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Before You Buy an Ebike

I'm now a fairly experienced ebike user having owned and ridden a number of them. This is my two cents worth on deciding on an ebike -- some considerations probably being pretty obvious.

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Before You Buy an Ebike

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I'm now a fairly experienced ebike user having owned and ridden a number of them. This is my two cents worth on deciding on an ebike -- some considerations probably being pretty obvious.

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by Cheryl

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There is no “one bike for everything” when it comes to selecting a bike — though some bikes come close as a jack of all trades. And, of course, at times when I could afford but one bike I’ve carted quite a bit of stuff around on a very cheap road bike. Ebikes give you even more things to think about. Here’s my opinion on how to choose an ebike, for what it’s worth.

Note that this is a modification of a prior post on how to choose an ebike that was published on my other site here initially and then relocated here with major edits as I’m an even more experienced ebike user than I was then!

My Ebike Story (so far)

My first ebike came during the pandemic. Just before the pandemic hit, I went on a long solo road trip with my favorite road bike strapped to the back of the car. It was fine at campgrounds, but — stupidly — I left it strapped there in the wrong part of town and off it went.

My consolation was that it was (now, anyway) a cheap bike — though it had been much-loved. I didn’t actually want to find the exact same bike, though, but, somehow, other bikes I tried were…meh. They were better bikes than the one I’d had, but the type of cycling I was doing was changing and ebikes were becoming more and more a “thing.”

So I decided to try one and ended up with a Tern HSD which was fun to ride and easy to store or pop in the back of my Outback…but something was missing. And then my husband went out and bought a class three bike and started complaining about how slow I was with “my little wheels.”

 a blue tern HSD on a trail how to choose an ebike
A selective coloration of the Tern I used to have on a local trail.

My irritation mounted and I…somehow…found myself with a Specialized Creo — which was a good bike and very different from the Tern (which I still owned at that point). But I found that my neck was starting to rebel against drop bars and after a bunch of modifications, I still was having issues. And while I’d been riding for years with clipless pedals, the “recommended” seat height for the bike was so high that I had my first-ever clipless pedal-related fall due to the combination of a car pulling toward me unexpectedly, clipless pedals, and an unfamiliar seat height.

Specialized Creo ebike
The Creo that I had for a while. It was a good bike but…

So then I fell in love with another bike that was like a tank and had a dropper post — something I never want to live without again now that I’m a *bit* older and have experience one! And then another, lighter-weight ebike due to the tank like nature of that bike.

So I have some opinions on ebikes and on how to choose an ebike.

Note that I’m in the US and in Washington State so laws here may be different than where you live.

How to Choose an Ebike

Many of these items are likely obvious…but I’ve been known to rush into buying an exciting new bike and then asking myself, “what have I done?” This is why Facebook Marketplace is littered with practically new bikes.

Can you test ride the bike for more than one afternoon or return the bike?

Obviously, if you can buy a bike from a place like REI that has a very generous return policy, do so.

I am not an advocate of wearing a bike out and then trying to return it six months later to REI…but I HAVE had the experience of immediate regret with one bike that I purchased but was not actually available somewhere. After a few rides, back in went in like-new condition.

Particularly if you’re buying a very expensive ebike, make sure they have a return policy. I get enamoured of bikes on test rides quite easily, only to find later it wasn’t the bike for me.

How to choose an ebike: What class of ebike should you choose?

Here in the US, at least, ebikes are divided into three classes:

Class One Ebikes

Class one ebikes will assist you with pedaling up to a speed of 20 mph. So, of course, you CAN go faster on a class one bike but after 20mph, you’re on your own as far as the work.

Class Two Ebikes

Class two ebikes also cut off with assist at 20mph but also have a throttle so you can ride without pedaling.

Class Three Ebikes

Class three ebikes are like class one in that they are pedal assist only — no throttle — but they will help you up to 28mph. Most descriptions I’ve seen of class three ebikes add “and have a speedometer”…but I have NEVER encountered a class three bike with a speedometer unless you count the cycling computer on the bike — if it’s even equipped with one.

You should check the laws where you live about what’s legal. Where I live, in Washington State, a few trails ban ebikes all together, but most multi-use trails allow class one and two ebikes, but do not allow class three ebikes. I also know, however, that enforcement is lax.

Personally, I think that it should be based on behavior. When I had a lighter weight class three bike, I often rode with no to little assist, like a “regular” bike and used the higher speed, in particular, to get across I bridge I hated crossing in traffic.

I think a class three bike is a great choice if you’re a commuter who needs to ride on city streets and wants to get to work in a hurry or if you’re someone who just likes to let it rip and has a place you can legally do so.

But my speed demon and weight weenie days are over and I don’t mind (at least in most cases) taking it relatively slow.

How Much Assist Do You Need?

Not all ebikes are the same in this respect, but it’s an important consideration when you’re considering how to choose an ebike.

My hauler which has a Bosch Cargo Line Motor provides up to a whopping 400% assist which makes hauling a trailer (which I haven’t really had to do much) or carrying a bunch of groceries up the many hills I encounter a breeze!

However, while you can definitely get exercise with a bike like that, I find my lighter weight ebike that has 40nm of torque (my cargo bike has 85nm) has a more nimble feel and while it helps up the hills, it encourages me to ride with the motor off more and I “cheat” less if what I’m aiming for is exercise.

I was talking with the mechanic at my local bike shop about the Specialized Vado vs Vado SL series and he observed that he though the regular Vado was appropriate “for most people.”

But, really, it depends on what you want to do. If you want a car replacement, to carry a lot of stuff, or you have the balance for riding the bike but have cardiovascular issues that prevent you from too much exertion, a bike with a lot of assist may be just the thing.

But if you’re athletic and just want the fun of an ebike while getting some serious fitness in, you might like an ebike that gives you less help.

How much can you lift? And how are you going to lug that thing around?

Let’s face it — many ebikes are very heavy.

The steel cargo bike I have now weighed about 55lbs WITHOUT the two brick-like Power Pack frame batteries and all the other accessories I attached to it. With both, it’s probably an 80-lb bike.

And my upper body is like Popeye when he DIDN’T eat his spinach.

That bike is not going in my van. I also cannot lift it — even without the batteries detatched — onto my bike rack.

And getting an ebike may require you to upgrade that bike rack to one that will accomodate heavy bikes and offer a ramp. This has prevented me, at times, from even taking the bike anywhere away from home.

But my new “toy” weighs about 33lbs before accessories and is smaller — I can lift it up into my van if that’s the only bike I have to carry and can just go without fussing with a car rack.

Most public transit systems have limits as to the weight and wheelbase of bikes. For instance, I COULD take my cargo bike — which has a shorter wheelbase than most — on our local light rail trains, but wouldn’t WANT to. I can’t take it on trains or buses. Which means that if I get stuck somewhere I had better be able to either fix the issue myself or call AAA.

On the other hand, my lighter weight ebike will go with me on bus racks or trains, if I’d like — but it won’t help me get those 100 lbs of groceries up the hill easily.

Are you going to be transporting kids?

I’ve seen people carting around toddlers on the back of old steel bikes with high top tubes.

That kid would be injured if I tried that — at least these days!

My cargo bike is not a step-through but has a somewhat lower top tube than a “standard” bike. I’ve stacked boxes to go to UPS on the back but it’s still a bit high to step over and I’ve had a couple of embarassing mishaps when I wasn’t careful getting off of the bike when loaded with a bunch of high stuff in the back.

The rack with this bike is compatible with Thule (for instance) child seats — but I’d never do it. If I had to carry kids around, I’d definitely stick with a truly step-through or low-step bike — and one with a nice, hefty kickstand (one thing I love about my cargo bike).

REALLY think about the bike system!

Is the battery removable?

One of the things I LIKE about the big, chunky Bosch frame batteries is that they are removable. If I had to lock up my bike outside and needed to go, for instance, into a coffee shop where my bike couldn’t go and I had to charge the bike, I could bring both batteries inside and charge them off the bike.

Not so with my other bike. I COULD bring a range extender along and charge that but if it was just the bike, I’d have to get the bike close to an outlet to charge it on the go.

Range and Range Extenders

Typically, the ebike will give an expected range. But that expected range and your actual range may be vastly different and it can be hard to know what to expect.

For me, I’ve usually been pleasantly surprised as I tend to shift power levels a lot and turn the bike motor down or off when I’m on flats or downhills.

But I had one memorable ride on the Creo on an extremely hilly route on a cold day where I sapped almost the entire battery.

For me, I’d never buy an ebike that didn’t either have the option of a range extender or a second battery — or at least the ability to remove the primary battery easily so you could cart along a second battery with you.

This may not be necessary if you only go on very short rides. And while my rides aren’t as long as they used to be, I do not like worrying about having to charge often.

A note about the irriation of having to plug in range extenders to the bike…

Just a beef about range extenders. I really never used the one on the Creo but have heard some complaints about people who felt like the side placement resulted in them hitting their feet into it.

My current lightweight ebike has a Mahle system. The plugin for the range extender is not on the side but I find it very fiddly getting it plugged into its small port with the cage for the range extender in place!

So it’s something to look at on that ebike. Is the placement of things going to irritate you?

Like all Tech, Ebike Systems Will Keep Getting Better

I’m thinking of a cartoon from the Oatmeal about what it’s like to buy an Apple product. Buying an ebike — or any tech for that matter — is not too far off of that.

Buy a Specialized Creo? Then it’s the Creo SL. But then — look! Here’s the highly-lauded Creo 2. The second I decide to buy a Vado SL (which I won’t do at this point as I don’t have storage space for yet another bike, nor the funds for it), they’ll come out with the Vado SL 2!

My cargo bike is a Bosch bike. but now there’s the “Smart System” and it has even more impressively ranged batteries. But they won’t fit on my “Bike System 2” bike even though the batteries are the same shape.

Mid vs Hub Drive

Most of the ebikes I’ve ridden have a mid drive, which means that the motor is at the cranks. My Mahle system ebike has a motor at the hub of the rear wheel.

I like most things about the bike — but the hub drive took some getting used to. On full assist, unless I’m going up a hill, it feels like I’m getting a little push from behind. A bit disconcerting at first.

Are you a stats junkie?

Both the Mahle ebike I now have and the Creo I had for a bit will pair with a Garmin device to track not only speed but power levels, cadence, etc.

Not so with Bosch system bikes. Yes, you can get the data from their app, but it won’t pair with your Garmin and likely never will.

Drop Bar Bike Ebikers: Are You OK with NOT having your power controls on the bars?

The Creo I had and the drop bar iteration of the ebike I currently have both did NOT have power assist on the bars. For both, I had to poke a button on the top tube to change the power assist OR use my Garmin — which didn’t work well.

With the Creo, I was able to put some buttons on the bars. With the Mahle drop bar bike I found that to do so would require a new controller which was not available (one of the reasons for my prompt return of the bike to REI). Note that the Creo 2 DOES have power buttons on the bars.

Every flat bar ebike I’ve encountered has had controls for the power levels on the bars. But it seems hit and miss with drop bar bikes. I feel like this should be a standard feature.

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Terms for this post:

Bike Blog | Bike Gear

Choosing a Bike | Ebike Classes | Ebikes | Types of Ebikes

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