What e-bike would you buy or recommend?

We're thinking of downsizing to a single car family as the second vehicle just doesn't get much use.  But for the occasion where there is a timing conflict, an ebike could fit the bill really well.  This is based on the ease of jumping on a Lime bike and getting over for a social hour at Lonsdale the other evening.  Spring/Summer/Fall replacing the car for commutes to downtown office is also appealing.

List of things I think I'd want out of an e-bike

- Not heinously ugly

- Mid drive 

- Removable battery(?) - not sure if that conflicts with the heinously ugly piece

- Ability to take it off slightly road - not MTB - but would be good to pop it down the Hyannis trail connector and up/over the twin bridges to LSCR if I wanted to get from Parkgate to Lynn Valley

- Don't want to break the bank - is there anything viable for 2-3K?

Somehow whenever I start searching I end up scrolling through bespoke throttle e-bikes or Super76s or stealth e-gravel bikes....

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ca/bikes-roam-eplus

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

- Not heinously ugly

Meh.  Ok then

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ca/trance-x-advanced-eplus-elite-0-2023

bosch motor, at least 500wh. though not doable with your monetary restriction.

we sell those a lot for this case:

https://bennobikes.com/e-bikes/boost/

Posted by: Hepcat

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

- Not heinously ugly

LOL - I mean that's probably the loosest of the 'requirements'.  Maybe I could put in a frame bag to camouflage that god awful downtube.

Posted by: Sethimus

bosch motor, at least 500wh. though not doable with your monetary restriction.

we sell those a lot for this case:

https://bennobikes.com/e-bikes/boost/

Strange website. Link above shows full page photo of a guy walking an e-bike. Maybe his battery ran out? Clicked through to homepage, photo of mom and kid sitting on a parked e-bike. Scroll down, more photos of people hanging out next to parked e-bikes, and that guy walking his e-bike again. Nobody is riding them it seems.

If you want it on the cheaper side and better performance, get a hardtail and bolt a bafang to it.   /bikehack

Posted by: LoamtoHome

If you want it on the cheaper side and better performance, get a hardtail and bolt a bafang to it.   /bikehack

Not trying to open a can of worms, but are the Bafang kits where we're seeing battery fires?  Or is that from really cheap knock-off versions of Bafang?

I don't think the Bafang kits are necessarily where we are seeing the fires. In general though, the cheaper the battery, the more likely it is to have problems which can lead to fires.

You would want to check that the Bafang kit didn't make your bike not road legal. Nothing over 500W, no assistance over 32km/h, and if it has a throttle, that throttle can only activate once you have reached 3 km/h with the pedals (ie no grip it and rip it off the start).

cheap batteries that are constantly getting charged is the problem....  lots of good battery places on Boundary if you need replacement/modifications.  

How can anyone tell if your motor is over 500 watts?  The cops don't even care if you are smoking crack on the street stealing bikes.

Posted by: LoamtoHome

If you want it on the cheaper side and better performance, get a hardtail and bolt a bafang to it.   /bikehack

After owning on of the more viable “cheap” e-bike brands for over a year now (RadPower) this is the route I’d choose now, provided I had the time and inclination to do the conversion myself.

I have two serious bike touring friends who bolted on motors for about a year, then gave up and got a van.  That’s after ten years of literally pedalling around the world (unassisted).

The Radpower cargo bikes are pretty cool, especially if you really want to replace a car and haul shit or offspring.