Electric bikes anyone?

[Doodle Mom]

Hubs and I are interested in purchasing electric bikes. Anyone have suggestions?
We’ve been told to get at least a 750 watt battery in order to climb hills. We were thinking folding ones would be good for compact storage in the RV but I’ve read that they are not as stable as a non folding. It’s a lot of money to spend and then get the wrong one! Suggestions appreciated!

[DavidEM]

I have had an Lectric Bike for the past year that I keep folded up in the aft compartment of my Thor Axis where it just fits with lots of wiggling in.

Don't know the amp rating but it pulls up hills nicely and in a hilly twisty course it gets about a 25 mile range. If it were perfectly level I might get the advertised 40 mile range.

Stability is fine. It locks solidily in place when unfolded. Overall it is very well made.

The current Lectric XP price is about $1,000 and a lighter one with less range probably goes for $800.

David

[move on]

Make sure you get one that has a front suspension. An e-Bike goes fast and it can go long distances. If you have a rigid front fork you can get beat up pretty badly after a 5 mile run.

[Cumminsfan]

You won't need a front fork if you go the fat tire route. Sure it will help but it's not nearly important as a fork on a skinny tire Ebike.
If you're climbing hills a mid drive is best. 750W is not all that important as the gearing on the bike and the software programming.
We have two Surface 604 bikes with 500W hub motors and when in PAS 3-5 can climb just about anything when geared down. If you're not looking to pedal a lot the the bigger motor is needed. We use our pedals all the time and only use the 500W for assist.
While folding bikes look convenient they don't offer the ride control that a standard bike does. Tires are 20" and steering can be quirky with 4" wide tires.
You don't say what your primary type of riding will be. If you're mostly on pavement then opt for more of the commuter style. If dirt trail riding them of course MTB style.
One thing of note is Ebikes aren't accepted everywhere, so think about where you'll be riding and see if an Ebike would still work for you.
We are still keeping our non Ebike MTB's because too many trails on BLM won't allow Ebikes.

[pasdad1]

We have put over 1000 miles on our Rad Power bikes since purchasing in December 2019.

Highly recommend them.

We have the Rad Mini folding model and the Rad mini step thru folding model. Looks like they have dropped the mini, and have just one folding model now.

[allenb12]

We have had two of the Lectric XP 2.0 Ster Thru folding since Christmas. Have ridden them about 450 miles. DavidEM gave a very good description. I would purchase them again.

[paul65k]

Another vote here for the Lectric XP's.

We've owned Lectric's almost since they came out. We sold our 1.0s to some friends when the 2.0's came out as we wanted the step-throughs.

We couldn't be happier and for the $$ they can't be beaten!

Everyone has their favorite but Lectric is selling a bunch of bikes and almost all the reviews are very positive.

I would look at either Lectric or RAD electric bikes, probably the 2 best-selling eBikes right now.....compare and make your own decision

[Funengineer]

We’ve had ours for over two years. Step through but not folding. The handlebars on the folding ones are different (tall and narrow) than what a normal bike has but I do like the folding concept. Mine is a Ride1Up 700 watt hub motor, hydraulic brakes, mechanical front spring shock which I hate and lights. 2.4 inch tires. Wife’s is an Espin 700 watt hub motor, hydraulic brakes, very nice mechanical front shock, lights and 2” tires. If I were buying a new bike for myself I would buy an Espin to replace my Ride1up.

Both have rear racks, and we added cell phone holders. On hers a bag for locks, etc., mine a basket for the pooch.

My Ride1Up has a color controller screen and is hard to see with polarized sunglasses. The Espin has a black and white screen and is much easier to read.

The Ride1Up is Heavy duty and the frame on the Espin is a little wonky but I heard they reinforced the Espin frame to eliminate the twisting.

Ebikes are heavy, in the 50-65 pond range so consider that in your purchase.
We can easily go 40-50 miles on a charge without any problem. Your mileage will vary depending how much you peddle and how much you use the throttle.

When we load the bikes on the bike rack I remove the battery to lighten the load, to keep it from dropping out and to make it harder to steal.

That brings up another point. Ebikes are expensive and attractive to thieves. We have a heavy duty U-lock, HD cable lock and electronic alarm for each bike. That said you still need to be careful when you leave your ebike unattended.

Ebikes come in three different classifications (1,2,3) based on speed and throttle type. The higher speed with twist or thumb throttles are not permitted in/on some trails.
Because these bikes can be pretty fast and they handle a little different than a normal bike a hood helmet is mandatory.

I would suggest EBR, Electric Bike Reviews on YouTube. He does a lot of bike reviews and also has an ebike forum that covers all the brands with experienced members.

Good luck.

[BEACH]

We have 2 Rad City e-bikes…love them, ride nice, great battery life

[hamm2018]

Bought the wife a Pedigo for Christmas. It is very nice and like she wanted. She wanted one that looked like a regular style bike.

Her bike is red with a leopard pattern on the fenders and chain guard, you know it is her bike!!!

[El Chapo]

Lectric 2.0

Highly recommend

500 watt but boosts up to 850 when needed.

$999

They now make the Lectruc Lite for $799 and the Lectric Premium for $1799. All home runs

[baraff]

Another vote for Lectric Step-Through 2.0. I can fold them and get them in our Subaru, one in the back seat, one in the trunk. They weigh 64 lbs with battery, but if you remove the battery they are quite manageable.
There is a learning curve to ebikes, especially if you haven't been on a bike in some time. My wife hadn't ridden a bike in decades and I gave it up after my knees went south. Now, with two TKR's, I find the ebike is easy to ride. Stability is important, if you're shaky riding a bike or have balance issues, you have to take it slow at first. For me, getting on and off was difficult at first but now is much easier. The best part is using the throttle to get started, it gets you moving and then you can pedal. Less strain on the knees and hips.
Best $2K we have spent in a long time! Great customer service, too!

[corvetteSS]

We have a pair of these and we have had a great time with them:


https://www.addmotor.com/products/m-...iABEgKQ__D_BwE


AddMotor M140-R7

[RV_Lee]

I have a Sondors fold XS. They were a deal last year at $1799 but not now at $2699. The Lectric XP seems to be the best deal going, just keep an eye on the real watts they have. Many ebikes have 500 watt motors but since they peak at 750 watts they lie and call it a 750 when it isn't. Mine is a 750 that peaks at 1000 and its properly called a 750 watt. If you want power aim for a 52 volt battery bike, some are now coming with dual batteries for maximum range like the Ariel Rider.


All that said, you can convert any bicycle into an e-bike for a fraction of the cost, they sell kits. The motor comes with the rear wheel, then you just have to mount the battery, the controller and the throttle. Easy.