Mrs. solost purchased an e-bike a couple Summers ago, and she absolutely loves it. Her model, the HeyBike Cityscape, seems to be discontinued, but this model looks pretty much like hers. She’s encouraged me to get one as well, but for whatever reason I’ve resisted. Part of me feels like it’s ‘cheating’ since I don’t get enough exercise as it is, and I’m still spry enough to keep up with her on her e-bike with my fully leg-powered model. But I’ve heard, in a thread here about e-bikes last Summer as well as other places, that using an e-bike with pedal assist encourages more exercise because you’re more likely to use it more often.
Then yesterday I saw this deal on a BirdBike and I’m awful tempted to bite. A couple things holding me back though: even though the motor on the BirdBike and my wife’s bike are both 500 watt and the charging time and range stats are similar, the BirdBike battery is only 36v and my wife’s bike is 48v. Also, the BirdBike doesn’t come with a rear bike rack and I see no option to buy one specifically for that model. That might seem like a minor issue, but my current bike has a rack with a hard-shell container I use all the time.
Also, I wouldn’t mind getting the same HeyBike brand as my wife because it’s proven to be a great deal for the money. But I wouldn’t want to get her style of bike, because it’s a bit too ‘girly’ looking for me. The only HeyBike style I really like is the Brawn model: I like the extra power, quick charging, and off-road capability. It comes with a free package of rear rack, fenders, and mystery gift ‘while supplies last’. Plus, it just looks kinda badass. But at $1,600 it’s quite a bit more than the $999 BirdBike. Mrs. solost will not be too happy if I spend that much, but she’d get over it (I hope).
So…whadda you guys think? BirdBike? Brawn bike? Something else? It’ll be mostly road cruising, but as mentioned I’d like off-road capability, so I’d like to at least get something hybrid, not totally road-only.
I used to think e-bikes were cheating, and to an extent they are. However, I’ve learned a couple things about them since my wife and I bought them (she had an extreme accident and couldn’t ride her road bike for nearly two years, but she could ride a very stable e-bike…she is back on the road bike this season):
You can get a lot of exercise on a pedal assist bike. I am heavy into Strava for my biking (road, trail, mountain) and also wear a heart meter. I can get a damn good workout on an e-bike, I just go a lot faster. And because my wife and I have the same bike, on solo rides I can take her battery and absolutely rip up 25-35 mile road rides, and on hilly roads can do these rides with 20+ MPH average speeds.
We ride when we used to drive a lot more. I’ve always commuted to work via bike while my wife works. However, we used to drive to go grocery shopping, run to the hardware store, etc. We now do those via bikes. Plus, there are times I can get there faster if traffic is bad via bike.
We have Trek Allant e-bikes, which were pricier than you are looking. I don’t know anything about the brands you mention, but around here there are a ton of RadCity bikes (I think they are made in Seattle). I have relatives that own some and I’ve ridden them. While I prefer our Treks, I think the RadCity bikes are reliable and more cost effective. The ones we borrowed had a throttle.
I got my first e-bike just under 5 years ago and I highly recommend it. Anecdotally, what you heard about biking more with an e-bike is definitely true for me. I probably bike 4-5x as much with the e-bike as before.
I can’t recommend my bike to you, because it’s a folding city commuter, which is not what you are looking for. (Mine is an older version of these.) But I will say don’t skimp on the motor or the battery. My e-bike has a Bosch motor and battery system, and it is well worth the money. The motor is very smooth - no jerky jolts like with some others, and I’ve been using the same battery for almost 5 years and it has lost almost no charge - I can still go up to a week without charging for my use.
One of the best purchases I’ve made in my entire life.
These days, it seems like e-bike companies come out with new models every month. There are all kinds of people* doing reviews on their youtube channels and they often have discount codes/links.
*I’m kind of amazed at how many “free” bikes companies give out to “influencers” in exchange for review videos. There’s one guy I know of who must have at least 6 bikes–and I don’t think he’s ever ridden one more than half a mile on a “test ride”.
I’m not really in a position to recommend a particular bike, but I’ll just concur with the people saying you can absolutely get more exercise with an e-bike. They make biking fun again for those of us who are older and out of shape, so you’re more likely to use it. I’ve found myself going out of my way to ride farther and more often.
Around here, we have some really nice bike trails, and I discovered last summer that our new LRT train has stops that connect directly to some of the best trails in the area. So now I’m biking down to the local station, getting on the train, and then deciding which trail I feel like riding that day. I can go for 3-4 hours on the weekends, which is way healthier than hanging around the back yard, or the pub.
I’ve just started to look at e-bikes because time and exercise seem against me. I use to ride 100 miles at a time when I was a kid. I loved riding bikes and I’ve got a nice touring bike and a folding mountain bike. But now 25 miles seems like a goal to work up to.
I would suggest creating a list of what you want from a bike. Do you want it to be assist-only or do you want it to drive without pedaling if need be? How far do you want it to travel? Be realistic and not a theoretical marathon. Does it need be to light enough to pedal without assist in case you end up in a marathon by accident. Can you buy a spare battery as a range extender? Does it come with rack or will it accept a standard rack? Do you plan on using a bike rack or putting it in the back of an SUV with another bike? If you have a bike rack is it sturdy enough for an e-bike? Do you want a shock-absorber seat?
My initial thoughts were for a 20 mile assist-only with a rack and an option for a spare battery.
I like the idea of a folding bike and something like this for $1200 gets you 45 miles on assist.
there is quite a list of bikes to choose from so I recommend you make a spreadsheet of the desired qualities to get an idea of what fits in your price range and desired features.
E-bikes are for commuting without having to take a shower at your destination, (obviously) not for exercise since you do not get any. As such, they have their own set of requirements, like light weight and folding up so you can easily bring them up to the office. The only one I have tried was Brompton; my only issue was that the 250W motor did not always feel adequate.
If you want to cruise, that is a different story—you will still get zero exercise, though I suppose there could be a case made for a relatively lightweight system including regenerative braking.
I disagree that they don’t provide exercise. When used as pedal assist they are just that. If you put in the energy for 8 mph and the bike gives you 14 mph then you’re still exercising. What it gives you is more travel distance. And if you use a slim enough model you can pedal without the motor. A lot of the e-bikes are so obnoxiously heavy that it’s difficult to pedal them unassisted.
The example I gave might lean toward something you could reasonably pedal unassisted.
Not the way I had it configured: the only muscular effort was twisting the controller to make it go. However, I do acknowledge that, especially with newer e-bikes, you can set up various modes so that, for example, it will provide torque when accelerating from a stop but not provide 100% of the power when riding steadily along. This could be the way to go if you just want to have fun and ride around the countryside, but do not feel like powering your way up every single hill.
Yeah, I’m with DPRK. When I think about getting one, my mindset is more “electric scooter I can take on bike paths” than “pedal-assisted cycling.” My research always skews towards the bikes with big batteries, 750w motors, and throttle controls that can be hacked to go 40+ mph, rather than the 28mph limit most have. About an hour from now, I’m going to go run in a circle for 3 miles, but I loathe pedaling a bike somewhere.
Any opinion about converting a bike to a ebike which may be an option for the OP? I’ve heard that if one has a good bike already it may be the best option to convert it, especially if the ebike is going to become your main ride and won’t be needing the non-e bike anymore. Part of the reasoning is that you already should have great components on a high end frame that you simply will not be getting on a new ebike unless you have lots of disposable income to spend on one.
I agree with other posters that e-bikes can be good exercise if used with pedal assist. Mrs. solost always just uses the pedal assist and she says she gets great exercise.
Thanks for all the recommendations, everybody!
Here’s what I decided on. Ridiculously low price, but it’s the same brand as my wife’s, with the same specs, so we’ll see.
And this is exactly how I use it. I’m gradually decreasing my use of the pedal assist over time, so I’m getting more exercise, but the pedal assist smooths out the parts of the ride that would kill me on a regular bike, like uphills.
My bike also has a throttle option so I can ride it entirely using the motor, but I only use that part of the time. If I’m riding with traffic, I’ll use throttle at intersections, because I’m more stable if I’m not pedalling, so it’s safer over all. But it also helps me get more exercise, because I’m not constantly wondering, “Should I turn around and go home now?”, because I’m worried that I might not make it home by pedalling. I know that, even if my legs crap out a kilometer from home, I can make it home using the throttle. So I can push my endurance limits any time I want.
The OP has ordered his bike, (congrats!), so this is largely irrelevant now, but for anyone else reading, the above quote is making a hugely broad generalization that I would have to call misinformation. E-bikes are definitely NOT just for commuting and definitely NOT void of exercise. There are lots and lots of different types of e-bikes, just as there are lots and lots of different types of regular bikes. Some e-bikes have a throttle like a moped - in those instances, you are not doing any exercise. But many (most?) others are “pedal assist” where there is no throttle and you have to pedal (and exercise!), just like a regular bike. Every e-bike I have ridden and tested has had levels of motor assistance, so you can choose as little or as much motor assistance as you want.
A cursory amount of research will show you all different kinds of e-bikes for different use cases.
Note that e-bikes are in fact motorized vehicles, and as such are limited in the trails/paths they are allowed on. Not that it gets enforced much. I will say taking a 30 mph throttle controlled e-bike on a mixed-use bike path is a bit of a dick move.
In most jurisdictions in Canada, if you have a pedal-assist bike that’s limited to 32KPH, you can ride it anywhere you are allowed to ride a regular bike, even if you’re using the throttle. But I also note that the vast majority of the mixed-use paths in my area also have a speed limit of 20KPH, so if you’re zooming along at 32KPH, you’re already breaking the law - even if you’re pedalling a regular bike, as some people do.
This issue isn’t the bike, it’s the dick riding it.
For those saying you don’t get exercise on an e-bike, read my post #2. I agree that those that come with a throttle can allow you to get minimal exercise, but for pedal assist only, you have to input power for the things to move. I get a lot of exercise when I am pushing myself on my e-bike and I have the heart rate data to prove it. I’m getting ready to go for a 50 mile ride on my non e-bike road bike, but it will be relatively flat and leisurely as I’m riding with a couple slowpokes and I bet I get less real exercise than the 25 miler I did earlier this week on my e-bike.
On one hand they are great.
Depending on how you calculate CO2 emissions from food they are the most efficient way to travel known to man (the only competition is a normal bike, everything else doesn’t come in the ballpark).
They allow commuters to travel greater distances by bike, they allow people who would commute on a normal bike because they are afraid they’d arrive sweaty to commute by bike. Some people need that push to use a bike for their errands.
Every (little) drive not made with a car is a win for everyone on the planet.
They allow the elderly, sickly and feeble to go out and enjoy the world like real cyclists.
On the other hand:
Riding an e-bike might be great exercise compared to sitting on the couch, compared to actually powering yourself it is closer to sitting on the couch.
Go look at your own Strava/Garmin/whatever data- it is not even close. (source: the people in long trousers, long sleeves and a windbreaker on an e-bike I just overtook on the first real summer day in Holland, dressed in the minimum required for decency, sweating like a pig)
They make people who go out for fun go faster, making the bike paths more dangerous.
Recreational ebiking is not terrible for the environment but it is definitely worse than normal cycling (same amount of “fun” just with more distance and using more resources).
In the US it’s a real hodge-podge. Most bike paths don’t allow (nominally) any motor vehicles. As far as public lands, the Forest Service only allows e-bikes on motorized trails (of which there are plenty in MT), but the BLM allows them on many trails. Given that they’re silent, of course many people are using them where they’re not supposed to without penalty, but some in the MTB community get pretty sniffy about it (see: Moab, UT).