My husband (5’11”) and I (5’2”) are considering getting our first e-bikes and and would appreciate advice to help us choose which to get. We haven’t ridden regularly for years, but hiking is getting tough with age/knee issues. We’ll ride mostly on gravel/dirt rail trails and similar wide paths. Some have loose gravel or dirt, a bit of slope, and the occasional rock or rut. But no steep, rough, or narrow trails. We’ll also go on paved rail trails (less than 20% of the time). Most rides will be a couple of hours.
We just want a little boost on the hills that I can’t manage, and aren’t concerned with speed, so a class 1 pedelec is fine. It needs to be as stealthy as possible: the rules at some places we want to ride are ambiguous, and some trail users around here are aggressive about looking for reasons to keep other people away from their favorite spots. I’d rather not waste my relaxation time arguing with them.
Questions:
1) What are some specific bikes you’d recommend? Our budget is flexible: we’d rather get the right bikes now than want to replace them later.
2) Do we need suspension front forks, or would steel forks be enough?
3) My husband likes the Faraday e-bikes, but they look like they’re designed for paved surfaces and so might be bad on gravel/bumps. Could they work well if fitted with appropriate tires?
4) From online photos, models like the Specialized Turbo X, Trek Dualsport, and Bulls eStream EVO look as if it may be easy for others to notice they’re electric. What’s your impression?
5) Other considerations you think are especially important?
Many thanks!
We just want a little boost on the hills that I can’t manage, and aren’t concerned with speed, so a class 1 pedelec is fine. It needs to be as stealthy as possible: the rules at some places we want to ride are ambiguous, and some trail users around here are aggressive about looking for reasons to keep other people away from their favorite spots. I’d rather not waste my relaxation time arguing with them.
Questions:
1) What are some specific bikes you’d recommend? Our budget is flexible: we’d rather get the right bikes now than want to replace them later.
2) Do we need suspension front forks, or would steel forks be enough?
3) My husband likes the Faraday e-bikes, but they look like they’re designed for paved surfaces and so might be bad on gravel/bumps. Could they work well if fitted with appropriate tires?
4) From online photos, models like the Specialized Turbo X, Trek Dualsport, and Bulls eStream EVO look as if it may be easy for others to notice they’re electric. What’s your impression?
5) Other considerations you think are especially important?
Many thanks!
