Alright buds, I'm new and shopping for a new ebike
Posted by SuspiciouslySuspect2@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 9 comments
Problem:
I'm looking to get in the next a year an ebike for commuting to and from work, year round. I am Canadian, so conditions range from hot as fuck +40C to - 5C and water/slush/freezing rain to WTF - 40 and slick ice. I have to bike 16 to 20kms 5 days a week, and I want to be comfortable riding in all of it.
All my previous biking has been pedal street/mountain bikes between may and October, so I dunno what I'm doing in the winter cycling. I'm skeptical the pathways I will be taking will be completely clear at the time I am riding, so traction half the year will likely be... Reduced.
To that end, I'm jumping right into the fat tire bikes. I've eliminated mid drive models because I know I'm not going to care for the chain "the best" (tightening/cleaning the chain regularly, etc), and a hub is more inclined to tolerate my moderate neglect.
What I'm now trying to determine is whether dual wheel hubs will markedly improve my biking experience in the stupid conditions I'm likely to encounter each winter. And to that end, I'm trying to determine which of the following bikes are actually robust enough to last 5 years with regular annual upkeep, and how they'd compare in real world to what seems to be everyone's go-to, the Aventon Aventure 2:
Ridstar H20 Pro Folding Ebike 1000W
FREESKY Ranger AIR Dual Motor
Wildeway Wander All-Terrain Fat Ebike
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
_KeepOnTrucking_@reddit
I have a dual hub bike and ride through Canadian winters.
With studded tires and bar mitts, it's definitely doable,
but by spring, the bike is ready for an overhaul,
the salty slush is really hard on components.
This spring for example, I had to replaced the rear motor (water infiltration),
the front controller (probably moisture), chain, chainring, derailleur, freewheel
and brake calipers.
The solution, I'm beginning to think, is a really nice summer bike
AND a sacrificial, 2nd-hand winter bike...
SuspiciouslySuspect2@reddit (OP)
Arg, that's not encouraging. The more I go through this, the more I ask myself "Is all the hassle worth paying a shockingly shrinking amount less that just getting a junker EV and driving in?"
If a single winter or two is gonna kill a hub, that's hardly economical.
Taddgoods@reddit
Go with the Ranger, great company, solid bike. Won't be disappointed 😌
SuspiciouslySuspect2@reddit (OP)
See this is my thing, on paper it looks good (even made a spreadsheet), but finding real people who own one is a pain.
You have any insight into how far it can go per charge, assuming medium-high assist?
Taddgoods@reddit
I will also say that with dual motor you habe little resistance as its cadence an not torque sensitive
Taddgoods@reddit
Well, I have the tesway x9, its comparable an imo, freesky is even better. Its a powerful bike, will go 50 kms one charge easy maybe more I'd estimate. If you went slower an pedal assist at 2 maybe 3 you can lot longer, maybe 75kms, real range, hills, wind, all of it
Calm-Rock7552@reddit
I know nothing about the dual wheel drives but me and a lot of Minnesotan perfer studded tires over fat for winter paved surfaces...but it is more of a pain to swap with a hub drive.
SuspiciouslySuspect2@reddit (OP)
Studs are not allowed on pavement here to my knowledge, and there's a fair bit of "it's kinda paved but not" transitions and potholes along the way, so I'm thinking the fat tire will make things a lot more comfortable. 40 is coming for me fast, I wanna be comfortable lol.
Calm-Rock7552@reddit
Without even googling the exact models skip folding models unless you truly need the space for storage. A bit off topic but if u have not tried them Pogies or bar mitts are amazing for winter. If you don't like the price find some made for snowmobiling, they are available way cheaper.