Best manual pedaling ebike?

[oldbob]

Hi all - first post here. I dont own an ebike yet but want to make a purchase (2 actually, for my wife and I) My (1st) question is: Which bikes are best/easiest to ride manually? I would like to ride manually as much as possible (on the levels) and use the power for hills or when I'm tired. I see some of these squatty fat tire bikes and feel they would be tough to pedal on their own. Which bikes are easiest/best to pedal? Thank you!

[JR Namida]

For me, I would suggest a Ride1up roadster V2 gravel eBike. 33 pounds makes it easy enough to carry up and down stairs, or ride undulations on a flattish pavement course, not using any electrical assistance. if the smallish battery that saves weight is too small, it has a second battery that can purchased and easily installed to increase the range close to 50 miles. I suggest the gravel version because the front belt drive ring provides a lower ratio (easier to ride) than the standard Ride1up roadster V2 eBike.

When I looked for an eBike I purchased the Stealth Urban Electric Bike KBO Hurricane which weighted 37.7 pounds. I modified the bicycle with carbon fiber or much lighter alloy parts and reduced the weight 5.7 pounds. My reason for this brand/model was a youtube video by a 220 pound person doing a range test of 32 miles. I have ridden the KBO Hurricane easily 40 miles on flat terrain with and without any motor assist, it's weight is less than several mid 90ties non suspension mountain bikes I have owned, and most big box current mountain bikes with useless suspension.

You could always purchase a Ribble eBike that has a 24/26 pound weight, but it would be more than three, maybe 4 times the $1,200 price of the Ride1up roaster V2 gravel bicycle.

In my opinion a eBike should be as light and dependable as your pocket book will allow, the other feature on an ebike that should be sought after is Torque sensing as that really helps in climbing short steep and long gentle hills, unlike a cadence sensor.

Last inexpensive bicycle with a Torque sensor is https://ridescoozy.com/ torque1 that could be easily modified to reduce its weight as I have done with my KBO Hurricane...

[Cory]

(09-03-2022, 02:32 AM)oldbob Wrote:  Hi all - first post here. I dont own an ebike yet but want to make a purchase (2 actually, for my wife and I) My (1st) question is: Which bikes are best/easiest to ride manually? I would like to ride manually as much as possible (on the levels) and use the power for hills or when I'm tired. I see some of these squatty fat tire bikes and feel they would be tough to pedal on their own. Which bikes are easiest/best to pedal? Thank you!

Maybe RadPower Bike would be a good choice?

[enkei]

Definitely, the fat-tire bikes will be harder to pedal. Those tires also sap the battery power, though they are great on bump surfaces. On top of that, some e-bikes are noticeably harder to pedal without motor assistance, because the bike is heavy, the drivetrain is inefficient, or the motor drags on the drivetrain.

Ideally, you want an e-bike that's as close as possible to a regular bike but has a nicely integrated motor/battery combo.

The rest of the challenge is solved by money. The more money you have to spend, the easier it is to find a lightweight e-bike that rides like a regular bike but has a motor to help you up hills, against the wind or when you're tired.

If you're trying to do this on a smaller budget, it gets increasingly difficult because of the compromises made to meet the lower price point. The BikeRide Reviews section has a lot of collected info on various e-bikes.

You could visit a good local bike shop and try out a few samples at different price points. You could also find a rental company that hires out quality e-bikes. You'll typically find these at beauty spots, tourist attractions, etc. This is a great way to find out what might work for you.