E-Bikes and Hills

[RevolverRob]

My commute involves several 15% grade hills. And is uphill both ways (both going to work and coming home). I tried a 1000watt E-Scooter which could barely get up the hills and had inadequate braking, leading to a crash. So that thing went back to the MFG, because it wouldn't work for me.

I need something where I can reasonably get up to speed in city traffic, going uphill. I can pedal assist and don't mind standing in the pedals to pump. But it would be ideal if I can climb these hills at a steady pace without needing to get off and walk the bike uphill or work myself into a lather (remember this is a commuter not an exercise machine).

I'm looking at e-bikes. Seems like a 750-1000w mid-drive motor would be ideal? How durable are these motors? I'm seeing a lot of plastic gears which doesn't inspire confidence. Brands to avoid, brands that are GTG? More power less power?

Weight is a concern, I need to carry this onto a ferry and at least up one flight of stairs every day. So it should be light enough to carry somewhat easily. Range is less of a concern, my total mileage per day is ~8 miles. But at least a 1/4 of that is on these steep hills, maybe closer to a 1/3.

Budget: Under 2gs is ideal, but I'm not sure that is feasible so let's say under 3gs. I'm fine to spend it, if the bike is good quality and I can potential recoup a significant portion of the cost in resell when I move.

I tried the local bike shop here and they weren't helpful.

[Clusterfrack]

Have a look at Trek e-bikes. They have a Bosch drive system and torque sensor.

[olstyn]

I would tend to agree about looking at Trek and other "real" bike brands like Specialized, Cannondale, Orbea, etc., for an e-bike. The ones which basically look like mopeds seem pretty weird to me - if I was going to buy an e-bike, I'd personally rather have something that's designed to be a bike and has an electric motor integrated into that design vs something fat/chunky/aerodynamically bad. My taste may of course differ from yours in that regard, and if so, that's 100% fine.

One thing that may be tough is that bikes in general are in a pretty ugly supply situation right now, and that's going to apply to e-bikes as well. I've been doing a bunch of research lately on what I would like to be my next road bike, and basically everything with the featureset I want is perpetually out of stock. Every time I check on the specific model which appeals to me the most at present (Orbea Orca M30), they're either unavailable to order or a year+ wait. There are a few local bike shops which carry some of the bikes I'd consider, but I've yet to see one actually available in the frame size I would prefer. Given that e-bikes use a bunch of the same components as regular bikes plus the electric motor stuff, I expect their situation is just as bad.

Good luck to you shopping for one.

[hufnagel]

https://www.juicedbikes.com/

[MichaelD]

https://www.swytchbike.com/

[HeavyDuty]

I hear good things about these Dutch commuter bikes: https://www.vanmoof.com/en-US

[Lex Luthier]

I hear good things about these Dutch commuter bikes: https://www.vanmoof.com/en-US

That's a good suggestion. I've heard good things as well.
They have a Seattle store where one can book test rides:

2235 8th Ave, 98121
Seattle, Washington

[Caballoflaco]

This is a situation where finding a good local bike shop would probably be a good idea. In addition to test rides and making sure you get a bike that fits is set up and assembled well, they will also be able to handle any warranty service, and spare parts etc. and being local they’ll have good advice on things like tires, and clothes that work well for the environment there.

But, as mentioned, bike stuff is as hard if not harder to find than guns and ammo right now. Good luck.

[OlongJohnson]

I hear good things about these Dutch commuter bikes: https://www.vanmoof.com/en-US

The Netherlands is flat as a pancake. Check their hill climbing ability.

[Crawls]

The Netherlands is flat as a pancake. Check their hill climbing ability.

True, but they've been into the bike bicycle commuting lifestyle for a long time now and have this concept down pat. Another strong Dutch bike brand with good commuter style e-bikes is Gazelle (https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us). Their bikes get pretty stellar reviews and would be high on my list if I were shopping for a e-bike to get me to work.

[Lex Luthier]

RevolverRob,

These folks in Eugene, Oregon make pretty great commute and cargo bikes and they are super helpful on the phone and via e-mail.

https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-bikes/ever-e-day-electric-cargo-bike

https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-bikes/electric-assist-e-bike-system-overview-city-commuter

I have test ridden several of the all-manual cargo versions, and intend to have one someday before I age out.
The owners of the local St Paul dealership routinely use an e-cargo bike year-round to get their stuff and small kids up and down the river bluffs and into south St Paul,
which are similar in grade to some of your downtown Seattle routes.

[OlongJohnson]

Yup. With it being flat and cold, you can actually get to work and be dressed for work.

And the bike lanes are integrated in a way that is designed to work with cars, rather than designed to make the roads not work as well for cars.

BTW, if RevolverRob wants to see somewhere that's astonishingly similar to the Netherlands, get up to Skagit County next summer for the Tulip Festival. No question why the place got full of Dutch (not Deutsche) back in the 1800s.

[peterb]

Yup. With it being flat and cold, you can actually get to work and be dressed for work.

And the bike lanes are integrated in a way that is designed to work with cars, rather than designed to make the roads not work as well for cars.

BTW, if RevolverRob wants to see somewhere that's astonishingly similar to the Netherlands, get up to Skagit County next summer for the Tulip Festival. No question why the place got full of Dutch (not Deutsche) back in the 1800s.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq28fU2AuMU

[taadski]

I agree with the folks above that are steering you toward more well proven designs from actual bike manufactures.

Companies like Giant, Trek, Specialized and Orbea are industry leaders who have spent huge dollars designing and developing e-motor systems that function on off-road bikes. And that tech (and the support that comes with it) carries right over to their commuter models. You can get into some of these for around $3k or a little more.

It sounds like you’ve already experienced purchasing the ebike version of a Hipoint. Most of my personal experience is with Specialized, but it’s fair to say the brands listed above are the Glocks, M&Ps and HKs of the market currently.

Another factor is that these companies use parts and equipment that are readily available in the marketplace, instead of proprietary wheel sizes, tires and other accessories that you may have difficulty finding or replacing in the long term.

Pinkbike is an online biking resource (blog, news, etc) that has a very active buy/sell department. A lot of shops across the country use it to unload new/unused stock also. There are a bunch of new Ebikes on there currently for sale, so it might be an option for actually getting something in hand before 2023, if that’s your goal.


T