Starting my ebike purchase journey

[Noobebiker]

Hello folks. As my name suggests, I am a newbie to the electric bike world. First off I am ecstatic to have found this site and forums as I have learned quite a bit already (and am sure that I have plenty more to learn). I wanted to start documenting my journey to select an electric bike so that I could solicit some advice along the way and perhaps help someone else in the process. Please forgive the length of this first post as I am doing as much documenting for myself as for this forum.

I used to ride a road bike years ago but that went by the wayside as I got busier with life (and got older, fatter, and creakier). I am 57 now and retiring to a small town in the central coast area of California. It is rural and has hills and plenty of places to ride bikes. My wife (same age but much prettier and skinnier) was thinking about how to make going up and down our driveway and our street more fun and considered a golf cart or some other vehicle but changed her mind after riding a neighbor's Super73. Although neither one of us wanted to have a fast moped-like ride, we both felt that having an electric bike would get us out more and be far more fun. So now starts the journey.

Like many others, I started by searching the web for resources (and found this wonderful place). I learned about mid drive vs. hub motors, mechanical vs. hydraulic brakes, cadence vs. torque sensors, batteries, controllers, and of course all of the things that ebikes share with standard bikes. So here were my basic requirements:

1. Lower cost would be better (less than $2K)
2. A step-through so we could get on and off the bike easily
3. 500W or higher hub motor as I thought it would be easier to get use and for hills
4. Throttle for starts from stop and hills
5. Cadence sensor
6. Disc brakes - mechanical or hydraulic did not matter
7. Decent components

With this in hand, I test rode three bikes recently: The EBC Model E and R and Pedego Interceptor. After the rides, I felt very differently about my requirements. So my advice to anyone else on this journey is to ride a bunch of bikes. Here are my initial test ride impressions - note that I am not commenting on these bikes (they all felt solidly built) but just how the ride redefined my needs:

1. Electric bikes are heavy! I found them difficult to maneuver when not riding especially after being used to bikes in the 20 pound range. Perhaps I want a lighter bike?
2. I need gears! Peddling an electric bike without gears with or without assist is too tough for my muscles at the moment.
3. I don't know how to use a cadence sensor based bike very well. I would not coordinate the speed and my cadence and everything felt unnatural to me.
4. I need to learn how to use a throttle effectively - I often forgot it was even there. I may or may not want a throttle.
5. I might want to try a mid drive with a torque sensor as I am reading that they feel more like a standard bike but with extra oomph. Perhaps that is really what I want?
6. These bikes felt a bit wobbly - was that my inability or do I need the stiffness that a standard frame provides?

I also learned a few things along the way:

1. Making sure that a local shop would service the bike should be the top of the list. A bike needs service during its life and I will not be able to do it all myself.
2. Reliability should be next on the list. Less hassle and more fun.
3. Cost is relative - you can spend a ton on bike maintenance if you cheap out on components but there is a balance here that I need to find.
4. There is more to a motor than power ratings.
5. Take a bunch more test rides before making any decisions.

The next bikes I will try will be some that will be available in the area I am moving to. One LBS there has Trek and Electra and another has Specialized, Momentum, and Aventon. There is also an REI nearby so may try the Co-op and Cannondale there. Some of these brands may be too expensive for me (Trek and Specialized). My immediate next test rides will be mid drives - Momentum (LaFree E+, Vida E+) and Aventon (Aventure, Level). Want to try Gazelle (Medeo T9 HMB, Medeo T10 HMB) as both LBSs will service most bikes that have Bosch drives.

Again sorry for the long post but any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. I will continue to update my journey and hope that it helps others and is not an annoyance to the community.

Noob out.

 

[dodgeman]

I was in the same boat about 4 months ago, I’m 59 and retired. The wife and I rented bikes on vacation, Bulls and Pedigo. We also live in a rural area and the nearest shop is an hour away. We bought Trek Verve+3. Partly because we liked them and partly because Trek seems the most common in our area.

Compared to what we rented the Treks we bought feel more like a regular bike that just helps. The assist is more natural. They are mid drive. Trek has the specs on line if you want to look them up. We also got step through. The bad is they are heavy, about 50 pounds. I never felt unsteady on it though, but the Pedigos we rented I did at first but that quickly went away. These cost us around $3200 each. Its very easy to spend more. So far I’m at almost a 1000 miles on mine.

A throttle? Not for me. I don’t have any trouble starting out but shift to a low gear, usually second. They are 9 speeds. The Pedigos we rented had a throttle, it was nice but it’s just to easy to use and not pedal.

Lots of choices and I recommend spending the money and get what you want.

 

[Noobebiker]

Thanks for the advice. I’ll put the Verve on our list. Does it have enough power to make hills easy to climb?

 

[indianajo]

Lower cost would be better (less than $2K)

1. A step-through so we could get on and off the bike easily
2. 500W or higher hub motor as I thought it would be easier to get use and for hills
3. Throttle for starts from stop and hills
4. Cadence sensor
5. Disc brakes - mechanical or hydraulic did not matter
6. Decent components
7. Electric bikes are heavy! I found them difficult to maneuver when not riding especially after being used to bikes in the 20 pound range. Perhaps I want a lighter bike?
8. I need gears! Peddling an electric bike without gears with or without assist is too tough for my muscles at the moment.
9. I don't know how to use a cadence sensor based bike very well. I would not coordinate the speed and my cadence and everything felt unnatural to me.
10. I need to learn how to use a throttle effectively - I often forgot it was even there. I may or may not want a throttle.
11. I might want to try a mid drive with a torque sensor as I am reading that they feel more like a standard bike but with extra oomph. Perhaps that is really what I want?
12. These bikes felt a bit wobbly - was that my inability or do I need the stiffness that a standard frame provides?

1. There is more to a motor than power ratings

If you're not lifting the bike into a car or pushing up stairs, the weight should not matter much. Mine with tools, water, spares, bags, racks, 2 leg stand is 94 lb the way I ride it. I weigh 160 and my arms are not very strong. I push it over a 4" high step into or out of my garage daily.
I haven't had any wobbly bikes, and I was riding $200 kiddie MTB's & cruisers before this bike shown in the avatar. All have been drop frames since I wore out the 1986 schwinn MTB. Huffy savannah cruiser, diamondback mtb, pacific quantum MTB, none cost me over $75. The bike left was $2000 unpowered, has 24 speeds, special frame for short people. The diamondback broke a rear axle and the Quantum wore out a plastic crank arm in 2 years so I got what I paid for with the $2000 yuba bike. No trouble in 4 years but the fender I broke with my foot.
Mid drive will cost you about twice as many chains for light use. 4X for high speed commuters. I get ~5000 miles out of my 8 speed chain with a hub drive. Mid drive will also cost you for battery replacement after 1000 charges. Bosch batteries are 2-4 times as expensive as generic batteries like littakal for the same capacity. Bosch dealers are not allowed to sell out of their area, so there is no price competition. Mid drives mostly don't have throttles. I ride my bike with the power off 80% of the time, and the lower 3 models of bosch drag the motor with your feet with the power off. I use the electricity for too much headwind (can drag me down to 4 mph), steep hills after the 60th, or days when my knee is acting up.
Torque sensor is nice but I do with only a throttle. I took the PAS pedal sensor off, I hated the programming of mine. Too fast level 1 and too much acceleration, 500 w minimum.
You might look at a blix sol or aveny. https://electricbikereview.com/blix/sol-eclipse/
has a throttle, 7 speeds down to 32 teeth, (very low) disk brakes, 27x2.4" tires. Has 750 W. Has generic looking dolphin battery. Has aluminum frame, 52 lb. Would be too tall for me but perhaps your legs are 29" inseam or longer. You have to add the fenders yourself. I find cable pull brakes fine but I changed to slick stainless jaguar or clarks cables for fewer adjustments and more consistency. My $2000 bodaboda bike came with real steel cables that required no adjustment for 3 years, but the sol is a cheaper bike maybe with the grey metal cables.
Happy shopping & riding.

 

[ElevenAD]

Hello folks. As my name suggests, I am a newbie to the electric bike world. First off I am ecstatic to have found this site and forums as I have learned quite a bit already (and am sure that I have plenty more to learn). I wanted to start documenting my journey to select an electric bike so that I could solicit some advice along the way and perhaps help someone else in the process. Please forgive the length of this first post as I am doing as much documenting for myself as for this forum.

I used to ride a road bike years ago but that went by the wayside as I got busier with life (and got older, fatter, and creakier). I am 57 now and retiring to a small town in the central coast area of California. It is rural and has hills and plenty of places to ride bikes. My wife (same age but much prettier and skinnier) was thinking about how to make going up and down our driveway and our street more fun and considered a golf cart or some other vehicle but changed her mind after riding a neighbor's Super73. Although neither one of us wanted to have a fast moped-like ride, we both felt that having an electric bike would get us out more and be far more fun. So now starts the journey.

Like many others, I started by searching the web for resources (and found this wonderful place). I learned about mid drive vs. hub motors, mechanical vs. hydraulic brakes, cadence vs. torque sensors, batteries, controllers, and of course all of the things that ebikes share with standard bikes. So here were my basic requirements:

1. Lower cost would be better (less than $2K)
2. A step-through so we could get on and off the bike easily
3. 500W or higher hub motor as I thought it would be easier to get use and for hills
4. Throttle for starts from stop and hills
5. Cadence sensor
6. Disc brakes - mechanical or hydraulic did not matter
7. Decent components

With this in hand, I test rode three bikes recently: The EBC Model E and R and Pedego Interceptor. After the rides, I felt very differently about my requirements. So my advice to anyone else on this journey is to ride a bunch of bikes. Here are my initial test ride impressions - note that I am not commenting on these bikes (they all felt solidly built) but just how the ride redefined my needs:

1. Electric bikes are heavy! I found them difficult to maneuver when not riding especially after being used to bikes in the 20 pound range. Perhaps I want a lighter bike?
2. I need gears! Peddling an electric bike without gears with or without assist is too tough for my muscles at the moment.
3. I don't know how to use a cadence sensor based bike very well. I would not coordinate the speed and my cadence and everything felt unnatural to me.
4. I need to learn how to use a throttle effectively - I often forgot it was even there. I may or may not want a throttle.
5. I might want to try a mid drive with a torque sensor as I am reading that they feel more like a standard bike but with extra oomph. Perhaps that is really what I want?
6. These bikes felt a bit wobbly - was that my inability or do I need the stiffness that a standard frame provides?

I also learned a few things along the way:

1. Making sure that a local shop would service the bike should be the top of the list. A bike needs service during its life and I will not be able to do it all myself.
2. Reliability should be next on the list. Less hassle and more fun.
3. Cost is relative - you can spend a ton on bike maintenance if you cheap out on components but there is a balance here that I need to find.
4. There is more to a motor than power ratings.
5. Take a bunch more test rides before making any decisions.

The next bikes I will try will be some that will be available in the area I am moving to. One LBS there has Trek and Electra and another has Specialized, Momentum, and Aventon. There is also an REI nearby so may try the Co-op and Cannondale there. Some of these brands may be too expensive for me (Trek and Specialized). My immediate next test rides will be mid drives - Momentum (LaFree E+, Vida E+) and Aventon (Aventure, Level). Want to try Gazelle (Medeo T9 HMB, Medeo T10 HMB) as both LBSs will service most bikes that have Bosch drives.

Again sorry for the long post but any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. I will continue to update my journey and hope that it helps others and is not an annoyance to the community.

Noob out.

If you want Bike Shop support buy a bike from a local bike shop and save yourself some trouble! Dont buy an online bike unless you are prepared to do your own repair. Most online companies will send you the parts you need but you can usually expect to install them yourself, this is not to say you wont find an LBS that will work on your online bike maybe you will but why take a chance.

 

[Dewey]

Some other suggestions:

- REI Co-Op CTY e2.2, frequently out of stock but worth placing an order if you have an REI near you because if you join REI as a Co-Op member you get a 10% annual dividend you can take in cash, plus a further 5% discount if you buy it on an REI credit card, combined those discounts push the cost of the bike under your budget. Uses the same Shimano e6100 motor as Kona. The e2.1 model uses the less powerful Shimano e5000 motor (40nm). Does not have a step through frame (Small size is a mid-step) but is available in three frame sizes so you can get one to fit you. Weighs 52lb
- Specialized Turbo Como 3.0, the recently revised Como step-through model is excellent, again more expensive but high quality, has a Brose/Specialized 2.0E motor (50nm). Weighs 48lb
- Kona eCoco, this is a grand above your budget but if you have a Kona dealer near you would be worth checking out, has a Class 1 Shimano Steps e6100 motor (60nm) with a torque sensor. Weighs 43lb
- If you want to try out a lighter weight <40lb ebike, test ride an Orbea Optima E50, or Cannondale Quick Neo SL 2 or Treadwell Neo Remixte models, all use the 250w Mahle X35 motor (40nm)

 

[dodgeman]

Do our Verve’s climb hills easy? Not completely. You still have to work harder. They do make it easier though. Hills a headwinds are still there but much more enjoyable. I live in Western Illinois and people think flat land but I’ve done some 25 mile long rides that had 1900 feet of elevation gain. The e bikes just allow you to turn the boost up.

 

[Noobebiker]

Thanks all for the advice. So the wobbly feel might be me getting back on a bike more than the bikes themselves. I’ll give the hub drives more of a shot. I do want to stay within the range of bikes that a local LBS will service as I can do basic things but not big repairs. I’ll see if they support the Blix bikes. I’ll check out the Co-op, Como, and eCocco. The Cannondales look interesting in the SL range as they are very light. I was just reading that the Verve’s had trouble on hills but any motor helps to some extent I suppose. Fun exploring this stuff and learning from all of you folks. Thanks again.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

(less than $2K)

(Thread ignored).

 

[PatriciaK]

I have the 2019 Giant version of the La Free, and I'm very happy with it! Very comfortable and intuitive to ride, and plenty of power for the many hills in my local area!

I also have an Espin Flow (internet direct) class 2 (with a throttle). REI will service just about any bike, and Espin's customer service has been fabulous. Love that bike, too!

I prefer the integrated battery and the option of the throttle that come with the Flow, but also prefer the smoothness and multi-sending capabilities of the mid-drive La Free. I do have to say that the PAS on the Flow is very smooth, and doesn't take off like a rocket like some hub drives I tested.

My perfect bike would be the La Free with the integrated battery and a throttle of the Flow .

Here's the Espin link if you'd like to check out the Flow - I believe they're starting to develop a dealer network, so you might be able to find one to test :

https://www.espinbikes.com/products/flow?variant=28721767612495#

Happy to answer any particular questions about these bikes...

 

[ian fisher]

Cost and what you are prepared to spend is likely your first consideration. Seek out your local e bike retailers, test ride as many demo bikes as you can and narrow down your choices based on what you require and what works best for you. Bike fit and ease of use is more important than brand preference.

 

[PatriciaK]

Hello folks. As my name suggests, I am a newbie to the electric bike world. First off I am ecstatic to have found this site and forums as I have learned quite a bit already (and am sure that I have plenty more to learn). I wanted to start documenting my journey to select an electric bike so that I could solicit some advice along the way and perhaps help someone else in the process. Please forgive the length of this first post as I am doing as much documenting for myself as for this forum.

I used to ride a road bike years ago but that went by the wayside as I got busier with life (and got older, fatter, and creakier). I am 57 now and retiring to a small town in the central coast area of California. It is rural and has hills and plenty of places to ride bikes. My wife (same age but much prettier and skinnier) was thinking about how to make going up and down our driveway and our street more fun and considered a golf cart or some other vehicle but changed her mind after riding a neighbor's Super73. Although neither one of us wanted to have a fast moped-like ride, we both felt that having an electric bike would get us out more and be far more fun. So now starts the journey.

Like many others, I started by searching the web for resources (and found this wonderful place). I learned about mid drive vs. hub motors, mechanical vs. hydraulic brakes, cadence vs. torque sensors, batteries, controllers, and of course all of the things that ebikes share with standard bikes. So here were my basic requirements:

1. Lower cost would be better (less than $2K)
2. A step-through so we could get on and off the bike easily
3. 500W or higher hub motor as I thought it would be easier to get use and for hills
4. Throttle for starts from stop and hills
5. Cadence sensor
6. Disc brakes - mechanical or hydraulic did not matter
7. Decent components

With this in hand, I test rode three bikes recently: The EBC Model E and R and Pedego Interceptor. After the rides, I felt very differently about my requirements. So my advice to anyone else on this journey is to ride a bunch of bikes. Here are my initial test ride impressions - note that I am not commenting on these bikes (they all felt solidly built) but just how the ride redefined my needs:

1. Electric bikes are heavy! I found them difficult to maneuver when not riding especially after being used to bikes in the 20 pound range. Perhaps I want a lighter bike?
2. I need gears! Peddling an electric bike without gears with or without assist is too tough for my muscles at the moment.
3. I don't know how to use a cadence sensor based bike very well. I would not coordinate the speed and my cadence and everything felt unnatural to me.
4. I need to learn how to use a throttle effectively - I often forgot it was even there. I may or may not want a throttle.
5. I might want to try a mid drive with a torque sensor as I am reading that they feel more like a standard bike but with extra oomph. Perhaps that is really what I want?
6. These bikes felt a bit wobbly - was that my inability or do I need the stiffness that a standard frame provides?

I also learned a few things along the way:

1. Making sure that a local shop would service the bike should be the top of the list. A bike needs service during its life and I will not be able to do it all myself.
2. Reliability should be next on the list. Less hassle and more fun.
3. Cost is relative - you can spend a ton on bike maintenance if you cheap out on components but there is a balance here that I need to find.
4. There is more to a motor than power ratings.
5. Take a bunch more test rides before making any decisions.

The next bikes I will try will be some that will be available in the area I am moving to. One LBS there has Trek and Electra and another has Specialized, Momentum, and Aventon. There is also an REI nearby so may try the Co-op and Cannondale there. Some of these brands may be too expensive for me (Trek and Specialized). My immediate next test rides will be mid drives - Momentum (LaFree E+, Vida E+) and Aventon (Aventure, Level). Want to try Gazelle (Medeo T9 HMB, Medeo T10 HMB) as both LBSs will service most bikes that have Bosch drives.

Again sorry for the long post but any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. I will continue to update my journey and hope that it helps others and is not an annoyance to the community.

Noob out.

Just following up on my previous post... There is an Espin dealer in Novato:

 

[Noobebiker]

Appreciate the additional recommendations. @Stefan Mikes hope you don't ignore the thread forever as I have taken cost out of the equation for now after my initial explorations. I will figure out what best fits me and then look at cost after that. @PatriciaK appreciate the Flow recommendation and I will check it out. Unfortunately I'm a bit further south of Novato - closer to San Luis Obispo area so will have to either find a closer place somehow or come up that way sometime to test ride it. The Blix bikes are a similar issue but it appears that a rental place in Monterey has the Aveny and one in Dana Point has the Sol. I'm in SoCal until the end of the year and maybe can squeeze in a few rides here before I leave. Thank you all for being so helpful.

 

[retiredNH]

Spouse and I live in a hilly area. Any ride we do from our house will have a minimum of 600 feet of elevation, and our favorite rides have much more. A Hub drive would never handle these climbs well. We have two Trek Allants. Are they expensive? Yes, but you get what you pay for. We expect them to last for years. Yes, replacement batteries cost more, but you don't read posts here, or anywhere else, of folks having battery problems with Trek batteries. You do read of problems for cheaper batteries. You get what you pay for.

The beauty of a mid drive is that you can run the motor through the gears, so the motor is running near its optimal speed more often. Chain life? They're cheap. Don't know why anyone complains about chain life for mid drives. Throttle? I just make sure to never stop on a hill! For anyone whose ever ridden a regular bike, starting from a stop without a throttle is easy.

The bike market is like so many markets. You get what you pay for. Brand names command a premium for a reason, and it's not just marketing. It's service, reliability, good components and good design. You read far less on this board about problems with the more expensive brands than you do with the inexpensive ones.

 

[indianajo]

The treks, giants, orbeas, cannondales, konas at higher prices not only include shop support, they may include a better quality of metal than you find in $1600 bikes. Fewer loose spokes & cracked wheels on known problem brand threads, maybe fewer cable adjustment because they stretched. My yuba is in that class. No spoke adjustments or wonky wheels in 8000 miles & 4 years. Specialized is in that price category but has some complaints about cracked frames both on brand forum and in general forum. The kiss of death IMHO. Not even $200 (unpowered) diamondbacks huffys & pacifics dare enter the tort prone US market with that kind of quality issue.

 

[Noobebiker]

Thanks @indianajo. Would you put Electra (owned by Trek) and Momentum (owned by Giant) in that category? I'll look at all of these possibilities.

 

[indianajo]

Suggest you check the brand forum of any brand you might buy for known problems thread or repetitive reports of some problem. Electra & momentum have separate brand forums. Electra had 1 known problem today and a scan of the first page showed no loose spoke or cracked wheel posts. Momentum had 14 posts on known problems but many seemed to be a conversation about one case of loose battery. First page of threads I saw no loose spoke or cracked wheel posts. By contrast, look at Rad that shipped spokes 1 at a time as many as three times to one user in Scotland.

 

[Noobebiker]

Thanks for the tip. I’ll do that for all the brands that I’m interested in.

 

[PatriciaK]

A lot depends on the amount and type of riding you want to do. Not everyone needs top high end components - sometimes good is good enough. There are many people in these forums who are perfectly happy with their "lower quality" bikes, because they ride recreationally on mostly paved surfaces. On the other hand, commuting, frequent long distance, and hard core mountain bikers have different needs.

I paid less than $2000 for each of my bikes (I did get my La Free on a Black Friday special, otherwise it would have hit the $2000 mark), and I'm very happy with both of them. Do they have their quirks? Yep. But nothing major, and nothing that I (well, my husband, who's a mechanical engineer and fix-it guy), my LBS (La Free), or Espin customer service/REI (Espin Flow) hasn't been able to quickly take care of.

Now, I wouldn't but a $389 WalMart bike, though some people have been satisfied with those. But, for the 10-15 mile rides I normally do (with an occasional 20+ tossed in for variety) on mostly paved and some dirt/gravel, my sub $2000 bikes have been perfectly adequate, and I'm happy with both.

Some folks started out with less expensive bikes and then traded up, but many are quite satisfied with their original purchases - I'm in that camp .

 

[Noobebiker]

I’m probably closer to your riding habits. Mostly paved recreational riding. Hills in the neighborhood. Within 20 miles or so round trip but typically less. Occasional jaunts into town for shopping but maybe not. I’d like to keep the bike for a long time so I’m being thoughtful about my choice. I’m very interested in the LaFree, Flow, Cannondales, and Co-ops. That’s probably where I’ll settle unless something else wows me or the test rides of these all disappoint me. Gazelle and Blix intrigue me but finding local shops for them has been difficult.