E bike recommendations?

[dodge man]

Any e bike owners have any recommendations? We rented some for 4 hours yesterday while on vacation. I think the were made by Bulls and were running a Bosc electric system. I wasn’t expecting to think they were that great but really enjoyed them. I have a Trek bike and so does my wife but as we have gotten older a half hour of riding is all we feel like. We probably rode 3 hours and maybe 20 miles and climbed some pretty steep hills without getting dog tired.

So we think we want a pair. One problem is our town has no bike shops, a couple are an hour drive away and they sell Treks. In Peoria Illinois which is a 1.5 hour drive they sell the same brand we rented, Bulls. The other problem is cost. It looks like a good one is going on 3k and it’s easy to spend more. We have hybrid bikes now and want something similar. We don’t mountain bike but might be on gravel and similar trails at times. I tend to think we just wouldn’t be happy with cheap ones.

 

[Code54]

I will offer a little advice. Buy a good bike, one that fits you, and one you like. We were in the same boat as you a year ago and ended up buying two Specialized E-Bikes and spent way more than we planned (about 7k total). Test rode a ton of different makes and models and when we tried the two we bought we both knew these were the ones we liked and wanted. Wasn't happy with the price but figured I would buy once and cry once. Was it worth - YES. They work perfect, dealer support if excellent if you need it (We have not), plenty of power and a great ride. We find we use them 10X as much as our old bikes, we bike far further, and bike places we would have never rode without the E-Bike. I normally use the eco setting - it gives you a little boost, sort of compensates for the extra weight. But if we go to the local park we ride the entire park, never done that before because there are two very STEEP, and long hills, with the E-Bike on max my wife can make the climb. I will kick my assist up and climb it faster and still be sucking wind at the top just because I want the work out where as she just wants to get to the top so she will go slower and let the bike "help" her more.
Last winter I ended up buying a 2nd E-bike for myself (Giant E-mountain bike) so I can do the local mountain biking trails if she is busy and not able to ride with me. Now my biggest problem is which bike I want to take.....

 

[CalG]

I put a "kit" on my steel framed hardtail 20 year old mountain bike.

It took a few hours to instal, and I did buy the bottom bracket tools to do the job right.

I absolutely enjoy the bike now, where it was getting to the point that I hardly would ride (kids gone etc)

If you are inclined, Not cheap, but half of what a built e-bike costs.

Here is one vendor, there are others

FAQ's

EMPowered Cycles Frequently Asked Questions

www.empoweredcycles.com

eta

We live a mile from the nearest paved road, and have many back roads to enjoy. They ALL HAVE HILLS! The battery pack helps flatten those hills. I still return home with a good workout.

 

[ericm979]

Bike fit is really important for both comfort and performance. A good shop will take the time to fit you and will swap parts around to get the fit right. They'll also help you figure out what kind of bike you want.

Halfway decent bikes will be much nicer to ride than cheap ones.

 

[dodge man]

Thanks for the reply’s.

 

[HCJtractor]

Specialized is the only one I would consider. They make e bikes in 4 or 5 styles (road, mountain, commuter, etc) and each in different price points depending on components. They are fantastic. I am an avid cyclist for 40 years and very informed about what’s out there. Go to a dealer, get fitted, tell him what you want to do with it. He can recommend the style for your needs. But bikes are hard to find since Covid screwed up supply. Expect to pay $2500 for an entry level and the top line ones are way way more. But for casual use, the entry level is fine. My wife has one and she can keep up with me as I ride my racing bike at 20 plus mph. My only caution is e bikes allow novices to go faster than their bike handling skills can support. So be careful and always wear a helmet.

I spent today riding my hunting version of an e bike. (Specialized doesn’t make one for hunters…. Super wide tires, racks, towing capability) so I bought a Bakcou. Another competitor is a QuietKat. It’s very heavy (70 pounds) and expensive (5 grand) but it’s amazing. I road 10 miles on rugged terrain on my hunting property, while my wife rode my ATV. I was faster than her. It’s basically an electric dirt bike. I hardly had to pedal, as it has a throttle. Has a 40 mile range. Motor goes up to 35 mph. I plan use it exclusively for hunting and traveling around my farm. But it’s not intended for the same purpose as standard e bikes like the Specialized.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Bulls is a good brand made in Cologne in Germany. I have the mountain bike and in about 5 years have put on about 6,500kms. Mostly riding on local roads, trails and at the local Mountain Bike Park. The bike weights 25kg and is very robust. I've fallen off a number of times (stalled and toppled over) and nothing is broken on me or the bike. I paid $NZ8k for it (at my age a dollar saved is a dollar wasted) and if needed to I would definately buy another.

 

[bdhsfz6]

My wife and I have been e-biking for 4 years now. We got into it for the same reasons as you.

There are a lot of things to consider before buying. A great place to get information is the Electric Bike Review forum:

Index of /forums/

electricbikereview.com

Take a little time and look at some of the posts. If you have questions, become a member (it's free) and ask questions.

It's time well spent and may save you from making a costly mistake.

 

[BrentB]

Any e bike owners have any recommendations? We rented some for 4 hours yesterday while on vacation. I think the were made by Bulls and were running a Bosc electric system. I wasn’t expecting to think they were that great but really enjoyed them. I have a Trek bike and so does my wife but as we have gotten older a half hour of riding is all we feel like. We probably rode 3 hours and maybe 20 miles and climbed some pretty steep hills without getting dog tired.

So we think we want a pair. One problem is our town has no bike shops, a couple are an hour drive away and they sell Treks. In Peoria Illinois which is a 1.5 hour drive they sell the same brand we rented, Bulls. The other problem is cost. It looks like a good one is going on 3k and it’s easy to spend more. We have hybrid bikes now and want something similar. We don’t mountain bike but might be on gravel and similar trails at times. I tend to think we just wouldn’t be happy with cheap ones.

Bushwackers in Peoria sells Specialized ebikes. I rode one this spring and it really felt like a quality bike. I do not own one, but looked seriously into them and followed some of the ebike forums for a while. In Illinois there are 3 classes of ebikes.. class 1 is pedal assist up to 20 or so mph; class 2 has a throttle as well as pedal assist; class 3 is up to 28 mph. I think many public trails are limited to class 1 bikes, but not sure it is really enforced. Many people like the throttle to help them get going when on a hill. Lastly the more expensive bikes have torque sensing assist which is what Specialized and Bull have I think. It seemed very natural that it tried to keep the force you exert on the pedal constant. The other type is called cadence, and is more about addign power based on the speed you are pedaling. I can't speak to this one, but think that is what most cheaper bikes use. Since you are going to have pedal assist, I would look hard at the fat tire bikes with 3-4 inch wide tires and low pressure for better ride and I think stability on gravel. I have only rode a fat tire normal bike, and it seemed like it was very stable and easy to go through ruts, over curbs, etc. Good luck in your search.

 

[dodge man]

Lots of good answers and suggestions, thanks, keep them coming.