Several Things You Should Know before Having An Ebike

[Calsun]

It seems like most people considering an e-bike have not been riding a bicycle for many years and see the electric motor power as key to starting to ride. Many e-bikes are more like motor scooters and Class II type with a throttle and while appealing they are also the heaviest e-bikes being sold. Weight affects how strong a bike rack is needed and the need to mount the rack to a 2" hitch receiver. Weight is also a consideration if having to lift the bike to take it up or down stairs.

Range depends on the weight and tires of the bike and how much pedal power the rider wants or is able to provide. I can set my e-bike assist levels to increase the range of the battery by 200% and with its 320Wh battery I can go for 100 miles on a charge. It helps that the bike has 700x28mm tires and that the bike has a total weight of 27 lbs so I can ride it like a non e-bike without difficulty.

For me a bike that weighs more than 50 lbs is a liability and tough on my back and tough to pedal. My first e-bike weighed 70 lbs and had 4" wide tires and was a comfortable ride but not comfortable to pedal without a great deal of assistance from the motor. The tires and rear hub motor also made one fearful of getting a flat tire and needing to carry around special wrenches to remove the rear wheel and to remove the tire and carry a very large replacement tube for the tire. I used a great deal of tire sealant as a precaution but still took the tools and the spare tube in the event that the tire failed for any reason many miles from my car.

 

[neutron]

I disagree that you have to spend $2500+ to get a decent ebike. There are plenty of ebikes in the $1200 range that are perfectly acceptable for most riders. The price of ebikes has been coming down as more manufacturers are producing them. Unfortunately the Chinese have dominated the market, so if you can live with that fact a $1200 bike may be a good choice. In any event, the battery on just about any ebike will come from China. A lot of us would not have an ebike if we had to spend $2500 to get one. The internet purchase directly from the manufacturer in China makes the $1200 ebike possible. If you have zero mechanical abilities and have to purchase from the local bike store to ensure that you have access to service, you will not get a decent ebike for $1200. I would like to support my local bike shops but all of them had ebikes that started well over $2500 for a bike that was inferior to what I could purchase for less than half of that over the internet directly from the manufacturer. The ones the bike shop had were made in China too! I guess if you spend $6000 for an ebike you're going to defend your reasons for spending that much, but to suggest that you can't buy a very acceptable ebike for much less is just wrong and might discourage some from participating in this very fun activity.

 

["A"]

I have been converting high end bicycles, downhill MTBs, into hub-motor & mid-drive ebikes capable of 45+mph since 2013.
I've spent tens of thousands on complete ebikes for myself and many others since 2016.
A capable ebike that suits of majority of folks out there wanting an ebike can easily be found under $2K, sometimes under $1K.
With performance that's about 90-95% of an ebike that may cost thousands, twice or even three times as much.
As I said in the discussion between hub-motor vs mid-drive motor:
I learned that it's more important to enjoy the time while riding than fuss about what equipment outperforms one another under certain conditions.
I learned that time spend on bike maintenance is better spent on riding.

Mid Drive vs Hub Drive Electric Bikes?

I am trying to decide between mid motor and hub motor for an ebike build, what are differences between the two systems?

ebikesforum.com

IME, if bike require more frequent maintenance, it's not allowing the rider to enjoy the ride.
If you have to transport the bike to be able to enjoy the ride, that's not the bike's fault.
Whether you have traffic pattern that allows you to operate an ebike at higher speed is the a consideration.
More than often, excess speed cause far more danger (& injury) than people realize.
Ebikes allow operators to obtain excess speeds rather easily.
With current popularity of ebikes, your ability to operate determines how well you survive on an ebike.

 

[bobmcc81]

To the OP: you and your wife sound like healthy skilled cyclists if you're doing 40 mile rides regularly. If you're in the $2,500 range don't let your expectations get to high that you could take a $2,500 ebike and pedal (no power) the same 40 miles with the same amount of effort. 55 mile trips as you suggested are probably very doable for your fitness level with pedal assist but know an ebike will always be heavier, especially in the Low-Mid price point. Good luck on your search

 

[HumanPerson]

And wear shoes