tdonline

Recommendations per the thread title? I need to carry my bikes up some stairs to get into my apartment building and weight is the primary reason I have not bought an e-bike. I like where I live so moving isn't in the cards. I'm a city commuter and my bikes are a mid-step hybrid and a mid step mini velo. My hybrid is dressed up with racks, basket, etc so it probably comes in at least 35 pounds. It's not a delight but I can carry it up the wide steps into the building. Feasibly, an e-bike no more than 40 pounds is what I'm looking for.

The lightweight options I have looked into tend to have the traditional diamond frame. Not interested in being speedy, just need some help on rolling hills and as a city commuter, be able to show up at social events/haul grocery without looking like a drowned cat. Some distance would be appreciated as I do not have a car and would love to e-bike to places further away.

linberl

You can add a kit that weighs 10 lbs or less, if that interests you. Quite a few on the market. Since you have 2 bikes, you might consider one of the friction drive systems that can be moved from bike to bike. Otherwise a lightweight front hub system can come in at 10 lbs with one of the Bafang mini hubs.

2old

^^^^^^^ +1 unless you want to spend $3,500 - $4,000 (I think Specialized has an e-commuter <40 pounds, but AFAIK it's not a step through).

tdonline

Thank you for the replies. Can you direct me to resources for kits? Or share some names? I am aware of Swytch. My reservation with it is that I have to switch out my front wheel. My hybrid has a hub light so that would be a complication. With friction kits, that would interfere with my fenders? My mini velo wouldn't have these complications but if I'm going to kit out a bike, I'd prefer it to be the hybrid. That's my longer haul ride. The mini velo I would like to leave as a simple, fun, around the town ride.

gsa103

Quite honestly, that's going to be difficult. I put a BBS02 mid-drive with 600Wh battery and it added about 20lbs. A 250W hub motor with 200Wh battery is still going to add 10lbs to a bike, so you'd need to find a base bike that <30lbs with the racks and everything else. That's going to be very challenging, considering most mid-step bikes are low-spec boat anchors.

fietsbob

I have been liking my Bike Friday for its step through functionality.. the company offers a hub motor option.
to be lighter... take the battery off & put it in your back pack rather than leave it on the bike..

Then you wont have to lift it on the bike..

Bikealou

Check out the Bike Friday Ever-E-Day. Seems to check your boxes at about 2500 for the "commuter" version. Mid-drive, fenders, rear rack with detachable basket, low-rider front pannier rack.I just got one for some of the reasons you state. Haven't had it long enough to give a complete evaluation.

2old

Check out Leeds and Hill Topper for low power, pretty lightweight front hub systems (Leeds has one with a total weight of < seven pounds AIR. e-bikeling has less expensive combinations and Dillenger is a possibility (excellent motors and associated parts, but questionable batteries IMO).The cruiser that I built for my daughter came in at about 40 pounds.

tdonline

My preference is for a regular-sized ebike but definitely interested in hearing how your new BF works out. I have a thing against high racks on smaller bikes (I made sure to find a rack that sat lower on my mini velo) so I'm not a fan of the backend of the Ever-E-Day commuter. But 43 pounds is pretty attractive. The cargo is much more aesthetically pleasing but clocks in at 50 pounds.

I checked out ebikes a few years ago and resigned myself to waiting a little bit for better and lighter. Disappointed it hasn't progressed as quickly as I would like though I'm sure ebike connoisseurs will deluge me with all the great things that have happened over the last few years.

Dewey101

Step through ebikes using the Mahle ebikemotion x35 hub motor are lightweight, for example in the US the Orbea Optima (38lb), and Cannondale Treadwell Neo Mixte (40lb), and in the UK the Islabikes eJanis (<35lb)

linberl

Grin Technologies in Canada offers a variety of kits. They make the system Bike Friday uses. Some of their kits can even go on airplanes if you travel with your bike. As you mentioned there is Swytch. Friction drives won't necessarily mean giving up your fender. Some of them, like my Onemotor and Add-E/Go-E attach at the kickstand plate and bottom bracket. You can still leave your fender in place. My Onemotor pops from one bike to the other in less than 30 seconds and no wheel removal. It's also theft proof - a big deal in a major city. I can just take it off in 20 seconds and put it in my backpack if I park somewhere, but even more importantly I can remove and then carry the bike at it's regular weight if I'm have a lot of stairs to climb. I think pretty much all the friction drive systems have a fairly quick release for the motor; not sure it they all have the quick release battery like OM though. If you're not going to use both bikes, then a front hub system will work fine. Electrek really liked Swytch: https://electrek.co/2019/10/31/revie...onversion-kit/

tdonline

Thanks! The Cannondale Quick looks to be another option. There are Orbea and Cannondale dealers in my area so I may be able to do some test rides.

tdonline

Linberl, thank you. I'm reading all your posts about One Motor. My fenders go all the way to the 9 and 3 o'clock positions so it would be cutting it close. Not keen on the 1450 price for the extended battery but then again, that is still cheaper than buying a brand new lightweight e-bike.

You have written the One Motor stays on the bike but I can't wrap my head around it lasting on some of the crappy MUP and streets I ride on.

linberl

I don't know where you live, I'm in the Bay Area and our streets are often more pothole than pavement. There are folks with them using them in New York on the streets and in London that I actually know. Are you asking if it will fall off? My BF is a 16" wheel so I figure that puts the OM to some pretty hard use (I know I feel it, lol). Lemme know where you are located, maybe there's someone with an OM near you, maybe not, worth checking if it appeals to you at all. For the cost of extra mount, you could use on both bikes, so it's really half the price for each bike, ha ha. I switch back and forth between my bikes almost every day.
But it also sounds like Swytch might work out well for you. Not affiliated with them, just had one interaction online with the developer and he seemed like a decent guy.
Here's a pic of how OM looks with the bottom mount - would that really interrupt your fender?

Dewey101

I like the Quick Neo SL 2 Remixte, it was reported on EBR the Quick Neo SL weighs 33-34lb