I've never owned an E-bike, and I'm really interested in owning one. I currently own a 2012 Masi Evoluzione road bike, and a 2015 Sirrus Elite hybrid.
I'm 67, and have been away from cycling for about six years. I now live in hilly Reno, Nevada, and want to return to cycling. I entertained getting a recumbent trike, but wasn't thrilled with having no local dealers.
Then I heard about E-bikes. I took a quick test on a Specialized model and
fell in love. The grin on my face told me everything I needed to know. But the price of a new bike is probably $2,000 and up (those that I like).
So I have begun my research and YouTube videos and have really gotten excited. Then I thought - well, maybe I could convert the Sirrus. I like the bike, it's very low mileage (bought in 2015 and ridden a bit on local MUPS). Seems like it would work as a conversion - is that correct?
That said, I'm
notmechanically minded. I'm not a wrench. BUT - I do have a good friend who is good with tools and such. He's an engineer by trade, and he's willing to lend a hand. So I have three newbie questions:
1. Is this bike a worthy candidate for a conversion?
2. What's the approximate range in costs for kits? - any recommendations of brands, models, etc.?
3. Is this something my friend and I could probably tackle, or is it a project for someone who's been working on bikes for a long time? I can trade in the Sirrus at my local LBS towards the purchase of a new E-bike if I want to go that way.
Thanks in advance. Just trying to explore my options. I'm sure I'll think of more questions!