Sooner rather than later.

[FoldyVee]

I don't mean to insult or upset anyone by stating that my time is almost here to take on cycling with assist E motor. I have been riding bikes all my life from commuting to touring. Father time marches on & I find my strength is not what it used to be. Hill climbing , hard for most fit young guys & gals is now getting very painful , when that happens the pleasure of cycling slowly drains away & I don't want that to happen. So its time to get a E Bike. I still want to go touring so looking into all aspects of battery range , power etc. A lot on here to get my nose into. From what I have seen so far & what I think would suit me is going to be rather expensive but there again so are many unassisted bikes. I don't want anything super duper just a good steady all rounder , not bothered about the off road aspect at all. Any ideas on what I should go for would be greatly appreciated. Touring & daily rides of about 30Km is what I want

 

[gbb]

Hiya FV.
Remember (im talking about myself now but I guess it happens with a lot of folkk) ...how difficult it can be to narrow down any former bikes you brought, the competing specs, prrices, personal preferences and doubts....it isnt any easier with an ebike .

Some basics I guess...
Having a Carrera / Suntour drive ebike myself and my wife has a Bosch drive e Raleigh, the first thing I realised....while I've been very happy with the Carrera, the Bosch system I suspect will have more possibility of repairs, spares etc etc. Their batteries are tried and tested and apparently have a good lifespan....again, my Suntour system does everything I ask but it's relatively unproven compared to the Bosch. So what system would be my first consideration if I thought it through better.

The great thing I find is, just because it has assist, you don't HAVE to use it all the time, I often use it on inclines or pulling away, but then switch it off and use my own power...and that way you can really stretch the mileage from the battery.

Battery capacity...mine is IRO 11 AHr and I've never emptied it In one days riding/commuting around 30 miles in continuous Tour mode. 50 should be no problem, far more if leisure riding with less assist.

Road or hybrid I guess are the first considerations though.

 

[dodgy]

You don't need to make any excuses. Hope you find your ideal bike.

 

[jann71]

I had a test ride on 3 different ebikes before I bought mine.

Like choosing any bike, I bought the one which felt most comfortable and put the biggest smile on my face.

I put on my panniers and off I go happy as Larry.

Good luck finding the right bike for you.

 

[FoldyVee]

Thanks for the advice & encouragement. You are right about the exercise aspect gbb that is something I want to carry on for as long as possible

 

[Pale Rider]

Worth getting the biggest battery you can afford, but the good news is your target range of 30km is within the capability of most batteries, even in hilly conditions.

Range will decline over time, so it's worth having a bit 'in hand' so you can still get 30km out of it in a few years.

You mention wanting to still get some exercise.

A crank drive bike is good for that, if you don't pedal, you don't go.

Speed, cadence, and torque sensors mean the more effort you put in, the more the motor assists.

Bosch is the leader in this market, their motors are fitted by many different bike manufacturers.

The Bosch motor seems to be reliable.

They've made literally millions of them since 2010 - a massive number for a bike component - but reports of breakdowns are few.