New Ebikes for first time buyers for Seniors

[jengels]

Hi all, just joined this forum and really appreciate all the information on new ebike purchase, but still not sure which bike to purchase. My wife and I are 65 and I have some physical limitations. After reading tons of posts here’s what we’re looking for:

1. Step thru bike, upright ride, comfort ride
2. Usage road, bike trails
3. Need enough assist for days when I don’t have the strength to pedal actively
4. Budget ??? Will spend $6000 per bike, but do I need to to spend $6000 to get a reliable bike?
5. Sounds like buying from LBS is important for maintence and repair, so limited to brands sold in Minnesota area.
6. Reliable ebike is important, so chain drive or belt drive? Which motor to get or avoid?

any recommendations greatly appreciated.

 

[steve mercier]

Hi all, just joined this forum and really appreciate all the information on new ebike purchase, but still not sure which bike to purchase. My wife and I are 65 and I have some physical limitations. After reading tons of posts here’s what we’re looking for:

1. Step thru bike, upright ride, comfort ride
2. Usage road, bike trails
3. Need enough assist for days when I don’t have the strength to pedal actively
4. Budget ??? Will spend $6000 per bike, but do I need to to spend $6000 to get a reliable bike?
5. Sounds like buying from LBS is important for maintence and repair, so limited to brands sold in Minnesota area.
6. Reliable ebike is important, so chain drive or belt drive? Which motor to get or avoid?

any recommendations greatly appreciated.

Trek Headquarters are near you so perhaps start with their lineup . You might start with the Townie Path Go 10D step-thru for you or the Verve lowstep for your wife. If you want more power the Allant 7+ lowstep. It is probably best to choose the same motor for both bikes.. https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/electric-bikes/c/B507/

 

[indianajo]

8 speed chains pedaled a lot, used with a hub motor and lubed regularly can last 5000 miles ( mine did). Wear out can be checked with a $13 tool, so there is no chance of road failure. 9,10,11,12 speed chains have a shorter life. Bikes with mid drives wear out chains more than hub drives. Quoted life on belts is 10000 km, but if you foul on on an object it can be bent and start falling off.
Frequent adjustment of derailleurs is possibly a symptom of cheap scrap metal cables. My $1500 yubabike has required none in 8000 miles. Trek should be fine. Check the "known problems" thread of the brand forums below on any brand you are considering.
2.1" tires are comfortable to me on road, and I do a little riding through grass at my summer camp. I have no spine problems. I ride 8-10 mph so suspension is not important to me. Over 15 mph regularly, you may want to spend the $1000 for a suspension.
I ride $26 knobby kenda tires, which stay flat free for me if knobs are >3/32". Lots of people buy tubeless tires, liners, $60 tires, slime in the quest for no flats. I get about 2000 miles, a year out of a Kenda Smoke knobby. They do hum on the road.
I got a reliable stretch cargo bike for $3200. You should be able to do better than $6000. I'm suspicious of the wheels & cables of $1000-2000 bikes, so check the known problems of any brand you consider. Lots of stretched spokes, cracked rims, and adjustment reported. If you buy from a dealer you should be able to avoid software problems, just dump it in their repair bay until they fix it.
Upper end bikes I respect are gazelle, supposed to be rain resitant. Pretty good bikes (low problem count) include cannondale, bulls.
Happy shopping.

 

[creativepart]

I doubt you have to spend $6K per bike. You should find a number of very good options in the $3,500 to 4,000 range. But buying quality is always a good idea. I've had two rear hub driven eBikes and even though I love my bikes I'd recommend a mid-drive with an integrated battery in the frame. Look for a good brand motor like Bosch and you should be good to go.

PS. A LOT of us here are seniors - I'm in my 70's and an eBike is a great investment.

 

[harryS]

Yes, go to the Trek store. Go today while they still can get you a bike. There are going to be lots of people like you with the same intentions. It was bike shortage most of last year. I think you'll won't need to spend more than $3K per bike. Many spend less.

 

[jengels]

Thanks for the replies, here's the list I'm looking at for now: (going to test ride tomorrow)
Bulls Cross Lite EVO Step-Thru or Wave $4900
Gazelle Ultimate T10 HMB $3700
Trek Verve+ 3 low step $3200
Trek Allant+ 7S Stagger $3200 (Motor - Bosch Active Plus, 250 watt, 50 Nm, 20mph) Is this a reliable Bosch motor???)
Pedego Boomerang: Platinum Edition (physical limitations not so limiting that I need a ultra low mount, but I'm going to test ride as well)

Recommendations from above list? most reliable? most upright and comfortable?

 

[creativepart]

Sounds like a good list to me.

 

[indianajo]

All those brands have short lists of known problems. Buy what you like.
Bosch active line mid drive requires power at all time, else you spin the motor with your feet. Highly reputable, great support. Pedego has a geared hub motor that you can pedal home without motor drag if you overrun the battery. Don't know what the other 3 have.

 

[Dallant]

Trek Headquarters are near you so perhaps start with their lineup . You might start with the Townie Path Go 10D step-thru for you or the Verve lowstep for your wife. If you want more power the Allant 7+ lowstep. It is probably best to choose the same motor for both bikes.. https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/electric-bikes/c/B507/

I bought the Allant+7 diamond frame for myself and liked it so much we bought an Allant+7 Lowstep for my wife several months later. We love them both. She tested a Verve+3 which she liked but is glad now that we went with the +7. Bosch Performance Line CX motor is clearly superior to the Verve‘s Active Line, IMO.
FWIW, I’m 66+ and the wife is 64+.

 

[steve mercier]

Hi all, just joined this forum and really appreciate all the information on new ebike purchase, but still not sure which bike to purchase. My wife and I are 65 and I have some physical limitations. After reading tons of posts here’s what we’re looking for:

1. Step thru bike, upright ride, comfort ride
2. Usage road, bike trails
3. Need enough assist for days when I don’t have the strength to pedal actively
4. Budget ??? Will spend $6000 per bike, but do I need to to spend $6000 to get a reliable bike?
5. Sounds like buying from LBS is important for maintence and repair, so limited to brands sold in Minnesota area.
6. Reliable ebike is important, so chain drive or belt drive? Which motor to get or avoid?

any recommendations greatly appreciated.

Of that list I prefer the Cross lite as it has the most powerful CX motor and the Deore XT . It is a good list, and all of those bikes have very reliable motors.

 

[jengels]

Ok, today my wife and I went out to test ride some bikes, unfortunately it was hard to find ebikes to test ride in our model and size. We were able to ride 1 Trek Allant+ 8 (he also brought out an Electra Vale) and a Gazelle Ultimate T10.

Gazelle Ultimate T10 - Very comfortable bike and rode really nice. We both were pleasantly surprised how fun these ebikes are to ride.
Trek ebikes - unfortunately we could not find the Allant+ 7 (low step) or Allant+ 7s stagger, we did test ride an Allant+ 8 stagger which we both liked, but a little concerned about mounting the bike. I was able to do it pretty easily if I tilted the bike a little. Again, we were both pleasantly surprised how comfortable the Trek Allant+ 8 was to ride, we were both in a riding position that was just right (upright but not to upright).

I will say that the Gazelle was more comfortable of the 2 Ebikes mainly because the Trek Allant+ 8 stagger was harder to mount and did not have front suspension (realize the Allant+ 7 would resolve these differences).

Does anyone know which exact Bosch motor the Gazelle Ultimate T10 comes with? is it a Bosch Gen 4 motor? is It important for the Bosch motor to be a Bosch Gen 4 motor?

I'm still waiting to ride a Bulls Cross Lite next week, even though I'm concerned that we may not be able to get the other bikes if we wait. So not sure what is the best thing to do. I'm leaning toward getting my wife the Gazelle Ultimate T10 now and waiting to test ride the Bulls Cross Lite next week.

One thing I will say is that riding these bikes was a very fun experience. It was nice to find out that these ebikes will give you the flexibility to get as little or as much exercise as you want to get. Even at full assist you can still pedal hard and feel like you are still getting a workout. So I'm pretty excited about buying these bikes and enjoying them 4-5 days a week (weather permitting).

Greatly appreciate any feedback regarding the following:
1. Gazelle Ultimate T10, does this have the Bosch Gen 4 motor or not?
2. Comparison of Gazelle Ultimate T10 vs Trek Allant+7 or 8.

- Is there a difference in quality and reliability between these ebikes?​

- front suspension, does it make a difference in ride comfort (1 hour ride)?​

3. Should I wait to buy an ebike until I ride a Bulls Cross Lite and risk not finding one of the other bikes (sold out)? I kinda want to buy 1 ebike now and then wait until I ride the Bulls Cross Lite before buying the 2nd ebike.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Dallant]

To answer what questions I can as an Allant+7 (both diamond and Lowstep) owner, the front suspension does make a major difference, in both my wife’s and my opinions. I have over 1200 very reliable and fun miles on mine and we both love our Allants. I’d recommend them all day long. Beyond that, I know nothing about the Gazelle. Good luck in your search.

 

[L Johnston]

Thanks for the replies, here's the list I'm looking at for now: (going to test ride tomorrow)
Bulls Cross Lite EVO Step-Thru or Wave $4900
Gazelle Ultimate T10 HMB $3700
Trek Verve+ 3 low step $3200
Trek Allant+ 7S Stagger $3200 (Motor - Bosch Active Plus, 250 watt, 50 Nm, 20mph) Is this a reliable Bosch motor???)
Pedego Boomerang: Platinum Edition (physical limitations not so limiting that I need a ultra low mount, but I'm going to test ride as well)

Recommendations from above list? most reliable? most upright and comfortable?

I think you will love them, but like has been mentioned, don't wait. We got my wife a Trek Verve+ 3 low step last year and she loved it. Made riding fun again. I decided in fall to look at a REI Coop Cty e2.2. Only two in North America. Finally gave up on those when there could be no predicted shipment in 2021. I then went to look at Cannondale Tesoro Neo 3 - large was too long of a reach and no mediums available - Next shipment anticipated in December. Just bought a Giant Explore E last week and love it. I've heard that bike shipments in 2021 will be worse than last year. I also considered the Trek Allant +7 butI was trying to stay in the $3,300 range. The Allant was closer to $3,800. In any event I think you can find nice equipment for you in the $4000 range and under. Don't forget about the rack. From my research, the Thule Easy Fold Xt 2. Has ramps and is easy to load but about $750, but looks worth it.

 

[PedalUma]

To answer what questions I can as an Allant+7 (both diamond and Lowstep) owner, the front suspension does make a major difference, in both my wife’s and my opinions. I have over 1200 very reliable and fun miles on mine and we both love our Allants. I’d recommend them all day long. Beyond that, I know nothing about the Gazelle. Good luck in your search.

With all that has been discussed, look for local service support as one important factor. Getting your bikes even if not perfect, is better than sitting on the bench - out of the game.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Hate to sound like a car salesman or real estate person, but if you want to actually ride anything this year, you want to buy it asap. Every nice weather weekend now is going to deplete the in stock supply faster than last year. I bought a spare ebike last August because I realized I’d be dead in the water if my bike quit for some reason.

The stuff you’re looking at all passes muster from where I sit. 70 this summer, did just under 4000 miles last year. These things absolutely changed my life.

 

[Dallant]

I think you will love them, but like has been mentioned, don't wait. We got my wife a Trek Verve+ 3 low step last year and she loved it. Made riding fun again. I decided in fall to look at a REI Coop Cty e2.2. Only two in North America. Finally gave up on those when there could be no predicted shipment in 2021. I then went to look at Cannondale Tesoro Neo 3 - large was too long of a reach and no mediums available - Next shipment anticipated in December. Just bought a Giant Explore E last week and love it. I've heard that bike shipments in 2021 will be worse than last year. I also considered the Trek Allant +7 butI was trying to stay in the $3,300 range. The Allant was closer to $3,800. In any event I think you can find nice equipment for you in the $4000 range and under. Don't forget about the rack. From my research, the Thule Easy Fold Xt 2. Has ramps and is easy to load but about $750, but looks worth it.

The Allant+7 comes with fenders, lights and a very good Racktime Lightit rack from the factory.

 

[indianajo]

IMHO torque difference between bosch gen 3 & 4 matters only if you are speeding up mountains, or really weigh a lot. What is your planned speed? I ride 8-10 mph.
My same opinion of suspension. If you have a painful shock sensitive back or neck or intend to ride at 20-30 mph, you need a suspension. At my speed I don't need one.
Main defect of bosch gen 3 is it requires power at all times for you to not spin the motor with your feet. Gen 4 has an internal clutch like a geared hub drive. So you can pedal Gen 4 unpowered without drag.
both gazelle & trek have short lists of "known problems".
Gazelle is a class 1 ebike which means no assist over ~20 mph. It has torque sensing which is supposed to be very natural feeling. There is a step through frame for the elderly that get stiffer by the year. It has a 10 speed rear which will lead to more frequent chain replacement than my 8 speed (5000 miles). Gazelle tire has presta valves, which won't fit the tire pump at the gas station.
Trek allant 7 has gen 4 motor. it is also a class 1 bike, which makes the suspension a bit redundant because of the low speeds. It also has torque sensing. It has 9 speed rear sprocket which should have same chain life as the 10 speed above. Trek has tire shrader valves, which are the same as on cars.

 

[Dallant]

IMHO torque difference between bosch gen 3 & 4 matters only if you are speeding up mountains, or really weigh a lot. What is your planned speed? I ride 8-10 mph.
My same opinion of suspension. If you have a painful shock sensitive back or neck or intend to ride at 20-30 mph, you need a suspension. At my speed I don't need one.
Main defect of bosch gen 3 is it requires power at all times for you to not spin the motor with your feet. Gen 4 has an internal clutch like a geared hub drive. So you can pedal Gen 4 unpowered without drag.
both gazelle & trek have short lists of "known problems".
Gazelle is a class 1 ebike which means no assist over ~20 mph. It has torque sensing which is supposed to be very natural feeling. There is a step through frame for the elderly that get stiffer by the year. It has a 10 speed rear which will lead to more frequent chain replacement than my 8 speed (5000 miles). Gazelle tire has presta valves, which won't fit the tire pump at the gas station.
Trek allant 7 has gen 4 motor. it is also a class 1 bike, which makes the suspension a bit redundant because of the low speeds. It also has torque sensing. It has 9 speed rear sprocket which should have same chain life as the 10 speed above. Trek has tire shrader valves, which are the same as on cars.

The Allant+7 does not have Schrader valves, it has presta.
It’s interesting how much you predetermine what others “need”, as in suspension. Assuming you don’t need a suspension under 20 mph? I have a bum shoulder that suspension helps at most any speed.
Step through frame “for the elderly”?

 

[Dallant]

I’ve already seen large crowds at bike shops this month.

 

[indianajo]

The Allant+7 does not have Schrader valves, it has presta.

That is what court said in his 2020 review. Schrader. At least OP should be informed to check on this feature on the actual bikes in the store. It could have changed.