California E-Bike Lottery- what would you get?

[Ultracheap]

I recently won the California E-Bike Lottery , which is a program giving out vouchers worth $2,000 toward the purchase of a new e-bike for low income residents. It's kind of a a silly way to promote cycling, since it only benefits a small fraction of the state's population, and it's even sillier that I qualify for it, since I have a high net worth and am more-or-less retired in my early 30's. But I've intentionally kept my income low and am taking a similar approach toward this benefit that I do toward ACA subsidies: not perfect, but I'm glad it exists and I'll happily take advantage of it while it does.

I'm open to discussing the ethics of this program and how you would use public funds to promote e-bike access, but I'm more interested in hearing what bike others would get if you were in my position. I live an active lifestyle in the SF Bay Area, use a 50 year old acoustic bicycle and public transit to get most places around town, and a 20 year old camper van to get to campsites and trailheads. I do a lot of backpacking.  Requirements are that it must be a new e-bike bought from a licesnsed retailer, it must fall into the Class 1-3 system (i.e. must have pedals and be limited to 20-28mph), and it must have an integrated front light. I'd like to keep the price around the $2k voucher amount but could go a little over.

Currently looking at Class 3 electric mountain bikes, along the lines of the Specialized Turbo Tero. What would you get?

[Wintergreen78]

A hard tail mountain bike similar to that specialized is the kind of bike I would want for the type of riding you describe. I would find out who the good bike dealers are in your area with a good reputation for maintenance/support, then test ride the bikes in that category they offer.

There is not a huge difference between different bike brands, but one bike or another may fit you better (or just be a better color). Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if you found an e-bike needs more maintenance than a regular bike. Some shops do a really good job of customer service and some bike shops don’t. So I’d base my purchase decision more on the bike shop than the bike brand.

[HPstache]

Washington recently had a similar thing with $300 or $1,200 vouchers depending on an income threshold.  I got a $300 rebate and recently put my deposit down on a Trek Townie 7D stepover

[GilesMM]

I would choose the e-bike which might best benefit someone who truly needs one, to get to work at a low-income job, for example.  Then I would give it to them.

[Ultracheap]

I’d base my purchase decision more on the bike shop than the bike brand.

Yup, this is a big factor for me. I've done all my own car + bike maintenance for years, but there's some stuff with e-bikes that I can't reasonably DIY. Similarly, it seems prudent to buy from a company with a history of making actual bicycles, rather than just slapping a motor on peddles on a bike-shaped frame.

[Fru-Gal]

I have an REI Co-op cargo bike and have put 2000 miles on it. I love it! Weighs 50 lbs, easy to pick up and put on Amtrak. I like that it’s not an enormous bike. I got it half price for $800.

However I could see a more high-powered bike or trike for towing bigger stuff such as watercraft or my dogs. My current one would do it on flat land but nothing more. It depends on what you want to use it for.

IMHO an e-bike is a car replacement, not a bike replacement. If there’s something you wish to tow, or if for instance have an e-mountain bike means you no longer drive to the top of the mountain, then that’s an improvement. Every e-bike trip is one less car trip and we need that. I also would feel zero guilt about a government voucher for this. Finally, tax money being put to good use! Would you rather the money go to weapons research or some fat cat’s company kickbacks?

Also VERY important considerations: battery replacement/recycling options. And ease of working on the bike given the type of motor.

E-bikes chew through brakes. However, I just changed my disk brake pads (and one rotor, sadly) myself and it was very easy.

Remember, one EV = 400 e-bikes. E-bikes are the mass single-person mobility solution we need, not full-size electric cars. That and more trains.

[Arbitrage]

I haven't kept up with the latest e-bikes (that aren't for gnarly mountain biking), as I have my commuter/errand-runner and no need for a replacement within the next ~5 years.  I do have a separate e-MTB as well, and it's great for the trails - which I can just bike to.  It'll get me around town too, but doesn't have the cargo capacity to be as useful for errands. 

Generally, I think Class 3 e-bikes aren't allowed on sanctioned trails.  Of course, that's likely rarely enforced, and I wouldn't personally have qualms with it like I do against e-motos like Sur Rons. 

If I had a do-over, I'd scale back from my super beefy ~100 lb grocery getter to something much more reasonably sized, no more than 60 lbs.  If I were you, I'd look to something that could augment your current life.  If you already don't need to drive anywhere in town and happily bike/transit around, maybe the around town bike isn't useful to you.  If you do need to occasionally drive for bigger errands, maybe a bike with more cargo capacity is in order to keep that car off the road.  If you're just looking for a fun bike for trails, maybe that's an option, but most e-MTB won't have an integrated light.

[Weisass]

I absolutely ADORE my tern hsd. I bought a floor model five years ago and I commute to work, do all of my under 3 mile travel, and haul a kid at times. It’s got enough capacity to haul quite a bit of stuff, too- I’ve transported musical instruments and a weeks worth of groceries for a family of 6. It has a solid, mid drive motor by Bosch and the service requirements 5 years in have been reasonable. Plus, it stores upright if you want to!

All in all a great system, a good e bike, and well worth the investment if you plan to use it.

[TimCFJ40]

As a run around commuter/errands runner I'd look closely at the Specialized Globe Haul ST.  I really really want one, but 90% of my in town riding is accomplished on my 90s MTB with a cheap milk crate rear rack. 

[windytrail]

IMHO an e-bike is a car replacement, not a bike replacement. If there’s something you wish to tow, or if for instance have an e-mountain bike means you no longer drive to the top of the mountain, then that’s an improvement. Every e-bike trip is one less car trip and we need that.

+1. If you want to do something good in your community, use this opportunity as a way to drive less and be part of the solution. IMO, the funnest part of mountain biking is going uphill with your own muscle. And e-mountain bikes are much heavier and harder to handle on the downhill. Save that purchase for when you're older and no longer have the ability.

Get one with a mid-drive motor -- it's worth the extra cost over a hub motor because it feels much more natural to ride.

Do a lot of research and check out all the types of e bikes available. There's a ton. I like this website: https://electrek.co/guides/ebikes/.

Find a good bike shop that has a maintenance program. More tech, more maintenance. That can get expensive, as you need competent people to handle the batteries and other components.

[TheFrenchCat]

I would choose the e-bike which might best benefit someone who truly needs one, to get to work at a low-income job, for example.  Then I would give it to them.

Agreed.  Maybe I'm off base, but I see e-bikes either as car replacements, which Ultracheap seems to have figured out, or as bike replacements for people who aren't fit enough to use a real bike, which doesn't apply to Ultracheap.  So what would you really use it for?  However, I've never been to SF, and it's quite hilly, right?  So maybe the e-bike assist would be more useful than I'm realizing. 

I'm not the most physically fit, but I value doing the more manual version of things while I still can, since in old age I might not be able to.  So if it was me, I'd give it to someone who could use it more, at least in my mind. 

[Fru-Gal]

Personally I would never buy an e-bike that cost more than a car (I usually buy a car for around $3k), for theft reasons. When I first was riding my $800 e-bike around I was pretty freaked that it would get stolen. Now I feel like I’ve gotten well more than my money’s worth out of it. I still lock it with two locks, only in safe places. A friend who has multiple expensive e-bikes has also had several stolen even from very wealthy, low-crime areas and now purchases insurance for them.

[Dicey]

Congratulations!  We followed this program with great interest, but our income, even in retirement, is too high. MPP for sure.

[Fru-Gal]

I would choose the e-bike which might best benefit someone who truly needs one, to get to work at a low-income job, for example.  Then I would give it to them.

Agreed.  Maybe I'm off base, but I see e-bikes either as car replacements, which Ultracheap seems to have figured out, or as bike replacements for people who aren't fit enough to use a real bike, which doesn't apply to Ultracheap.  So what would you really use it for?  However, I've never been to SF, and it's quite hilly, right?  So maybe the e-bike assist would be more useful than I'm realizing. 

I'm not the most physically fit, but I value doing the more manual version of things while I still can, since in old age I might not be able to.  So if it was me, I'd give it to someone who could use it more, at least in my mind.

When e-bikes first were getting popular there was a lot of debate about acoustic vs. assisted, with virtue signalling if you did not use a motor. I think there’s still some weirdness in some people’s minds that riding an e-bike is not REALLY bike-riding. As a very fit person, allow me to say IT IS!

Also, it’s so much fun! It doesn’t make you unable to ride your regular bike. It just makes you ride more, since now the excuses are minimized (wind, hills, too tired, don’t want to get all sweaty, etc). It also makes it very easy to go distances that most non-cyclist people do NOT take lightly (10-20 miles roundtrip) and probably would never otherwise ride.

Making e-bikes popular by modeling to others how fun and convenient and non-polluting they are compared to cars is HUGE!

[Ultracheap]

...recently put my deposit down on a Trek Townie 7D stepover

I have an REI Co-op cargo bike and have put 2000 miles on it. I love it!

If I had a do-over, I'd scale back from my super beefy ~100 lb grocery getter to something much more reasonably sized, no more than 60 lbs.

I absolutely ADORE my tern hsd.

I'd look closely at the Specialized Globe Haul ST. 

Get one with a mid-drive motor -- it's worth the extra cost over a hub motor because it feels much more natural to ride.

Thanks for all of these specific suggestions, they really help me narrow down my decision! Before this incentive I had never really given much thought to buying an e-bike. My bike does its job admirably, and I wasn't looking to replace it, but it does have the quirks and maintenance issues of anything built 50 years ago. If $2k had plopped into my lap to specifically spend on a bike, I would have gone with a fancy touring/bikepacking setup complete with racks, fenders, lights, removable bags... Probably something made this century to enjoy improvements in technology (belt drives and disc brakes come to mind) and geometry (important for me since I'm very tall). Something with fatter tires that I could take with me camping to ride dirt/gravel roads. Maybe a Surly Disc Trucker.

With the restriction that this be spent on an e-bike, I'm in the process of educating myself about them. I recently test rode a Rad Trailster, and the throttle was a TON of fun (reminded me of my motorcycle riding days), but at ~80lbs it felt too big and heavy to realistically take with me on public transit. It would be a daily annoyance to take it up and down stairs to store/charge inside, and a nightmare to get home without a car if the battery ever died or a tire went flat, especially on a trail. I think a mountain/trail bike doesn't make sense at that weight, but a cargo bike probably would. I'll keep looking.

I do feel that with e-bikes it's a bit more important to tune the bike to its intended use. I currently use my acoustic bike to do everything I want to on 2 wheels, bungeeing on bags or zip tying on mud guards and lights as needed depending on the occasion. But the higher speed and weight of e-bikes seems to merit more engineering choices that limit what the bike is useful for. You can certainly make an e-bike designed to "do it all" but it might end up being too heavy to do any of it perfectly. I suppose that's true of regular old bicycles as well, but the effect feels magnified when you add a battery and motor to the mix.

[Ultracheap]

I would choose the e-bike which might best benefit someone who truly needs one, to get to work at a low-income job, for example.  Then I would give it to them.

Agreed.  Maybe I'm off base, but I see e-bikes either as car replacements, which Ultracheap seems to have figured out, or as bike replacements for people who aren't fit enough to use a real bike, which doesn't apply to Ultracheap.  So what would you really use it for?  However, I've never been to SF, and it's quite hilly, right?  So maybe the e-bike assist would be more useful than I'm realizing. 

I'm not the most physically fit, but I value doing the more manual version of things while I still can, since in old age I might not be able to.  So if it was me, I'd give it to someone who could use it more, at least in my mind.

Yes, hills do make a big difference.

I'm curious as to whether you regularly ride a bike, and how you use it, because you seem to be implying a dichotomy along the lines of "car trips are for transport, bike trips are for fitness" that doesn't reflect my experience. Everywhere is biking distance if you've got the time. In lieu of "dry January" I challenged myself to "car free January" this year, and it worked out but was a PITA at times. Biking home in the rain with a costco-sized load of groceries in a backpack is badass, but it's not particularly fun and it's probably not something your personal trainier would recommend. So it really comes down to quality of life. An e-bike will improve my quality of life by decoupling my transport needs from my fitness needs without involving my car or public transport. It will increase my range, both in distance I'm likely to travel on my bike and stuff I'm likely to bring with me on my bike. It will make me more likely to bike to visit a friend who lives at the top of a hill, even though I did squats that morning. This is true for me even though I'm very fit and love human-powered travel enough to have walked across the USA several times.

And, like Fru-Gal suggests, e-bikes are damn FUN! It's tough to get objective reviews because everyone I've talked to seems to love theirs. I literally swallowed a bug on a test ride because I was zooming around with a shit-eating-grin on my face. It's fun to peddle and work out a sweat, it's fun to turn up the assist going up a steep hill, and it's fun to not be stuck in traffic.

[Weisass]

I would choose the e-bike which might best benefit someone who truly needs one, to get to work at a low-income job, for example.  Then I would give it to them.

Agreed.  Maybe I'm off base, but I see e-bikes either as car replacements, which Ultracheap seems to have figured out, or as bike replacements for people who aren't fit enough to use a real bike, which doesn't apply to Ultracheap.  So what would you really use it for?  However, I've never been to SF, and it's quite hilly, right?  So maybe the e-bike assist would be more useful than I'm realizing. 

I'm not the most physically fit, but I value doing the more manual version of things while I still can, since in old age I might not be able to.  So if it was me, I'd give it to someone who could use it more, at least in my mind.

Yes, hills do make a big difference.

I'm curious as to whether you regularly ride a bike, and how you use it, because you seem to be implying a dichotomy along the lines of "car trips are for transport, bike trips are for fitness" that doesn't reflect my experience. Everywhere is biking distance if you've got the time. In lieu of "dry January" I challenged myself to "car free January" this year, and it worked out but was a PITA at times. Biking home in the rain with a costco-sized load of groceries in a backpack is badass, but it's not particularly fun and it's probably not something your personal trainier would recommend. So it really comes down to quality of life. An e-bike will improve my quality of life by decoupling my transport needs from my fitness needs without involving my car or public transport. It will increase my range, both in distance I'm likely to travel on my bike and stuff I'm likely to bring with me on my bike. It will make me more likely to bike to visit a friend who lives at the top of a hill, even though I did squats that morning. This is true for me even though I'm very fit and love human-powered travel enough to have walked across the USA several times.

And, like Fru-Gal suggests, e-bikes are damn FUN! It's tough to get objective reviews because everyone I've talked to seems to love theirs. I literally swallowed a bug on a test ride because I was zooming around with a shit-eating-grin on my face. It's fun to peddle and work out a sweat, it's fun to turn up the assist going up a steep hill, and it's fun to not be stuck in traffic.

@Ultracheap you are basically describing my conversion to e bikes. I sniffed at them until I rode one, and realized that it meant I could take my kids places when they were little and not drive a car (I started on a madsen bucket bike, added an after market assist 2 years in, and loved it sooo much I transitioned to my tern when I needed something to get me out of my car on commutes.). All this to say, anything can be bike able, if you are willing!