E Bikes and Tacos. Need advice.

I am looking at E Bikes for my wife who has MS related issues and heart issues as well. I need something that she can sit up straight on and is comfortable to ride with padded seat. She can peddle but would use battery most of time. Not sure on pricing but would like to stay under $2000. Needs to be reliable and hold up to 10-15 mile trips on local trails. Also how long is the battery life on these?
Pictures and websites would help.
Thank You

 

You won’t get much for $2k. A quality ebike is as much as a good used car.

 

That's why I made this post so I can see what other people are saying. My wife saw an Lectric she liked that was $1688 but I am concerned because we know so little about them. I have a friend who has them but he is on his third one in as many years. The one did get totaled when a car hit him.

 

Does she currently have a peddle bike that she could retrofit? What about gas instead of electric?

https://www.gasbike.net/

https://www.bafangusadirect.com

 

This guy (Chris Brown of No Nonsense Know How / NNKH) has done several reviews on E-BIKES. Here's one you guys might like. Watch ALL of his reviews for a better idea of whats out there. https://youtu.be/tlhU52NnE48

 

Not all e-bikes are created equal. If your wife wants to NOT peddle but still have power, she wants a Class 2 ebike (throttle assist up to 20 mph). Class 1 and Class 3 bikes are peddle assist ONLY up to 20 mph or 28 mph respectively, no throttle. You also mention some trail riding... what kinds of trails? In these parts, Class 2 bikes with throttles are pretty much only allowed on streets; Class 1's can go more places than Class 2 or Class 3. Kind of hard to make recommendations without more info.

I work in a shop that is beginning to sell more ebikes as their popularity increases. We sell mostly Class 1's but offer maintenance on others. I will tell you that we see fewer problems with the higher quality motors and batteries (think Bosch and Shimano). Bafang is becoming more common and is a large Taiwanese manufacturer that has just opened an office in the U.S., but we do not have the same capabilities to run diagnostics as with Bosch and Shimano.

As you start to do your research, here are some things to think about: motor placement (mid-drive for more balanced natural feel, hub drive is cheaper generally but think about changing a flat tire!); battery removable (important to store batteries out of extreme cold or heat, and you want to be able to remove it if transporting on a vehicle); generally recommend hydraulic disc brakes over mechanical for their more robust stopping power; who is building the bike? (direct to consumer brands are only as good as the person who ultimately builds them, and you will pay a pretty penny to take it to a reputable shop to build); what accessories might you want on the bike? (best generally to buy the bike WITH rack and fenders rather than try to retrofit after purchase); who will be servicing the bike? (these things are bikes at heart, but the heavier weight and presumable more frequent riding can mean more frequent servicing).

Here are a couple of bikes on sale at REI that I have some experience with: https://www.rei.com/product/172495/co-op-cycles-cty-e21-electric-bike and https://www.rei.com/product/172496/co-op-cycles-cty-e22-electric-bike. They are on clearance because the new models are changing (moving from Shimano mid-drive motors on old models to cheaper Bafang hub drive on new). REI also gives a deal on maintenance and flat repair. Hope this provides some helpful guidance.

 

I bought an Aventon back in 2021. I really like it. My knees are bad as are my hips and the Ebike allows me to ride 8-10 miles an outing. My model is the Pace 500. My only regret is I wish I bought one with suspension…the pace is a bit rough on bumpy roads. Something like to Adventure 2 has fat tires and front suspension. Price is under $2k