What a good Electric Bike?

Want to get an e-bike to give me some extra oomph getting up a hill. Mostly ride on pavement, gravel, and dirt roads around parks and such. Not planning on doing any enduro riding on such a heavy bike, but it would need to get through the occasional muddy/grassy areas.

Any recommendations? Was looking at the Giant Fathom bike. Does Giant make good bikes?

 

What gen e-bike? 3rd gen?

 

@JacksTurdGen , I'd go with a Suckend Gen?

 

I am looking at this as well.

Watch out for Chinese junk.

Talk to your local bike shop even if they don’t carry them. My local shop guy recommends mid drive motors over hub drive because it’s easier to work with.

I’m looking at Bike Friday. They make bikes in USA and most models are either pedal or electric.

 

Wife and I have Electra Townie Go’s i8 internal hub with ballon tires, comes that way stock (she step through and me step over). Excellent experience so far... regardless as to which bike manufacturer, strongly suggest Bosch-Powered drive systems https://www.bosch-ebike.com/us/products/drive-units/

 

Make sure you spend the extra money and get a bike with a mid drive unit. I have a fat tire bike (4.5 wide) with a 750 watt mid drive unit. On low power settings I can climb up some of the steepest trails.
My old hub drive units sucked unless I was on flat ground.

 

whatever you get make sure you do the ovtune straight away

 

What is the difference between a mid drive and hub drive motor?

Also, does bosch make a better motor than the yamaha motors found on giant ebikes? I thought yamaha was a reliable maker.

 

A mid drive will have the motor by the bottom bracket.

The hub drive motors are integrated with the rear hub. It is harder to fix a flat tire and other issues.

 

Are the giant ebikes mid drive or hub drive?

 

I don’t know. Did you look at the website to see?

 

Here is the one i was looking at, i am not too sure. What do you think of this one?

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/fathom-eplus-3-power

I was also looking at this full suspension, but i am not sure how much more maintenance costs over time a full suspension costs to a hardtail?

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/stance-eplus-2-power

Thanks for your opinion.

 

Those two are mid drive. See the motors by the bottom bracket?

As for maintenance, that is a question better asked at the bike shop. Mechanics who work on them every day are the most qualified to answer that question.

 

I have a Bosch unit. I only got 150 miles on my first motor. But I beat the snot out of it, motor got hit a few to many times on big rocks, and logs. Was lucky and the place I bought it from sent me a new unit. I wouldn't of covered replacing it but they did. Since then, I have not had any issues, yet I've slowed down now I know the limitations.

Mid drive is down near the pedals, lots of tq.
Hub is in the hub of the wheel.

My mid drive gets way better range than any of my hub motors that I had. My hub motors would only get me around 15-18 miles with me doing most the work. My mid drive on low power mode will get me close to 40 miles up in the hills. Wish I lived closer to work, id have a sweet e-bike for commuting to work.

 

Do you think if your motor was integrated into the frame it would have been protected from the rocks that destroyed it, and would have lasted long? Or is bosch not as good of a motor system as the yamaha motors on the giant eBikes?

 

I didn't realize we had so many elderly and handicapped members here. I'm glad to hear that you're all still riding in spite of your apparent physical challenges.

It's very inspiring!

 

Whatever happened to pedaling a bike? I would’ve gotten slapped in the chops by my parents as a kid if I would’ve ask for an electric bike. Betta get to ass on that bike and pedal boy!!! Lol!

Quiet Kat would my suggestion if you really must have an electric bike.

 

Snark much? You’re making a lot of assumptions.

 

Check out the line of "Pedal Assist" Bosch powered bikes that TREK sells.

 

I wish it was built into the frame like the ones you posted in the link. I do believe that would protect the motor a lot. Might still destroy it with shock but who knows.
Back when I bought mine, I didn't have many options.

A lot of people like to talk crap about e-bikes and e-bike riders...Well, let me tell you, me and a lot of people hate riding bikes. Yet the e-bike has made riding a bike a lot of fun. Has gotten me back into the sport of riding. You still have to pedal and work those legs, yet you have that motor to help take some of the load.