Low step thru E-bike

[Take2]

Anyone had experience of a decent low step thru e-bike with crank motor.
Want to ensure it has decent power for gradients, so, 50Nm+. Don’t want to pay 2k+ only to find it runs out of puff on a steepish hill.
I know bosh motors have 50,60,70Nm and read that the 50’s are a little under powered. Now I realise that a lot depends on the cyclist, well, this is for my wife who finds it difficult on hills and even struggles a little when first setting off, especially if there’s a gradient to overcome.
Feel free to ask questions if it’ll help to get a clear picture on this.

 

[MICHAELMFK]

check out himiway as an alternative. i have the Cobra, but they have other models. bike is heavy though but with the pedal assist you wouldn't feel it

 

[Tony50]

Anyone had experience of a decent low step thru e-bike with crank motor.
Want to ensure it has decent power for gradients, so, 50Nm+. Don’t want to pay 2k+ only to find it runs out of puff on a steepish hill.
I know bosh motors have 50,60,70Nm and read that the 50’s are a little under powered. Now I realise that a lot depends on the cyclist, well, this is for my wife who finds it difficult on hills and even struggles a little when first setting off, especially if there’s a gradient to overcome.
Feel free to ask questions if it’ll help to get a clear picture on this.

There are some advertised here on classifieds, including mine ,no idea of power, most bikes are Chinese power trains.

 

[Bamboo]

Check out Cube e-bikes they do some step thru.

I have a cube step through and other than the colour it's great. Other people love the colour!

 

[amarch]

We bought EZGo electric folding bikes. Very light at 16kg without batteries and with 20" wheels, very easy to transport. We love them and the rear motors are very powerful even for heavyweights like me at almost 90kg they go up steep hills with little effort. With excellent disc brakes frot and rear we love them. They are £1299.

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[LiamD]

My wife has a Specialized Como with hub gearing and a belt-drive. She loves it but I think that's mainly because it has a basket. I've had a go on it and it's a lot of fun.

 

[DaveHobson]

My wife has a Specialized Como with hub gearing and a belt-drive. She loves it but I think that's mainly because it has a basket. I've had a go on it and it's a lot of fun.

View attachment 836355

Nice. You can’t beat a basket - I have one on the front for my things, and one on the back for the dog.

 

[Tony B North]

Check out Cube e-bikes they do some step thru.

My wife has a Cube step through and it tackled the climb out of Castleton no problem! Great quality bikes, mine has done 4k miles now and just changed the chain and the brake pads....the original tyres are still going strong! We do use a towbar mounted rack though as they are quite hefty even with the battery removed and stored in the van.

 

[Mikey RV]

My wife has a Cube step through and it tackled the climb out of Castleton no problem! Great quality bikes, mine has done 4k miles now and just changed the chain and the brake pads....the original tyres are still going strong! We do use a towbar mounted rack though as they are quite hefty even with the battery removed and stored in the van.

More fun coming down that hill.

 

[richard8]

My wife has a arthritic left knee found ordinary bikes to big even with the saddle in lowest position, she now can put both feet on the ground and continue to sit on the saddle. With wider tyres and the positioning of the saddle she has found her Corratec bike really manageable with Bosch crank drive, 400amp battery. 100 miles not a problem in the tour setting.

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[Take2]

My wife has a arthritic left knee found ordinary bikes to big even with the saddle in lowest position, she now can put both feet on the ground and continue to sit on the saddle. With wider tyres and the positioning of the saddle she has found her Corratec bike really manageable with Bosch crank drive, 400amp battery. 100 miles not a problem in the tour setting.

Thanks, that’s really helpful

 

[Eddieb]

Me and my better half both have Trek Verve 2 step through electric bikes with Bosch 500w crank motors - had them for nearly 3 years now and they have let us down even on a 20% gradient in Portugal. They fit in our Dethleffs Trend garage and a full recharge takes about an hour - 25kg each which does add to the payload but we removed the bike rack to compensate

 

[Lenny HB]

with Bosch 500w crank motors -

Are you sure 250w is the max that is legal for road use, I think you mean 500 W battery.
Bosch motors are normally 250w with various power ratings 50, 60, 70 & 85nm.

 

[Eddieb]

Yeah senior mo Lenny - 500w battery!

 

[March Hare]

We've got a couple of Volt Metro folding e-bikes which are very good. During Lockdown I did over 2k miles on mine with a lot of really steep Northumberland hills around where we lived.

I then bought a Cube Kathmandu step-through e-bike, which is fantastic. It's in a different league to the folding bikes but they're completely different beasts. It's about 3 years old now, but still as good as new. The only problem I've had with it is with loads of punctures from the hawthorn hedges, but tyre liners (fingers crossed) really helped.

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[Red Sonja]

We have two in our family. Hubby has a Whisper step through and Son has a cube bike. Both of them went up Alp Dhuez last year on them, then came down with power off . They both did a lot of research on what they wanted.

My Son had a days hire at Rutland Cyles at Rutland water. They couldn't source the bike he wanted in his time frame so he bought it from Germany. Hubby bought his at a show getting £250 off by being a member of C&CC.

 

[Gordo]

We have three Cube Tourings - 1 2022 model and 2 2023 models. My other half has a step through XS 2023 model - fantastic bikes. However, they're oversized - she's 5'3" and the XS model is big and heavy, partly as it's on 29" wheels. In hindsight she wishes she'd got something a bit smaller/lighter so definitely need to test ride. I'm 5'8" and find the S frame perfect (the sales guys was 6'3" and the large was too large for him which puts their sizing in context).

Cube Touring Hybrid Pro 625 2023 Easy Electric Bike – e-bikeshop.co.uk

The 2023 Cube Touring Hybrid Pro 625 Easy Entry ebike offers unbeatable value. 75Nm Bosch Performance motor, 625Wh battery & Shimano 11 speed gears.

www.e-bikeshop.co.uk

One annoying thing about e-bikes for us is how to transport them - great if we're in the motorhome (rear garage) but impossible to take all 3 out in any of our cars. Bike carriers can't handle the weight of all 3 and I'm not sure I'd trust them.

Good luck - will be interesting to see what you get.

G

 

[DaveHobson]

Raleigh are rebadged Gazelle.

Not so, apparently. Gazelle have a second brand, Union, but don’t supply other brands.

 

[Dutch 68]

I think Pon the VW importer for the Netherlands might own both Gazelle and Raleigh nowadays ?

 

[Take2]

We’ve had a pair of Raleigh Motus’ for the last 8 years and have generally been very pleased with them (although a couple of problems with the battery turning into a brick for no obvious reason). We have been looking at options for replacing them for a while now and yesterday settled on the ones I think we will go for - Victoria 5.7 SE E-Trecking. It’s a step thru with Bosch system and hub gears (7). Battery on this one is 400Wh, but you can get 500Wh for about £200 more.

Would also thoroughly recommend visiting Sway Cycles in Lymington who we are probably going to buy them from. They have a great range of quality e-bikes, Shelley is extremely knowledgeable on all things e-bike and will let you test them out. Great to get real insight into he options rather than just being pointed to the labels - our experience at other shops.

Thanks, not a million miles away. I’ll pop down and investigate

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[Take2]

We have purchased a couple of GinX electric bikes and are very pleased with them.They have just introduced a step through
Extremely well equipped for the price.Great company to deal with and great communication from Raoul. Have a look at their website.They are having a Black Friday offer and please let him know we recommended them as they love
recommendations from satisfied customers !
Owen and Sue

Just check the GinX web site but found it difficult to navigate?

 

[JaG]

Ecovoltz Dart without a doubt. I have had two of them for almost five years and never had a problem. Step through, range around 35 miles, powerful on hills. It has even been up to the Cross in Benidorm, which is the ultimate test for any bike.
https://www.ecovoltz.co.uk/our-e-bikes/

 

[steve69]

Wouldn't it be a good idea if someone could produce a guide for the most suitable e-bike based on the weight of the user?
An 8 stone lady (or man) can have the pick of the bunch and know there shouldn't be much problem.
I'm 14 stone in weight (about 90kg). Anyone that weight or heavier is obviously going to have to pick from a more limited selection of suitable e-bike. Especially with regards to hill climbing.

 

[Take2]

Wouldn't it be a good idea if someone could produce a guide for the most suitable e-bike based on the weight of the user?
An 8 stone lady (or man) can have the pick of the bunch and know there shouldn't be much problem.
I'm 14 stone in weight (about 90kg). Anyone that weight or heavier is obviously going to have to pick from a more limited selection of suitable e-bike. Especially with regards to hill climbing.

Know what you mean but there are a lot of variables for a statistical analysit to be aware of. For example a 14st Boardman will need less assistance than a 14st me!

 

[scotjimland]

I'm 14 stone in weight (about 90kg). Anyone that weight or heavier is obviously going to have to pick from a more limited selection of suitable e-bike. Especially with regards to hill climbing.

for UK road use, no matter what make, the motors are limited to 250w .. what makes a difference for hill climbing is the gears.. they are paramount.. a 3 speed hub would be useless for hills .. you need at least a 8 speed cassette ..

Im about the same weight as you ... and have a Woosh e-bike, Bafang rear hub drive .. not an expensive bike , about £1k.. but it has Shimano Deore 8 speed gears .. they make hill climbing easy.. but bear in mind, they are E assist bikes.. so you do need to pedal.. now that said.. my Woosh has a throttle and it can be used without peddling .. even up quite steep hills .. much to the dismay of Jan as I fly past .. who has to pedal hers ..

Legal Top speed is 15mph.. but it can be changed on the motor controller up to 25 mph.. of course that is illegal.. I wouldn't do that .. but it is in the instruction book ..

What I like about a hub drive it is a lot cheaper than the centre drive. can be easily replaced or even upgraded to a higher wattage for off road use ..Bafang are popular for DIY bike conversions and are well thought of..

Bafang Hub Motor Review: what do I think after 6 years?

In this Bafang hub motor review, I look at this high-performing and reliable electric bike hub motor. It's relatively cheap while offering a significant boost

www.ebikechoices.com

I resprayed my Woosh stealth matt black.. fitted a Brooks B17 saddle, better grips, rack and and panniers.. had it four years now, done several thousand miles.. no problems.. a workhorse.. no frills just does the job .. it also has a 17AH Panasonic battery that I have never ran flat

Woosh bikes are Chinese, (as are most) assembled in Southend-on-sea .. I had an issue with the charger.. one phone call and a new charger in the post next day.. great service

Just noticed, they have gone up a bit since I bought mine.

Woosh Bikes - Online Shop

Online shopping for electric bikes and conversion kits. All models are in stock unless otherwise indicated on the web page and can be despatched on the same day or next business day. We will email you the tracking link as soon as the item has been despatched.

wooshbikes.co.uk

The latest model of mine.. and weight info ..

Woosh Gran Camino:
Suitable for medium to tall riders, 36V 15AH (540WH, 50 miles) or 17AH (612WH, 60 miles) cell battery, 8-speed, comfortable, sporty and well equipped electric mountain bike.
For riders 5ft8 and above, up to 20st on trails, 25st on tarmac roads.
Assembled in the UK.

Gran Camino MTB electric bicycle from Woosh

The Woosh Gran Camino, a 27.5 electric mountain bike with hydraulic brakes 36V 15AH/17AH battery from Woosh. Price range: £1379-£1459. Great bike for trails.

wooshbikes.co.uk

Before re-spray... holiday in Wales 2020

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[our poppy llll]

My pretty flamingo thinks she’d like an electric bike! She needs a zimmer frame first! I bought two fold up bikes 9 years ago, she could hardly ride it on the flat! She only tried the once, we sold them and I bought a moped! Now she is convinced that an electric bike would be fun! It’d be a bloody expensive waste of money, I’m going to get her sat on one in a local bike shop then get a test ride for her, then I’ll take her to the mobility scooter shop! Then have her committed! Yeah!

 

[emjaiuk]

I;ve had a Woosh Santana for a few years now, very pleased with it. Reasonably good quality at a reasonable price.

 

[Garfields]

My wife has a Specialized Como with hub gearing and a belt-drive. She loves it but I think that's mainly because it has a basket. I've had a go on it and it's a lot of fun.

Don't buy any bike with a basket they are dangerous things.
I've watch Midsummer Murders and there is always one somewhere about

 

[our poppy llll]

My pretty flamingo thinks she’d like an electric bike! She needs a zimmer frame first! I bought two fold up bikes 9 years ago, she could hardly ride it on the flat! She only tried the once, we sold them and I bought a moped! Now she is convinced that an electric bike would be fun! It’d be a bloody expensive waste of money, I’m going to get her sat on one in a local bike shop then get a test ride for her, then I’ll take her to the mobility scooter shop! Then have her committed! Yeah!

Whoo hoo, went to Leroy Merlin, €39.00 for a brush for your bog and no bogof in sight. So I went to the Chinese (we sell everything dot com) shop and got two black brushes for €2.10 each.. ha ha then at the check out she, that’s the pretty flamingo, piles on loads of Christmas tree ornaments.. arghhhh I hate shopping, I hate Christmas and I hate bog brushes…..

 

[DWaldie]

The bike your wife gets is personal choice. Make sure it has variable torque that responds to pedal pressure. Bosch, Yamaha and Giant all do. I'd recommend approaching a decent bike shop that will let your wife have a proper try. Better still, hire one for a day.

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[our poppy llll]

The bike your wife gets is personal choice. Make sure it has variable torque that responds to pedal pressure. Bosch, Yamaha and Giant all do. I'd recommend approaching a decent bike shop that will let your wife have a proper try. Better still, hire one for a day.

You are overly kind, at 6 stone 1-1/2 oz.. a breeze will blow her off the saddle, also as much as I love her, I’m not spending 3 month rubbing soothing cream on her bum, I watched her wobble her way 25 yards on a flat road and thought, first truck that passes will squat her like she squats a spider (we have spiders where we live, one walked across the lounge and the pretty flamingo took her shoe off and hit it 500 times like a mad maniac) so no I’m not even going to let her try. She can walk or be driven by me or catch a bus or train. She will NEVER ride a bike. I would be committed for letting her. You can’t imagine the devastation she would cause.. no no no no no… never..