Anyone Have An Ebike?

So I'm looking at ebikes now.

I think I want at least a 750W motor.

I know most of the ebikes are just rebranded Chinese bikes, but some of them get pretty good reviews.

Right now I'm leaning toward either the Aventon Aventure or the Mokwheel Mesa.

Any personal experiences here with either?

 

Buy what you want but I have to wonder why? The entire purpose of a bicycle is to get some exercise and having an e-bike removes that equation. You might want to do some research on e-bikes and fires, they are known to have their batteries overheat and catch fire in your home. New York Fire Department has been trying to get that message out about how dangerous e-bikes are due to them catching fire.

 

You still get exercise with an ebike but you have the option of just throttle.

You can set the pedal assist level to determine how much help you want (this varies a bit depending on the controller).

Both of the above bikes have cadence sensors, which make them a bit more like a moped, but you can also get versions with torque sensors that amplify the pedal effort you input so you have to pedal to get moving.

Right now I'm just looking for experiences from owners as the ebike forums are full of those who hate everything that isn't what they like.

 

@JasonLee

 

Just like you’re suggesting to do research, you should try out an eBike. One of the hardest rides I have ever done was on a full suspension eBike. My summary is that I was just able to ride a little faster speed and the ride took less time overall, but I worked harder. It’s not an electric motorcycle.

Also, a lot of these fires are from the super cheap ebikes or DIY hack jobs, which is why I don’t recommend getting the cheap ones in my post below.

 

I have a Specialized Haul ST. The 750W motor is very nice and with a throttle, I can get the 82lb cargo bike up to 20mph quickly and safely ride with traffic in town.

Whatever bike you end up with, I recommend not getting a cheap one and getting one with a torque sensor. The ones with magnet/cadence sensors are jerky and don’t provide smooth or consistent power delivery.

 

In on this as well… looking as may need a bike I can take on the train and then ride to work for 3-4 miles in Florida heat and humidity and not show up drenched in sweat.

 

I recently started getting into this ebike craze. We bought 3 of them in the last 2 months. 1st one - with cadence sensor / 2nd and 3rd- with torque sensor.

I highly recommend getting the torque sensor ebike also. For me, it's more enjoyable to ride and more natural feel.


Get whichever ebike you like. But if I had to do it over again, it would be 1-2-3- all torque sensor ebike.

 

Probably some E bike stuff here as well

Sports, Hobbies & Interests | Tacoma World

All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and Now Vans) | Tacoma World

 

So both of the above bikes I listed are also available with a torque sensor for about $400 more.

It's worth the $400?

I'm just looking to dip my toes in right now but I don't want to start with junk.

Aventon has a good reputation and Mokwheel is building a good reputation. Mainly the 2 year warranty is what draws me to the Mokwheel.

Thanks for the input!

 

For your first bike if you're not super knowledgeable in electronics, I would recommend a local shop that would be able to fix anything that comes up on these lower models. Do you have a shop near you that sells the Aventon or Mokwheel?

If you don't have a local shop and something comes up, you may have to pay someone out of pocket to diagnose it and/or ship back to the manufacturer and be out of a bike for weeks.

 

I just realized you posted links to two specific bikes. Sorry for my initial reaction of

Why are you looking at fat bikes (in case you don't know, that's the term for the giant tires)? Unless you're riding in sand/deep snow, it's kind of a waste of weight with no real benefits. Quote from Mokwheel: "Constructed with bigger wheels for better control and greater power" - that's not true.

The only good thing these bikes have going for them in my opinion is the upright seated position for more comfort than being stretched out like a road bike. I'd recommend something with more of a 1.5-2" tire max for road riding. This will allow you to run slightly lower pressures and get a little extra cushion on the bumps.

 

Looking at riding on forestry service roads primarily.

 

Check locally to see if you can rent one /both types for a weekend ride.

Only you can decide if it's worth the extra cost.

 

I have a Radpower Rad Mission e bike. It's a rigid commuter bike so it's not what you're looking for. But it weighs over 50lbs. E bikes are pretty heavy if you have to lift one into a bed or rack.

 

Sure, climb aboard!

 

Rad power bikes

If they will ship there.
Been one of the best investments in a long time. Especially for the kid for school.
She has traveled over half way across the us in miles. Tires are still in great shape even though mostly used with 2 kids on it. It has a back seat and foot pegs.
Battery life is still extremely good and covers over 50+miles if not more on a charge.
I'd have to ask her lol


Have not heard of the ones you have posted

 

Never mind
We have used it in the dirt but yhea...not on the regular
Perhaps a ceron is what you need

 

I ride 20-30 miles once or twice a week for exercise. But there are times when I'd ride a bike for commuting and wouldn't want to break a sweat. I think they have their place. I'm 65 and my days of hard-core mountain biking are over. But there are places where I hunt that bikes and E-bikes are legal. Not all, but some. I can see one in my future.

 

So I found a great deal on a Lectric XP 2.0 on the local marketplace. The Lectric brand seems to have a good reputation so I thought I'd try it out.

At the price I got it I figured I could try it and then resell it if I don't like it.

Initial thoughts:

Since this is a cadence sensor, it takes some getting used to for a smooth start. I find that using the throttle to start and then pedaling once you're moving works best for me.

There is a steep hill in our neighborhood that is always a challenge on a bike. This one will barely climb it on throttle only, but using pedal assist it makes the hill pretty easy but does require effort on your part.

I reprogrammed it to Level 3 and out on the road it hits 26-28mph with pedaling. 20mph is the max with throttle only. There is a replacement 11/34T freewheel available for $25 that will give me a lower 1st gear and higher 7th for a bit more torque/speed.

This one folds up for putting in your trunk/hatch. It's pretty heavy for my wife at around 65lbs (shhh...it's going to be hers if she likes it while I get myself a bigger one ). I don't want/need the folding part and it probably adds unnecessary weight to the frame.

The Lectric is a hardtail but this one has the suspension seat. On a dirt road, the bike handled and rode very well. I had the fat tires at 24psi so I will play around with that a bit more to dial it in. At that psi it still handled well on the asphalt as well as the dirt.

My conclusion:

Overall it's a nice riding experience. The battery power doesn't replace your pedaling so you still get some exercise. It just makes the hard parts easier and lets you go farther.

I'm definitely going to get myself one, but I'm going to try one with a torque sensor before I jump.

The cadence sensor provides the level of assist you have programmed in when it senses the pedals turning, so if it's set at 3 PAS and you barely pedal you will get level 3 PAS. I can see where a torque sensor would be much smoother/more natural in this regard.

The fate of this one depends entirely on whether or not my wife likes it.

Who knows, she might want a bigger one too.