# Looking for a fun urban E bike



## rockdude14 (Jul 7, 2006)

Looks like im moving to SF for a new job. One of my friends that lived there I met up with and he's big into the ebike, one wheel, e skateboard stuff scene there and we rode around the city one night and it was great. Less worrying about shifting when switching to big steep hills or decents (still some) and great for stop and go between lots of stop signs and lights. It'd also be great for exercising my dog who on flat takes like an 8/10 effort for me to keep up with and once you toss in hills he's probably faster.

I'm looking for something to compliment my current stable. I've got a yeti sb5c for actual mountain biking, I have a dirt bike for motorized places. I dont have a road bike or commuter bike cause I'm not a roadie and commuting never really made sense.

At heart I'm a dirt bag 2 wheeler and thats the kind of riding I want to do any and everywhere.

So now that an ebike makes a lot more sense for both commuting, getting around a smaller city, taking it on public transit and expanding the reach of where I can go without driving (and parking can be like 45$+ which is insane). I'm thinking about an ebike. I'd like to be able to huck some stairs or jump anything that looks jumpable and generally hoon around and have fun and the commuting/range ect being more a second priority.

Any advice for what to start researching and looking for? I really know next to nothing about ebikes and have only been on one once. DIY would be fun and I'd love to build up another bike. I'd think something like the old freeride bike would probably be the style of bike that would be good, a bit less then full DH but a bit more then enduro since its going to have to carry some extra weight. Or are there any good OTS bikes that kind of fit this niche? Or any thoughts on what I'm trying to do either for or against?


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## Jack7782 (Jan 1, 2009)

rockdude14 said:


> Looks like im moving to SF for a new job. One of my friends that lived there I met up with and he's big into the ebike, one wheel, e skateboard stuff scene there and we rode around the city one night and it was great. Less worrying about shifting when switching to big steep hills or decents (still some) and great for stop and go between lots of stop signs and lights. It'd also be great for exercising my dog who on flat takes like an 8/10 effort for me to keep up with and once you toss in hills he's probably faster.
> 
> I'm looking for something to compliment my current stable. I've got a yeti sb5c for actual mountain biking, I have a dirt bike for motorized places. I dont have a road bike or commuter bike cause I'm not a roadie and commuting never really made sense.
> 
> ...


Availability, 28mph, fenders, kickstand and rack is what I propose to you - how about the Cannondale Tesoro? I see you can snag a L in the bay right now








Tesoro Neo X 1


This on-road/off-road e-bike is a fully loaded trekking machine. Get out of the rat-race and into the wilderness. Premium SmartForm C1 Alloy frame, dual-battery-ready SR Suntour Raidon 34 fork, 100mm travel / Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain Bosch Performance Line Speed 250W drive-unit (28mph) /...




shop.sportsbasement.com


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## Calsun (May 12, 2021)

The best bike for what you want is the REI Cty e2.1 that sells for only $1999. Local servicing options and bike shops at the REI stores are excellent. It has a strong rear rack so easy to clip on some shopping panniers for carrying around personal items. 

Beware though that SF has an extremely high level of theft and keep the bike in sight or locked away out of sight. Friend went into a Safeway store to get milk and when it returned the spare tire on his Trooper was gone. Another friend lives in the Marina district and had her car radio stolen 3 times and then added a car alarm and the fourth time the thieves stole the radio and the car alarm. 

Another bike to consider for SF is the Blix Vika+ Flex folding e-bike. As it folds and so it is something you could take on BART or bring inside an elevator or haul up stairs so it does not need to be left outside. Takes up less space in an apartment and more convenient for plugging in the charger for the battery.


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## Calsun (May 12, 2021)

The REI bike weighs 50.5 lbs which is not light but still lighter than many e-bikes which is important when carrying it up stairs. The Vika+ bike weighs 55 lbs but if you remove the battery pack the weight is 47.5 lbs which helps.


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

How about something like this? No where near a class-1 ebike like a Levo, but I think it could be perfect for what you are looking for. 
https://www.super73.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrNKU7dHm9AIVRSc4Ch2gngg3EAAYASAAEgI-evD_BwE


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## Jack7782 (Jan 1, 2009)

Super 73 good but never leave it out of your sight.


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## EdWiser (Feb 3, 2021)

Super 73 is an electric motor cycle. 
I like the real bike look and a lighter bike. 









LeMond Bikes


We're back with 2 new carbon fiber ebikes. See them at lemond.com.




lemond.com


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

EdWiser said:


> Super 73 is an electric motor cycle.
> I like the real bike look and a lighter bike.
> 
> 
> ...


If I was weaving through traffic in SF on a daily basis I personally would want a throttle. And it doesn’t look like a “real” motorcycle, so you can get away with riding on sidewalks, through parks, etc.


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## rockdude14 (Jul 7, 2006)

rockdude14 said:


> I'd like to be able to huck some stairs or jump anything that looks jumpable and generally hoon around and have fun and the commuting/range ect being more a second priority.
> 
> DIY would be fun and I'd love to build up another bike. I'd think something like the old freeride bike would probably be the style of bike that would be good, a bit less then full DH but a bit more then enduro since its going to have to carry some extra weight.


Sorry it was a long post and appreciate the suggestiong but maybe this got overlooked. I want to jump stuff. Would you jump a set of stairs on any of those bikes cause that would scare me.

I'd be thinking more something like a trek slash and finding a hub motor and battery if I go the DIY route. Not sure if there's any companies making stuff like that. I'd think if you were going to jump anything with an ebike you'd want some kind of rear suspension with the extra weight.



RBoardman said:


> If I was weaving through traffic in SF on a daily basis I personally would want a throttle. And it doesn’t look like a “real” motorcycle, so you can get away with riding on sidewalks, through parks, etc.


Thats exactly the idea, and getting some freeride kind of stuff in on my way to work.

Like that super73, not quite what I was expecting but that looks like it could be fun. What do you mean no where near a class 1 ebike (just found out about the levo)? Seems like it's motor is nearly 3x more powerful than the levo.


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

rockdude14 said:


> Sorry it was a long post and appreciate the suggestiong but maybe this got overlooked. I want to jump stuff. Would you jump a set of stairs on any of those bikes cause that would scare me.
> 
> I'd be thinking more something like a trek slash and finding a hub motor and battery if I go the DIY route. Not sure if there's any companies making stuff like that. I'd think if you were going to jump anything with an ebike you'd want some kind of rear suspension with the extra weight.
> 
> ...


I’d recommend you go to a bike shop that sells ebikes and test one out. Any pedal assist class 1 will feel like a normal mountain bike that assists you as you pedal. Going uphills you can use 30% the effort as a normal bike while going 2x the speed. The motor will stop assisting at 18-20mph though, which is easy to hit on flat or downhill. See if you like it or not. Or if you are looking for something with more power and a throttle. 

I cannot comment on diy ebikes as I’ve never ridden one nor do any of my riding buddies have them.


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## matt4x4 (Dec 21, 2013)

Yeah you really need to go to a bicycle shop and ride them, or you can rent $4k ebikes but they are as expensive day rate as renting a $40k car.
diy for hilly san fran if you already have a bike, $1200 all in including a good battery, you need mac geared hub or mid drives would be bbshd or cyclone-tw, a direct drive hub motor would do if you up the wattage as most people do, like the Leaf 35h from leafbike.com play with the motor simulator and trip simulator over at www.ebikes.ca


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## Steve Adams (Sep 17, 2010)

Stealth bikes. DONE. If you want a performance ebike for urban hooliganism, there is NOTHING better. 

Stealth Electric Bikes


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

There's a reason why all most any e mountain bike is mid drive . The weight of the hub drive is in the wrong place. The mid drive conversions might work , I'd worry about things breaking because the bike wasn't made for the extra weight of the battery/motor.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

My friend rode a Specialized Vado the other day and really liked it - 28 MPH but a little bit of "cush" for the occasional dirt road ride. It also has a built-in rack and fenders, as well as built-in headlight and tail light. Seemed like the perfect urban bike.


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

rockdude14 said:


> Sorry it was a long post and appreciate the suggestiong but maybe this got overlooked. I want to jump stuff. Would you jump a set of stairs on any of those bikes cause that would scare me.
> 
> I'd be thinking more something like a trek slash and finding a hub motor and battery if I go the DIY route. Not sure if there's any companies making stuff like that. I'd think if you were going to jump anything with an ebike you'd want some kind of rear suspension with the extra weight.
> 
> Thats exactly the idea, and getting some freeride kind of stuff in on my way to work.


Yeah, this jumping stuff narrows the choices in e bikes down about 95% and drives the price above $5k.

How much jumping will you acually do going to and from work and is it worth it.


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

Steve Adams said:


> Stealth bikes. DONE. If you want a performance ebike for urban hooliganism, there is NOTHING better.
> 
> Stealth Electric Bikes


I find this absolutely astounding that they would advertise this as on road in the city. No mention of licensing requirements or insurance requirements. No mention of lights and turns signals and a statement of fly under the radar. 
Wow. I wonder what their purchase agreement looks like?


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## Steve Adams (Sep 17, 2010)

PierreR said:


> I find this absolutely astounding that they would advertise this as on road in the city. No mention of licensing requirements or insurance requirements. No mention of lights and turns signals and a statement of fly under the radar.
> Wow. I wonder what their purchase agreement looks like?


Agree for the one that has no pedals, otherwise, meh. It's fine by me.


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

Steve Adams said:


> Agree for the one that has no pedals, otherwise, meh. It's fine by me.


 I has pedals but it's over 100 lbs. It is 2,500 watts continuous rated, Those two things pretty much put it squarely in the motorcycle catagory even though the top speed is 28 mph.
Any cop will stop that bike and write a ticket for no license and insurance. You will be in court trying to prove it's not what it is.


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## Steve Adams (Sep 17, 2010)

PierreR said:


> I has pedals but it's over 100 lbs. It is 2,500 watts continuous rated, Those two things pretty much put it squarely in the motorcycle catagory even though the top speed is 28 mph.
> Any cop IN MY AREA, will stop that bike and write a ticket for no license and insurance. You will be in court trying to prove it's not what it is.


Fixed that for you. IN YOUR AREA is the key words here. Cops around here have bigger things to worry about than a pedal bike.


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

rockdude14 said:


> Looks like im moving to SF for a new job.
> 
> Any advice for what to start researching and looking for? I really know next to nothing about ebikes and have only been on one once. DIY would be fun and I'd love to build up another bike. I'd think something like the old freeride bike would probably be the style of bike that would be good, a bit less then full DH but a bit more then enduro since its going to have to carry some extra weight. Or are there any good OTS bikes that kind of fit this niche? Or any thoughts on what I'm trying to do either for or against?


You can go the DIY route like you suggested. I would go with a Bafang mid drive unit. You will be bumping the upper limit of legal but the bike will not look like a motorcycle. The battery installation needs to be beefed up for jumping. Your build will be less than 2K


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