Trek E-bike Total Weight Ceiling

[timacn]

(I asked a version of this question in another forum.)

I am contemplating getting an Ebike and I really like two of the Trek models I read about (Trek Allant Plus 7 and Trek Verve Plus 3) but the maximum rated weight of those bikes ranges from around 275-300 lbs and the calculation includes the weight of the bikes themselves in the total.

Both of those bikes are pretty hefty. I am an older guy weighing about 250 lbs, so my mass plus the weight of each of those bikes puts me right up against or over their respective weight limits.

I would think that the weight of the bike itself does not put major stress on the frame or components, so my guess is that the frame is not going to break in half if a large rider goes over the weight limit. (Of course, he or she might well tax the motor, drain the battery quicker, and maybe pop a few spokes.)

Is that correct? (I am not an engineer.) Any of you Trek riders have any experience with these things? Any insights?

Thanks!

 

[rich c]

Frame failure should never be assumed to be out of the equation. The main reason is shock loading. Should you ever jump a curb or hit a big pot hole, the load factor goes way up. I was a mechanical designer, never had a degree, but worked with the guys doing finite element analysis all the time.

 

[timacn]

Good points, Rich.