Hi all,
While I'm not exactly looking for an eMTB right at this moment, I just figure people on this forum might have a little more knowledge of the available options out there. One of the reasons I'm thinking about this is that at some point in the future, the concept of commuting to work as a thing everybody does will once again be a part of the human condition. Where I live, there are bike paths that make the commute quite smooth by bike, but much of the travel distance could be further cut by using the local dirt and gravel trails that connect to those paths rather than use road-based connections. And because I live in the PNW, that means that blue skies are a sign that rain is coming (lack of blue skies are a sign that rain is falling). Basically, that means the traction of knobbier tires and the presence of a suspension fork is quite valuable if I am to use the trails for even a reasonable chunk of the commute, though it's fair to say that the kind of riding I'm talking about would fit more in the "adventure" category than any sort of hard riding. Just that the eMTB category of bikes equals hitting a lot of the check-boxes that would make it useful and still comfortable to ride for those kinds of trips.
This could eventually be an issue for both my wife and myself should we commute to work in the future (and a bike is a far more convenient option, and if we ever return to the era of pre-COVID traffic, it is as fast or faster than driving)... and it's the latter that raises the core question of this post. For someone my height (5'10"), finding bikes that are a reasonable fit is quite easy. For someone my wife's height (5'0")... not so much. Now while a lot of 20" fat-tire e-bikes can fit her, most all of them are also insanely heavy (which becomes a concern when loading it into lockers at the office) and it's honestly easier to handle and control something with normal-sized 26" or 27.5" tires -- it's also easier to go faster with normal size tires when turning the PAS off (which, quite frankly, we both do for a good chunk of our rides). So after that long-winded exposition, the basic question -- Does anybody know if there are any eMTBs or e-Gravel/Adventure bikes or anything similar that isn't obscenely heavy, that can still fit riders as short as 5'0"? Honestly, I've had enough trouble finding regular MTBs that fit my wife, especially if they are full suspension (though in practice, I'm preferential to hardtails for this sort of thing because city planners in the PNW are apparently allergic to grades below 10%).
That too, because we're not exactly riding for the sake of going wild and shredding black diamonds or anything, in spite of the fact that I'm looking for reasonable weight (e.g. under 50 lbs with the battery removed), one place where weight cannot be shed is in the wallet.
While I'm not exactly looking for an eMTB right at this moment, I just figure people on this forum might have a little more knowledge of the available options out there. One of the reasons I'm thinking about this is that at some point in the future, the concept of commuting to work as a thing everybody does will once again be a part of the human condition. Where I live, there are bike paths that make the commute quite smooth by bike, but much of the travel distance could be further cut by using the local dirt and gravel trails that connect to those paths rather than use road-based connections. And because I live in the PNW, that means that blue skies are a sign that rain is coming (lack of blue skies are a sign that rain is falling). Basically, that means the traction of knobbier tires and the presence of a suspension fork is quite valuable if I am to use the trails for even a reasonable chunk of the commute, though it's fair to say that the kind of riding I'm talking about would fit more in the "adventure" category than any sort of hard riding. Just that the eMTB category of bikes equals hitting a lot of the check-boxes that would make it useful and still comfortable to ride for those kinds of trips.
This could eventually be an issue for both my wife and myself should we commute to work in the future (and a bike is a far more convenient option, and if we ever return to the era of pre-COVID traffic, it is as fast or faster than driving)... and it's the latter that raises the core question of this post. For someone my height (5'10"), finding bikes that are a reasonable fit is quite easy. For someone my wife's height (5'0")... not so much. Now while a lot of 20" fat-tire e-bikes can fit her, most all of them are also insanely heavy (which becomes a concern when loading it into lockers at the office) and it's honestly easier to handle and control something with normal-sized 26" or 27.5" tires -- it's also easier to go faster with normal size tires when turning the PAS off (which, quite frankly, we both do for a good chunk of our rides). So after that long-winded exposition, the basic question -- Does anybody know if there are any eMTBs or e-Gravel/Adventure bikes or anything similar that isn't obscenely heavy, that can still fit riders as short as 5'0"? Honestly, I've had enough trouble finding regular MTBs that fit my wife, especially if they are full suspension (though in practice, I'm preferential to hardtails for this sort of thing because city planners in the PNW are apparently allergic to grades below 10%).
That too, because we're not exactly riding for the sake of going wild and shredding black diamonds or anything, in spite of the fact that I'm looking for reasonable weight (e.g. under 50 lbs with the battery removed), one place where weight cannot be shed is in the wallet.
