Looking for eBike advice for heavy rider

[chrisb1357]

Hi all,

Looking at options for an eBike for my mrs who is 22 stone. Not sure on budget yet as just looking at what options there is and for one that is decent on hills and a good range if possible.

Chris

 

[Woosh]

Woosh Big Bear LS:

Woosh Big Bear LS | MTB electric bicycle from Woosh

The Woosh Big Bear Low Step, a very sturdy electric bike 36V 15AH/17AH battery from Woosh.

wooshbikes.co.uk

 

[chrisb1357]

Looks a nice bike that

Woosh Big Bear LS:

Woosh Big Bear LS | MTB electric bicycle from Woosh

The Woosh Big Bear Low Step, a very sturdy electric bike 36V 15AH/17AH battery from Woosh.

wooshbikes.co.uk

 

[chrisb1357]

Mrs is 5ft 5

 

[Woosh]

the frame is 44cm. She will need a non suspension post, there is no charge for that.
Top of the saddle to ground can be adjusted between 80cm (non-suspension post) and 110cm (suspension post).

 

[chrisb1357]

Me and the mrs went to Rutland water this weekend in which I road my CX bike and she had to hire a eMTB. They gave her a Cube Reaction 500 Pro and my god she was flying around on the gravel and woodland sections to a point I could not keep up. She managed 18 miles !!!!

The only thing is some sites say the Cube Reaction 500 Pro takes upto 150kg rider but other says its 150kg inc bike weight and rider

 

[georgehenry]

I think on a crank drive e mountain bike from a regarded manufacturer like cube there is significant lee way for the weight of the rider and you would be very unlikely to get issues, and the heath benefits and fun would out way the risk.

An e mountain bike is after all designed to take punishment.

For a fit but overweight person riding a bike is an excellent non load bearing form of exercise.

The benefit of getting outside into the fresh air in itself is a great mood enhancer.

I think the cost/benefit ratio might make a good case for them being prescribed on the NHS for overweight people!

I am 100kg plus and ride a hard tail Yamaha Haibike carrying loaded panniers cross country to work and have had no issues with the frame in over 5 years riding and 12,000 miles.

I do ride it fast on down hill tracks and this can include getting off the ground coming of steps to land on the track below the step, so I have not treated mine with kid gloves.

You may need to budget to replace the rear wheel with an after market quality strong one at some point, but on a crank drive that is a simple thing to do.

 

[chrisb1357]

Thanks for the info. What bike do you have?

My concerns was more with the moter than the frame so I have emailed a few different manufacturers for info

I think on a crank drive e mountain bike from a regarded manufacturer like cube there is significant lee way for the weight of the rider and you would be very unlikely to get issues, and the heath benefits and fun would out way the risk.

An e mountain bike is after all designed to take punishment.

For a fit but overweight person riding a bike is an excellent non load bearing form of exercise.

The benefit of getting outside into the fresh air in itself is a great mood enhancer.

I think the cost/benefit ratio might make a good case for them being prescribed on the NHS for overweight people!

I am 100kg plus and ride a hard tail Yamaha Haibike carrying loaded panniers cross country to work and have had no issues with the frame in over 5 years riding and 12,000 miles.

I do ride it fast on down hill tracks and this can include getting off the ground coming of steps to land on the track below the step, so I have not treated mine with kid gloves.

You may need to budget to replace the rear wheel with an after market quality strong one at some point, but on a crank drive that is a simple thing to do.

 

[georgehenry]

I ride a Haibike sDuro Hard Seven 2015.

My frame looks over engineered and bullet proof and I have no issues at all with it.

I had to change my rear wheel not long after purchase, nothing to do with my weight, a branch got jammed through the spokes and wrecked it.

I replaced it with an off the shelf Mavic that lasted about 10,000 miles until part of the rim fractured.

I have replaced that with a Hope rear wheel quite recently.

Changing wheels on a crank drive bike is easy.

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/haibike-sduro-hardseven-sl-2015-yamaha-7-month-1600-miles.22644/page-9

 

[cyclebuddy]

Me and the mrs went to Rutland water this weekend in which I road my CX bike and she had to hire a eMTB. They gave her a Cube Reaction 500 Pro and my god she was flying around on the gravel and woodland sections to a point I could not keep up. She managed 18 miles !!!!

I've ridden Rutland Water a few times - at my heaviest when I was 132kg on a £1000 hybrid. It's hardly challenging terrain. The question I think should be: If you're laying out say £2000 on an e-bike, will the bike still be holding together carrying that weight after 1800 or 2800 miles, not 18! Don't forget, Rutland Cycles don't care - if the frame splits, they'll claim a new one under warranty, and if it doesn't, it'll be sold on as a slightly discounted ex-demo/one careful owner with with just a few hundred miles on the clock.

When you are that weight - and I was - you are almost ALWAYS over the accepted weight limits, and you need to treat the bike with kid-gloves if you don't want split frames, busted rims and/or burnt-out controllers and/or motors... until that weight comes off. It's cheap for a bike rental place to fix, but stupidly expensive when you own the bike.

 

[georgehenry]

OK to put my own experience into perspective, my bike has been coping with just over 18 stone based on my weight at the moment. I may be towards my heaviest at the moment due to eating very nice home cooked meals during lock down, as one of the few things you can do.

 

[cyclebuddy]

...my bike has been coping with just over 18 stone based on my weight at the moment.

Not trying to undermine your point GH, but just to put this into context... The 4-stone difference between you on your e-bike and the OP's wife on her rented e-bike is the equivalent of an additional 25Kg. That's the additional weight of carrying another e-bike with you already ON your e-bike... or more than a full sack of sand or cement from B&Q which only weighs 20kg (the legal H&S limit for a one-man lift). Or 25 x 1 kilo / 2.2lbs bags of sugar. There's a SIGNIFICANT difference there.

For me, weighing JUST 18 stone is a world of difference to weighing the 21 I did - it was a moment of triumph hitting that 18 stone target!

 

[georgehenry]

Fair point Cyclebuddy, and well done for losing the weight.

I just know for me as I get close to 60 the regular activity I get from riding electric bikes to work and back and other general shopping and errands makes a great deal of difference to my activity levels and general state of health.

There are risks in most areas of life and for me the risk of having to mend a bike that breaks due to my weight is less than the risk to me not taking the exercise.

However when things open up a bit more I guess swimming is another obvious and good non load bearing form of exercise.

Maybe also a second hand big bear from woosh would be a way of reducing the risk by reducing the initial outlay.

 

[Daniel Chapman]

I think it really does come down to budget, but I'm slightly heavier than your Mrs. I have a Cube Hybrid Pro 2018 and I swear by it. Im as careful as I can be on it, avoid potholes etc and minimise dropping down curbs as much as I can. So far I've just had to get the wheel trued twice *touch wood*.

Edit: it's worth mentioning I had a cube in 2016 at a similar weight only covered 500 miles on it but had no issues other than needing the wheel trued on that one too.

 

[cyclebuddy]

I just know for me as I get close to 60 the regular activity I get from riding electric bikes to work and back and other general shopping and errands makes a great deal of difference to my activity levels and general state of health.

At 59 myself, I agree wholeheartedly.

I think it really does come down to budget... I have a Cube Hybrid Pro 2018 and I swear by it. Im as careful as I can be on it, avoid potholes etc and minimise dropping down curbs as much as I can.

Same here: I like that Woosh specifically aim to cater for the heavier rider with their Big-Bear at an affordable price, but it's not something I'd personally choose. Both my e-bikes are standard, cheapish £1000 crank-driven hybrids, and both have stood up to both the wear and weight, given due care.