Petite looking for car replacement

[Lucky Vaga]

I am a petite ( 5'1") woman currently on a Surly which I love but am interested in buying an ebike for the steep hills in my neighborhood in Los Angeles. My wants: upright position, commuting and touring ( 60+ miles), removable and lockable battery and computer, quiet,comfortable ride with panniers, groceries/small dog, lights, rack, great brakes, step-thru, phone charger, good warranty, easy to repair. My budget tops at $3,000. Due to the hills, I would appreciate your thoughts on pedal assist only and pedal assist w /throttle. I plan to use it as my car replacement for the next three years. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Nirmala]

Even though 60 miles is probably unrealistic with most ebikes, you can always purchase a second battery and carry it along with you on longer rides. I do that occasionally on my Magnum Ui5 and therefore am able to cover 60 miles when I want to.

 

[Al P]

My wife is 5'0. Finding a bike that was easy for her to get on was time consuming. We eventually found three bikes that were suitable. She tested the Pedego Interceptor, Easy Motion Street and the iZip E3 Vibe+. The Pedego and the Easy Motion were nice bikes but both have 15" frames and were over $3000.

We bought the iZip because it was very comfortable for her and had most of the features that you mentioned. It will go about 40 miles per charge (there aren't many that will do 60). It is a mid-drive bike that has a removable, lockable battery, step through, upright design, wiring for lights, a rear rack that will accommodate panniers, good brakes and a good warranty. The display is not removable (new model has a tiny LED display that would not be a target for thieves). I don't know about carrying a dog.

She liked the bike so much I bought her a Raleigh Sprite IE, sight unseen, which is very similar. Both are made by Currie, who offers great customer service. She loves both bikes and rides them equally. Most of all, they have 13" frames, which are perfect for her size.

 

[Bicyclista]

Among the bikes that fit most of your criteria, including size, range, and the ability to carry stuff, is the Juiced Bikes ODK U500 utility bike. Juiced offers 3 different batteries for their bikes, and the mid-level option (48V, 23Ah) will give you the 60-mile range you want while staying within your budget. Few other ebikes offer a battery with that range. I test rode an earlier version of that bike and was favorably impressed. It will probably be my next ebike purchase, in a year or so, as soon as I pay off my current ebike.

Here is Court's review of the Juiced Bikes ODK U500 and (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Lucky Vaga]

Among the bikes that fit most of your criteria, including size, range, and the ability to carry stuff, is the Juiced Bikes ODK U500 utility bike. Juiced offers 3 different batteries for their bikes, and the mid-level option (48V, 23Ah) will give you the 60-mile range you want while staying within your budget. Few other ebikes offer a battery with that range. I test rode an earlier version of that bike and was favorably impressed. It will probably be my next ebike purchase, in a year or so, as soon as I pay off my current ebike.

Here is Court's review of the Juiced Bikes ODK U500 and (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Thank you! I did not even see this bike so I will be looking to test ride it soon.

 

[Lucky Vaga]

My wife is 5'0. Finding a bike that was easy for her to get on was time consuming. We eventually found three bikes that were suitable. She tested the Pedego Interceptor, Easy Motion Street and the iZip E3 Vibe+. The Pedego and the Easy Motion were nice bikes but both have 15" frames and were over $3000.

We bought the iZip because it was very comfortable for her and had most of the features that you mentioned. It will go about 40 miles per charge (there aren't many that will do 60). It is a mid-drive bike that has a removable, lockable battery, step through, upright design, wiring for lights, a rear rack that will accommodate panniers, good brakes and a good warranty. The display is not removable (new model has a tiny LED display that would not be a target for thieves). I don't know about carrying a dog.

She liked the bike so much I bought her a Raleigh Sprite IE, sight unseen, which is very similar. Both are made by Currie, who offers great customer service. She loves both bikes and rides them equally. Most of all, they have 13" frames, which are perfect for her size.

thank you for your response. I will look for the bikes locally and test ride them.

 

[Lucky Vaga]

I suggest that you take a look at the section Court dedicated to petite cyclists (link below), which lists several bikes that might be suitable. Be sure to read people's comments all the way at the bottom of the page. There are some additional suggestions from folks with real life experience.

https://electricbikereview.com/guides/ebikes-for-small-people/

Edit/P.S.: Beware of range claims made by manufacturers. 60 miles is a long way to go on a single battery charge. Many e-bikes won't achieve that mileage in normal operating conditions.

Thanks for your reply, I have been reading his comments and they are helping me narrow the field.

 

[Marc V]

Among the bikes that fit most of your criteria, including size, range, and the ability to carry stuff, is the Juiced Bikes ODK U500 utility bike. Juiced offers 3 different batteries for their bikes, and the mid-level option (48V, 23Ah) will give you the 60-mile range you want while staying within your budget. Few other ebikes offer a battery with that range. I test rode an earlier version of that bike and was favorably impressed. It will probably be my next ebike purchase, in a year or so, as soon as I pay off my current ebike.

Here is Court's review of the Juiced Bikes ODK U500 and (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I just got the juiced odk u500 v3 ebike over the weekend.

This is my 2nd ebike and so far i am very happy with my purchase!

I got the 32ah battery which is estimated 80+ mile range, have not done a range test though.

Be aware though the battery is heavy and isn't designed to be removed.

With the heavy duty frame and heavy duty battery the ebike is on the heavier side so lifting it going up and down stairs with it is challenging.

Tora of juiced bikes does mention he designed this bike to be a car replacement (or as we are recently saying in other post "car alternative" ).

I do use it to commute around my city as well as commute to work. I try to ride as much as possible weather and time permitting.

I average close to 20 miles a day and recommend this bike if it meets your needs.

I would recommend you test ride it and others if possible to get a good feel for what works for you.

Happy hunting!

Take care, ride safe!
Marc V

 

[Rick Speicher]

I built a bike for my wife who is 5'0" 105lbs. Put a Bafang BBSHD mid-drive on a used Electra Townie 8i. With a 11.5Ah battery and her relaxed riding style, she gets well over 30 miles, a second or larger battery could double that. The drive and battery was $1000, the bike $300. Added a rear rack, suspension seat post and Cloud9 seat, bringing the total to $1400. It's very comfortable and she feels safer because she can put both feet on the ground while staying seated at stops. It will also tackle the big hills in the area, our street has a 20% grade which is quite steep. All of her friends and sisters say the same thing after a test ride,"I want one!"

 

[SZY2Z]

My wife is 5'0. Finding a bike that was easy for her to get on was time consuming. We eventually found three bikes that were suitable. She tested the Pedego Interceptor, Easy Motion Street and the iZip E3 Vibe+. The Pedego and the Easy Motion were nice bikes but both have 15" frames and were over $3000.

We bought the iZip because it was very comfortable for her and had most of the features that you mentioned. It will go about 40 miles per charge (there aren't many that will do 60). It is a mid-drive bike that has a removable, lockable battery, step through, upright design, wiring for lights, a rear rack that will accommodate panniers, good brakes and a good warranty. The display is not removable (new model has a tiny LED display that would not be a target for thieves). I don't know about carrying a dog.

She liked the bike so much I bought her a Raleigh Sprite IE, sight unseen, which is very similar. Both are made by Currie, who offers great customer service. She loves both bikes and rides them equally. Most of all, they have 13" frames, which are perfect for her size.

Thanks so much for your review. I fall into the height challenged category myself. I just started looking for an e-bike, so your comments are very helpful. I live in AZ...there is a Pedego place where I can rent and test ride one of those on a nearby trail, but otherwise I have no experience.

 

[Al P]

SZY2Z, if you are looking for a bike that is easy to get on and ride, especially for your height, I would recommend that you try any bike before buying rather than comparing specs on manufacturer/dealer websites, even if you have to drive a considerable distance to do it. If it isn't comfortable you will soon grow to hate it. We drove over 80 miles each way to test the iZip, Pedego and Easy Motion bikes. Fortunately, that one dealer had all three in stock.

 

[SZY2Z]

Thanks...heading out today to do just that!

 

[JohnT]

I'm a Pedego dealer, so I'm biased, but I highly recommend the small Pedego Interceptor 24" Step Thru. My wife is 5'1", and it's perfect for her! With the extended range battery, it's a bit out of your price range at $3295, but if you go into a store, you might be able to negotiate a little or find a used bike.

This "Mini-ceptor" meets most of your criteria. 60 miles would be tough, but doable if you put in some pedal-only time. It climbs like a champ, especially on the 24" tires. Pedegos come with a two year warranty. In our little store, we carry assorted panniers and a few pet baskets. The tubing on Pedego battery racks are a bit thicker than standard rear racks, so some accessories fit better than others. I love having the option of throttle or pedal assist or both.

If you want to go big, my wife has no trouble managing the Pedego Stretch. As a smallish cargo bike, capable of carrying 400 lbs., it's a great car substitute! With the extended range battery, it's $3895, though.

We're in Ventura County, a block out of L.A. County, near Highway 101, so we're probably not your closest Pedego dealer. I recommend buying from someone close, if you can. If you're not too far, feel free to come by and check us out!