Random Personal Posts by Gaelen Gates

I’ve been asked this many times over the past year or so, so I thought I’d write it all out here so I can just send the link to people.

The first thing potential e-bike purchasers will hear is that “you should go to a few different bike stores and just test ride some bikes.” This is the right advice. You might be saying “Ain’t nobody got time for that! Just tell me what to buy!” But the thing is that there are a LOT of features on an e-bike where one choice is no “better” than the other, it’s just a matter of what your preference is.

Before you go in to ride bikes, these are some parameters and choices you will want to think about:

How fast do you want to go? E-bikes are separated into two different buckets (in California, technically 3 classes): those that are pedal-assist and don’t really go more than 20mph, and ones that have a throttle, don’t require pedalling, and are essentially mopeds (and go faster than 20mph).

What kind of range do you need on the battery? The longer the range (how far you can go on a single charge), the heavier the battery will be, and usually the more expensive it will be. So I chose to buy the minimum range for my needs (about 25 miles, the way that I use it). Remember that the “stronger” the pedal assist, and the larger the motor, the more quickly the battery will run out, so a lot will depend on your riding style.

How light do you need the bike to be? The larger the battery and the stronger the motor, the heavier the bike will be. I wanted one that I could carry up stairs if I had to. It’s still pretty heavy, but I can carry it for short distances. A lot of models would be too heavy for me to carry at all. Maybe you’re okay with that, or you’re very strong.

Do you want a cargo bike? Cargo bikes are very useful, but they are heavier, harder to park, and might be overkill if you won’t be carrying cargo often. I have 2 collapsible wire panniers on either side of my bike, a back rack, and a front basket, and that usually has enough capacity for anything I carry (but we also have a car if we’re buying stuff that’s really large).

How much do you want to spend? I started out not wanting to spend more than $2,500, but ended up going up to $4,000 because I LOVED the bike I chose, it met all my needs, and I didn’t want to buy a cheaper bike and then want to upgrade in a year because there were too many things I was annoyed about. But there is a HUGE range of pricing, and if that’s your top criteria, you can find many useful options under $2,000. You may also want to consider how securely you’ll be able to keep the bike (mine stays in my own locked garage, with multiple angle-grinder proof locks securing it to a concrete anchor in the floor, plus the built-in cafe lock) – if you’re in a shared apartment garage, etc., you might go for a less expensive model.

How strong do you need the motor to be (torque)? To answer this question, I recommend testing any bikes on some steep hills. My requirement was that I wanted to be able to get it up the steepest hills of San Francisco, but I’m also reasonably athletic and don’t mind putting some muscle into it. If where you live is mostly flat, you can get away with a lot less torque.

Will you need to remove the battery to charge it? If you can’t park it in a garage overnight where you can plug it in, you’ll need to limit yourself to batteries that can be easily removed and taken elsewhere to charge. The nice thing about these models is that you can buy an extra battery, and swap them out immediately when one runs out, rather than waiting to recharge.

Do you want a hub-drive motor or mid-drive motor? This is something you’ll only be able to tell by riding the bikes. For me, the mid-drive motor felt much smoother and more comfortable. But it’s just a feature to be aware of and maybe read up on.

What annoys you about riding bikes NOW? I found that a lot of e-bike models addressed the factors that often dissuaded me from riding a bike, most notably: (1) my e-bike has a covered chain so I don’t need to worry about it ruining my pants, (2) it doesn’t have a horizontal bar in the middle so you have to climb onto it, you just step on, and (3) the handlebars are very upright, so I can sit normally on the bike instead of hunching over. Also, we all have differently-shaped and -proportioned bodies, and certain models might just feel more comfortable for you.

I ended up with a Gazelle Arroyo C5, from The New Wheel in Bernal Heights. I’ve been riding it for about a year and a half, and I love it!