Need help choosing bike!

[bb21xx13]

Hi there, I am a 29 year/old woman, 5'2 and 115pounds, and am interested in purchasing an e-bike for commuting around the Seattle area. Seattle is an incredibly hilly city, and I live on a steep and long hill that I would love an assist up. Ideally, I would like to spend no more than $2500 (although if I could spend around $1500 for the same quality, that would be amazing!). and am hoping I can find something that will be a good investment and will last me awhile. I live in a small house without a lot of storage or outdoor space with coverage , for this reason I have been open to exploring fold-up e-bikes, but don't want to prioritize that above quality/longevity. I would love your thoughts on what would be the best bang for my buck for me. Thanks for the help!!

 

[CSH]

Hi there, I am a 29 year/old woman, 5'2 and 115pounds, and am interested in purchasing an e-bike for commuting around the Seattle area. Seattle is an incredibly hilly city, and I live on a steep and long hill that I would love an assist up. Ideally, I would like to spend no more than $2500 (although if I could spend around $1500 for the same quality, that would be amazing!). and am hoping I can find something that will be a good investment and will last me awhile. I live in a small house without a lot of storage or outdoor space with coverage , for this reason I have been open to exploring fold-up e-bikes, but don't want to prioritize that above quality/longevity. I would love your thoughts on what would be the best bang for my buck for me. Thanks for the help!!

Hi bb21 !

Your Price range is ideal. There are a lot of good choices in that range.
You'll find many posts in the Forum, from other people asking exactly the same questions.

There are a set of "Qualifiers" that will help Forum Members help you.

Such as:
For Starters,
- Do you want a bike that will lend itself to Fitness, as well as Assist you ?
or
- Do you want a bike that will Just Propel you, like a Motor Scooter ?
{do you want to twist a throttle and Go, or Pedal all the while ?}

- What Riding Position do you favor ? Upright & Relaxed, or Bent Forward etc. ?

There are many more questions to answer in order to dial you in to the bikes you are most likely to enjoy.
And the Forum Members here will be more then happy to give their opinions, especially as you continue to detail your "Check List".

I will kick it off by addressing your comment about it being "Hilly" where you live.
You'll find a common thread that suggests "Mid-Drive" Motors are particularly well suited for hills.
Whereas the "Hub" Motors are good at quick acceleration.

It is a Process, getting dialed into the bike you will love.
And believe me, the Process is half the Fun !

Enjoy........................ !
Craig

 

[indianajo]

You'll find a common thread that suggests "Mid-Drive" Motors are particularly well suited for hills.
Whereas the "Hub" Motors are good at quick acceleration.

Inaccurate.
How tall you are and how long your legs and arms are matters, also. Some bikes come in one size, some in various sizes. 5' 2" people usually do better with a 17" to 19" frame. Distance steering stem to seat post.
Note finding a dealer for a person that is not electrically trained and doesn't have shop equipment is important. Taking the bike in for warrenty work may not be important, but if your bike does have a bug, the shop should take care of it for you.
Since you are short, many dealers do not have the small frame for you to try, and won't usually order one unless you pay up front.
Whether you are going to ride on restricted park trails and bike paths determines whether you can buy a bike with throttle, or are limited to class 1 or 2 depending on local laws.
How fast you want to go determines whether you need a bike with front suspension, both suspension, or no suspension. I ride 8-10 mph and have no suspension.
If you ride in the rain, make sure you get disk brakes. Rim brakes deteriorate badly after a run through a puddle.

 

[CSH]

Inaccurate.
How tall you are and how long your legs and arms are matters, also. Some bikes come in one size, some in various sizes.
Note finding a dealer for a person that is not electrically trained and doesn't have shop equipment is important. Taking the bike in for warrenty work may not be important, but if your bike does have a bug, the shop should take care of it for you.
If you are short, most dealers do not have the small frame for you to try, and won't usually order one unless you pay up front.

Inaccurate ???
Selective reading, indianajo......?


Look closely and you'll see I said
"There are many more questions to answer in order to dial you in to the bikes you are most likely to enjoy. "

 

[indianajo]

Let a dealer explain it to her. If you want a personal explanation, I'll write up the 50 words for you.

 

[CSH]

Let a dealer explain it to her. If you want a personal explanation, I'll write up the 50 words for you.

For cry'in out loud..................... It's a FORUM dude !

 

[FlatSix911]

Here are a few options... both mid-drive models for climbing steep hills.
Tell us more about your riding style... upright, relaxed, aggressive, fast?
Hope this helps.

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2020 EF3 Folding eBike, Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery, Shimano STEPS MidDrive $1599.95

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...icycles/ebikes-electric-folding-bikes-ef3.htm


2020 Front Suspension Elite eUrban, Advanced Integrated Battery, Shimano STEPS MidDrive $1799.95

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...cycles/ebikes-electric-bikes-elite-eurban.htm

 

[PatriciaK]

Visit several local bike shops and ride as many bikes as you can - on hills, if at all possible! Ride some hub drives and some mid drives. Pay attention you what you like, and what you don't. The people who are happy with their bikes understandably recommend them (I live on hilly Whidbey Island and am picking up my new Giant La Free E+2 TOMORROW!), but only you can pick the right bike for you .

 

[Dewey]

Seattle has a good selection of ebike shops, consider test riding the following folding ebikes:
Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru that fits riders from 4' 10", derailleur.
Evelo Electric Bicycles Quest Max that also fits riders from 4' 10", NuVinci N380 infinity gear hub.
Pedego Latch with a 14" standover height and a telescoping handlebar stem. 3-speed internal geared hub.
Electric & Folding Bikes Northwest Blix Vika+ also fits riders over 4' 10", derailleur.
Electric Lady Bicycles Tern eLink D7i my wife loves the adjustable handlebar on Tern folding bikes, 7-speed internal geared hub.

Good luck, have fun!

 

[ChezCheese:)]

Try as many different ebikes as you can. I like my mid-drive because it feels like riding a regular bike, only with superman legs. A rear hub ebike felt like somebody was pushing me. I did not try a front-hub, but I imagine it would feel like someone was pulling me. I went for a mid-drive also for the torque for these hills. It's amazing. However, my BH Atom Diamond Wave Pro with the Brose motor will be too big for you. So just go test ride as many as you can.

 

[SabrinaBlix]

I have the Blix Aveny in the cream color and absolutely love it. I commute to work almost everyday on it (weather permitting) and it has totally changed my view of biking. It is great for 5'0 riders and taller because of how easy it is to get on and off. Blix is also having a sale for $500 off the Aveny. Here is the link if interested

Aveny Skyline Commuter eBike

The Aveny Skyline by Blix is an electric bicycle that offers pedal assistance and power on demand with a throttle. Includes fender, front and rear LED lights, and a rear rack. Option to add a variety of other accessories

blixbike.com

 

[BBassett]

Build your ebike. I live near Seattle and know individuals that can help with mounting the motor and any bike mods necessary. Find the perfect steel bicycle that can hold a 30Ah triangle pack, add a mid-drive motor, the 30Ah battery, display, and get a Grin Satiator for charging (around 2K for everything but the bike itself. It's very important to not over-stress the battery, don't charge past 80% and don't deplete past 20% and you can get up to 1400 charge cycles. Once you get used to the bike and see how much you use it a Rohloff Speed-hub would take it to a new level, but they are pricey.

 

[BBassett]

okay, I was recommending folding bike due to limited space.

but specifically, which kit would you recommend?

Maybe if you would have actually read my comment to the lady asking for help before you mouthed your "I don't think you're helping at all" comment.you would already know what I think, probably not. Kit? Yeah, I'm "specifically" not a Kit person.

 

[BBassett]

Okay so what's your recommendation in terms of all the parts required.
I'm sure they're not the same and some of them are good, some of them are not good.

What "parts" are you talking about? Here... I'll try one more time and go slow. Buy a bike (all assembled if you're scared). Buy a BBSXX. Buy a 30Ah lithium pack. Buy a display control of your choice. Buy a Grin Satiator. Now comes the scary part. Take a deep breath. Mount the motor and battery, have someone that knows how to use a torque wrench and socket if you can't. The velcro battery bag shouldn't be too confusing. A screwdriver to mount the display, not too difficult. Yes... there can be issues, and yes you may need a competent bike mechanic to help, but you are going to need a good mechanic anyway. Do you repair your own flats or drive to a LBS? You need to do some things for yourself if you are riding out of your driveway. If you want an ebike worth a damn you are going to need to do a little research (more than just which one to click on) and learn how to do things for yourself... just as you should.

 

[BBassett]

If you're asking for my mechanical competency, I can do most of the work. I've been building MTBs since I was probably 13 (just like we all do) and I pretty much take everything apart, re-lacing the wheels, rebuilding forks, etc.
Although I'm not a mechanic, I'd classify myself as I'm one of those backyard amateur mechanic and I've fixed numbers of motorcycles so ebikes are quite simple.

That said, I know building ebikes isn't for everyone. I can understand why people would rather just buy an ebike from brand names like Yamaha, Trek or Specialized, and have their full warranty coverage.

To me that's too expensive so I'd be fine with Juiced, Surface 604, Rad Power, etc.

Of course you would. Tell me something... is putting a new mirror on your car considered "building" the car? Hanging a mid-drive on a bike isn't "building" the bike, it's simply modifying it. If your scared to do something that's fine, but don't push your fears off on others that have more ability or desire to own a quality ebike.