130 Brands! What ebike do you have and would you recommend?

[addertooth]

• Zeegr/S1
• Cost $1500 $$
• Satisfied? Very much so, but I consider lower cost bikes a "kit" which may require upgrades for you to be fully pleased with it.
• Would you recommend to others? (Y/N) Yes

I have had it for about 2 months. Since then, several things were upgraded, with more to come.
I liked: Dual Suspension frame. Great power via two 1Kw hub motors. Decent battery at (rated) 48 Volts and 22.4 Amp Hour capacity.
Delivered with Headlight, Taillight, Fenders, Horn, Cruise Control, rear rack, and a color other than grey/black/silver/black.
Things which were upgraded to tune for my use: Rear rack had a horizontal bar welded on it to keep cloth saddlebags out of the spokes.
Taillight was upgraded to a better unit with blinky lights, brake light, turn signals and alarm.
The factory tires (Knobbies) did not match the kind of riding I do. They were upgraded with a more street-friendly tire with a thick carcass to discourage punctures (Annova Hybrid). A sealant (flat-out) was added to both tires for worry-free riding.
Saddle bags were added, for those "grocery getter moments".
End of handlebar mirror was installed on the traffic side. It gives great awareness of traffic approaching from behind.
Future upgrades: Additional batteries and a battery combiner is on hand for a future upgrade to extend available distance even more.
Larger disks for the brakes are on hand (203mm and 180mm), to give even more braking performance. As equipped this bike is quite heavy. The caliper adapters are on hand too, with a good variety to "MacGyver it" if needed.
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The other bike is a "bargain bike" which has punched way out of its price class. (best for riders who are not tall).

ACTBest/Knight
Cost: $900 $
Satisfied?: Yes, surprisingly so. It has had few extras added. It is for the wife who is "under-tall".
Would I recommend it to others? If they are on a budget, very much so.

It has been in use for a bit less than 2 months. It is a folding bike with 20-inch wheels and a 30-inch seat height. It is a step-through design with a 48V 15Ah battery. It gets more range per charge than the Zeeger bike above. It came with headlight, taillight, fenders, and a rear rack. It will get up to 28Mph, even with a heavy rider. The motor is 750W, but due to the smaller wheel diameter, it's acceleration is quite good.

The only thing upgraded has been the addition of a rear basket on the factory rear rack. It will soon get some sealant (flat-out) added to the inner tubes.

 

[dickshe]

Marin Sausalito E2
cost: $1900
satisfied: yes bought this for the wife so we could bike ride together as I go faster on my 20 yr old Fuji Absolute Flat bar road bike. The Marin Sausalito has 11 speeds which for the wife is overkill but it has decent quality Shimano components ,front shocks, mid motor and steps 6100 motor, weight is 44 lbs.

Now with the wife having an E bike this has prompted me to consider one as been riding my Fuji in 45 F weather and the road feedback from the aged aluminum frame is killing my arthritic shoulders and it needs new rubber. On my 3rd chain ring for this bike so it's served me well was thinking about buying another better road bike but at 72 yrs old I think I'm ready for an e bike.

Wouldn't mind suggestions from the forum at which bikes I should consider, looking for a road bike similar to the characteristics of the wife's Sausalito but I'd be good with 8 or 9 speeds and open to hub vs mid range motor, a primary consideration though is weight as ideally I'd prefer a not to exceed 50 lbs weight.

thanks

 

[athaydes]

Vela 2
cost: $1500 (without the Brooks saddle, bought later)
satisfied: at firts no, because it arrived and didn't work, I complained to the factory and they sent me a tool kit (I live far away from big cities). Well, i checked the electrical connections on the controller and found some porr welding, and after redone everything started working again.
It has good torque and good speed. It has a 350W hub motor and 36 V battery inside the seat stay. Speed selection and battery status are via app.

velabikes.com.br

 

[dickshe]

Posted about buying wife a Marin Sausalito, I just picked up a Specialized Turbo Tero 3.0 for < $2k , however after placing the order got a text from a Texas Yamaha reseller, maybe in Houston that is selling Yamaha CrossCore RC for ~ $1,500 , when researching Yamaha they have a current promotion where you get a free spare battery when you buy their e bike, but I doubt that you get that from the Texas dealer at the price.

 

[KB's_ebikes]

• Schwinn Boundary 29" eMTB, 250W Jiabo rear hub motor, class 1, 7 gears (sold)
• Cost
  • $= $440
• Satisfied? Yes, somewhat
• Would you recommend to others? (Y/N)
• YES, but depends on needs, Pacific cycles customer service is excellent, apparently, unlike other ebikes manufactured in China, some bike shops actually work on them.
• Comment: nice, decent quality entry level ebike for a 5-10mls range in your neighborhood, max speed 20mph, and for light trails

• Saibaike SK03 27.5" eMTB aka Aurelia CG-1 (Europe), 500W (250W) Jiabo mid drive motor, class 1, 7 gears (sold)
• Cost
  • $= <$1050 (EUR2300) retail
• Satisfied?
  • Yes, somewhat, customer service is functional (replaced charger)
• Would you recommend to others? YES, but Chinesiums depend on diy willingness/skill level. It has excellent long-term reviews as rental ebike.
• Comment: Midrive motor, torque sensor, and hydraulic brakes is a bit higher end, motor is not as powerful uphill as expected from a 110nm torque motor, compared to 500W Bafang, up to 22mph, unusual torque sensor, needs adjustment of shifting habits for uphill riding, or you'll hear the gears working loud and clear, expect to change chain, chainring, and freewheel often.

• Walke F1, 26" hybrid ebike, 500W Bafang hub motor, class 2, 21 gears
• Cost
  • $= <$630
• Satisfied?
  • Very, customer service not yet needed, may buy second one as future parts donor, prolong longevity of battery
• Would you recommend to others? YES, but Chinesiums depend on diy willingness/skill level
• Comment: "needed" some upgrades including 11-28T freewheel, 26X1.75" hybrid tires, now goes up to 25mph, no ghost pedaling, actuated hydraulic brakes, torque arm, suspension seat post, 14Ah instead of 10.4Ah available. The best is, though, without battery it rides just as well as my 2006 Trek FX. Perfect for my needs.