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What e-bike should I get?
The transition to country life is going better than expected. I've only been bitten by one dog while riding (I've since pepper sprayed that dog and our relationship has improved) and I've assaulted zero cab drivers in the past month (which is a personal record for me and has been the highlight of leaving the city). But riding my cross bike to the coffee shop, brewery or Wal-Mart is becoming cumbersome (we're about 6 miles from civilization) and I don't want to lose too much weight or else I'll start thinking about doing Ironman again.
Any e-bike commuters on the Roost with insight into what brands to look into (or avoid)? Looking to spend no more than $1,500 and it has to have fat tires so I can ride over snow.
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Most e-fat-bikes are going to be 2500+
I've ridden a handful of e-systems, namely Shimano, Bosch, and Specialized. In terms of the feel of the motor system, I prefer Shimano and Bosch. The Specialized targets higher RPM... meaning that it doesn't provide full power output until you're up at 80+ish RPM. They are targeting max battery life, but I find that it feels a little strange. This article I wrote for Bikerumor explains more: https://bikerumor.com/2019/07/16/first-rides-blinding-speeds-gravel-and-mtb-trails-with-the-specialized-turbo-creo-sl/
Their 'Turbo' mode is about equal to the Eco mode on Shimano or Bosch, so the overall power output is noticeably less (but again - longer battery life). That said, I used the Shimano system on full-blast for a ~90 minute road ride in the Swiss mountains, and still had about 25% battery left.
I've heard that the Fazua Evation system is weaker than the Specialized system, but it's designed to be super compact. So I'd personally not buy that one. Trek has some e-commuter bikes starting around $2,500, with some new stuff allegedly coming out in the next month or two (under embargo). They use Bosch.
Next time I go to an e-bike launch I'll talk them in to bringing you too... they're a silly amount of fun and way better then turning yourself inside-out like a dumb-dumb trying to keep up with the European editors who are super fit and weigh 140 lbs.
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I definitely don't need a mid-drive since we don't really have hills and that's not something I want to learn how to repair. I think I'm gonna have to bump up the budget a bit, or go used, like you said.
I've been reading reviews for days and keep coming back to this one from Juiced Bikes: https://www.juicedbikes.com/products/ripcurrent-s
In general, I don't think that most of the e-systems from big manufacturers really have maintenance. They use pretty beefy bearings in there.
You've gotta have some pull with Specialized or Trek. C'mon, just pitch it to Triathlete, "We NEED to do more e-bike coverage. In-depth reviews, technical overviews, ride overviews in exotic locations... everyone knows that E-fat-bike-gravel-triathlons with tubeless tires and aerodynamic thru axles are the next big thing!" #smart
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P.S. Brad allegedly might be on the next episode of the Minimal Multisport Podcast, which I may or may not be allegedly editing right now. Allegedly.
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However, for commuting or the average person, I think they are both fantastic. The Gates belt drive basically requires zero maintenance (i.e. you don't have to lube it), and it won't get your pants dirty. Internal gear hubs are generally a ditto - they're well sealed and you don't have to service them. The only tangible downside is that, depending on the design of the dropouts, it can be a bit more cumbersome to change a rear flat tire. I'm a big fan of Rodriguez bikes, and they really get these details right. They're reasonably priced for "real cyclists", but out of the range for most average folks looking for a neighborhood bike.
Personally, my dream fun bike would be a titanium e-fat bike with a Gates belt drive and 14-speed Rohloff internal gear hub. It would cost a ton, but I could ride anywhere and do just about zero maintenance. That's my win-the-lotto bike.
EDIT: This article I wrote has some more info.
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