My 2019 La Free has handled every hill I've ridden - and I've ridden a LOT in my area - with no problems at all with a 250W battery. You don't need a larger W battery with a mid drive like you would with a hub drive.
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So much depends on riding style. Spouse and I only use power for going up hills, of which we have a lot where we live. We're not speed freaks, so our average ride last summer was at about 13 MPH. On a 12 mile ride with about 800 feet of climb we might use 15% of our 625 watt batteries. On longer 18 mile rides with about 1600 feet of climb, I'd use about 30%, spouse would use about 20%. She's a stronger rider! So you can see we "overbought" for battery. There are other riders on these boards who love speed. For them, I suspect a 1000W battery wouldn't be enough.My 2019 La Free has handled every hill I've ridden - and I've ridden a LOT in my area - with no problems at all with a 250W battery. You don't need a larger W battery with a mid drive like you would with a hub drive.
Great if you just prefer to have it, but really not necessary for hill climbing capability... Unless you're maybe riding the Rocky Mountains
First, I apologize for jumping in on someone else’s thread. But our decision-making processes have been similar and parallel (and unfortunately, even witnessing an awful and disturbing event on my way to my first test ride yesterday). It’s important for all who have taken their time to respond to know how much it has helped me. That said, I rode a LaFree yesterday and was SO impressed! As much as I’ve read, I still had no idea how it all came together on an actual ride! It was easy, smooth-riding, and practically silent. Wind was blowing pretty strong, and the shop guy said he was glad I was able to get a sense of the power by heading straight into it. SO impressive and fun! Today it’s the Vida w 500w battery. And yes; I’ll be sure the battery is easily removed and loaded!
Thanks so much Noobebiker and Go Granny 51, your experiences and reporting have been so valuable to me as I begin my e bike search. This will be my first e bike, and I too am a “senior” rider looking for a reliable and hill friendly ride.
Welcome! Learning about an ebike is , for sure, a journey of its own! I learned SO much from these forums and videos. Of course, shopping at this point in time has it’s drawbacks bc of supply issues. And unless you live in or near a good sized city, options of even test-riding bikes are minimal. I’ve been able to try only a very few bikes. But I’m so glad I had a base of knowledge, then a basis for comparison, when I eventually pulled the trigger. The Vida E+ is a good fit for me in that there are dealers for service issues close enough to where I’ll be using the bike, and it is very easy to use. Don’t have my bike yet, but I did finally purchased a bike rack yesterday. They, too, are in short supply. The lbs owner will assemble it (many complaints on Amazon about assembly) and install on my car. Learning about a rack is yet another interesting journey! Anyway, as of this moment, I have neither my bike nor rack! But soon…! Good luck with your journey, and please keep us posted. I’ll gladly answer any questions if I’m able!
Thanks!!! I’m really excited! Have you purchased a rack?
Not yet. I decided to wait until I actually got my hands on a bike to see if I needed one as I plan to ride mostly around our area. Looks like the bike will fit inside our SUV for transport. Which rack did you get?
), just mentioning it in case you were not aware.
I will just have to be careful in my riding. Not sure how much my local area cares about this regulation. Thanks for pointing that out.
sure will do.
