Suggestions for an E-Bike

Posted by EMale1965@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 18 comments

I'm a male living in San Diego who just turned 60 and need to get some exercise. I am interested in getting back into bike riding. I always liked riding when I was younger, but I always had the problem of riding too far out and then being too exhausted to ride all the way back. I figured an e-bike could help by letting me use the electric motor to get me back home. My dilemma is that I am 6'5" tall and about 280 pounds. Many of the bikes I see online aren't really made for a big guy like me. I originally thought I might want a folding e-bike so I could put it in the back of my car and go to a park or someplace and ride. But most of the folding e-bikes I have seen aren't built for big/tall guys like me so I am considering just a non-folding one for riding around my apartment. I really don't want to spend more that about $2K. Ideally I'd like a full suspension bike with a wide seat and as much adjustability as possible for my height, but would consider one that only had front suspension if I could add a suspension seat post. After reading a lot of posts here I would like to stay with a fairly reputable brand and one that could be worked on by a local bike shop if needed. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! 👍😊

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BassesNBikes@reddit

Check out your local bike shop. Real bikes (and real e-bikes) come in sizes. And you really don't need full suspension (and its added weight, cost, complexity, and maintenance requirements) unless you plan to get both wheels way up off the ground. A suspension seat post is adequate for comfort.

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AntEaterApocalypse@reddit

2nd this. You absolutely do not need a full suspension bike, especially as your first ebike to putter around the neighbourhood with. It would increase the complexity and cost of your bike by a lot. You're probably better off with a larger frame bike in the urban/commuter category.

As for trustworthy brands, a few off the top of my head: Trek, Specialised, Bianchi, Marin, Gazelle, Aventon, CUBE, Giant. Check your local bike shops to see what they have and if they have frames that fit you.

Lastly as a side note, avoid wide saddles unless you absolutely need them. They can impede proper riding posture and can cause hip and muscle injury, especially during long rides or for less experienced riders. A regular bike seat will feel rough on the arse when you're not used to one which causes a lot of new riders to think they need a sofa for a saddle, but it just takes a bit of time and your body will get used to it. Good saddle = more power on the pedals, better posture, comfort longterm, less fatigue, happy butt and legs.

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EMale1965@reddit (OP)

That makes sense about the saddle. You need to move your legs on a bike and you can't do that very well sitting in an office chair! 😊

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EMale1965@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the info on the full suspension bike. 👍

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chrispark70@reddit

It's not that he doesn't need it, though I agree he doesn't, it's that he ain't gonna get a decent full suspension bicycle, let alone an e-bike for his price range.

I totally disagree about the seat post. Suspension seat posts were a fad for a good reason.

If a bike fits you and is properly set up, you absolutely do not need a suspension of any kind for city riding. Most low end bikes only have a front suspension to deal with the bad qualities of aluminum from which nearly all cheap bikes are made. Aluminum is much weaker than steel and so the tubes need to be larger and have thicker walls. Large thick walled tubing exacerbate the already uncomfortable aluminum. It will transfer all of the road noise right into your hands and wrists.

Impressive-Energy256@reddit

Seems (unfortunately) there is not much folding e bikes for like 280 pounds rider, sorry. But some questions are still need to be asked before choosing e bike:

require to carry groceries or anything else? what is the weight you usually carry? - about the model and capability of the e-bike
where will you ride to? up hill, wild terrains? - about the tire
how long (distance) you usually ride? is it convenient to recharge? - about battery capacity

Generally, seems a cargo e-bike or mountain e-bike may fit the requirement.

I go with Fiido Titan as mentioned in a reply, or T2 (but if you don't need to carry heavy goods, T2 may not ideal design look & feel), but for M1 Pro, as I can see from their official site, the payload is only about 264 lbs.

Relevant_Wedding3812@reddit

I’d check out the Fiido Titan or M1 Pro, just depends if you want fat tires.

Both have front suspension. M1 Pro folds, but honestly it’s a chunky bike, not something you’ll want to mess with folding all the time. Feels pretty tanky though.

Grabbed an M1 Pro for my dad (almost 60, \~6 ft), it’s been totally fine for chill riding. At 6'5" I’d probably double check sizing with them first.

They’re under $2k. I went cheap at first just in case it didn’t stick, but it’s been solid. Not fancy, just gets the job done.

Folding bike? Forget it.

At 6'5" and 280, you need a sized bicycle from a LBS.

Full suspension? Forget about it. Stick with a suspension fork. You ain't getting a decent quality full suspension bicycle, let alone ebike in your price range.

Stay away from suspension seat posts. There is a reason they were a fad for a few years and then largely disappeared.

Though I'm tall, I'm a bit less tall than you at 6'3". I was very hesitant to buy my bike because it was a one size fits all (Poorly), but apparently it is more for the taller side of normal. But in most cases, a one size fits all bike is not going to fit you well. It's just part of the tall man tax.

I agree with the "tall man tax!" I've been paying it all my life with fitting in cars, airplane seats, stadium seating, etc! 😁

hike2climb@reddit

Aventon

Roy_F_Kent@reddit

Aventon has regular and large frame bikes. I suggest a hub drive (which has the throttle) I have a bad knee and if it goes south I can still get home.

kronicbubonic@reddit

Yeah just got a pace 4 last week and its been so much fun.

Salty-biker@reddit

Envo E-bikes are great. I have a D50 and its such a great bike with enough power and speed and Torque Assist.

Double_Ocelot_8673@reddit

I'm loving my Aventon Soltera 2.5 as a 6'4" #250~something rider. It might be just a bit small for you at 6'8". Or maybe not! Give it a try.

BodSmith54321@reddit

Upway has an almost new Ramblas for 2k.

https://upway.co/products/aventon-ramblas-rr3hk9

Exciting-Peak70@reddit

You need to watch some ImBruceEclectic on you tube. He's a friend of mine who's our age and size/weight. I know he's reviewed a couple of flooding e-bikes over the years there might be one that fits your needs. I got the folding Ox he reviewed a couple years back, not optimal for guys our size but its been perfect for my wife.

WORD_2_UR_MOTHA@reddit

I have a Velowave Ranger, it's an e-mtn bike and is a pretty large frame with front suspension. I paid around $1750 for it in 2022, but they're going for about $1000 now. Not sure if bike shops work on them, but the manufacturer is a US manufacturer that apparently has service shops in the US, so bike shops might work on them? Of course, almost everything seems to be manufactured in China, but the support is US based.

Stillsmokingone@reddit

I'm 6'8" and 300, I got a 5th wheel from Walmart for 500.. 27.5 inch tires, upgraded the seat and got a hydraulic seat post... it's like riding on an office chair. have over 2000 miles on it and going strong. Top speed is 30mph.