81 years old and the time has come.

[Saracenlad]

I have been dithering for a couple of years about going electric. I have bought a couple of books and looked at endless websites, these have just complicated my issues too much. My head is spinning . My requirements are :- Smallish (20") frame: Hybrid style (Don't ride off road); Bosch Electrics and Bottom Bracket fitted; Straight/Semi Straight Handlebars; Good mudguards; 9 or 10 gears and low gearing from a single chainring; Rear carrier; Disc brakes; Went to Evans Cycles, not much for me. Giant have some but they are very heavy.
I feel like I am looking for the Holy Grail. Any advice gratefully received. Thanks.

 

[BoldonLad]

For myself and my wife, I bought Specialised Vado SL. I had to add the mudguards as an extra. They are hybrid style, with Bottom bracket drive (but not Bosch). In our case, weight was a major consideration for two reasons:

1. Our cycling is often along Canals etc, my wife needed to be able to man(or woman) handle machine around obstacles

2. We take the bicycles with us in our motorhome, I needed to be able to lift them into the Garage area.

The Vado SLs are approximately 15kg, including battery.

They do several frame sizes, and, there are crossbar / open frame modes. My wife (5'4" has a size "S" (small). At 5'10" I have a size (M)edium.

We are now 78yo, bought the Vados when we were 75yo. No complaints.

 

[Big John]

I hope you find something you like but I'm afraid I have no advice on any specific bikes. What I do know is that when I'm out on my rides I've come across many an ebike being ridden by very contented looking senior cyclists. I hope it gives you many more years of cycling adventures and enables you to continue doing something you love. When my time comes (I'm 70 next year) I'll happily make the switch to electric if it keeps cycling. I'm sure I'll know when the time is right.

 

[FrankCrank]

Hoping that when my time comes to go leccy, the battery technology will be more stable.
I'm hearing that solid state batteries are just round the corner - should alleviate random combustion fears hopefully.

 

[Binky]

My wife has an Orbea Vibe H30. lightweight, single chainring, big range on rear cassette so can easily ride wthout assist etc.

 

[Drago]

The thread title had me worried. Sounded like the Grim Reaper was stood over you!

 

[Mike_P]

The thread title had me worried. Sounded like the Grim Reaper was stood over you!

Find yourself on you side trapped by the weight of the ebike and he probably is whilst you wait for someone to help you.
- Forgot I had put a rucksack on top of the pannier and dismounting went horribly wrong
- Having a coat on that catches the saddle when dismounting.
- Not realising the weight in the rucksack had shifted so the ebike tilited one way as I went to the other foot on the floor
- Wondering why the rear brakes had come on. They hadn't, a fixing on my rucksack had broken and the never used waist strap had wrapped itself around the rear axle.

 

[Dadam]

I'm not up with the latest market on ebikes but I have a Cube Reaction eMTB, a Vado SL as mentioned above and an Orbea Gain (drop bar version of the Vibe mentioned above).
The Cube is a beast, over 25kg and a motor that (feels like it) could pull out tree stumps.
The Vado SL is much lighter and more manageable but the motor has much less torque. More than adequate for most riding mind you, and I weight 90 (plus change, cough) kg.
The Gain is the lightest, the power is a little more than the Vado, but isn't good for the very steep hills as it's a hub motor which is in its sweet spot around 12mph. I can ride it up 20% inclines but I'm putting in a lot myself to do that and I'm blowing by the time I get to the top unless it's short.

I'd definitely recommend you try a Vado SL, it sounds perfect for your use case. It's light enough (mine is about 16kg in an XL frame with the rack and mudguards) and it feels like a normal bike to ride around with the motor off.
The hydraulic disc brakes are really good stoppers.
I'm impressed with the SRAM gears too, you can change up the cassette 4 cogs in one go.

Here's mine

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hoping that when my time comes to go leccy, the battery technology will be more stable.
I'm hearing that solid state batteries are just round the corner - should alleviate random combustion fears hopefully.

I have not heard (yet!!) about Bosch batteries having the exploding problem
they seem to be better made

clearly they are the same technology - but it seems that the cheaper ones have the problem

I have had 4 ebikes (one only for a few months - long story) and all have only had a single chainring
current Bosch one has a normal chainring but I don;t think it would be easy to make it have 2 and a changing system

so you would have to have the extra gears at the back - but as it is "just a rear wheel" then any gear system would be able to be used

however - in effect the motor assist setting are sort of like gears - so you tend to not need as many

in fact I seem to nearly always be in 3 4 or 5
I don;t think I have ever used 7 except to see if it worked (OK - by the time the bike is going that fast I chicken out anyway!!)

BTW - mine is a Raleigh

 

[Mike_P]

Any ebike from a well recognised manufacturer of it/ the battery should not be an issue. Its the cheap unbranded imports that are the issue.