Need new bike advice

[Cybersnow]

I am looking for what seems to be the impossible. At 80 years old I live in relatively mountainous country but still love to ride my bike. The only road that leads up to our home is a very steep (maybe 25 degrees) and long dirt road. My current e-bike can go up this hill but only in the granny gear and hard pedaling. My regular bike just gets walked up the hill. I am looking for a relatively light but powerful eMtb. It does not need to be full suspension as we don’t do single track and most of our riding is on dirt roads, fire trails, etc..

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I am looking for what seems to be the impossible. At 80 years old I live in relatively mountainous country but still love to ride my bike. The only road that leads up to our home is a very steep (maybe 25 degrees) and long dirt road. My current e-bike can go up this hill but only in the granny gear and hard pedaling. My regular bike just gets walked up the hill. I am looking for a relatively light but powerful eMtb. It does not need to be full suspension as we don’t do single track and most of our riding is on dirt roads, fire trails, etc..

Based on prvious posts, you've owned a BBSHD and an Ultra Zen Photon with torque sensing. Do you still have the Photon? Were those motors powerful enough for you?

 

[Mike_V]

Did you find faults with the Husqvarna MC5 since I responded to your same question on the other forum because it was immediately available for US shipment and appeared to have a fine low standover with high power and excellent components?
Sincerely
Mike

 

[spokewrench]

Gross weight, grade, and tire diameter determine torque need. Suppose you and your bike together weigh 250 pounds. That's 1113 Newtons. The sine of 25 degrees is .42, so you need 1113 x .42 or 467 N. The axle of a 27.5 inch wheel is 35 cm off the ground. 467 x .35 =163.45 Nm. A hub motor would have to produce that. A mid drive might get it with the right sprockets.

You could get a better idea by measuring the grade. Naturally, I don't know what you and your bike weigh.

 

[PCeBiker]

I think that you should visit your local LBS and take a few ebikes out for a test ride on some big hills.

Getting lost in the numbers might not mean anything if you don't like the e-bike for some reason, or some e-bikes weren't considered because they didn't seem adequate on paper.

Find something you like and will take you up the kind of hills you're expecting.


The bike shop should be able to help, possibly including having an on-line e-bike shipped to them, so they can put it together and honor the warranty.
They won't want to sell you a piece of crap then, that they constantly have to service.

 

[Cybersnow]

Based on prvious posts, you've owned a BBSHD and an Ultra Zen Photon with torque sensing. Do you still have the Photon? Were those motors powerful enough for you?

The BBSHD has some bearing issues and is a definite candidate for replacement on one of the bikes. The Zen is plenty powerful but very heavy. With the battery in place it weighs somewhere around 85 lbs. My wife’s Aventon weighs about 55 lbs. I am looking for a bike that is easier to transport to different ride locations .

 

[Cybersnow]

Did you find faults with the Husqvarna MC5 since I responded to your same question on the other forum because it was immediately available for US shipment and appeared to have a fine low standover with high power and excellent components?
Sincerely
Mike

Mike,
unfortunately the only dealer for Husqvarna that is within 150 miles of us is in Boise Idaho. They are currently focused on winter sports and didn’t have an MC5 available for a test ride. I haven’t disregarded it, but being surrounded by 5 feet of snow and ice I am still looking at what is out there. We do not have a bike shop in my little town that isn’t focused on winter sports.

 

[Cybersnow]

I think that you should visit your local LBS and take a few ebikes out for a test ride on some big hills.

Getting lost in the numbers might not mean anything if you don't like the e-bike for some reason, or some e-bikes weren't considered because they didn't seem adequate on paper.

Find something you like and will take you up the kind of hills you're expecting.


The bike shop should be able to help, possibly including having an on-line e-bike shipped to them, so they can put it together and honor the warranty.
They won't want to sell you a piece of crap then, that they constantly have to service.

That is a great idea and I plan on doing that in May or June when the ice is gone.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I am looking for what seems to be the impossible. At 80 years old I live in relatively mountainous country but still love to ride my bike. The only road that leads up to our home is a very steep (maybe 25 degrees) and long dirt road. My current e-bike can go up this hill but only in the granny gear and hard pedaling. My regular bike just gets walked up the hill. I am looking for a relatively light but powerful eMtb. It does not need to be full suspension as we don’t do single track and most of our riding is on dirt roads, fire trails, etc..

Similar gradients to me - any decent mid drive emtb with a Bosch, shimano, brose motor should do the trick All these have 85 or 90nm, plenty for hills like that. And with the bike industry in deep recession shop around as half price bargains are common. Trek right now has 50% off on some models, Specialized also discounted, Giant, Cannondale - all these make 85nm midwives, all are well built and have decent warranties. And as you are US based all are readily available so check local bike shops. I have Shimano EP6 motor, 54nm 500wh peak power and it could climb a wall. It's 2025 most emtb brands (maionstream

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Hit post there by error - It's 2025 most emtb brands have nailed what is needed to climb steep tech climbs easily. Loads of choice just stay away from hub motors heavy and over heat on steep climbs etc. Hence why no decent mountain bike brands have them, all midwives now.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Similar gradients to me - any decent mid drive emtb with a Bosch, shimano, brose motor should do the trick All these have 85 or 90nm, plenty for hills like that. And with the bike industry in deep recession shop around as half price bargains are common. Trek right now has 50% off on some models, Specialized also discounted, Giant, Cannondale - all these make 85nm midwives, all are well built and have decent warranties. And as you are US based all are readily available so check local bike shops. I have Shimano EP6 motor, 54nm 500wh peak power and it could climb a wall. It's 2025 most emtb brands (maionstream

Jeez predictive text typos. -85nm not 54! Middrives not midwives!

 

[PCeBiker]

Jeez predictive text typos. -85nm not 54! Middrives not midwives!

A guy on my car forum said that he used his friends truck and wench to retrieve his stranded car.

I asked what his friends girlfriend thinks about being called a wench?

 

[juggernaut1]

Jeez predictive text typos. -85nm not 54! Middrives not midwives!

Welcome to A.I.!

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Gross weight, grade, and tire diameter determine torque need. Suppose you and your bike together weigh 250 pounds. That's 1113 Newtons. The sine of 25 degrees is .42, so you need 1113 x .42 or 467 N. The axle of a 27.5 inch wheel is 35 cm off the ground. 467 x .35 =163.45 Nm. A hub motor would have to produce that. A mid drive might get it with the right sprockets.

You could get a better idea by measuring the grade. Naturally, I don't know what you and your bike weigh.

It's highly unlikely that it is a 25° rise. That's more steep than tour de France riders deal with

 

[Cybersnow]

It is a dirt road leading up a mountain. I haven’t seen any tour de France riders on it. I used a level and a carpenters tool to measure the incline, might be off a few degrees but the hill is steep if you measure it by the number of young mountain bike riders in their granny gear or walking and the number of cars and trucks unable to get up the hill after a snow storm. If you know of an easy way to measure the angle, pitch or incline, let me know and I will try that.

 

[PCeBiker]

If you know of an easy way to measure the angle, pitch or incline, let me know and I will try that.

This might help,..

https://a.co/d/0BBUIm2

You might have to install it upside down to read the biggest hills in both directions?

 

[PCeBiker]

It is a dirt road leading up a mountain.

I've been thinking about that and it looks like an e-Mtn-bike might be your best bet for climbing, but the 500 WH battery sounds a little small to me, especially when you'll be demanding the most from the battery at the end of your ride.

I'm thinking an e-Mtn-bike with a second battery that's reserved for getting up your hill at the end of your ride?
Something that's big enough to get you up your hill, but small enough to carry with you and is easy to swap out?

(Too bad that you don't live at the bottom of the mountain, then you could coast home as long as your brakes are working. )

 

[Cybersnow]

This might help,..

View attachment 190681

https://a.co/d/0BBUIm2

You might have to install it upside down to read the biggest hills in both directions?

Item ordered along wih one that goes to 45 degrees. Thanks.

 

[Cybersnow]

I like that idea! I will start lookin for an e mtb where i can connect a rack on the back with an optional extra battery.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

The BBSHD has some bearing issues and is a definite candidate for replacement on one of the bikes. The Zen is plenty powerful but very heavy. With the battery in place it weighs somewhere around 85 lbs. My wife’s Aventon weighs about 55 lbs. I am looking for a bike that is easier to transport to different ride locations .

You will want the Bafang mid drive product for power, reliability, ubiquitous parts supply. Forget rear hubs.
I would look at the Luna Cycle X-2. It's carbon fiber, weighs 58lbs, and uses the Bafang M600 which will power you up the hills with throttle or torque sensing. There aren't many mid-drives that have a power/weight ratio better than that. I've had a Luna Z-1 (62 lbs) with the Bafang Ultra since June of 2022, it has run flawlessly. Very nimble, lots of power. I run with two batteries (35Ah) which give me tremendous range out in trails.