riding.

Thank you for the good wishes. To me, what's surprising is that not all chemo, and by that I mean taking cytotoxic drugs, drugs that kill any fast dividing cell, is not always devastating. It's not always intravenous either. I take two kinds of pills on a 28 day cycle - 14 days of pills, then 14 days to recover, so to speak. Some days I'm a bit low, and lay off riding, but other days I feel fine, at least relatively so. I don't have the endurance I did last year, but at least I can still get out and ride, and go for easy hikes - climbing is my bête noire.