wkearney99
Member
I'm a big guy, 6'3" and 250#. I used to ride quite a lot, both road and trails, but nothing savage. Ankle/back/knee issues take their toll as time passes. I've been off a bike for several years, mainly due to knee tendon pains.
Fast-forward to now I want to get an e-Bike. I've tried several at local shops and it seems I'm leaning toward something in the 'mountain bike' category.
I very much liked the way a Specialized Turbo Levo rode, save for one big problem... the rear suspension. Even with it pumped up a fair bit (according to the shop) it squished too much. Enough such that rear reflector rubbed the tire a few times during some pretty mild urban street/parking lot testing. I'm told the Kenevo's spring would handle it better, but they're apparently sold out in the XL frame size. The Levo I tested as the large, and I'd like something with just a little more reach/height.
I also tried Riese and Muller, both a Delite and an Homage. The switch gear was nice but overall they drove link an anvil. I want a more lively ride. I also very much disliked the way the Rohloff changes gears. Oh, don't get me wrong, I understand why it works that way, I'm just saying it wasn't to my liking.
Likewise a Gazelle. I have zero desire to ride a commuter bike. Nor a Rad (see previous anvil comment).
I'm not concerned about price point (or I wouldn't have been looking at the aforementioned bikes). But I would like to get something that's not comprised of a bunk of lashed together chinese junk. Oh sure, you can get quite a bang for your buck if you're prepared for a lot of randomness. I'm not looking for that. I want decent quality and integration and am willing to pay for it.
I'm looking for a bike capable of all-around riding. From urban streets to light woodland trails. I have no desire to be hammering downhills or scaling rocky ledges. Most riding is probably going to be with my 11 year old son, who currently has a Specialized fat-tire Riprock. The rest would likely be for exercise, on suburban streets and various trails in the MD/DC area. No commuting, no need to mix with heavy vehicular traffic.
I'm fine with pedal assist only. I wouldn't reject having a throttle but PAS is enough for my needs.
My biggest concern is handlebar positioning options. On past bikes I've gone through a wide variety of handlebar arrangements to help deal with wrist pains. A lifetime of IT work means it's very uncomfortable to have my hands in a fixed orientation for 'too long'. Having bar ends or other options gives me variability to avoid pain. Thus any bike I'm going to consider needs to be able to accommodate normal handlebar accessories. I don't want to limit my longer-term options because of a vendor-proprietary gooseneck/handlebar diameter setup.
So what other mountain e-bikes should I be considering?
Fast-forward to now I want to get an e-Bike. I've tried several at local shops and it seems I'm leaning toward something in the 'mountain bike' category.
I very much liked the way a Specialized Turbo Levo rode, save for one big problem... the rear suspension. Even with it pumped up a fair bit (according to the shop) it squished too much. Enough such that rear reflector rubbed the tire a few times during some pretty mild urban street/parking lot testing. I'm told the Kenevo's spring would handle it better, but they're apparently sold out in the XL frame size. The Levo I tested as the large, and I'd like something with just a little more reach/height.
I also tried Riese and Muller, both a Delite and an Homage. The switch gear was nice but overall they drove link an anvil. I want a more lively ride. I also very much disliked the way the Rohloff changes gears. Oh, don't get me wrong, I understand why it works that way, I'm just saying it wasn't to my liking.
Likewise a Gazelle. I have zero desire to ride a commuter bike. Nor a Rad (see previous anvil comment).
I'm not concerned about price point (or I wouldn't have been looking at the aforementioned bikes). But I would like to get something that's not comprised of a bunk of lashed together chinese junk. Oh sure, you can get quite a bang for your buck if you're prepared for a lot of randomness. I'm not looking for that. I want decent quality and integration and am willing to pay for it.
I'm looking for a bike capable of all-around riding. From urban streets to light woodland trails. I have no desire to be hammering downhills or scaling rocky ledges. Most riding is probably going to be with my 11 year old son, who currently has a Specialized fat-tire Riprock. The rest would likely be for exercise, on suburban streets and various trails in the MD/DC area. No commuting, no need to mix with heavy vehicular traffic.
I'm fine with pedal assist only. I wouldn't reject having a throttle but PAS is enough for my needs.
My biggest concern is handlebar positioning options. On past bikes I've gone through a wide variety of handlebar arrangements to help deal with wrist pains. A lifetime of IT work means it's very uncomfortable to have my hands in a fixed orientation for 'too long'. Having bar ends or other options gives me variability to avoid pain. Thus any bike I'm going to consider needs to be able to accommodate normal handlebar accessories. I don't want to limit my longer-term options because of a vendor-proprietary gooseneck/handlebar diameter setup.
So what other mountain e-bikes should I be considering?
