Newbie needs some advice

R_Harp

New Member
Hello everyone, I recently decided to buy an ebike for my daily commute and am looking for something reliable but also fun for recreation purposes. I have a pedego shop nearby and really liked their ridge rider model but the price seemed a little steep for me (~$3,300). Are there any other models you can think of that I should consider looking at or below this price point before i pull the trigger?
 
Hello everyone, I recently decided to buy an ebike for my daily commute and am looking for something reliable but also fun for recreation purposes. I have a pedego shop nearby and really liked their ridge rider model but the price seemed a little steep for me (~$3,300). Are there any other models you can think of that I should consider looking at or below this price point before i pull the trigger?
Take a look at the A2B Galvani. At $2K this bike moves well and looks great. Also look at the 2799 Pacer from SmartMotion. We might also suggest, if your commute is under 15 miles to look at the Faraday ebikes. Good luck with you shopping.
 
I would agree
Smart motion pacer or the cat for hubs
Izip for mids
There are many others, and better, but at least this keeps you under 2k
 
Smart motion Pacer is a sexy beast. Had I been less budget conscious I'd have bought her!

Unfortunately didn't want more than 500w or 20m/Hr lol. But she's so perfect otherwise!
 
@R_Harp I wish I knew then, what I know now, about e-bikes. Not that I am unhappy at all with my Stromer ST1. I got a good deal and it is a very nice bike, etc. There are a number of online sellers who are working hard to make e-bikes more available. And they give you some real bang for your buck, if you don't mind buying online. Much better prices IMHO. Eric Luna of Lunacycle.com is one I would buy from, if I were not already an owner. But look around your area for local shops if you will need service and support. I live in Colorado and had to drive about 1 hour south to find a dealer that knew anything about e bikes.

Commute AND recreation? There are "mountain bike" style, which have the "straight" bars, etc. Hard seats, etc. Not so comfortable. I'd put the Pedego Ridge Rider in this category. Then there are the "comfort" style. More upright, cushier seats, etc. Then, there are bikes with rear hub motors (my ST1 has such, 500 watts) and others have "mid drive" motors which are reportedly better at pulling you up a hill (mountain biking), and then there are the more expensive bikes, such as Haibike. There are a ton of them even though some areas (like mine) don't have many in local bike shops.

If the Pedego Ridge Rider is in your sights, look at the Stromer (quite expensive, unless you can get a deal), or Haibike SDuro (Yamaha mid drive) or some from luna cycle. They have a number of them and they are powerful bikes, priced less.

Also, consider whether you want a throttle. Or just pedal assist. The Ridge Rider has both. Many do not. Also, some mid drives are not as smooth in the pedal assist. My Stromer ST1 is very smooth, has a very strong motor, plenty of pedal assist in 4 pedal assist modes. These just kick in when you start pedaling and the "torque sensor" senses you are pedaling and starts the motor assist. Smoother, in my limited experience. I bought an aftermarket seat for mine and a new adjustable stem, to bring the handlebars up. Helps my old body a lot.

Lots of reviews here thanks to Court. Lots more on the web thanks to Mr. Google. Hope this helps, good luck.
Stromer ST1.jpg
 
I own a pedego ridge rider and love mine. I wouldn't say it's uncomfortable just need a better seat or a thud buster. Bike is well built with great service tech.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I definitely want a bike with PAS and a throttle. For clarification to munchmeister on why i was focused on commute and recreation is because my commute is pretty short so ideally I'll also be purchasing something fun to ride around during the weekend etc. (literally any ebike would be able to handle the rigors of my commute with the exception of something that struggles with hills). I found a dealer that sells the smartmotion pacer and I'm excited to go try it out, looks super nice from what I've seen online.
 
For commuting you need to make sure that there are mounts to accept a rack and FULL fenders.
It may seem trivial, but it is essential for a commuter.
A second charger to leave at work is also good.

And if you can test ride map out your commute try both a hub and a mid drive and see which would work best, as they are not the same
 
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