Trying to figure out what type of ebike will be best

[Brian10956]

I’m retired and I am not able to ride a standard bike easily as I get winded especially in hilly areas which is the norm where I go. I can ride all day when I travel to some parks that are level with no hills to speak of but I find that boring. My doctor recommend I do this as he feels the exercise will help improve the shortness of breath problem I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos on e bikes and I think that they will give me that extra boost where I won’t be over exerting myself and I can explore other areas for one of my other hobbies photography.
I’m 6’ tall and weigh 210 lbs. I’m in pretty good shape other than that endurance problem . i would like to keep my initial costs under $2000. The 2 bikes I seem to like are the Lectric XP ( not sure which version) and the Rad rover 5. i will also probably spend around $450 on accessories for the XP and maybe $350 for the Rad. Initially I would only get a minimal amount of accessories consisting of the following.
bar end mirrors, helmet, Tire Slime, tool kit with tire repair, inner tube, phone mount, bottle holder, small frame bag.
Later if needed I would add a better saddle and a suntore sp12 seatpost, 11-34 free wheel, better lights, better grips, possibly a spare battery.
i drive an Outback so I know the XP will be no problem to load. With the Rad I can put it in the back on its side with the back seat down or I can get a carrier for my trailer hitch. The majority of my riding will be in a state park where they have trails and bike paths. Being that I have a handicapped veteran card I’m not to concerned about be bothered by NY laws which aren’t the best for EBikers. I will probable camo my bike so not to flaunt the fact that it is electric.

i am not locked in on the two I picked So if anyone can Please recommend other EBikes or accessories that would work please let me know. If there are vendors that offer Veteran discounts let me know, I read that Lectric give 5%.
Thanks!!!

 

[MeDotOrg]

I'm nearly 70. I stopped riding for a decade because of knee problems and blot clots. If you're an old street rider, one thing you will probably change is the saddle, no matter what kind of ebike you get. Saddles tend to be big and wide on ebikes. I went for a Terry Raven Ti Gel, but your butt is your butt, so look around. Pedals are the other touch point a lot of riders change. In that price range I rode an Aventon Level, which seems like good bang for the buck.

 

[Brian10956]

I’m on the cusp of turning 74. I was never an avid biker but between 45 And 60 I rode my Giant OCR c2 about 5 miles twice a week. In 2008 I had a heart valve replaced and I never regained my cycling stamina I’ll occasionally take my bike to a local park that has a 2.5 mile loupe and that’s about it. I don’t know if I can get used to those racing saddles again. But I know in the past after going away from biking for a month or more I always had to break in to my saddle over a 1 week of riding every other day. i try what ever saddle comes on my ebike and take it from there. My past cycling was all city streets and other paved routes with the ebike I will probably do more rural exploring on a more varied surfaces.

 

[CreoGuy]

I too am on the cusp of 74 and have been riding for about 10 years. We ride 20 - 30 miles two to three days a week and not uncommon for us to do 40 miles. I think you get what you pay for; the less you pay the heavier the bike, not as good components, etc. I'm a Specialized guy and the Turbo models that Specialized are offering are well worth the money, but you do have to pay more. Try and find other ebike riders in your area and see if you can take some test rides.

 

[Brian10956]

I too am on the cusp of 74 and have been riding for about 10 years. We ride 20 - 30 miles two to three days a week and not uncommon for us to do 40 miles. I think you get what you pay for; the less you pay the heavier the bike, not as good components, etc. I'm a Specialized guy and the Turbo models that Specialized are offering are well worth the money, but you do have to pay more. Try and find other ebike riders in your area and see if you can take some test rides.

I just looked at the specialized web site. Their Ebikes are nice but unfortunately they are more than I want to spend initially. Perhaps in the future after I see how I adapt to ebike I would be willing To spend $4000 for a ebike but definitely not $14000 which there top models cost.

 

[reed scott]

I just looked at the specialized web site. Their Ebikes are nice but unfortunately they are more than I want to spend initially. Perhaps in the future after I see how I adapt to ebike I would be willing To spend $4000 for a ebike but definitely not $14000 which there top models cost.

It may well be the worst time in all time to buy an ebike. The prices have little to do with anything rational. It's more about scarcity and heavy demand. All this will resolve in two years. But this does not help us who want a bike NOW. The dealers are at the mercy of the big 'three or four'. Two years from now people will laugh approriously at what the dealers charged us for name brand bikes. Except for those who actually paid the exorbitant fees. My answer was to find an importer who deals in good bikes that he rebadges from a highly respected Chinese company, Frey, and put up with the wait. This is far from the support you might get from your local bike shop but still somewhat better, to me, than just ordering the same bike from Frey through Alibaba and then having no direct support at all. This path cost me an extra $500 over direct sale from Frey. The wait is the same. I'm getting my rebadged Frey AM 1000 from Bolton Ebikes. Kyle Chittock of Bolton ordered these bikes five months ago. I ordered from him less than two months ago. I should have my bike in a couple weeks. I 'think' he has one or two more of what he has named the 'Raptor' still available. The only other route I could endorse is Biktrix who are about to have an new batch of bikes come available. I might add that the Biktrix offering comparable to a Frey AM 1000 is their Juggernaut Ultra FS which if you upgrade to equal Bolton's rebadged Frey AM 1000 equal would be another $500 over what I paid.

 

[Dallant]

I would ask how much work you are willing and able to do on an ebike? The problem is that you can get cheaper ebikes but what support do you have if you get one off the internet? Your budget of $2k is pretty low for a reliable ebike with local support. The Trek Verve+3 is a pretty good all-around bike but it’s $3k. And I don’t know if you have a good local dealer nearby. Best of luck!

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[phoenixtoohot]

Take a look at the Espin Nero for $1195. It's basically the same bike as the Rad Rover Step Thru, which has excellent reviews and large following. The Lectric XP has a wide following also, of mostly happy customers, but you have to be able to live with the "shortcomings" of 20 inch wheels and no suspension fork. I have a Ride1up 500 which I am very happy with and my wife has a Espin Flow which she is very happy with. Good luck to you. The EBR forum is a great place to get good advice and a great community of fellow bikers.

 

[BET]

The Espin Nero is nice if you want a bike with a fat tire, As pointed out it has suspension and is easy to get on and off. My husband has one on order. The larger tires and suspension make it a better ride than the xp. I think a front suspension fork is important. I have an Espin Sport and it is great. Nice front fork suspension, hydraulic brakes, and comfortable to ride even with assistance off. Good range, not too heavy at about 50-55 lbs including rear rack and fenders. The Flow is the same as the Sport but is a step thru. Some people like Aventon bikes. I did not like that their throttle did not work from a stop and that the speed at PAS seemed high at 10-12 mph. We have an Lectric xp also but I do not think the xp would be the best. No suspension, rougher ride, heavier bike, less range, not great for hills. People run out of pedal at higher speeds because of gearing. We bought it for my adult daughter just because at 5'4" I thought she was too short for some other bikes and because she only rides short distances. Like you we have a budget and I was not going to pay more than $1500 for an e bike.

 

[BET]

FYI I understand Pedego sells some reasonably priced bikes and REI has its own brand if you live near an REI store. I have not ridden those bikes.