I’m 62 years old, currently 300lbs but working on getting it down to a better ebike range. I’m 5’11”. I’m having both knees replaced this year. Looking for a powerful long range ebike (in part due to weight and hilly area). Something I can ride on streets and rail trails. I’ve been visiting various websites, watching YouTube videos, test rode a Specialized and Pedego. I like the idea of PAS and throttle combination.
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Are you thinking a complete bike or considering a conversion kit? Most of us here are more kit people especially when you are looking for more power. -
A complete bike. I also looked at converting my 1990s Schwinn Frontier but would probably have to change the fork to put hydraulic brakes on. I looked at the bafang kit.
By the time I’m done I could have bought one.Comment
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You mention complete bike but no budget...but you did mention Specialized, so you have a decent budget. At your weight and desire for a throttle and with overall tunability, why not go for a Luna X1? You will love the comfort and better handling of a full suspension bike, and the Ultra motor with PAS and throttle will be very beneficial. The suspension is air sprung, so you will be able to tune it to your weight if you start dropping pounds. The band-for-buck in an X1 seems very good.Comment
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If you have a big budget and you want turn-key, check out ECells 1500. I have one, and it definitely meets your capacity, range, and power requirements...but they aren't remotely cheap.Comment
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I would say no on the Frontier. That was likely from back when I was selling them and that was basically a walmart bike which isn't all bad but you couple that with age and its just not worth messing with for this type of project. I have seen the kits to add disc brakes to old bikes and they raise a lot of questions about reliability and safety when they do fit as intended and its even worse if they don't quite fit which often seems to be the case. If you had a higher end bike that was old maybe still worth considering, I did a early 90's Schwinn High Sierra which if it wasn't their top at the time had to be close. Its a decent E bike with the BBSHD on it but the main reason I did it is I already owned it and its kinda the extra bike.
By the time you add all the E stuff and your weight you will be over what a vast majority of bikes are rated for and if you are going over the rating I would want to spend a little more to get a quality bike and in my opinion also a steel frame to take the extra weight. The brand that comes to mind for a decent quality steel frame is Surly but they only make one E bike and its a long wheelbase cargo bike which would not be that bad because its designed for weight.
IF you have room to store and transport a large bike it may be worth at least considering. The model is called the Big Easy. Not sure if its still the case but as of a few months ago they has some 2020 or maybe even 19 on closeout for what I thought was a pretty reasonable price which I want to say was upper $3K's. Good chunk of money but way better than the $5k regular price. Its for sure a nice bike, I have ridden the regular version called the Big Dummy and its a very nice ride. You are not going to do technical single track on something that long but hard pack trails are no problem. The Big Easy has a Bosch mid drive which seem to have very good support in the USA, most shops seem to be dealers and service centers for them.
Have you looked at what Bolton has? I assume so if you have been watching videos, they seem to come up that way. Luna Fat Galaxy?Comment
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73Eldo, I hadn't seen that Luna Fat Galaxy, but at that price I'd rather go with the X1. I wouldn't be afraid of that particular carbon frame. It's fairly burly. At the shop I've seen quite a few very heavy riders use enduro/all mountain level bikes for general purpose with great success. I think the air suspension components on that bike could still be tuned to take his weight as long as he's not doing the Red Bull Rampage. Lots of fit, 250 pound riders have hucked that shock and fork even if they're not RBR rated...LOL! At that price he'd get a solid bike, and even if he never got to a serious trail riding level, the bike would be solid, tunable, and fun. 73Eldo, you know the bike I have...in the same vein as an X1...and I took it out Monday and rode quite a few miles on dirt roads for a pedal assist workout. I have a gravel bike I built, but with the bigger tires and solid feel of a real mountain bike with pedal assist, it was frankly more fun...and you still get a good workout if you balance out your gear selection and PAS level.
Yes, there are so many options and choices and applications that it gets difficult to pick.Comment
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Does anyone have an opinion on the Cyrusher 800 or 900?Comment
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