best ebike for someone in their 70's
- Thread starter Carol K
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"A"
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Not necessarily.
750w hub motor with 100w peak output can climb some hills with a 120 lb. rider like my wife on or off pavement.
Mid-drive is always limited to the strength of your chain & tune of your drivetrain; in addition, most of the time more expensive.
Tonerider
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Well, I find, if properly sorted out, and with a good chainline, not the case. 2000 kms on my build, and so far, touch wood, no real issues, and I am running 3000 watts. Of course a shift sensor, and using common sense while using all the power available is prudent, but I guess for simplistic operation, hub drive will be more cost effective. For sporty use, and of course use as a bicycle, mid drives prove superior.
JerryB
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I guess that depends on the defintion of serious.....I ride hills every night with my Lectric 500w hub motor.......I usually go up in PA 2 or 3.......most of our hills run in the 5 to 10% grade range......some can get near 20%......mid drives might be better....never been on one but hub motors can do many jobs. BTW....I am a big guy.....6"4" 230 lbs.
"A"
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I'm curious, how many hub-motor ebikes have you tried side-by-side vs mid-drive ebikes?
Mid-drive prove superior in sporty use, and use as a bicycle? Regardless $3k or $10k mid-drive ebike, will always rely on chain being intact to operate.
Hub-motor ebikes can operate with or without chain, less expensive, simplistic operation; isn't that a bicycle is all about?
Even Frey, known for their mid-drive MTBs, is doing hub motor now:
FREY Runner electric bike with hub motor launched as the eMTB brand's first touring e-bike
Jinhua, China-based FREY Bike has just launched its first-ever hub motor electric bike, introducing the lower-cost FREY Runner to the...
electrek.co
Dlent
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I'm 65. We just purchased 2 Blix Vika+ Flex ebikes. We love them and have had no difficulty using them.
I'd suggest you check them out.
blixbike.com
I'd suggest you check them out.
Blix Electric Bikes — Style, Performance and Utility eBikes
Blix electric bikes offer a unique combination of performance, utility and style. Top-selling electric folding, electric cargo, electric city, electric cruiser bikes. Free shipping and easy financing available. Designed in Santa Cruz, CA.
blixbike.com
Dlent
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We love our Blix Vika+ Flex step thru ebikes. We are both in our 60's.
I'd check them out.
blixbike.com
I'd check them out.
Blix Electric Bikes — Style, Performance and Utility eBikes
Blix electric bikes offer a unique combination of performance, utility and style. Top-selling electric folding, electric cargo, electric city, electric cruiser bikes. Free shipping and easy financing available. Designed in Santa Cruz, CA.
blixbike.com
I am 82,weigh 185lbs,and have a heybike mars.Very happy with it,have 350 plus miles on it since purchased in March.
Very comfortable riding and easy to handle.Folds easy and no problem putting it into my mini van. Battery charging on bike or off.Out of the box ,fully assembled and haven’t had to to or adjust anything so far.Am pleased with the quality of the bike. Check them out on youtube,many good reviews.
Very comfortable riding and easy to handle.Folds easy and no problem putting it into my mini van. Battery charging on bike or off.Out of the box ,fully assembled and haven’t had to to or adjust anything so far.Am pleased with the quality of the bike. Check them out on youtube,many good reviews.
paul escude
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Get a woman bike because it is easy to get on and off because you don't have to lift your leg high getting on or off
JerryB
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Woman's bike? Old term.....now called step throughs......I have a step through...love it....would never ride a girls bike! LOL!!!!
We have two Blix Vika+ folding bikes (see: blixbike.com). The seat was a tad on the small side so we replaced the seat with something more comfortable. We added mirrors and some Blix accessories. They are great! They both fold small enough to where we can get both into our Prius. ($200 discount if you order two.)
"A"
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Joke or not, the questions were never answered.
At least the answers would help determine the kind of ebike fits his needs.
hsdrggr
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Ok. I originally thought the post was just a funny. But I agree with you. You will burn up a hub motor throttling up really heavy grades. Mid drives are geared internally to offer up serious torque they also allow you to use the bikes rear gearing for mechanical advantage. I have 5 ebikes and the one with the Bafang mid drive totally stomps all the others.
hsdrggr
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Carol, my apologies, this turned into a very long post. Maybe best reading on the throne.
Like someone stated for that price range. Step thru frame, geared hub drive (do not get a direct drive hub motor), 7speed derailleur type gears, fatter tires and upright riding position (may have to get an adjustable handlebar stem installed after purchase, $20 on Amazon). Oh yeah, fenders too are a must.
I’m going to recommend an ebike no one here has mentioned. Gen3ride or Wallke. They are both the same bikes. I hear that Gen3’s customer service is a little lacking but I really like their bikes. However, I’m a shop and I called them for a customer’s defective PAS sensor on Saturday and they called me on Monday to handle getting the part to me under warranty. Super!
I really like their bikes for a few reasons.
1. In the frame type battery but easily removable. It can be charged off the bike or in the bike. It looks really nice and unobtrusive too.
2. Bafang brand geared rear hub drive. Bafang is pretty much tried a true and the best quality mfg. of mass produced geared ebike hub drives.
3. The LCD computer display has the ability to adjust all the pedal assist settings infinitely. It’s password protected but the service manual is easily downloadable. Just search for King Meter Digital II LCD Display. (Download link attached below)
Only a few settings that I would recommend changing to make the bike even more pleasurable. Change PAS Level Settings from 0-5 to 0-9, lower the throttle walk assist speed settings to 10. I also step the pedal assist Slowly Start Up Setting down one step, from 1 to 2.
4. The rear wheel is easily removed since it has an inline disconnect in the wiring harness feeding the hub which is easily slid apart to separate the harness. A lot of ebikes don’t have this on them and the wheel has to stay connected when it’s pulled for changing a flat, which is a PITA.
5. The step-thru versions have a 180mm front disc rotor. Alot of ebikes only give you a 160mm. I actually recommend going to a 203mm front and 180mm rear on all ebikes. ($40 in parts). Less squealing and much better braking with less lever effort.
6. Left thumb throttle. It’s really just a personal preference over a right hand twist throttle for me. But it allows me to keep my hands steadily positioned on the grips at all times and operate the brake levers easily. I also ride like a crazy man from time to time so proper hand positioning on the grips and immediately being able to brake is important. To me a twist throttle takes some of that away for me. I really don’t use the thumb throttle much, mainly just to get across intersections quickly when the traffic light turns green
7. Vertical rear drop outs. Makes it much easier to center the rear wheel when installing it after flat repair. Unless I’m in the shop, I flip the bike over on the sidewalk and do it that way. Easy peasy.
8. It has a pretty nice headlight that runs off the ebike battery. Does a good job lighting up the road at night. It’s not a powerhouse but it gets the job done and it’s a nice perk to have already on the bike. BTW, There is an unused 48v wiring tap pigtail in the lower down tube of the frame to which an aftermarket rear light can be connected.
9. A heavy duty tubular aluminum rear rack is included. It can carry 55kg. A cool feature is that it doesn’t have front supports running to the frame just to the rear dropouts. The other mounting points are part of the fender support system and are hidden from view. It’s a very cleverly designed system and sleek design. It includes a spring loaded clip. I recommend removing the clip assembly and putting a trunk bag on the rack. But you can leave the spring clip on and still put a bag on it. To me the clip thingy is I throwback to the old days and doesn’t have much use.
There’s only one thing I don’t like but is easily remedied. The handlebar reach can be a little far for shorter riders or those with short arms. Just install an adjustable handlebar stem; set it up and back as far as it will go. Works great.
But for an ebike in the $1000 -$1400 range what do you expect and it’s an easy fix.
Gen3 had the Stride step-thru on sale this summer for $899 shipped and no tax. It sold out pretty quickly. Wallke had it on sale for $999 and sold out shortly after Gen3 did. If someone is an agreesive rider or carries a lot of stuff I’d recommend going to the hybrid frame that has a top tube. The step-thru frames have more flex when loaded heavily. Those are the Gen3 Flex or Wallke F1. They are only $100 more. Of course they make fat tire versions of these for the beach. Oh yeah, the tires on the hybrids frame versions suck. They are thin and get flats all the time. Put “Schwalbe 8-ply Pick-Up Cargo” tires on and never look back. The tires on the step thru version ebikes are fine though.
I also recommend going to a wider thicker saddle. New riders won’t get butt fatigue nearly as fast then. But if you’re a long distance rider nothing beats a brooks leather saddle; once broke in to fit your hiney. I did a 500 mile ride on my B17 Brooks and my butt never hurt once. But it did take around 1000 miles to break it in before the ride.
These 2 brands of ebikes are really at a super good price point for the quality you get. I actually have 4 of them personally. 2 step throughs and 2 hybrid frame types. They only sell customer direct but I still recommend them to friends and customers. I’m in the mobile repair business so bike sales are not in my wheelhouse. I do repairs for fun money and I love cycling and getting others into it and helping them.
I’m 60y/o and I still ride aggressively and for long rides. I’m going to ride my Wallke F1 across the state with a retired buddy of mine soon. About a 200 mile ride. I’m a retired firefighter with multiple back and neck injuries (2 fractures). I had a 3-vertebrae lumbar fusion done two years ago and stopped riding. Once healed tried my Surley touring bike but it just beat me up too badly. Ebikes have enabled me to ride again. Besides their more comfortable riding position, fatter tires and shock absorbing front fork help a lot. Plus I added a suntour shock absorbing sestpost.
If you’re crazy like me and unplug the speed limiter harness to go from 20mph to 24mph max pedal assisted speed I would recommend going from the stock 42T to a 47 tooth front crankset. See photo of it on my bike.
Hope this info helps you out. And enjoy cycling together! Ebikes finally got my wife to ride with me.
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I just can’t get into the tiny bikes and folding bikes, unless you really need the room. I feel like the adult on Saturday night live, riding a tricycle. I’m 75 and have 2 full size bikes that I built. Last one is a 26 fat tire that I use on and off road. I think you’ll really enjoy your ebikes, whichever one you choose. I had quit biking, until I got into them.
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Ira Madsen
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I’ve looked at a used Lectric 2.0. I liked everything about it except…
I am 6’6”, and I look like the circus clown on the tiny bike! It’s also very heavy, especially for a folder, since the frame is steel, not aluminum.
I live in a coastal area where anything steel will rust…quickly.
These are my observations. I’m not selling, or warning. Just some things to consider that you won’t find in a company brochure.
JerryB
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Well.....I am 6'4" and ride my bike almost everyday......I wear a red nose when riding and oftern juggle......I hear ya on the cicus clown thing. Seriously......not sure your extra two inches would work.....just might not be confortable for you. As for the steel rusting.....I also live along a river and can see the bay from our deck.....I have not had any rust issue. You're correct....the bike is 64 lbs.....not light but I have no problem putting it in the back of my pick up.....some folks might. Good luck finding something that works for you.
