I'm getting an E-bike!

[RachelV]

...

I'll admit there are always a few sections of my commute that scare me a little. I'm now thinking of changing my tires over to all-terrain from road and only use my bike on bike trails in my area (thankfully we have some nice ones.)

Has anyone done this? It looks like a lot of you have tires well-suited for compacted gravel trails. My current tires are terrible (unstable) on anything but paved surfaces.

I have not done this but many people around here do. Sometimes, depending on how much room there is in your fork, you can also go a little fatter in addition to adding some knobbiness, which can also help.

I used to road bike a medium amount but haven't done it in years, and now I also find the tiny super smooth pavement-only tires scary. So squirrely!

 

[RachelV]

So how do you like it thus far? I wonder if you could ride a century with it or would it runout of juice since it said 35 miles distance.

I love it. We used them a ton over the summer up in the mountains, and I've used it almost exclusively to go downtown in Boulder. It really makes it so riding 5-10 miles to do errands is something you don't think twice about.

You could absolutely not do a century on mine. Mine has 3 boost levels, and I accidentally had it on the highest boost the other weekend, and used up the battery in about 20 miles. I do get closer to 35 with a mix of boosts. Usually I keep it on 2. I should see what kind of range I get keeping it on the lowest boost the whole time, but still no way it would be close to 100 miles. Maybe 40-45.

 

[floridakeysskibum]

Wendy, are you still on this bike? What are your pros and cons now a couple of seasons out?

 

[skinnyfootskis]

I love it. We used them a ton over the summer up in the mountains, and I've used it almost exclusively to go downtown in Boulder. It really makes it so riding 5-10 miles to do errands is something you don't think twice about.

You could absolutely not do a century on mine. Mine has 3 boost levels, and I accidentally had it on the highest boost the other weekend, and used up the battery in about 20 miles. I do get closer to 35 with a mix of boosts. Usually I keep it on 2. I should see what kind of range I get keeping it on the lowest boost the whole time, but still no way it would be close to 100 miles. Maybe 40-45.

I would be interested to see if you can get 40 miles. Also, does it just stop assisting and you just continue to ride without?

 

[RachelV]

I would be interested to see if you can get 40 miles. Also, does it just stop assisting and you just continue to ride without?

Yup, after the battery dies you're just riding a regular bike that's about 10lbs heavier than you want it to be.

 

[MissySki]

Yup, after the battery dies you're just riding a regular bike that's about 10lbs heavier than you want it to be.

Ha that's a good thing to keep in mind!

 

[Tvan]

I have a new e-bike coming. The e-bikes that were available locally were lovely, but most weighed in at 60+ pounds. In order to transport a bike of that weight, I would have had to add a hitch and a heavy duty hitch-based bike rack, and the cost was almost the same as the price of a new bike. I just don't ride often enough to justify the expense. So my major criteria was weight. I wanted a bike light enough to use our current trunk rack.

That criteria led me to the Propella 7S .It weighs 37 pounds, which is well within the weight limit of our current rack. 7 speeds, 20-40 mile pedal-assist range with a removeable battery. Good reviews from reputable sources. I'll let you know how it rides once it arrives!

 

[RachelV]

I've had 2 friends try my ebike recently and they both literally rolled away laughing and going "wheeeeeee" once the assist kicked in

 

[ski diva]

Wendy, are you still on this bike? What are your pros and cons now a couple of seasons out?

Omigosh, so sorry, but I'm only seeing this now! Well, better late than never, I guess.

So this is my second summer with the Aventon Sinch, and yes, I have some comments.

* It's a heck of a lot of fun. I have no issues with its performance, battery life, or really, anything about the way it works. It's really easy to use and a heck of a lot of fun to ride.

* The bike's wide tires are great for Vermont's hilly dirt roads -- which is great, since 60% of the roads in the state are unpaved. Which means we can cover a heck of a lot of terrain. The wide tires are great off the pavement, and the bike makes climbing easy. I guess you don't have to worry about that in the Keys, @floridakeysskibum , but it's a big issue here.

* It folds in half. Really. So we can fit two bikes in the back of my Subaru Outback. This is nice because it means we don't need a bike rack. HOWEVER....this is one heavy bike. In fact, I can't lift it at all. So my husband has to put it in and out of the car. And that, my friend, is really the only downside I can think of.

Again, sorry I didn't answer this sooner. Let me know if you have any questions

 

[floridakeysskibum]

Omigosh, so sorry, but I'm only seeing this now! Well, better late than never, I guess.

So this is my second summer with the Aventon Sinch, and yes, I have some comments.

* It's a heck of a lot of fun. I have no issues with its performance, battery life, or really, anything about the way it works. It's really easy to use and a heck of a lot of fun to ride.

* The bike's wide tires are great for Vermont's hilly dirt roads -- which is great, since 60% of the roads in the state are unpaved. Which means we can cover a heck of a lot of terrain. The wide tires are great off the pavement, and the bike makes climbing easy. I guess you don't have to worry about that in the Keys, @floridakeysskibum , but it's a big issue here.

* It folds in half. Really. So we can fit two bikes in the back of my Subaru Outback. This is nice because it means we don't need a bike rack. HOWEVER....this is one heavy bike. In fact, I can't lift it at all. So my husband has to put it in and out of the car. And that, my friend, is really the only downside I can think of.

Again, sorry I didn't answer this sooner. Let me know if you have any questions

Yea, no hills here, just bridges! I do like the fat tires. Considering a self charging e-bike that only weighs 37lbs. I’d hate to be dependent on anyone lifting it for me, as I would most likely be riding solo anyway. I’ll end up getting a bike rack, because teying to get it into the Yukon xl will definitely be a challenge.
thanks for the feedback, no worries on tardy response see you at steamboat!

 

[SnowHot]

Yea, no hills here, just bridges! I do like the fat tires. Considering a self charging e-bike that only weighs 37lbs. I’d hate to be dependent on anyone lifting it for me, as I would most likely be riding solo anyway. I’ll end up getting a bike rack, because teying to get it into the Yukon xl will definitely be a challenge.
thanks for the feedback, no worries on tardy response see you at steamboat!

There are some really good bike racks now that have ramps to roll your bike onto it easier.
My Trek E-Caliber is 40 lbs with the drive pack in it and with the plastic dummy down tube that replaces the drive pack/battery to ride it as an analog bike its just under 30 lbs. I like to put the dummy tube in it when I transport if I'm going to a remote bike trail, but I'm finding that I rarely do that these days because we have so many trails close to our house. I rarely go to another trail.
I mean...
I have evidence of you riding AK Mink's bike here ;)

 

[floridakeysskibum]

There are some really good bike racks now that have ramps to roll your bike onto it easier.
My Trek E-Caliber is 40 lbs with the drive pack in it and with the plastic dummy down tube that replaces the drive pack/battery to ride it as an analog bike its just under 30 lbs. I like to put the dummy tube in it when I transport if I'm going to a remote bike trail, but I'm finding that I rarely do that these days because we have so many trails close to our house. I rarely go to another trail.
I mean...
I have evidence of you riding AK Mink's bike here ;)
View attachment 21768

Note to self, put water bottles on bike not hips and watch out for left handed switch backs!! I think I spent more time on the ground than on the bike that day. Hahah

 

[SnowHot]

Note to self, put water bottles on bike not hips and watch out for left handed switch backs!! I think I spent more time on the ground than on the bike that day. Hahah

But it was fun.

 

[skinnyfootskis]

Omigosh, so sorry, but I'm only seeing this now! Well, better late than never, I guess.

So this is my second summer with the Aventon Sinch, and yes, I have some comments.

* It's a heck of a lot of fun. I have no issues with its performance, battery life, or really, anything about the way it works. It's really easy to use and a heck of a lot of fun to ride.

* The bike's wide tires are great for Vermont's hilly dirt roads -- which is great, since 60% of the roads in the state are unpaved. Which means we can cover a heck of a lot of terrain. The wide tires are great off the pavement, and the bike makes climbing easy. I guess you don't have to worry about that in the Keys, @floridakeysskibum , but it's a big issue here.

* It folds in half. Really. So we can fit two bikes in the back of my Subaru Outback. This is nice because it means we don't need a bike rack. HOWEVER....this is one heavy bike. In fact, I can't lift it at all. So my husband has to put it in and out of the car. And that, my friend, is really the only downside I can think of.

Again, sorry I didn't answer this sooner. Let me know if you have any questions

This is great to hear. I have been looking into Aventon.

 

[Tvan]

My new bike arrived. It's 85% assembled. Guess what I'm doing this weekend? Review to come.

 

[ski diva]

My new bike arrived. It's 85% assembled. Guess what I'm doing this weekend? Review to come.

Can't wait to read your review!

 

[Tvan]

First update on my new e-bike. It’s a Propella 7s, link in prior message above. From the time I opened the box to the time of first ride was about an hour and fifteen minutes. The bike arrives partially assembled. I had to install the seat, handlebars, pedals and front tire. There were no directions in the box, but the online assembly video was super helpful and easy to follow. They included a full set of Allen wrenches, the only tools needed to assemble. I am handy but not super duper mechanical. I managed to follow the directions with no issues.

I took a quick ride on our gravel country neighborhood roads, with gentle hills and some flats. The bike shifted smoothly through all 7 gears. I engaged the pedal assist for the uphills and it engaged smoothly and evenly. It felt like a gentle push forward as I increased the assist levels. The long uphill back to our house was easy-peasy.

This bike is advertised as a commuter bike and that feels right to me. I have no interest in mountain biking or road biking, and this feels like a good bike for rail trails and the gentle hills of the Champlain islands. Given the cost, on sale now for $799, and the weight, 37 pounds, I would recommend this bike for occasional bikers who like a fun Sunday drive.

I’m hoping to get out for a longer ride before the season is over. I’ll report back once I have more time in the saddle.