I mentioned in my last post that my partner and I are thinking about some longer distance bike trips. We traveled with our road bikes to Prince Edward Island several years ago and had a wonderful time exploring the area, typically riding in the morning and enjoying a picnic lunch before heading back to our lodging to clean up and enjoy other activities around the area.
Our fitness levels are dissimilar, as is our desire to ride until our legs fall off, so we began exploring the option of an ebike for me. After a lot of online research we popped over to our local bike shop which had two models I was interested in trying. The shop team was great and helped me get familiar with the ebikes, riding them around the area until I felt more comfortable on them.
The bikes, however, are enormous. They felt very different to me than a road bike, which is what I’m used to riding. The bikes I test rode were both around 75 lbs and I felt every bit of that when manuevering them. They were both fun to ride and easy to get the hang of the motor, but I am struggling to imagine lugging them around while we stop for meals or hotel stays (no bike camping for me!)
All of the bikes I researched would be considered “Class 2 ebikes,” meaning they have a throttle and go up to 20 mph. Typically they weigh more than a Class 1 ebike by about 20-25 lbs and are capable of moving without the rider pedaling (as opposed to pedal-assisted, where the rider has to be moving the pedals for the motor to kick in and add additional support). There are also Class 3 ebikes which are similar to Class 2’s but can get up to 28 mph.
I’m not especially interested in the option to motor without pedaling, although I suppose it might be nice in some situations. I would be happier with a Class 1 that was lighter and easier to maneuver and travel with, but the rider payload limits on Class 1 ebikes fall short for larger riders. As someone in a larger body I need to think about not only my own weight, but how much weight I’ll be packing on a long distance, self-supported ride.
Having done minimal research into ebikes before now I had considered them a way to level the opportunities for riders who wanted/needed more support than a traditional bike. But the lower payload limits on Class 1 bikes seem to leave out folks in larger bodies and folks who may want to tow kids/dogs/gear. Wrangling and storing a 75+ lb bike is a challenge I hadn’t considered undertaking when I started exploring my options. Being limited into a model of bike I’m not especially interested in is frustrating and feels like another way the “fat tax” is being applied.
For now I’m going to keep trying more ebikes at various shops in the area. And if we can find the time before the fall leaves start to drop I may rent an ebike to use on some of our local trails to get more comfortable with ebikes in general, and then we’ll see where that leaves our long distance goals in the spring.
Amy Smith is a professor of Media & Communication and a communication consultant who lives north of Boston. Her research interests include gender communication and community building. Amy spends her movement time riding the basement bicycle to nowhere, walking her two dogs, and waiting for it to get warm enough for outdoor swimming in New England.
Look into conversion kits for your road bike! The price is coming down on them. I know one person so far who has converted and loves it. Although there is some weight added to the bike, it’s not nearly as heavy as a full-on e-bike, or as expensive as a “road” e-bike. You can continue to ride the bike you love. The range on my friend’s kit is 40-50 miles, top speed 25 mph.
This is my plan for my “Dutch bike”. It’s very upright and almost as handy as a cargo bike, and is super comfortable, but hard work on the hills because it is heavy and only has three speeds.
Thanks for this suggestion – it is definitely something I would consider.
I went all out and got a class 3 e-bike, one that feels a lot like my road bike. I can still ride a long time on the road bike, but am getting older & know that will change before many years have passed, plus I haul groceries up the steep bit of hill to our place, and have hauled a trailer on a couple of touring rides. I am small, so I don’t think much about the load capacity – but surely those extra 50 pounds of bike eat up at least some of their payload allowance?
Anyway, riding the class 3 road-ish one is a really satisfying solution for me. With a spare battery I have managed to ride over 80 miles with a lot of hills. Best of luck to you in finding the solution. You are right to be taking your time in looking around!
I am a heavier rider as well. I took a look at a bunch of e-bikes rated for larger adults, and there are more Class 1 and 3 options now, but many of the bikes are pretty heavy (75 lbs+). As you know, in all things cycling, you pay more for lighter and stronger components. My Lemond Prolog e-bike weighs 26 lbs, but it now costs $5500. I’d suggest trying out some of the Specialized e-bikes, some of which are lighter. I don’t do heavy touring on any bike, so that’s not something I worry about. But maybe those who do can weigh in with their thoughts. Good luck looking around, and keep us posted!
Which models did you test? I’m a big fan of the Terns. The one I wanted to carry my daughter and I is good for 440 lb, but it weighs about 75 lb. Most of their models are lighter. Yubba also has some interesting e-assist bikes for larger loads. There are so many options now I envy you the joy of trying them all out.
I’ve not heard of Yubba – will look them up, thanks. I haven’t found any Terns locally to try but they are on my list.