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Looking for an Electric Bike, which one?

44K views 410 replies 67 participants last post by  LeverAction35 
#1 ·
So, I’m thinking about selling off all of my target archery gear (that rarely gets used) and look into an electric bike. I will have roughly $2,500 to spend and want a bike that will go off-road and up hills.

There are a lot of conflicting reviews so I want to hear from the Hunting community on here.

Recommend a mid-drive motor or rear hub motor?

I’m pretty tall and there aren’t many around to look at and try. I’m 6’4” 215lbs.

I was looking at the Rambo and Rad e-bikes, but I’m sure there are many others.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide!


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#3 ·
You'll likely get some "mine's the best " replies so look for what appeals to you. I have a Rambo 750 that pulls a 300+ lb man on the cart with ease but that may not happen on steep hills. The 1000 watt motors will have more power but may not be legal in some places. Mid motors have very good torque but you will need to carry a chain repair kit because the bike is useless with a broken chain, where a rear hub drive can still be ridden with power. A front shock will be more comfortable as will a better seat.
 
#5 ·
If you want to go uphill and/or pull some weight, you’ll want a mid drive motor. They offer much more torque than a hub motor. Regardless of what brand of bike you go with, the majority of mid drive Ebikes have one of two motors on them - Either the Bafang BBS02 which you’ll commonly see associated with bikes being advertised as “750 watt” or the Bafang BBSHD which is commonly the “1000 watt” bikes. The HD is built with better components and is capable of handling more torque than the BBS02.

In addition to the motors, some other components I would look for when comparing bikes are fixed forks vs suspension (suspension will absorb bumps better and make for a more comfortable ride), disc brakes vs hydraulic (hydraulic is better), and internal rear gear hub instead of a rear cassette with a derailleur. The IGH is a better setup for off-road use since you won’t have to worry about something getting caught in the derailleur or it breaking off, or the chain coming off while switching gears. All the gear switching is done within the sealed rear hub with an IGH.
 
#10 ·
Interesting topic for me, too. I'd love to hear from people who have an ebike. There's a steep hill on my hunting property that is about 400ft vertical climb in short distance. I have to climb that hill every hunt to access the ridge top. Once up there I can travel with ease, but getting up there sucks. I'm so sweaty by the time I get to the ridge that scent control in a non-issue. It becomes entirely about hunting the wind. If an ebike could get me up there without getting sweaty, it would be worth its weight in gold to me. I'd already have bought one except I'm afraid I'll spend a few grand only to find out it won't climb that hill, and I haven't yet seen or heard anything to give me confidence.
 
#19 ·
Every place I hunt is a hill and a 750w mid drive will take you up them effortlessly.The day I got mine,It was in July and I went to check some trail cams.It was a 1.8 mile ride,mostly uphill and I never broke a sweat.You still peddle but you use far less effort than walking.My son races motox and took that Rambo up some pretty impressive hill climbs.
 
#20 ·
So much bad information in here. Most of the bikes mentioned have crap components and won't hold up to any abuse at all. If you want a real e-bike get one of the big brand bikes (Trek, Specialized etc.). You will be better off in the end and won't have to replace crappy components. You will almost absolutely pay more upfront, but you'll have a bike that won't break when you need it.

The bikes in stikbow's videos are hundreds if not thousands of times better than the Rad bikes, don't expect to even come close to being able to do that on one of the bikes mentioned in this thread.

The other thing that has only kind of been mentioned here are the E-Bike regulations. We are only at the beginning of new laws being introduced, so whatever you get now may not be legal in the near future. This coming from someone who MTB's regularly in CO and is seeing the increased legislation that is already happening with more E-Bikes on the trails.

As for tires, absolutely go Tubeless, do not use Slime it's garbage. Use Orange Seal, Stans, or one of the other popular MTB brand sealants. Slime is alright in car tires etc. but there is a reason no one who rides a MTB regularly uses it. A good sealant and a plug/patch kit will get you through almost everything. If you want additional rim protection and the ability to run a flat tire, albeit slowly, add Cushcore inserts to the tires.
 
#22 ·
The bikes in stikbow's videos are hundreds if not thousands of times better than the Rad bikes, don't expect to even come close to being able to do that on one of the bikes mentioned in this thread.
And there's the other side of the coin. Although I won't be doing anything near what the guys in the videos are doing, my hill is still plenty steep and high enough to majorly suck when walking up it. It's not far removed from what a motor cross hill climb would command.
 
#29 ·
Winks sporting goods in MD has quiet kat and I rode one of his bikes on the lowest setting. It was flat land but on the lowest setting I didn’t have to peddle but 1/4 turn every 20 seconds or so to keep me moving at about 20mph. I would be willing to bet that would handle you no problem as I am 6’3 and 200


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#35 ·
I’m sure that you can build a better quality bike on your own BUT that’s only assuming you know what the heck you are doing!

I’m not looking for a super tough bike, I’m not going to be pushing it to it’s limits or anything. Just something to cruise around on through the farm fields and mountain logging roads.


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#36 ·
Ok, I’m looking at getting the Rambo R750 26 G4. I had the specs I like (26” tires, Mid-drive motor, hidden derailer in rear hub, 750w) however one thing that concerns me is the 19” frame size. I’m 6’4” 215 lbs, will this be too small?


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#40 ·
5'10" 170 - what frame should I consider - seems most common options are 17" & 19"....I see some variations, but things start to get crazy
 
#50 · (Edited)
I hear ya’ Buck...I have two buddies, one has 750 Apex, the other 1000 Apex, they both love them....they split the cost of the cart and share it...the 750 hauled two doe, his stand, and pack out at the same time with no issue...that was in Lancaster County...so he wasn’t dealing with mountains. My other buddy with the 1000 runs his in Carbon county and puts it through some paces up and down the mountains.

They both enjoy their bikes and don’t have any complaints. I am thinking if your not a performance rider and more of a utility rider than the standard components on the Apex might be fine.

I have heard a lot of buzz about the 2020 Apex, specifically the updated forks and brakes as noticeable positive upgrades. In addition, they are offering and HD 1500 motor...might be overkill; not sure?

There is also the notion of what PA is going to approve. As I understand it now there are NO restrictions with regard to motor size on Ebikes. I’ve heard rumors that restrictions are coming, but I’ve heard rumors for 10 years that Sunday hunting was coming too and we know where that has finally ended up.

Who really knows though...I’ve been following along many of these threads. The Apex seems to be the one model that receives the most consistent positive reviews from hunters. Plus if you work directly with QK you can build the bike you want and for $225 can put 30-miles on it, in 30-days and return it for a full refund (less the $225) if it doesn’t meet your needs. That’s what my buddies did, they put all 30-miles in in the Poconos so they could climb a few hills. Both kept their bikes.

I asked why they “threw away” $225 for the trial, they both said that all of their research yielded low resale values on the bikes and both were worried if the bikes didn’t perform to their standards, they’d take a beating way worse than $225 selling them afterwards. Shipping alone is over $200....I do see QK is offering 15% off and free shipping on their 2019 models including the 1000w Apex AND you can still use the $225 trial...makes it a little more interesting consideration.

Just a little of what I’ve gathered.
 
#56 · (Edited)
There was discussion in July...(see page 38)
https://www.pgc.pa.gov/InformationResources/MediaReportsSurveys/Documents/2019 July Minutes.pdf

I can't seem to locate the "briefing paper" that Raup references anywhere.

It was discussed again at the 1/25/20 meeting (proposal in bold below).....but don't see it on the April agenda. If it doesn't make the April meeting for a vote, under current regulation, it is unlawful to use or operate any type of e-bike on State game lands, unless used by individuals with mobility disabilities. As I understand it, State Forest and State Park land is different because of the recreational trail systems established for hikers and bikers.

The Commission is proposing to amend §§ 131.2, 135.2 and 135.41 to define and allow use of Class I e-bikes on State game lands in the same manner as traditional bicycles. These devices will be limited to two-wheeled bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of 750 watts (1 h.p.) or less that provide assistance only when the rider is actively pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour or less that provide assistance only when the rider is actively pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. The changes will not authorize use of any device that is equipped with a throttle or that provides any degree of assistance from an electric motor when the rider is not actively pedaling. It is important to note that these amendments do not eliminate current statutory restrictions prohibiting the possession of loaded firearms in, on or against vehicles propelled by mechanical power under section 2503 of the act.
 
#60 ·
Like I said,750w will be the max on SGL and it's already the max on state forests.For simple transportation going up hills and on level ground,750w is plenty.I've yet to find a single hill that I wanted to go up,where I had to exert any effort.I'll be honest in that the Rambp I bought is cheesy with lower level components.I paid $1500 for it so I just figured,why not.My son uses it far more than I do because he rides it to a private residential community that's about 2-3 miles from out house.You can't ride dirt bikes or ATV's there so he sues the Rambo almost every day.I'm not around when he has it out but I know my kid and I can only speculate that he isn't easy on it.To date,I haven't had one issue with it.The motor has been flawless even though it has nylon gears compared to the bafang ultra used on the Mules.My biggest complaints are that I have to put a front suspension on it and the brakes are junk so I'll have to upgrade them as well.Mine has a sturmey archer 3 speed rear hub and you do have to adjust it as the chain stretches,similar to a dirt bike.Because of the gearing,it doesn't have much of a top end so I may also get a front sprocket with a couple more teeth.I don't beat this bike.I simply use it as transportation.mostly on gas well and logging roads so it doesn't have to be race-ready.I wanted one for two reasons.I don't get much time to hunt during the week and most of the spots I hunt are fairly remote.If I blow off work early,it doesn't give me much time to walk in and hunt.If I do kill one,by the time I get it out and deal with it,I'm up all night during a work night.It isn't worth it,so I rarely hunt during the week.A bike takes a ton of time off.What used to be a 35-40 minute hike now takes 10 minutes.If we do kill one.I take the bike right to the deer,quarter it up in 10 minutes and make it back to my truck in less time than it would take me to walk back,even if I didn't kill something.These bikes are not ATV's or dirt bikes but they're very useful tools for use on remote areas where you have to walk in.
 
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