I missed you a couple months ago; welcome!
Now is a good time to buy, as Black Friday deals are going on now.
Thanks for the replies! as I said earlier I'm an older guy with bad knees and a little on the chubby side. That being said I am looking for a bike that will take me on longer rides with less pressure on my knees and if I get a knee replacement maybe the bike will get me out moving so that I can rehab faster. I have also heard that you should prehab before so that rehab is easier. It has been suggested that I should consider a smaller frame size I am 5' 10" so it's easier to swing my leg over I have seen that these big battery bikes with batteries mounted on the bar really make the step-thru frames kind of useless. Right now I am more interested in range over speed there's a nice bike path by me that will take me down to the beach, but I will be riding into the wind either going or coming home if I ride the whole path it will probably be around 30-miles one way.
OK, 60 mile round trip, check.
It sounds like you also value utility; rack & fenders.
Do you NEED the fat tires? If not, avoid them, as they lead to the whole bike becoming heavier and more expensive. The heavier the bike is, the more reliant you are on the electric assistance. Ironically, it is the lighter bikes with the longer range, assuming you're willing to pedal.
One bike I have may be a contender for you; the Aventon Level.2 [
LINK]
It is on the heavy side at 65 lbs., but it has street tread tires that roll pretty well. I have gone 55 miles on one charge before, getting the battery down to 6% not even being too conservative. To get that range, I have the PAS turned off while on flat ground, pedaling it at around 13 mph. When I need to climb a hill or into a headwind, I engage PAS to level 1. I'm sure 60 miles is doable like this. If I run it out like this, and have to ride home without power, it's doable, but it won't be your preference. Once the sting of the bike purchase has faded, you could buy another battery pack when they're on sale and not have to be too conservative. Then, you have the option of leaving PAS on all the time for that ride and it'll take you half as long to get there. You choose how much work you want to do.
There are lighter, cheaper eBikes, maybe the
Aventon Solterra? It's not as fast and doesn't include rack & fenders, but I'm sure it'll be easier to pedal. It only advertises a 46 mile electric range, and that will assume the lowest power assistance and significant effort on your part. However, when the battery's depleted, you're only pedaling a 46 lb. bike home!
In my cycling club, there are a few members who are now riding eBikes. (road bike-type. ex. Trek Domane+) The early ones were heavy, around 45 lbs., but if the fellow doesn't have to be going 20 mph all the time, they're quite pedal-able. Unfortunately, they're expensive and the leaned-forward posture isn't for everyone. A century ride on one of those would be no problem at all, since they roll so efficiently and are aerodynamic.
Domane+ electric road bikes offer a natural-feeling assist to let you venture farther and faster than ever before.
www.trekbikes.com