Pedal assist bike recommendations for 5 foot female

L

Linda Baer

New Member
I'm in the market for a new lighter weight pedal assist step through bike with longer battery capacity. I currently have a retrofitted trek bike which is heavy and I can't get more than about 22 miles out of a charge. I do not want a throttle feature. I would like an upright or upright relaxed position to get the weight off my wrists. The smaller frame size is very important to me. Does anyone have some suggestions? Thanks for your expertise!
 
Some of the new easy motion bikes with 500 and 600 watt hour batteries would be an excellent fit. At your size these bikes will take you 50+ miles any day of the week, as you are likely under the size of the typical rider size the companies use for range estimates.
 
pxpaulx said:
Some of the new easy motion bikes with 500 and 600 watt hour batteries would be an excellent fit. At your size these bikes will take you 50+ miles any day of the week, as you are likely under the size of the typical rider size the companies use for range estimates.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback! I checked out the website but didn't see any with small frame sizes. Am I missing something that you are seeing?
 
You might think about converting a pedal bicycle with a front or rear wheel motor kit, several manufacturers sell hub motors threaded into wheel sizes down to 26", 24" and 20" suitable for small step through frames. This spreadsheet lists step through pedal bikes. Sort by Make, price, etc. It includes a link to the manufacturer website then you can check what frame sizes are available and where your nearest dealer is located. This wiki lists ebike kit suppliers, a good one is Ebikes.ca who can build a hub motor wheel and sell you either a pedal cadence sensor that clips on and acts like a motor switch when it senses the crank is turning, or a torque sensor that replaces your bottom bracket axle and varies power depending on how hard you pedal. You could choose between a geared hub motor good for climbing hills or a direct drive hub motor for low maintenance and speedy on flat land.
 
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Dewey said:
You might think about converting a pedal bicycle with a front or rear wheel motor kit, several manufacturers sell hub motors threaded into wheel sizes down to 26", 24" and 20" suitable for small step through frames. This spreadsheet lists step through pedal bikes. Sort by Make, price, etc. It includes a link to the manufacturer website then you can check what frame sizes are available and where your nearest dealer is located. This wiki lists ebike kit suppliers, a good one is Ebikes.ca who can build a hub motor wheel and sell you either a pedal cadence sensor that clips on and acts like a motor switch when it senses the crank is turning, or a torque sensor that replaces your bottom bracket axle and varies power depending on how hard you pedal. You could choose between a geared hub motor good for climbing hills or a direct drive hub motor for low maintenance and speedy on flat land.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I'll check it out!
 
Dewey said:
You might think about converting a pedal bicycle with a front or rear wheel motor kit, several manufacturers sell hub motors threaded into wheel sizes down to 26", 24" and 20" suitable for small step through frames. This spreadsheet lists step through pedal bikes. Sort by Make, price, etc. It includes a link to the manufacturer website then you can check what frame sizes are available and where your nearest dealer is located. This wiki lists ebike kit suppliers, a good one is Ebikes.ca who can build a hub motor wheel and sell you either a pedal cadence sensor that clips on and acts like a motor switch when it senses the crank is turning, or a torque sensor that replaces your bottom bracket axle and varies power depending on how hard you pedal. You could choose between a geared hub motor good for climbing hills or a direct drive hub motor for low maintenance and speedy on flat land.
Click to expand...
Wow! Thank you!
 
Thanks for your input everyone. Though I haven't seen it yet in person, I am very hopeful that the 2017 Kalkhoff Agutta b7 with XS frame is my answer. I'm noting it for the sake of all the other vertically challenged people in the world. :)
 
Linda Baer said:
Thanks for your input everyone. Though I haven't seen it yet in person, I am very hopeful that the 2017 Kalkhoff Agutta b7 with XS frame is my answer. I'm noting it for the sake of all the other vertically challenged people in the world. :)
Click to expand...

Linda,
That may be a mistake. It is extremely important to get a bike that gits you well this is especially true for short and very tall riders.
At your height you will find a bike with 26" wheels more comfortable than a bike with 28" or 700C wheels. Gepida Retila with 26" wheels would be much better fit than the Kalkhoff. (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
 
The Kalkhoff Agattu B7 in size XS frame is a bike with 26" wheels. The larger sizes are 28"-wheel bikes.

Personally, I would go for the Kalkhoff Agattu Impulse 8 HS if only for the better, more balanced position of the battery, low and just behind the seatpost. This model also comes with a 26"-wheel option for the Small stepover frame size. It claims a range of 127 miles in low-assist mode, something that should be taken with a mouthful of salt!
 
Bicyclista said:
The Kalkhoff Agattu B7 in size XS frame is a bike with 26" wheels. The larger sizes are 28"-wheel bikes.

Personally, I would go for the Kalkhoff Agattu Impulse 8 HS if only for the better, more balanced position of the battery, low and just behind the seatpost. This model also comes with a 26"-wheel option for the Small stepover frame size. It claims a range of 127 miles in low-assist mode, something that should be taken with a mouthful of salt!
Click to expand...

I think I have come to that conclusion as well, but I've been looking for two weeks now and can't find a dealer near me in the western Chicago suburbs or anywhere except Bend, Oregon for that matter. I'm reasonable certain that is the right bike but I can't even find a Kalkhoff dealer. Can anyone help?
 
There are other Kalkhoff dealers in the US. Here is one in So Cal, and I'm sure there are others: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists).

Ebikes are niche market, overpriced relatively to production costs, and expensive ebikes are a smaller market yet. Call Kalkhoff.

Agreed on recommendations to avoid rear-rack battery (if possible). On the Kalkhoff homepage in the section "US/AUS Models" the Impulse 8HS isn't listed. They must have renamed it. There are similar models with battery behind the seat post: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I don't see anything in their line-up with really upright position, with wide swept-back cruiser handlebars. Though probably more upright than what you're riding now.

120 miles range? Maybe. Keep in mind that it's mere 250W motor.
 
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The Kalkhoff site lists one dealer in the Chicago area:

J.C. LIND BIKE CO.
1311 N. Wells Street
60610Chicago
312-643-1670
jon(at)jclindbikes.com
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

The Kalkhoff Agattu Impulse 8 HS is listed in the 2017 North America Model Line, 7th from the top. It has an upright riding position.
 
Yes, there is Impulse 8 in their Nort Am list. Can't say about upright position. Looks like regular commuter straight handlebars, no? The problem with bikes like Kalkhoff is they are less common in the US, hard to find one in flesh to try out.
 
Linda Baer said:
I am very hopeful that the 2017 Kalkhoff Agutta b7 with XS frame is my answer.
Click to expand...

If you are still interested in shopping around I noticed a Chicago ebike dealer Kozy's carries several brands and given a week's notice they can bring in the Pedego "miniceptor" with 24" wheels, here's Court's review, it looks like it was designed for people up to 5'2". Also the Trek Lift+ low-step weighs only 45lb including battery and has a small size frame option for riders over 5', here's Court's review.
 
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Bicyclista said:
The Kalkhoff site lists one dealer in the Chicago area:

J.C. LIND BIKE CO.
1311 N. Wells Street
60610Chicago
312-643-1670
jon(at)jclindbikes.com
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

The Kalkhoff Agattu Impulse 8 HS is listed in the 2017 North America Model Line, 7th from the top. It has an upright riding position.
Click to expand...
Oddly, they don't carry Kalkhoff even though they are listed. :(
 
Alex M said:
There are other Kalkhoff dealers in the US. Here is one in So Cal, and I'm sure there are others: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists).

Ebikes are niche market, overpriced relatively to production costs, and expensive ebikes are a smaller market yet. Call Kalkhoff.

Agreed on recommendations to avoid rear-rack battery (if possible). On the Kalkhoff homepage in the section "US/AUS Models" the Impulse 8HS isn't listed. They must have renamed it. There are similar models with battery behind the seat post: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I don't see anything in their line-up with really upright position, with wide swept-back cruiser handlebars. Though probably more upright than what you're riding now.

120 miles range? Maybe. Keep in mind that it's mere 250W motor.
Click to expand...
I put a call into them to see if they can help me. This search is becoming exhausting. :(
 
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