Single gear vs multiple gears

[LarryC]

I am looking to buy my first ebike and I’ve narrowed my search to the Aventon Pace 500 and the Electric Bike Company Model C. The EBC bike is a single gear and I’ve been told you don’t really need multiple gears when you have multiple levels of assist. Plus, they say it’s fewer things that can go wrong. I’m 66 and there are some hills I will need to climb if I don’t stay in the immediate neighborhood. I probably won’t need 8 gears but worry that I will regret not having the option to switch gears. I’d appreciate any thoughts you might have. Thank you!

 

[Nerkdawg]

LarryC - I’m 60 and live in an area with a lot of hills. I had not ridden a bike in over 20 years and wondered about the need for gears with multiple PAS levels. Surprisingly, I find myself using the gears a lot In conjunction with the PAS. Particularly on hills with PAS level 3 or 4 those higher gears really are helpful. I did limit my search to an internally geared hub to eliminate the derailer. Ended up with the Nuvinci auto shift with the Evelo Aurora. Good luck in your search!

 

[rich c]

You have to remember these eBikes are heavy. On a single speed, you’ll find you will be peddling like a hamster on a wheel at top speed, and maybe accelerating slowly. But if you want to ride it like a scooter and use a throttle then you need zero speeds. You’ll then need a bigger battery. With the exception of replacing chains and some cable adjustments at the start are all I’ve had to do with my drivetrains in 8,000 miles.

 

[AHicks]

Having multiple gears available, and using some of them, but maybe not all of them, will help you get the kind of battery range the manf's are talking about. With a single speed, it's only going to have one speed range that's comfortable to pedal in. Anything faster or slower, or changes in elevation or headwinds, would normally corespond with a gear change, allowing you to maintain your speed easily - without using a ton of battery power (range).

 

[Toomanycats]

Get the gears. They will greatly increase what you can do. Older woman with some weight issues- I have mtb pedigree bike, 10 speed, with 11-42t cassette and Bosch performance line speed motor.
There are times when I’ve had to climb very long steep hills in lowest gear plus turbo mode.
Many of my adventures wouldn’t be possible without gears, although I am getting stronger.

 

[harryS]

Maybe you remember Chevy Impalas with 2 speed power glide automatics? 18 mpg if you were lucky, but gasoline was only 30 cents/ga;llon in the 1960's. The EBC is a throwback to those times when we rode single speed cruisers about 3 miles and then collapsed.

57 pounds, per Court's EBR review, and he says you have to use the throttle to get started because of the single gearing. If all you plan to do is ride this bike 5 miles a day down, I think it would be OK, but I wouldn't want one. Ponderous/heavy, ugh. Sure looks cool though.

The Pace 500 represents modern ebike technology.
,

 

[6zfshdb]

My bike is a 10 speed and I use at least half of them on a regular basis. I live in hill country and couldn't do without them.

Also consider the fact that you may have to pedal the bike without assist if you exhaust your battery or have an electrical problem.

 

[Calicoskies]

I have the EBC, it has 1300 watts to get you started from a stop with ease. I do not miss the gears on that one. Also has a 56T front and I think 18T on back so no hamster wheel on this bike. My point is the gears are not really needed and with the 18 amp battery you have a lot of miles. My answer would be gears for most bikes but the EBC just not needed, even when you do not use the throttle you can get started and moving easily even in PAS1, just need that first revolution or half whatever it is to start the motor. Bike coming up on two years, zero issues.

 

[Alex M]

LarryC, single speed bike is like a single speed car. You can press the gas pedal more (=throttle or PAS in ebikes), but the combination of speed and mpg (=battery range in ebikes) will rarely be optimal. Sometimes it will, most times it won't. Though I haven't ridden a single speed bike for long time (and don't intend to).

Derallieurs last many thousand miles, could be decades if you don't ride too much. If complexity of combination of shifting and PAS scares you, get automatic gears like Nuvinci. Many ebikers opt not to invest $$$ in Nuvinci and instead put the shifter in some middle gear like 3 out of 7, and switch the PAS when it feels too hard or to easy. They still have the 1st gear for when the situation demands.

 

[tomjasz]

Finishing a one speed MAC 10T here. 42T x 22T. No hills just an easy pedal up to 3-5mph. Maximum assist or throttle to 20mph. Simple effective and conservative on battery power. No hills, KISS!

 

[TaraBara]

What are your intentions for bicycling? If your looking for exercise than the gears will benefit you. If your are looking for an ebike to do the work that single speed is gonna do just fine. There is an ebike out there for everyone. Your gonna have a blast no matter what you decide. Make sure you choose the bike that is right for you. Both of those bikes are really great choices but they are different riding styles. The Model C is a cruiser and you will be sitting back and feet forward for a relaxed riding style. It will be less about the workout and more about ebiking. The Pace can be more upright or adjusted to lean down into the bike and is designed for a sportier ride. Something that is upright at first and can be adjusted long term may be more appealing if your looking for exercise.

 

[LarryC]

What are your intentions for bicycling? If your looking for exercise than the gears will benefit you. If your are looking for an ebike to do the work that single speed is gonna do just fine. There is an ebike out there for everyone. Your gonna have a blast no matter what you decide. Make sure you choose the bike that is right for you. Both of those bikes are really great choices but they are different riding styles. The Model C is a cruiser and you will be sitting back and feet forward for a relaxed riding style. It will be less about the workout and more about ebiking. The Pace can be more upright or adjusted to lean down into the bike and is designed for a sportier ride. Something that is upright at first and can be adjusted long term may be more appealing if your looking for exercise.

I just retired so I am looking for something that I can ride every day for exercise. There are some hills around here so that is the attraction for an ebike. I rode the Pace 500 and really liked it. I want an upright position as I’ve had neck surgery before and it’s uncomfortable to be leaning forward trying to tip my head back. I was all set to buy the Pace but then I saw the EBC bike and it seems like a real quality bike. Just not sure about the single gear design. Really appreciate all the good input. Can’t wait to get my bike! Any suggestions as to an ebike that you would recommend over these two bikes less than $2,000? Thank you!!

 

[TaraBara]

I just retired so I am looking for something that I can ride every day for exercise. There are some hills around here so that is the attraction for an ebike. I rode the Pace 500 and really liked it. I want an upright position as I’ve had neck surgery before and it’s uncomfortable to be leaning forward trying to tip my head back. I was all set to buy the Pace but then I saw the EBC bike and it seems like a real quality bike. Just not sure about the single gear design. Really appreciate all the good input. Can’t wait to get my bike! Any suggestions as to an ebike that you would recommend over these two bikes less than $2,000? Thank you!!

I own the Giant Lafree E+2. It's a great bike but it is a Class 1. You can get from 0mph to 10mph in a second. The Yamaha motor is silent and when I say silent I mean like your on a regular bike. The warranty is 2 years on motor and lifetime frame. You will get Local Bike Shop service which to me is invaluable. If you go to the Giant brand forum on this sight you will find no complaints from anyone who owns this bike. It's very much like the Pace as far as the ride style. It will take hills like a boss because it has a mid drive motor. Those are much more reliable when it comes to the hills than a hub drive. I LOVE my bike. The Pace is a very nice bike for the price point but if I were to buy a hub drive motor at that price point I would choose an Amego. It is more feature rich and I think you get more bang for the buck. ?

 

[LarryC]

I own the Giant Lafree E+2. It's a great bike but it is a Class 1. You can get from 0mph to 10mph in a second. The Yamaha motor is silent and when I say silent I mean like your on a regular bike. The warranty is 2 years on motor and lifetime frame. You will get Local Bike Shop service which to me is invaluable. If you go to the Giant brand forum on this sight you will find no complaints from anyone who owns this bike. It's very much like the Pace as far as the ride style. It will take hills like a boss because it has a mid drive motor. Those are much more reliable when it comes to the hills than a hub drive. I LOVE my bike. The Pace is a very nice bike for the price point but if I were to buy a hub drive motor at that price point I would choose an Amego. It is more feature rich and I think you get more bang for the buck. ?

I will check out both of those bikes. Hopefully I can find a dealer where I can test them out. Really want to ride before I buy. Thank you!!