My 60 year old husband rode a Trek FX+ on the first half of the TransAm this summer (Oregon coast to Pueblo, CO) and several tourers asked him the same thing: "Don't you think you could do this ride without the assist on a lighter bike?"

Answer is a definite no way Don could have made it up the mountain passes without the electric, he has quite a few medical issues. We averaged 40-50 miles daily and he had to conserve electric and ride plenty of hills without it.

Can you find a shop with one to test ride? His FX+ is 49# and the mountain bike I ride is 30#, yet I feel like I'm flying on his bike without any electric.