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[vvinay]

Hello, been doing research about a week now and pretty much know what I am looking for but am troubled by the selections I am currently finding available in the US. This is what I am looking for.
1. 35 mile battery minimum.
2. No suspension.
3. No racks and added weight accessories.
4. 20-25 MPH capability.
5. At least 1 bottle cage.
6. Hill capability (primary reason for purchasing)
7. More of a "Hybrid" set up, not a road and not a mountain bike. At least 38c tires.
8. Less than $2000 price point.

This is for my wife who currently has non-E FS MTB and a gravel bike. She wants to go out for a quick rip out the garage and not kill herself coming home with 14-15% grade and 6000 ft elevation.

What fits the bill here to try an ebike out for a season before we place money down on a $6k - $10k bike?

 

[WattsUpDude]

You’re going to want a middrive for those hills. And there aren’t that many at or below that price point. One that immediately comes to mind as a great value and is relatively light weight is the Yamaha Cross Core but even that retails for $2399 US.

 

[Taylor57]

Espin Flow. $1500 US. Next case please

 

[ephemere]

This is for my wife who currently has non-E FS MTB and a gravel bike. She wants to go out for a quick rip out the garage and not kill herself coming home with 14-15% grade and 6000 ft elevation.

6000 ft elevation? Climbing 6000 ft? That doesn't sound like a quick rip out the garage!

 

[vvinay]

I live at 6000 ft, not climbing 6000 ft most accents are 500-800 ft in the community but most of the roads are steep. My big concern with the cheaper ebikes is that they will not have the power to take us up the hills with pedal assist. Both of us are in our early 60's and raced both MTB and Road early on in life we hike everyday for lunch and ride on the weekends so we have a fitness base. Will some of these rear hub sub $2000 bikes work in this environment? I don't want to invest $2k and be sorely disappointed when I could have used that towards a more expensive bike.

 

[WattsUpDude]

Will some of these rear hub sub $2000 bikes work in this environment? I don't want to invest $2k and be sorely disappointed when I could have used that towards a more expensive bike.

Short answer: No. Rear hub drive bikes can be very fast on flat land. On steep and sustained hills, they will go into thermal protection mode and limit or cut power entirely.

It's still a good idea to test a bunch of bikes before you buy if you're able. My first bike which I bought online and did not test ride first had a 48v 500 watt motor. It sucked where I live in hilly SF Bay Area.

 

[vvinay]

I appreciate your answer WattaUpDude, this is what I like about forums. What do you have now? The Yamaha Cross Core looks really nice, does anyone have that and does it do well in hills? The pitch on the hills here where I live are much like some of them in SF Bay area only the altitude is higher.

 

[WattsUpDude]

I have a Yamaha Urban Rush. Same motor as the one in the Cross Core. It has all the torque I need. I'm pretty confident I can pull my kids in the Burley up any hill in San Francisco with it.

 

[ephemere]

@vvinay:

My bike has the Shimano E8000 motor (mid-drive) and it has more than enough power for Bay Area hills (where I live). I've never used the motor past level 2 of 3, and usually when I use the motor I don't need to go past level 1.

If your budget is strictly $2000 then you might look at the REI Coop bikes, also with Shimano motors. The e2.1 with E5000 motor is $1800 and the e2.2 with the E6100 motor is $2160. These prices include the 10% member discount, and becoming a member is basically free. I would not hesitate to recommend the Shimano E6100 motor for the east bay hills, certainly to someone with a moderate degree of fitness. The E5000 is less powerful, so I'm less sure.

However, the REI bikes don't satisfy several of your desiderata. They have non-removable racks, visible batteries, and (sigh) a suspension fork. Also, the small-size frame has a different design that renders a bottle cage impossible.

About hub drives, you might reach out to @Ravi Kempaiah . He has a lot of experience with e-bikes and is starting to make and sell his own, both mid-drive and hub-drive. (See the Zen Forum.) I think he is a believer in hub drives. He has a model coming out that originally was to be $2000, but with the supply chain I think has gone up in price. Anyway, he may have some wisdom about hub drives and hills. There seems to be no clear consensus about that question.

 

[WattsUpDude]

@vvinay:

My bike has the Shimano E8000 motor (mid-drive) and it has more than enough power for Bay Area hills (where I live). I've never used the motor past level 2 of 3, and usually when I use the motor I don't need to go past level 1.

If your budget is strictly $2000 then you might look at the REI Coop bikes, also with Shimano motors. The e2.1 with E5000 motor is $1800 and the e2.2 with the E6100 motor is $2160. These prices include the 10% member discount, and becoming a member is basically free. I would not hesitate to recommend the Shimano E6100 motor for the east bay hills, certainly to someone with a moderate degree of fitness. The E5000 is less powerful, so I'm less sure.

However, the REI bikes don't satisfy several of your desiderata. They have non-removable racks, visible batteries, and (sigh) a suspension fork. Also, the small-size frame has a different design that renders a bottle cage impossible.

About hub drives, you might reach out to @Ravi Kempaiah . He has a lot of experience with e-bikes and is starting to make and sell his own, both mid-drive and hub-drive. (See the Zen Forum.) I think he is a believer in hub drives. He has a model coming out that originally was to be $2000, but with the supply chain I think has gone up in price. Anyway, he may have some wisdom about hub drives and hills. There seems to be no clear consensus about that question.

I also think the REI bikes are an excellent value. I would have recommended those first but I know OP didn't want suspension.