mmurr

New to the world of ebikes and looking for all the help and advice I can find. Looking for a pair of ebikes for myself and my wife. I am seventy five years old and both of us have arthritis so we have no need for speed. We have a fifth wheel camper so I am thinking the folding fat tire would be the best choice. Also because of joint stifness a step through is something else we will need. Also, in the early seventies when I was in college, I paid $450 for an all aloy ten speed only to sell it years later for $10 so I can't justify spending more than necessary. We are considering the total weight of the bikes and the lighter the better when it comes to lifting in and out of our truck or jeep. I am wondering if there is a lot of difference in a bike with front suspension as far as the jarring effect on the hands and wrist go. Perhaps the four inch tires would remove most of the jar and vibration. For these reasons we are considering the Lectriic XP step through and the Ecotric Dolphin.


All help, advice and comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

2old

The XP seems like a solid deal (read electricbikereview), but at 62 pounds is no lightweight. There are some lighter, lower-powered bikes (look at the reviews in electrek). You might want to consider other models. The ever-present problem is getting actual weights.

Doc_Wui

I see on Facebook users groups that the heavy folding 20" bikes are quite popular with the camper/RV crowd, and also the senior crowd. I have such a bike, an Ecotric no less, but I prefer to ride my lighter ebikes.

The LEctric step-thru appears to me to be a fine bike. I believe it is 48V with a 5 level PAS, while the ecotric Dolphin is 36V with a 3 level PAS. The 5 level PAS will allow most riders to find a comfortable pedal cadence suited for their riding. Not so with 3 level. It tends to go faster than most senior riders like, My Ecotric had a 3 level PAS, and for that reason I spent the time/trouble to upgrade it.

So as an Ecotric owner, I have to tilt to the Lectric. I would note that the Lectric should not be ridden hard thru bumps and trails. Several owners have reported (on the 3000 member Facebook user group) breaking off the handlebars. I look at any of my folders and I wouldn't trust the integrity of the steerer tubes if I was hauling away at them,

If I were to travel with an RV (and I may have to rent one next year if COVID is still raging), my Ecotric stays home. My lighter electric folders can handle packed gravel with 2" tires.

cat0020

I own a Dolphin since FEB 2020.
I use it in my commute in NYC Metro between Manhattan & Brooklyn (Coney Island).
For the riding that I do: nearly 100% on pavement, among traffic flowing at 20-40 mph, using PAS most of the time between 15-20 mph; it has been great.
I don't think it lacks torque at my usage (170 lb. rider).
I wish it has a suspension seatpost to dampen the road shock, but the battery is in the seatpost, so no luck for that.
I get about 36-42 mil range between charges, takes about 2.5 to 4 hour to charge 100%.


I also had purchased a step-though 20" fat tire e-bike back in 2019 for my in-law to take fishing.

I've put about 25 miles on it before giving it away.
My impression was that it is better suited for mixed terrain than the Dolphin,
fat tire may rob you some motor power on pavement, but on gravel or grass field, the fat tire really shine with extra traction & suspension element.

Choose according to your riding needs, more off-road or more pavement.

veganbikes

Having seen a lot of those pass through the shop in recent years I can say I wouldn't really want either. I would want something I can get serviced anywhere if I am traveling a lot. That would mean Bosch, Brose or Shimano generally so would rule out a lot of really cheap bikes but would get you into more quality bikes that will probably be a lot lighter and more comfortable and potentially have higher quality drivetrains for less maintenance. A bike you might really like is the Specialized Como line. They are fairly light for full power e-bikes, of great quality and have excellent support behind them. Not to mention the ease of riding and great comfort.

Fat tires are handy for sand and snow pretty much exclusively beyond that they are just for looks and really slow you down and add a lot of extra weight

Leisesturm

Yes, fat tires are very heavy, even in 20". 'Plus size' tires around 2" to 2.5" are a good compromise. Blix folders are well regarded. An electric motor and battery add ~15lb to a bike that already weighs ~25lb. For riding for pleasure without time constraints IMO the best choice might be non-assisted folding bikes of better quality (lighter) than an equivalent electric model.

cat0020

I'm curious, what kind of problems do you see with those e-bikes at your shop specifically?
Electric motor problems? frame failure? can you specify?

My father in-law is well into his 70's, he's not into speeding around on a e-bike, I got him the fat tire step-thru because it seems to offer extra stability, traction & comfort when he rides it at his speed to go fishing.

veganbikes

A lot of motor, controller and wiring issues, early failures on newer or new bikes.

One does not have to speed but having power to get up hills and such is helpful. Fat tires may offer a little stability if you are running a smooth fat tire if it is knobby you probably aren't getting much traction and stability and you are carrying around a lot of extra weight and making it harder to use.

cat0020

How many do you see per week or month?

Here in NYC metro, I see about a dozen cheap e-bikes every other intersection, most of them are the cheapest of the cheap, gets abused in all weather, ridden 30-40 miles a day for deliveries. Up & down curbs, potholes and decent hills. I would say majority of them are 500w and cost $1k or less, almost propelled by electric motor only, rarely being pedaled unless the battery is on empty.

Most of my FIL riding is under 15 mph, rarely get up to 20 mph even if he tries, there is not need to have more motor for his usage.
e-bike is just so he gets out of the house and do something that he can enjoy, get some fresh air and sense of freedom to get around without walking.

2old

Many who post here have multiple DIY bikes that we have ridden for years without any problems. Additionally, since the kits don't change regularly like OEM bikes, it's possible to get parts if we ever need them. I was at my LBS yesterday and an individual had left his OEM bike which had a motor that "freewheeled" without power. The manufacturer said the motor could be returned and the wait time for parts to repair it was estimated at five months. Individuals are reporting 25,000+ miles for inexpensive direct drive systems on Endless Sphere. If my whole system went kaput, I could get a kit and replace it for $200 in a few days. Guess I'll need to wait awhile though since it's only been five + years.

2old

`By the way, for those that think otherwise, I built this bike to test a new mid-drive kit. The weight was 35 pounds and the bike was capable of 28 mph (Class 3 in CA).

AmelieGagnon

The Dolphin contains so much of our design philosophy: to make it easier for customers to carry. Equipped with comfortable but compact 20" x 4" tires, the Dolphin-MBL can be conveniently folded to store and transport the bike more easily.