Originally Posted by
donheff
+1 This is why I follow this forum. I am 72 and still in OP's situation. I don't yet "need" an ebike but I am interested. Already, at 72, I have days that knock me out sooner than I would like and hills I just don't want to tackle. I have been watching ebikes rise in quality and decrease in cost year by year and will eventually pull the plug. The reasons mentioned above are what would motivate me, coupled with the fact that ebikes are just plain fun to ride.
I'm 70 and I don't "need" an e-bike either, but....having a motor does make pulling 40 lbs of dog food home from Costco up a hill much easier. Having a motor does let me decide to try routes I would normally think are too "hard" for me. I decided since I was in the "don't need an bike" category on a regular basis that having something I could easily put on and take off the bike was the solution. I love my bike, I spent a lot of time and money getting the perfect bike for me, and I didn't want to start over on finding an e-bike, especially since they're way too heavy. So I found a retrofit system that goes on and off in seconds, so I have an analog bike with the "option" of converting to an e-bike in 10 seconds whenever I want. I think there is a market out there for folks who still want to ride most of the time just like normal but sometimes want added assist....without incurring the weight penalty or drag penalty when not needed.
If you've got a bike you love, you might look at either a simple front wheel hub kit (just swap out your front wheel to ride motorized) or a friction drive (what I have from OneMotor.co). Minimalist solutions. Not everyone needs a mid-drive with a 100 mile motor, lol.