tds101 

You can get it refurbished from Upway for $2,999, but you're not getting it new. Lower your expectations, since you're showing signs of possessing caviar dreams on a food stamp budget...

https://upway.co/products/bulls-copp...id=11k8_zs5k1&

veganbikes

Gates will raise the cost upfront but not overall with the longevity of the system and the ease of maintenance and cleaning it is pretty low cost. A KMC e10 chain is around 40 cheaper than a belt but that belt will probably last over 4-10 times as long if not more. Initial cost should be a much smaller point when looking at a bike, long term cost and support is the big key for a regularly used bike.

Heck when my belt broke after a crash that was my fault and I told them that, Gates replaced it free of charge. It is unlikely that would happen with a chain.

MarcusT

Unfortunately or fortunately the market is starting to fall for Ebikes and bikes today cost less than 2 years ago
A couple years ago that Bulls may have been a bargain, but bigger batteries and new cost less today
https://flyridesusa.com/products/bul...ad-evo-hd-wave

Smaug1

Since the OP clarified that his is not a muddy farm (in general) and he takes care of his stuff, I think a fat tire eBike would be about perfect. For what you describe, these are some features I think I'd look at fat tire eBikes.

I recommend an Aventon Aventure, as I have an Aventon and am very happy with its quality. It's not top of the line bike shop brand quality, but still has good hardware and build quality: https://www.aventon.com/collections/...-electric-bike

At $1800, it's just in budget and I believe Aventon is the best quality you can get for the price. At that price, rack & fenders are included, which you'll find useful.

You can save $500 and get a Lectric XPeak and it includes both rack & fenders AS WELL AS heavy duty baskets and a killer headlight. Quality in the Lectric is good, but not as nice as Aventon, in my experience. (I have one of each) Components are not quite as nice, but work fine:
https://lectricebikes.com/collection...igh-step-ebike

If you'll have to ride it across rutted fields, I do think an ATV would be a better choice.

Unless you're climbing a lot of steep hills, I don't think mid drive is a necessary expense. The thing to understand about mid drive vs. hub drive is that mid drive can put down more torque because it can use the chain & sprocket gearing of the bike, however all that extra torque is then put THROUGH the chain & sprockets. You'll need to replace them more often. Also, if you break the chain with that torque, you're walking back. With a hub drive, it'll still give a lot better climbing performance than on a regular bike, but the torque is applied only to the gearing inside the hub. If you were to break a chain (less likely due to less torque going through the chain) you could motor home with throttle.

For your use, I kind of like the Lectric; those heavy-duty baskets seem like they'd be handy on the farm.

One other option, since you say you travel a lot might be the Lectric XP 3.0. It is a fat tire bike also, but has 20" wheels instead of 26", but folds up. It's not exactly light, at 65 lbs. but would certainly be easier to load into a truck than one of the bigger aforementioned models. (unless you have a ramp) Would 20" wheels with fat tires get over your terrain there? That bike can be outfitted similarly to the XPeak mentioned earlier and starts at about $1,000.

tds101 

Then tell that to the OP, not me. This is what they asked about, and I responded to their inquiry... I personally wouldn't buy this bike, simply because I'm not interested in it. I just provided a link to order one from a company that refurbishes and sells used bikes.

john m flores 

This is the unfortunate reality of the ebike market right now. Would be great if manufacturers agreed to basic interoperable standards but I don't see that happening. Which means that many of these "environmentally-friendly" ebikes and their components will be tossed into landfills instead of repaired.

If OP is considering a gas-powered vehicle, I can vouch for the Honda Trail CT125. The new mode is built upon a proven and reliable platform and is tough as nails.

MarcusT

Thank you for the reply. I will take your suggestion into consideration

sidpost

Yep, I don't generally work in the rain either and, if I do it will be just enough to get the cattle back into my pasture.

That looks like a really good option! THANKS!

Interesting brand and model line up.

Feral hogs are mostly gone so, the pasture isn't "rutted' but, it does have rolling terrain. If the hogs tear it up, I will run my tractor's 7' tiller over the ground to smooth things out.

Good points on the mid-drive wear and tear. Regarding having a chain break and a "get home" capability, I would probably replace a chain before it breaks but, that is a good point to consider with a hub motor to power me home.

Ride quality with 26" or larger wheels/tires to me is a worthwhile trade over 20's in a fold-up bicycle. Ease of transport though is a valid point to consider.

veganbikes

Keep in mind you own that Aventontoton and they know little about it and have poor support for it. We needed a part for one of their customers I went through 3 people including two in their engineering department who were specially called because they would know and all of them told me what we already knew and when I asked questions trying to get the answer I needed they said "we don't know" and repeated their first phrase. We had a customer who had an issue from day one on his Soletera and he was back and forth with them for over a month trying to get a new wheel at the back as the first one came out of the box failing. You will go through chains and cassettes quickly on any e-bike but especially if you don't shift and use it like a bicycle I wouldn't say you need to buy a hub drive because that lessens the need for chains and cassettes it does give you a heavier rear wheel and that is rotational weight and rotational weight is not ideal and you are likely to have to rebuild a wheel more often as it fails which we saw for years and years on hub drives, certainly the smaller stuff is less likely to have as bad issues but off road riding is not going to be kind to it.

Yes if you go by the metric of initial cost and only initial cost you will find that a hub drive is cheaper it usually is aside from the Stromers but those are festooned with nice parts not from Stromer and then an old design they keep reinventing that has problems they I don't think plan on fixing. If you look at long term support most of the hub drives aren't in it for support that is why the initial cost metric is strong. It isn't to say you cannot have a decent hub drive that can last but you can also get plenty of problems that the company doesn't want to support or doesn't understand themselves and won't accept what a professional e-bike mechanic has told them was the problem come to later find out that was the exact problem and the part we needed to fix that bike was the same part that fixed that bike.

2old

I've ridden a BBS02-equipped hardtail MTB for seven years, and the drivetrain (now in its third iteration) is trouble-free. You might consider testing mid and hub before making a purchase. IMO, rear hub systems are great for smooth terrain only.

Smaug1

Translation for the OP, who is new to eBikes and may not understand the jargon:
"BBS02"is a mid drive retrofit kit made by Bafang, who is probably the world's leading manufacturer of hub motor drives for eBikes.
"hardtail" means no rear suspension
"MTB" means mountain bike.

2old

Thanks; I was remiss.

LeeG

sidpost, I have a Bafang bbshd on a Rivindell ClemSmith Jr. It’s crude and powerful. More like a motorcycle with a 1 1/2 hp motor. I went with the bigger motor as I’m on a steep ridge. BBSO2 would have been sufficient. You might consider a Tonshen midrive kit as it has torque sensing. I’ve ripped through three drailleurs riding it offtrail like a motorcycle where sticks and full throttle made a mess. Your $2k budget is unrealisticspecially if you have steep hills. For the money a Honda 150 is a better deal. I wonder how well Hailong downtube batteries hold up in rough use. The one I got with my kit is inoperable it’s three years old. 90% of my riding is rural, trails and fields. Derailleur equiped ebikes with low hanging pulleys is a bad mix. If all your riding is flat land you might consider a wheel motor kit.

veganbikes

RadPower and robust are not two words I would use in the same sentence ElectricBike . Maybe they have improved but I have seen a couple cargo frames with not super heavy riders get damaged usually at the seat tube junction. They weren't riding off road but that is not a bike I would want off road. Plus with a 22" tire which is such an odd uncommon size it wouldn't be great when you get a flat and need to go into town and get a tube. In terms of brakes they have finally started putting hydraulic disc brakes but before that those cheap mechanical ones wouldn't be sufficient.