Need a recommendation.

[Jaeger1946]

Hi. I am a 73 year old man whose joints are starting to give out. E-bikes seem to me to be an ideal form of exercise. I want to ride the many trails that can be found in the PA, DE and NJ area. Most of these trails are paved, a few are not. I also want to do some street riding. The top of my price range is $2500. I have been looing at 3 bikes; the Schwinn Sycamore, the Giant E+ 4 GTS and the Trek Verve +2. I want to be able to buy the bike assembled from either a bike shop (a Trek shop is located near me as is a shop that will sell me the Giant bike. Dicks Sporting Goods sells the Sycamore fully assembled). I am hoping for some recommendations from among the three that I have mentioned or the recommendation of a different bike if it can be purchased fully assembled at a shop in the Philadelphia, South NJ or Wilmington, DE area. Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[tomjasz]

Do yourself a favor and look at step-through frames. I struggle to get off and on my bikes. My only fall was losing balance throwing my leg over the seat to mount. Trek has the new Electra models that are quite nice. I'd never consider any bike I have to jump up to mount and a seat position I'd have to jump off. Step through is so easy and with flat foot frame designs a great riding position too!

 

[Alaskan]

Stick with bikes from local bike shops who can service your purchase. @Thomas Jaszewski is offering sage advice. Even if you are nimble enough to toss your leg over the saddle now, the time will come where I step through will be a godsend. It's not a "girls bike" Its a comfortable and dignified bike

 

[Jaeger1946]

I have already looked at the Trek and Giant step-thru options. Thanks for that advice and the shop advice. Does anyone prefer one or the other or have a different option?

 

[tomjasz]

I have already looked at the Trek and Giant step-thru options. Thanks for that advice and the shop advice. Does anyone prefer one or the other or have a different option?

Well I prefer Trek over Giant, but comparing one brand to another can be apples to oranges.
I've been reading about issues with Giant and Yamaha mid drives. I've been a Trek buyer for decades. I'd base part of my decision on how supportive the local bike shop is at supporting what they sell. The Trek shop here is stellar.

It might be helpful to understand how able you are. Do you have a bike you ride now? I struggle with typical bicycle geometry. Which is why most of my bikes are flat foot frames. I'm trying a folder with a mid-drive but just riding it without assistance made me aware of how much better I like those flat foot frames.

 

[Cowlitz]

I have already looked at the Trek and Giant step-thru options. Thanks for that advice and the shop advice. Does anyone prefer one or the other or have a different option?

Have you read the reviews? There is one on the Trek Verve, but not on the Giant Lafree. You can also read up on specific models on one of the subforums here. I was considering both of those, but then decided to go be more decadent.

 

[tomjasz]

I'm really liking this bike!

Electra Bicycle Company | Bikes & Accessories

The only hard part about riding an Electra bike is choosing which one to get. They're all easy to ride and they look amazing.

www.electrabike.com

 

[Jaeger1946]

Have you read the reviews? There is one on the Trek Verve, but not on the Giant Lafree. You can also read up on specific models on one of the subforums here. I was considering both of those, but then decided to go be more decadent.

What did you choose?

 

[Alaskan]

I would lean toward the shop that gives you the best sense that they will eagerly serve your repair, maintenance and warranty needs. No bike is perfect, no matter how much you spend. It's the people standing behind it that matter most.

I give Trek the edge when it comes to the E side of ebikes. It may be arguable that Bosch's electrical are the very best. What is beyond dispute is their technical expertise and support for both parts and tech info. I've been trusting Bosch in my cars for decades.

 

[Jaeger1946]

I would like to thank all of you for your advice. I just purchased a Verve + 2 at a nearby Trek shop. I test rode both it and the Townie. I am going to try to talk my wife into getting the Townie for herself. I appreciate all the info available on the Forum and the willingness of its members to help us newbies.

 

[tomjasz]

I would like to thank all of you for your advice. I just purchased a Verve + 2 at a nearby Trek shop. I test rode both it and the Townie. I am going to try to talk my wife into getting the Townie for herself. I appreciate all the info available on the Forum and the willingness of its members to help us newbies.

Nice bike! Enjoy! Which color?

 

[Alaskan]

I would like to thank all of you for your advice. I just purchased a Verve + 2 at a nearby Trek shop. I test rode both it and the Townie. I am going to try to talk my wife into getting the Townie for herself. I appreciate all the info available on the Forum and the willingness of its members to help us newbies.

You're in for more fun than you expect. Enjoy! Please share a ride report with us once in a while.

 

[Jaeger1946]

Will do! And thanks again for your advice!

 

[Jaeger1946]

To answer an earlier question, I got the grey option. I took my first ride today. I chose a hilly road so that I could familiarize myself with how the 9 gears work together with the 4 motor options. I don't want to say I have it completely under control but I did begin to get the feel of it. My goal for getting a e-bike was to flatten out some of the rolling hills in my section of SE Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware. I feel very confident that this bike does that to a large extent. The Saris bike rack seems easy enough to work and I like the extra security of the built-in locking cables. They are perfect for brief stops on the way to/from a trail. The folks a Trek Bicycles lived up to their promises so I hope to look to them to be a reliable shop. My wife still isn't convinced about e-bikes but I'm hoping a couple of rides will change her mind.

I do have one question. The manual stressed the importance of keeping the chain lubricated but did not specify or recommend a lubricant. Any suggestions? And, again, thanks to all for your advice.

You're in for more fun than you expect. Enjoy! Please share a ride report with us once in a while.

 

[Oberst]

Happy and safe riding! I prefer a dry chain lube (Finish Line is what I use) to try to minimize how much junk the chain picks up. They all still require cleaning so a good chain cleaner is good to have.

 

[Jaeger1946]

Happy and safe riding! I prefer a dry chain lube (Finish Line is what I use) to try to minimize how much junk the chain picks up. They all still require cleaning so a good chain cleaner is good to have.

Thx!

 

[Alaskan]

Once every 100 miles of normal, dry condition road riding I wipe down my chain thoroughly, and apply Rock & Roll Gold. I change over to wet lube in the winter when it rains a lot around here.

This video is a good one on the topic:

 

[BBassett]

I hang a new chain at between 800 and 1000 miles. I coat it with AFC-50 and allow to dry. Run a clean cloth down it and coat it with Boeshield T-9 and allow to dry. I usually do 3 chains at a time. The old chain it's removed and the bike cleaned, at a minimum the drive gears and tensioner. When the new chain is mounted I spin on a weather-appropriate wax. Depending on the weather I can get 100 to 200 miles before I do more than rinse the chain daily. When it needs a good proper cleaning I use wax remover, dish soap, and then alcohol and start the process over. When I'm touring I carry a prep'ed chain with me that I can just install, wax-up, and go in about 5 mins. I've tried lots of oils and they seem to work ok with continual applications but make everything way harder to keep clean. I can't imagine what big (expensive) gear clusters are like to manage in what I ride through. The chain in the pictures had about 200 miles on it with only a very thin application of wax over the AFC-50 and T9 applications.