I bought an e-mountain bike
I had often considered an e-bike and whilst I don't consider myself particularly good at cycling I have always enjoyed going on a bike ride.
I live in a mountainous area and I am overweight and late 50's with arthritis and so cycling was becoming harder for me (I resisted an uphill battle). Cycling has always had health benefits both mental and physical but now it was a struggle.
I therefore started to look at the different models that were available. My requirements were for a hobby cyclist and enough range for a few hours ride.
I dont know what it is like elsewhere but blimey they are expensive here in the UK. 1500 - 2000GBP for a base model. So I kept my eyes open for a second hand model and finally picked up an E-MTB for 300GBP which fit none of my criteria.
A Coyote Edge 650 which was sold by a shop called Halfords here in the UK. 36v rear hub driven and a 7 gear rear cog setup
i have only ever ridden hybrids or tourers before but MTB's are an eye opener and if they are as much fun without the electrics then I really did miss out on some fun in the past.
I have now done 500+ miles and it has been nothing but fun. I sometimes only get out for an hour after work but for my head that is usually good enough. I can also get to the top of the mountain and just sit and admire the view then follow the trail back down (and dont tell the wife but I am getting quicker and quicker on that down hill track)
There is no real point to this other than to share my experience as a first time e cyclist
Downsides, it is expensive. The e bike, the helmet and gloves can be quite expensive and the bits that you need just in case, pump, water bottle, spare inner tube, glasses for when the sun is low. Also when the battery starts to go that is a huge expense, in my case we are looking 300 to 400GBP.
On the other side though it has re-opened some routes I haven't done in years, my mental state is a lot better I'm losing weight, and I am having fun. Do you know how many flies you can catch when you are smiling!
Top tips I have found though is that Ali-Express is awesome for tools and parts and that charity shops (Thrift shops in the US) have been excellent for sportswear, I got some good base layers a while ago and the wife brought me home 2 MuddyFox cycling jerseys the other day, one which had a shops label still in.
If you are still contemplating whether to get one, do so and then make the time to ride it. You won't regret it.
p.s. Im not buying Lycra
I'm a recent convert to the electric bicycle lifestyle. I don't own a car, and had been making do with a combination of public transportation and a road bike, but I recently got a Tern HSD and its been a gamechanger. In addition to being a much easier ride, the carrying capacity is absurd. I can carry myself, my partner, a small dog, and a picnic lunch and still get to where we're going without much effort.
And the times when what I'm wanting is a workout, I can drop the power to zero, and suddenly I'm trying to move a 70 lb. bike with my own muscles, which is helpful in a very different way.
I've also been looking at switching to an electric bike. We recently got one of those kid wagons for our 9-month old that you pull with the bike, and honestly it's been wearing me out (I know, I'm out of shape). I really liked the REI CTY e2.2 but they aren't selling the large version anymore (and even that is stretching the budget). Not sure what other electric brands are affordable and reliable (I've had my current Giant for around 10 years now with no issues).
My old room mate just got an e-bike and I was sold on it the moment he let me take it out. He's been helping me figure out what's best for me and my liker 3 year old to ride together.
We've decided on the Lectric 3.0 XP as it's foldable, has great specs, and is large enough to put a second seat on it.
My wife is looking at getting a Rad Wagon Cargo. It's huge and not foldable, but it can hold both our boys on it.
Thanks for the recommendation, will check them out! I stumbled upon the RadCity 5 after posting this and really like everything about it but the price haha.
I owned the Lectric XPremium and it was way too big and heavy to feel convenient. The folding was cool but tedious, I only folded it twice. And while the 500W motor felt powerful, it wasn't enough for some steep hills, especially since the bike was so heavy! I think that's my biggest gripe with ebikes - they're so much heavier than normal bikes.
Lectric is decent though, the bike was good. The XP 3.0 with extra range looks good though. RadCity is really popular, I think its the most common ebike I see around.
Be sure to compare the specs when looking around. For example the REI CTY e2.2 is only a class 1 ebike, pedal assist up to 20mph, with only a 250W motor. But the Lectric XP 3.0 is a class 3 ebike, pedal assist up to 28mph, 500W motor, and a throttle. The REI one is more bike than e, and the lectric one is more e than bike. All just depends on what you want.
Also there are conversion kits available, you can turn any bike into an ebike, so that's an option.
Thanks for the info, didn't know about the classes, will definitely keep that in mind! I'm a pretty tall guy, so the step-through style of the Lectric bikes looks like it would be too small. The conversion kit might be something to look into, my old Giant fits me perfectly and has been a great bike for 9 years.
Even in hilly terrain, why a mountain bike? Do you ride off-road a lot?
I would assume so, he mentioned riding down a trail in his post. I have a normal mountain bike that I ride, but I know a few people who mostly ride e-bikes, either because they're old, out of shape, or just because they find it more fun.
There's a few places where they try to ban e-bikes from going on mountain bike trails, but that's really a pretty silly rule IMO, and where I live I don't think any of the trails ban e-bikes.
Riding on the road just seems to dangerous for my taste, cars are scary.
Oh sure, I mostly stick to empty suburban streets and bike trails, but the there are paved bike trails around.
It was mostly determined by the fact that it was the cheapest available, although now that I have it I have started to use it of road a lot more and that is a whole new set of skills. Being able to cycle through woods and along tracks has been brilliant in my opinion. The most I had done till now was gravel tracks but now I'm getting a lot more adventurous.
One thing it has shown is that my requirement for an electric hybrid really was a bit short sighted and that I should consider all types of bike.
Zooming through a wooded area alone is one of my favorite outdoors experiences in life. I grew up near some good trails so, in my teenage years if I need space to think I could just hop on my bike and within a few minutes I'm alone in the woods with no sound but nature. I don't really bike anymore (moved to a big city) but when I ski, I love to go off the main runs and into the trees, just to silently float through them and feel that great sense of isolation and wonder at how beautiful the trees are. It never gets old. Glad you're enjoying it.
Recently we bought a Cannondale e-bike for our adult son as a birthday gift. He's very pleased; it has become his daily commute vehicle when weather allows, raising his mood, saving him money on both fuel and car maintenance. It looks like an all around win.
So now I'm thinking about myself. I have a quality traditional bike that doesn't get used as much as I'd like, because my commute is doable but too a little long to make without arriving all sweaty at work. Maybe the right sort of e-bike would be a good compromise to keep me out of the car and provide moderate intensity exercise on a regular basis.
That's what i used to tell myself as well.
Not sure how wide your tires are but if your not using it for commuting but if it's just hobby uses you should look at going tubeless. On a mountain bike it'll really improve handling and you pretty much never have to change tires for a flat if you have a dynaplug/bacon kit with you. By far one of the best "upgrades" you can do on a bike.
I wondered about that i have to admit,
I think I need to have a look at some tubeless tyre that are ok for road but better on dirt.
I think I have a new hobby\obsession brewing
What size wheels are they? I can make some suggestions if you want. Although be warned it is not necessarily a cheap hobby.
Thanks for the overview - I used to cycle as my main form of transportation, I've since moved to the top of a steep hill. I am simply not fit enough to deal with the slope between my house and the trails I like, or the stores I like to go to - I can cycle around my neighbourhood but that's about it. I was thinking about getting an ebike just for assistance with the hill on the return trips and now I have some models to check out.