restlessswind

Went to the Trek superstore last night to grab some tires, and I stumbled upon these Townie ebikes.
https://electrek.co/2019/08/01/elect...-bicycle-1499/
My wife took a test ride and liked it. It's a 250W hub motor, 300AH rear rack mount battery. Fairly lightweight too.
I know there are more powerful cruiser options out there on the internet for this price, but really, an Electra supported by Trek at a LBS for $1500?

UPDATE:
My wife is a proud new owner of one! It is a really nice, but simple bike. Very light. weighs about the same as her Electra Super Deluxe 3i. And it climbed a steep hill faster than my Turbo Vado!

Dewey101

Cheaper Bafang geared hub motor cruisers with a larger frame mounted 400wh battery are the Tuesday August Live ($1400), and BikesDirect Mango SuperBird ($1,000), but it’s nice to see a budget ebike you can buy from a Trek dealer, I like the balloon tires, and Trek do a trade-up program for future ebike purchases.

restlessswind

Not to mention that Trek Superstores (as the one I saw these in) offer a 30 day satisfaction, money-back guarantee. I know it's real too. I returned a 2019 Verve+ with no hard feelings.
They also have a few 2018 Dual Sports (Shimano Steps powered) for $1500 on clearance too.

alloo

I would get a blix sol for the money. https://blixbike.com/

fly135

That deal doesn't even flutter my putter. My LBS can beat it soundly.

unterhausen

looks like a pretty good deal to me, what would your LBS sell you for less?

fly135

https://www.lennysebikes.com/specials/

fly135

The last time I was in the shop they had a bike like that for $1K.

restlessswind

I updated my OP. My wife took possession! It's light enough to travel on a trunk carrier.
1 year same as cash, 30 day return policy. Trek support. Not apologetic for not getting something more substantial at this price point.

alloo

Congratulations to your wife. E-bike sales will make up 50% of bicycle sales within the next 5 years.

fly135

The only thing important is that you and your wife are happy.

restlessswind

Thanks. Her health has been deteriorating the past couple of years (fibromyalgia and poly-arthritis). She loves to ride her static hard tail MTB, but her wrists can't take the lean-in pressure anymore. Even mild hills are not making the cut anymore. She feels invigorated to be able to ride at a decent pace along the river bluffs again, in comfort.

2old

RW, sounds great and keep up with the reports on that bike (which seems to me like an excellent deal considering the service that I've received from Trek). Only thing I would like to see changed is to move the battery to the area between the downtubes. BTW there are more "swept back" handlebars which might further relieve her wrist area.

restlessswind

My wife hates the battery bulge in the DT. She like the rack mount as it looks like a non-ebike. She always wanted a $$$Pedego$$$. This is a low-cost, light weight alternative. She also really likes the bars just as they are. I added a suspension seatpost and put her Brooks B67 on it. Matte black fenders are also on the way. (she picked the Storm Cloud color (tan with black hardware)
I'm still blown away at the torque delivery on the 250 hub drive. I think I already mentioned that she beat me up a fairly steep hill. Makes me a bit envious!

2old

Thanks for the reply and glad your wife likes the bike the way it is. Also, I'm surprised at the power of the 250w hub, especially since I had a 350w DIY system that wasn't impressive. Looks like Trek nailed it.

restlessswind

I looked up the power system. There isn't a lot on it. it is from a Taiwanese company Hydrive. The entire electronic kit is the same company, all manufactured in Taiwan. .
The hub motor, battery, rack, bottom bracket/ sensor, and thumb remote all come from HERE

Again, she beat me up the hills on a ride last night. She is just sitting down and pedaling casually. I'm standing and pumping away to keep up with her! I keep scratching my head on this one. She has an injured hip too!

2old

Just for interest, did you check how hot the engine was at the top of the hill. The "experts" say holding your finger on the hub for 10 seconds reflects a safe core temp, and you should try to ascend at a rate that is half of the max speed.

Pouhana

That bike looks just great. The battery inserted in a rack looks fine. The bottle mount home built rigs look like wearing an ostomy bag.

restlessswind

No noticeable heat at hub shell. I checked multiple times after some climbs. The only "warmth" is the harness coming off the battery mount. Very little at that.

This bike liberated my wife in multiple ways! She can ride nearly all day without excessive fatigue or discomfort.

drzdave58

I think that’s a great choice for your wife at a good price...she should get a lot of enjoyment from it...congratulations!

restlessswind

Thanks,
Tomorrow, we are going on a trip to Oregon, with bikes. Since all I can take is a trunk rack, I am taking my non-electric Surly, and her Electra with the rear wheel/ battery removed and in the car.

2old

Thanks for the update; please keep us informed on the bike. Sounds like the less expensive hub model is superior to the mid-drive for road riding (no big surprise though since hubs have a lot of utility for road riding).

fly135

Hub drives are cheaper. I have a hub drive street bike and a mid drive MTB. The hub drive is 500 watt and will take me up to 24mph (unlocked to 28) with easy pedaling. But it runs out of steam at 24mph. The mid drive is 250 watt and limited to 20mph top speed. It fades out between 19 and 20mph. The 20mph is for limiting to class 1 for legality on trails.

The big difference between the two is that the hub drive kicks in and you feel the motor pushing you. The mid drive senses your input and multiples it, so the pedaling feels more natural and not as much like a motor is pushing. The Bosch mid drive has multiple modes and some feel more like a motor and some less. The mid drive uses the gearing of the bike so it's usable on very steep climbs that would stall a hub. The torque sensing of the user's pedal input makes the motor react quicker and is more useful on trails where everything happens quickly.

The bottom line is that you will get a lot more speed for your money with a hub drive. Between the street bike and the MTB I like the MTB better. I ride paved trails with other street riders. When they go 20mph I struggle to keep up. But can catch them on the uphill sections. And I have a lot of fun finding off roads bits to hit while riding with them.

Dan1962

I'm older and happy to hear that you are out and about. I've been looking into these bikes and will get one soon for the same reasons. Your health is the most important aspect of your life. Take care of it!

savski

Great bike!