Recommendations: 6'1" Male, 210lbs, Hilly Area, Affordable

[Greg Thames]

Okay everyone, I am in need of some help. I'm looking for some advice finding the right bike for me. I am looking for A commuter e bike. I am 6'1 and weight in about 210. I live in the pacific northwest (which means hills) and I need to commute about 20 mile each way. When I am at work I am there for about 12-13 hours so I have tons of time to recharge the batteries. So with that said I need an electric bike that can get me to work and back. One in which I can change out the battery when it can no longer maintain a charge. And one that is all around cheaper than driving a car (or moped).

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[Dave]

Hi Greg, and Welcome. Wow, so many choices out there. I just bought an Easy Motion Neo Carbon since all my riding is on pavemant, and I live in a hilly area. The Easy Motion Neo line uses a geared hub motor, which has nice torque for climbing hills. Any of the EM bikes could be a good choice. James, on the forum just bought a Stromer ST1 Platinum for his commute, and is very happy. FitzChivalry, also on the forum, just bought a Pedego City Commuter for his commute, and appears to be pleased. I think one question that would help narrow down your choice would be, what style bike are you looking for? Are you looking for more of a road bike, a mountain bike, cruiser, or something in between? You really can't go wrong with Easy Motion, Stromer, Pedego, and others like Motiv, Volton, and the list goes on.

When I was trying to decide, I wanted a fast bike, more of a road bike style, torque sensor vs cadence sensor, and a battery that was integral to the frame. Obviously, I also wanted a solid company to stand behind the product. I am probably not helping you a great deal, but you have come to the right place. I am sure others will chime in with their thoughts. Good luck!

 

[James]

Yup! What Dave said.

 

[Admin]

Hey Greg! There are many ways to narrow this down but one big question is: Do you care about pedal assist or would you just like a throttle? Pedal assist comes in two flavors, one is "pedelec" or "cadence sensing" that just turns the motor on/off as you move the cranks and the other is "torque sensing" that's smoother but requires more effort because it senses how hard you're pushing the cranks.

If you don't care about pedal assist and just want a larger ebike that's inexpensive I'd actually recommend considering the ProdecoTech Stride 500. It's powerful, fairly large and very inexpensive. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of these online ebikes because repairs can be tricky to service and they don't offer many features. Originally I wanted to suggest the Outlaw EX because it has an even larger frame but that one's nearly twice as expensive and a bit unstable when riding (in my opinion) due to the angle of the front fork.

All of the models suggested by Dave would be better. They'd likely last longer, be lighter weight and more fully featured. The other big difference is the weight distribution... If you look at the Prodeco bikes they have that big battery way up high on the back and a heavy direct-drive rear hub motor. I've heard of these bikes tipping over and having the battery case crack and that's no fun to repair or replace (and hopefully nobody is hurt by the bike as it falls).

With more details on your riding needs and price range we can zoom in a bit more. I wanted to start out with low end because of your price callout. I tried to pick something with a stronger motor and add some diversity to the list but also share the drawbacks so you can start to learn the important factors surrounding an ebike purchase

 

[Greg Thames]

Thanks for all the ideas so far. But as I was reading some of your reply. I thought that I could share what I have, what I was looking at and so on.

Ok the rest of the story....Last year I got my wife (Merriann) one of those Currie tech ezip low step thur trails electric bike from Amazon. It was just a experiment, she was pregnent and we like to bike. So we thought it would be a fun little adventure. Some thing she could ride and not have to work too hard on. Well, long story short I liked the bike and wanted to use it to commute to work so I tried it out (thinking I would get the men's version later) well all it took was to run out of juice and the weight of the bike really gave me a workout (both ways). So I have been looking for a "proper" e bike. There is a few problems that I am having is there is no shop in my area that sales these types of bikes (the closest one is about 2 hours from me in Seattle and that is highway driving) so test riding is a little hard. So anyway I was looking at the izip dash?? I have chatted with the manufacturer and of course every bike they sale would do the job. So that was a little help there, so now I am here.

One other thing I wanted to share is that I would be driving on paved roads, 95% of the time. And the route that I would take has 3 major hills on it. One at the beginning (when I leave home), one about half way though, and longest one as I reach work (goes from sea level to about 150 feet over 2 miles)

Pedal assist is important to me as I am trying to use the ride to lose a few pounds but I would love the throttle assist as I call it. Oh price range under $2500 would be nice. Oh one other thing I would LIKE to be able to put a kid carrier/trailer on the back went if I wanted to pull her along with me on fun ride days in the park.

Thanks

 

[Admin]

Hey Greg! Thanks for clarifying. It sounds like you've already done the "cheap solution" test run with the eZip Trailz. To me, the ProdecoTech bikes are similar to that but a step up in terms of power and battery chemistry.

The IZIP E3 Dash is an outstanding electric bike and I would recommend that wholeheartedly. It's strong, offers pedal assist and throttle like you want and it comes in medium or large frame size to fit you right! I think you'd be able to pull a trailer with this bike but you could always consider an electric trailer too as a second option as it would work with any bike.

If I were in your position I'd order the Dash from your local shop and make the long drive to pick it up. This shop will support you and help with any maintenance and warranty issues that come up so it's worth doing

 

[Greg Thames]

Hey Court,

You have most helpful in this process , all of you on this board have been so thanks. So I am wondering what other bikes are in the same "league" as the Dash? I really love your written reviews also, one thing that I personally (I am no professional btw) wish that were in them were a list of two or three other bikes that are comparable to the one being reviewed. I think it would give the reader something to compare the bike they are interested in. And maybe find a bike that they would enjoy even more (if that was possible) than the one they choose. Just a idea. Like I said before I really like your reviews. So no pressure

 

[Dave]

Greg,
I also think the E3 Dash is a good choice. The specs seem good for your requirements. Similar bikes might be the Easy Motion Neo Cross. The Cross does not have the 48V battery or the 500W motor, but does have the geared hub motor for more torque, and has plenty of power in the PAS mode. Another bike I think you might enjoy would be the Volton Alation 500. Very powerful bike with 48/500 geared hub motor. Finally, take a look at the Motiv Shadow, another very powerful bike with 48/500 combo and geared hub motor. I understand the Shadow can now be fitted with a throttle, from the factory.

 

[Admin]

Hey Greg, that's a great suggestion! It makes a lot of sense to have a few "similar bikes" at the bottom of each review. My time has been somewhat limited for technical updates on the site... to automate this or to do it manually and I think I've also been sensitive to how brands would react to having their competitors so close. It's on the list though... Great to hear you bring it up as something that would help users

Greg provided all of the same bikes I'd suggest (and actually any of the Easy Motion Neo bikes would be great choices). He also nailed it with the Motiv Shadow and the option to get pedal assist and throttle. Sometimes it's just fun to look at all of the ebike reviews on the site to see what's out there, it takes a while to thumb through but there's some cool stuff like the Focus Jarifa Pro that isn't surfaced very much. I personally love that bike!

 

[Ralph]

Hey, Greg. As you can see there are lots of great choices. I have ridden the E3 Dash and mine should be at the dealer in a few days. It shipped last week. The bike is super impressive and it is a Currie so it will be well backed by the company and your local dealer. Court has a great video on it, but I will give you my impression.

First off, it is simple. Control is separate from the LCD and I found it convenient and easy to operate. After riding a lot of other bikes, the Dash immediately gets your attention by being almost silent. The torque sensing pedal is smooth and immediate. The throttle assist works up to 2o mph, so you have both, but I found by keeping the bike in the right gears and PAG assist level on pavement the bike was smooth, powerful and very fast and stable. I felt like had I been riding with my Ironman son, I could have dropped him at will . I am 5'7" and ordered the medium but test rode the large, which would probably fit you perfectly.

Personally, I found the motor noise factor on many of the bikes that I rode to be chronically annoying. I just couldn't ignore it test ride after test ride. The Dash, is almost silent and to me that makes it a standout and soon an owner. I guess that is due to the gearless direct drive hub motor. Happy hunting.