How to choose a suitable electric bike for my mother to get around
Posted by kacychrest@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 8 comments
I’d like to buy an electric bike for my 60-year-old mother to use for daily travel and shopping, to replace her old pedal bike. She’s 5’4” tall and weighs around 140 lbs, so it needs a range of at least 40+ miles. My budget is around $1,000, as the shops we go to are quite a distance away. Do you have any suitable recommendations? Please don’t suggest I buy rubbish from Amazon or Walmart... Budget of $600–$1,000 – thanks
SlashNreap@reddit
Quite the contrary, people here get extremely upset when you suggest anything but Ebikes upwards of 2-3k.
If I can suggest something, are you a decent builder and could you put one together if you had the components? I can't suggest a specific model but I can suggest that you build your own if the used and new market is too steep. At least, you'll know exactly what components you'll have in there.
Get certified components. Don't forget basic maintenance, Ebikes are not free of that, and good luck.
Rogue_Wraith@reddit
That's because a decent motor and decent battery start at $500-1000, each.
The bottom of the barrel actual ebikes (rather than fly-by-night fire hazards) start at over $1K.
Certified components aren't cheap.
SlashNreap@reddit
A decent motor and decent battery of what capacity and quality? The pricetag doesn't automatically mean you're buying something of decent quality.
kacychrest@reddit (OP)
If I can do it myself, why would I need to consult someone?
SlashNreap@reddit
I mean, you can build your own PC but also consult other people on prebuilts, both things can be true.
Ultimately we don't know you so we can't know. I just recommend what makes sense rather than recommend trash or something ridiculously expensive that might not suit your mother's needs.
Relative-Display-676@reddit
have you look at bikes at upway? bintelli, momentum or khs would suit her life style, i think.
BodSmith54321@reddit
40 miles for $1000 is only doable if you use minimal pedal assist. Where is your 60 year old mom riding 20 miles each way?
haoqiebike@reddit
My personal suggestion is that for older riders, it's best to buy a fat-tire electric bicycle. Then, if you want a longer range, you'll need a larger battery capacity. You can add a rear basket, but your budget is still a bit tight; it will probably cost around $1500.