So my wife wants an e bike...

[Bongofish]

Can anyone suggest anything? Hardtail would be fine looking at £1600 or under?

She really is not a hard rider or even close. Generally just a mum rider. Just been out with my daughter on back of mine and my wife on her cheapish acoustic hardtail. Anyway she really is impressed/annoyed how I fly up hills with our daughter on the back and she's literally knackerd. She was going to join a gym (even though she is fit already and only weighs 9 stone) but this was going to be £30 a month. So we said if it cost £50 a month finance but we can explore and keep fit as a family and all get fresh air then it's definitely worth it. Also our daughter loves getting out and we have so much around us. It sounds daft but with all of us getting into bikes recently it's saved us alot of money. No more just paying to go places for the sake of getting out. Bike rides and pack lunch cost nothing and everyone enjoys it and we get fit. Anyway ive left the original topic haha.

Any ideas?

 

[R120]

Does it need to be an MTB? Or would a hybrid suffice?

 

[Bongofish]

Well we do enjoy riding round our local tracks that are mainly twiggy wood paths and then gravel paths. But we would like to be able to take them to the lake District aswell. Again definitely won't be doing trails or jumps or anything above 15moh even downhill but not sure if a MTB is required

 

[Bongofish]

Haibike SDuro Cross 4.0 Electric Hybrid Bike - 2018

Maybe?

 

[R120]

Since you have shimano based bike it would make sense to get one with another Shimano system with same battery

 

[Bongofish]

Yes I thought this. But to be honest not much out there at the price range we are looking at. And the thought for my wife that she might buy a £1500 bike is crazy already as she literally knows nothing about bikes and just enjoys days out on them. This seemed to be a great all-rounder option. But could be wrong. Also she doesn't really like the look of the haibike and as wife's do ( atleast my wife) she expects a rainbow of colours to choose from and it could be an s works levo for 1.5k but if it wasn't a nice colour she wouldn't buy it.

 

[highpeakrider]

Little bit more at 2k but full sus
Diamondback Corax 1.0 27 Plus Electric Bike 2017 | JE James Cycles

 

[Gary]

Shimano motor is £900. Battery £500... good luck getting anything decent with the E8000 system for £1600... another E-Sentier Deore with BC discount? and raid the kids piggy bank for the extra £200.

TBH though if you're just bimbling about with your kid on the back and the Ebike means taking the piss out of the Mrs on the climbs I'd get a cheap normal bike like hers for family riding.

That Hibike is attrocious

 

[rmh1009]

Is yours the right size for her? Then you upgrade to a new 2019 Vitus full suss due out soon? ?

 

[highpeakrider]

The cube is £1600

Cube Acid Hybrid One 400 29 Electric Bike 2019 | Bikes | JE James Cycles

 

[Krisj]

@Bongofish me and the mrs have both got e-bikes and it’s the best money we’ve spent
I’m sure you’ll get a bike £1600 for her ,but it’s worth the stretch on money because she will love it. Good family plan you’ve got going on there ??

 

[Krisj]

@Gary why don’t you keep your negative comments to yourself
People are wanting constructive information
Not your bullshi#t comments
He’s wanting advice not ridiculed
Go on Face book for sh#t like that.

 

[Gary]

Which part of what I said do you find negative?
I'm not ridiculing anyone.

 

[Stefaan]

I think this one is a nice looking one. Popping colors. My wife likes it.

 

[Krisj]

@Gary Have you ever spared a thought that some one reading your comments might have just spent there hard earn cash on the haibike ?
I thought this forum is for all e-bike enthusiasts at every level and a friendly place
Try to think of others that’s my point

 

[Bongofish]

Is yours the right size for her? Then you upgrade to a new 2019 Vitus full suss due out soon? ?

I'm afraid not...although it may be a good thing it I could nearly guarantee on family rides she would have my e bike and I would be on her Carrera ???.

@Krisj yes mate we both agree that an e bike is alot of money (for us anyway) especially to have 2, that's over £3000 on 2 bikes on 2 months. That's alot for my little family and we've just bought our first house. I'm not meaning to be rude but sometimes feel like people in here are really picky and snotty about other people's gear. I tell everyone proudly that I have a Vitus e sentier and love it. Yes it's only a hardtail but has a great motor and puts a smile on my face. Sometimes here I really feel like if you don't have a levo or never had one your face don't fit ??. Next year though I will buy a full suspension e bike all being well. Probs not a levo though ???

@Gary E-Bikes to me are even less about hitting the trails and jumps and more about exploring and getting to places we've never been on bikes. Like today we was about 3 miles away from home letting our daughter play in woods and I couldn't care less about riding home and having fun on the way. But my wife kept saying 'i wish we didn't have the ride home to do, it's all uphill '. That would be eliminated with an e bike. Which means more family time out, not getting anxious about ride home, enjoying herself more and probably going further without thinking about the hills on way home. In my book these are all positives. I don't want to be on a cheap bike with her too and we both thinking 'i don't want to deal with them hills' especially with my 3 year old on back ????

 

[R120]

No one on here is going to look down on you for the Vitus, lot of us on here own them (including Gary).

My Mrs also wants an e-bike, however she likes a traditional ladies style bike, and really liked the Cube Elly

You can pick one up for about £1500-1600

 

[Bongofish]

No one on here is going to look down on you for the Vitus, lot of us on here own them (including Gary).

My Mrs also wants an e-bike, however she likes a traditional ladies style bike, and really liked the Cube Elly

You can pick one up for about £1500-1600

View attachment 5520

We do alot of woods riding aswell as gravel and fire roads. This doesn't look like I would see it riding around the wiids. Again. Could be wrong. If I am that's great as she loves this style but we both worry when it may not hold up to even normal riding in the woods?

 

[R120]

Yeah i hear you on that, its not for offroading. Cube also do a good range of women specific e-mtb's

 

[Bongofish]

Yeah i hear you on that, its not for offroading. Cube also do a good range of women specific e-mtb's

Cube Access Hybrid Pro 400 2018 Womens Electric Mountain Bike | ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKES | Evans Cycles
She's just found this and it's in her size. With trade in of her old bike it would be £1800. She really likes look of it. But obviously expensive (for us). Any thoughts?

 

[R120]

£1599 at Freeborn for same bike

Cube Access Hybrid Pro 400 2018 White/Blue Electric Women's Mountain Bike - Freeborn Bikes

 

[MattyB]

I rearly don’t think your wife needs a full MTB for the riding you are describing, and the inability to fit mudguards for winter might be a positive disadvantage. This Whyte Coniston looks perfect in a small though - Steps powered, great looks, can take guards and bang on budget.

2018 WHYTE Coniston e-Bike Ex-Display Electric Bike Small

 

[Bongofish]

£1599 at Freeborn for same bike

Cube Access Hybrid Pro 400 2018 White/Blue Electric Women's Mountain Bike - Freeborn Bikes

We did see this but doesn't look like finance is a thing with them. Just pay right away. Looking for interest free finance. Would use credit card but neither are completely interest free and for the money we don't want to be paying interest on top ?

 

[Gary]

I don't want to be on a cheap bike with her too and we both thinking 'i don't want to deal with them hills' especially with my 3 year old on back

Yeah. sorry. I said. I would get a cheap normal mtb. Infact I always kept an older bike specifically for towing trailers and fitting a child seat to when mine were young enough to be carried. None of my partners have ever been cyclists so even with the extra weight of a trailer and 3 kids I was still generally quicker, had more stamina and was more comfortable than they were when we rode together. I'm not for a minute suggesting you have to do what I'd do.
On the snobbery thing. I've been riding bikes all my life and am lucky enough to be able to have as many bikes as I want and currently have loads of bikes ranging from a carbon road bike , carbon Enduro bike to race BMX, DH bikes, slopestyle bike, dirt jump and 4X bikes, an older XC bike and an E mtb etc. right now there's a 24 speed ridgeback hybrid with a rigid fork, V-brakes and full mudguards sat at my front door I use for popping to the shop/pub along exactly the sort of terrain you've described your family rides to be on. I'll happily ride anywhere on any bike to be fair. I don't look down on other cyclists for what bike they ride. I honestly don't care whether you have a Halfords Carrera/Decathlon B-Twin (I hav a B-Twin too) or a Santa Cruz Tall boy/Pinerallo Dogma. When I make fun of Fatbikes, 29ers etc. I'm not being serious.
I spent the afternoon at rhe BMX track today riding ith my daughter on her Haro race bmx and her best pal on his (at a guess) £89 catalogue BMX and apart from the odd lap spent most of my time either helping her friend with his confidence or chatting to and encouraging local kids on shitty bikes with no helmets. I was one of those kids.

Being more constructive/positive and less flippant about the Haibike you linked to earlier... it's just not great value, infact it's really poor value if put into comparison with the Sentier at only £200ish more, Eg. Far lower quality groupset all round and much cheaper/basic wheels and finishing kit (bars,stem,seatpost etc). Old skool 29er geometry. I'm sure it'd actually ride fine though.

 

[Norange]

Cube Sting Hybrid 120 Race One 500 2018 Womens E-Bike

Full sus?

 

[Norange]

Cube Acid Hybrid One 400 29er Womens 2019 | Tredz Bikes

 

[Bongofish]

We did look at these but they are a while from actually coming into stick. But thank you for the links and looking ??

 

[Norange]

Did you see the Levo in the classifieds?