Need some advice

[Barkfire]

Hi everyone, I just joined today primarily because I am having a really hard time deciding on the right Ebike to purchase and I thought this may be a good place to get some pointers. I am 65 and have ridden motorcycles most of my life, from dirtbikes to a full-dress Harley, so two wheels are not new to me. I should also mention that I tend to overthink things...a lot!

I am looking for an E-bike so I can stay active, take hunting and fishing, dirt roads, and maybe some light trails. I also will be cruising with my wife in town as I plan on getting her one as well, hers would be a very light, foldable, moped size. I am stuck as I usually tend to over buy but I will not be spending 6-8k on one. The bikes I am looking at are the Grizzly, I love the all-wheel drive,52 volt, two 1000-watt motors, and two batteries, but I am 6'2" and 220 lbs and don't think that size will work for me. Next, I was looking at the Eunorau Fat-HS or the Defender-S, they seem like good set-ups with full suspension at around 3K. I also looked at the Kepler, I feel this bike has a lot for the money with the 1000-watt motor and a 52-volt 20-ah battery. It comes with a rear rack and is priced at only $1,800. I know this has cheaper components and no rear suspension but man that is a lot of bike for the money. I know that mid-drives are said to be best for off-road with the gearing advantage but with 160nm torque with a 1000-watt hub motor, I think it would still work for me? Maybe? A month ago I knew nothing about e-bikes so I am still working on figuring it all out.

I would love to hear from people that already have it figured out, or at least more than I do, give me some input, am I crazy to consider the Kepler, or is there another bike you think would be good to consider? I really don't want to spend over around $3500.00 but I don't want to be sorry for buying something too cheap.

 

[Barkfire]

Yeah, I guess light is a relative term. The one she was looking at was around 64 lbs, the Lectric XP 3.0 compared to the first moped-sized bike she saw which was the Himiway BigDog at 79lbs. That one was not foldable.

 

[Marci jo]

Backfire, were you able to test ride any of the ebikes that interest you?
My standard suggestion for new ebike seekers is to test ride, even if the model is not exactly what you seek. Test rides help educate on the specific features that are available.
Congrats on your search for an ebike.

 

[Barkfire]

I have not done any test rides. I have very limited options in my area and only one of the bikes I have considered would be available locally. I do plan on test riding that one but would not be able to test the other ones for a comparison.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I really don't want to spend over around $3500.00 but I don't want to be sorry for buying something too cheap.

Barkfire, trust your instincts, don't go cheap. You deserve the best.

I am 64 years old and ride at least once per day, sometimes twice per day and average 700 miles per month. I ride a combo of paved trails and off-road trails. I ride a dual suspension, torque sensing Bafang mid-drive, Luna Z1 Enduro. My wife is 58 and rides a cadence sensing, hub drive, front suspension, Aventon Level.
I built a DIY Fat Bike with an aftermarket Bafang BBSHD with cadence sensing.

See my post on the Evolution Of An E-Biker

The following is my opinion based on my limited experience and that of my local ebike companions, and the implication that you are willing to spend some extra money if there is corresponding value for the incremental cost.

1. Get a torque sensing mid drive if you are going to "take hunting and fishing, dirt roads, and maybe some light trails." A mid drive is a bit more maintenance than a hub drive,
but you will not regret it.
2. Get Torque sensing PAS, not cadence sensing PAS. The two Eunorrau products you mentioned use the Bafang BBSHD (bolt on) conversion kit motor and are not torque sensing PAS, they are cadence sensing PAS. The Bafang BBSHD is a great motor, I have one on my fat bike. It's great for aftermarket conversions, but spend the extra pennies and you will not regret getting Torque Sensing PAS. As a bonus, you will get better/more exercise with torque sensing PAS.
3. Get front and rear suspension. You can always upgrade your shock system to top of the line if the stock suspension is not the best, but you cannot upgrade a rear suspension if you don't have one. I would say almost nobody gets a full suspension and regrets the purchase, but a whole slew of e-bikers end up spending $125-$300 adding a seat post
suspension which is not even close to the comfort and control benefits of a rear suspension. You will not regret the extra money spent.
4. Get a standard sized bike with wheels no smaller than 26". If you ride off road you want larger rather than smaller circumference wheels. Small logs, ravines, curbs, surface transitions, and other obstacles are easier to negotiate with larger diameter wheels. That is not an opinion, that is mathematical science.

If you get a torque sensing mid-drive with dual suspension, and 26"+ wheels, you will not regret the extra money spent. If you sacrifice any one of these parameters, you are selling yourself short and you may have regrets.

You deserve the best. ~Tom

"I coulda been a contender"

 

[Barkfire]

Thank you Tom, this is great information and what I was looking for.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Thank you Tom, this is great information and what I was looking for.

My pleasure, reach out any time.

 

[AHicks]

As you're looking for opinions, here's another. Don't try buying the last bike first. DO buy something to let you get out there and start riding/learning ASAP. Don't make a purchasing decision prior to "Black Friday". There's often some pretty spectacular deals offered. These will be the best prices available looking at it from a seasonal/year round perspective. Point being, THIS is the weekend to make a purchase.

You're suffering from what is often called "analysis paralysis". Not like a lot of us have never been there....

At 55lbs, here's a bike your wife might enjoy. You don't hear about them often, but pretty popular among those that have purchased them. Good specs, and built from readily available non proprietary parts for a long service life.

Compare Bikes

Compare Electric Bikes We wanted to make it as easy as possible to find the right bike for you with our side-by-side comparison of the different models. If you're still not sure which bike is right for you send us an email at [email protected]. Price Monthly Financing Monthly Cost Best For...

www.espinbikes.com

Many (myself included) think a rear suspension might be a little overkill for "dirt roads and light trail use". I do prefer bikes with a front suspension and recommend them highly. For you, I would suggest you look at bikes with 2.3-2.8" tire widths. These balloon type tires offer all the rear suspension most of us need (for the mission you describe) when coupled to some sort of seat suspension. Noteworthy, is the fact that many bikes that come with smaller tires can have bigger ones installed. For example, the Espin Flow mentioned above, will handle Schwalbe Super Moto-X 27.5x 2.4" tires. This is a quiet running, low rolling resistance, highly puncture proof tire, that will make a very noticeable difference in the way the bike rides. Works fine for light off road. Ask my wife how I know. Even she noticed the difference from the OEM tire immediately.

After trying one, not a fan of "fatties". These are great big bikes, that handle the same way they look (bulky). Unless you will be seeing surfaces that require that kind of flotation (sugar sand and snow), I would recommend you look elsewhere.

I don't know what kind of terrain you're going to be in for the most part, but if it's not real hilly, I'd recommend a geared hub drive for your first bike. They're awesome easy to ride, and this first one will teach you a TON.

Me - 6'1"/300lbs/71yo, a lifetime of messing with all things motorized. Last bikes owned were "old wings" and Valkyries. Quit riding when I became concerned about the reflexes required when somebody pull left in front of me. Been riding e-bikes since 2015 after having built my first one. Filled the niche the bikes left behind when I quit. Making that giant leap of faith required just to buy the parts to do that 1st one was a real b*tch. What I realized soon afterward, was that e-bikes were a pretty serious game changer for both the wife and myself. We both now ride daily. Nothing serious, more to just get outside and enjoy the fresh air. We now have 6 e-bikes between us. We're snowbirds commuting between SE Mi, where it's relatively flat, and a place just off the Gulf Coast that smack dab in the middle of big rolling coastal hills. 3 bikes at each end (extra one for guests/company)-Al

 

[Barkfire]

Thank you Al, some good information. "analysis paralysis" cracks me up, and fits me to a tee. I also like "Don't try buying the last bike first" I did have to give that some thought but then realized that it makes perfect sense. I am guilty of always trying to buy the last one first with everything, always trying to anticipate what I will work up to, and overbuying with the thought that I wouldn't need to upgrade later, that is not always the right way to approach things and causes even more analysis paralysis!

I keep finding new e-bikes that I hadn't seen before, one I just stumbled upon is the F5 Trail https://flx.bike/collections/mountain-electric-bikes/products/f5-trail?variant=37756601663654, it is getting up to the higher end of what I wanted to spend but looks like it might be more of the direction I need to go. I appreciate your thoughts about the fatties, I was originally thinking it would be great for the beach or the snow but I don't live by the ocean and don't even like taking my Jeep to the snow much so I should probably pass on the 4"+ tires. I live in far Northern California, north of Sacramento, I spend a lot of time in the Sierras fishing and hunting and would love to have a quieter mode of transportation when scouting. This would be mostly on forest service and skid roads, some of which can get a little steep. My search continues, and I will keep checking on those Black Friday deals!

Thank you,
Shane

 

[AHicks]

Shane, there is little doubt that F5 is a seriously nice bike. Nothing to be ashamed of there.....
Being a mid drive, it is going to require a little more "finesse" to ride, as it's going to be WAY more picky about what gear you are in to be ridden properly (as compared to the brain dead easy to ride hub drives). The upside would be it's ability to go about anywhere it can get traction, where even the bigger hub drives might struggle.

My latest bike is the Evelo Atlas, which is sort of a "city bike" version of the F5. Quite a bit heavier that the F5 because of the CVT, but I love it.....

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

My only warning would be about the noise level the earlier M600 powered bikes were known for. They were loud (no "if" to it!). The Atlas, purchased a couple months ago, runs really quiet - nothing there to complain about. So here's the thought. The F5 might have an older motor in it. You could (should?) ask about it. Worst case, with the noisier motor, there is a 3rd party gear available that can be installed to quiet it. Assuming it's the early noisy version, at this price, you could easily convert it to the 3rd party gear and come away smelling like a rose....... You could even afford to swap out the tires to something like the Schwalbe Super Moto's! -Al

 

[PedalUma]

Local support is an essential feature. Start there. Or you could be high and dry. Spec. sheets really do not mean much. That's why you need to ride bikes. In truth, less is often so much more. The cells inside a battery are more important than its volts or amps. What are the bearings like inside the wheels and how do those feel? The appearance and specs. could be similar between a $49 guitar and a high quality guitar. You know by playing.

 

[Barkfire]

Shane, there is little doubt that F5 is a seriously nice bike. Nothing to be ashamed of there.....
Being a mid drive, it is going to require a little more "finesse" to ride, as it's going to be WAY more picky about what gear you are in to be ridden properly (as compared to the brain dead easy to ride hub drives). The upside would be it's ability to go about anywhere it can get traction, where even the bigger hub drives might struggle.

My latest bike is the Evelo Atlas, which is sort of a "city bike" version of the F5. Quite a bit heavier that the F5 because of the CVT, but I love it.....

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

My only warning would be about the noise level the earlier M600 powered bikes were known for. They were loud (no "if" to it!). The Atlas, purchased a couple months ago, runs really quiet - nothing there to complain about. So here's the thought. The F5 might have an older motor in it. You could (should?) ask about it. Worst case, with the noisier motor, there is a 3rd party gear available that can be installed to quiet it. Assuming it's the early noisy version, at this price, you could easily convert it to the 3rd party gear and come away smelling like a rose....... You could even afford to swap out the tires to something like the Schwalbe Super Moto's! -Al

Thanks Al, you just added another layer to my analysis paralysis lol, the atlas is a pretty awesome bike. I have not looked at the CVT drives, so thanks for that added feature I need to consider . It is crazy how many bikes are out there and how many features and component types there are. I have a message in with FLX about the motor on the F5.

With all this bike research I'm doing I decided to get out my 30-year-old Marin Eldridge Grade 18 speed mountain bike today and put ten miles on it. First time in several years and it was great. I will start riding it more so I can appreciate the e-bike more when I finally decide on one. My Marin is much different than the newer ones, it was considered more of a higher-end back then, and it has no suspension at all but I have done a lot of rides with it, even the local century ride.

 

[AHicks]

@PedalUma does bring up a pretty good point. Who's going to get their hands dirty when this bike needs assembly/servicing? Are you OK doing your own work, or are you planning on having that done at a shop? If a shop is going to be involved, you should know many (most?) have NO interest in working on anything they didn't sell. You are quite literally forced into buying whatever they sell....

To that idea, I'll add that anyone wanting to do their own work will find documentation/support/help to really get a hand on about anything they'd need to do that....

Anything to help....

Happy hunting....
-Al

 

[PatriciaK]

I have the Espin Flow, and I love it! It's on sale right now (early Black Friday) for $1499, which is a fabulous price - in fact, it's $200 less than I paid for mine 2 years ago! Must be getting ready to update the model...

If you live near an REI, they will service this bike. Their prices are very reasonable. If you need warranty work done, Espin will quickly reimburse you - you just take a screen shot of the bill.

It's easy, fun and comfortable to ride, and on the lighter end of the weight scale at 55lbs.

Highly recommend this bike, based on my experience with it.

 

[Barkfire]

I do all my own mechanic work so it would be unlikely that it would ever go into the shop.

 

[Barkfire]

I have the Espin Flow, and I love it! It's on sale right now (early Black Friday) for $1499, which is a fabulous price - in fact, it's $200 less than I paid for mine 2 years ago! Must be getting ready to update the model...

If you live near an REI, they will service this bike. Their prices are very reasonable. If you need warranty work done, Espin will quickly reimburse you - you just take a screen shot of the bill.

It's easy, fun and comfortable to ride, and on the lighter end of the weight scale at 55lbs.

Highly recommend this bike, based on my experience with it.

Thank you, I have shown this one to my wife.

 

[Nomad]

Hi everyone, I just joined today primarily because I am having a really hard time deciding on the right Ebike to purchase and I thought this may be a good place to get some pointers. I am 65 and have ridden motorcycles most of my life, from dirtbikes to a full-dress Harley, so two wheels are not new to me. I should also mention that I tend to overthink things...a lot!

I am looking for an E-bike so I can stay active, take hunting and fishing, dirt roads, and maybe some light trails. I also will be cruising with my wife in town as I plan on getting her one as well, hers would be a very light, foldable, moped size. I am stuck as I usually tend to over buy but I will not be spending 6-8k on one. The bikes I am looking at are the Grizzly, I love the all-wheel drive,52 volt, two 1000-watt motors, and two batteries, but I am 6'2" and 220 lbs and don't think that size will work for me. Next, I was looking at the Eunorau Fat-HS or the Defender-S, they seem like good set-ups with full suspension at around 3K. I also looked at the Kepler, I feel this bike has a lot for the money with the 1000-watt motor and a 52-volt 20-ah battery. It comes with a rear rack and is priced at only $1,800. I know this has cheaper components and no rear suspension but man that is a lot of bike for the money. I know that mid-drives are said to be best for off-road with the gearing advantage but with 160nm torque with a 1000-watt hub motor, I think it would still work for me? Maybe? A month ago I knew nothing about e-bikes so I am still working on figuring it all out.

I would love to hear from people that already have it figured out, or at least more than I do, give me some input, am I crazy to consider the Kepler, or is there another bike you think would be good to consider? I really don't want to spend over around $3500.00 but I don't want to be sorry for buying something too cheap.

Part of the answer to what ebike to buy lies in what you rode for motorcycles.

 

[tomjasz]

I’d avoid Bafang proprietary frame motors unless you’re a fairly good mechanic or have local support. Overpowered and under supported. Having an LBS that can support the M series changes my opinion.
I’d want two bikes. One for hunting another for exercise and street riding. IMO the two don’t mix well.

 

[dodgeman]

I was thinking the same thing, two bikes. It looks like you are interested in what I call “hunting” bikes. They have a lot of power, big tires and are off road oriented. They are going to not be bad for road riding but to me they seem like more of an electric motorcycle and less for exercise.

 

[AHicks]

Part of the answer to what ebike to buy lies in what you rode for motorcycles.

Interested in your thought here. How so?

My motorcycle background runs from dirt bikes through big cruisers. My collection of e-bikes is just about the same. Is that what you are thinking, or something else?

Agree also on the 2 bike plan (at least 2 bikes). Something simple for #1 (hub drive), then, using experience gained riding that bike, get a checklist going of boxes you'd like checked off for your #2 bike. No hurry on that purchase. You can wait for just the right bike at just the right price...and you'll be a much more educated buyer. -Al