newbie with arthritic hip

[pedder63]

Good to be finally on the forum. I live in Devon - pretty hilly. I have arthritis in my back and hip - used to be a keen commuting cyclist but grinding up and down these hills is no longer an option, so I've been considering an e-bike for quite a while. Any other members here have arthritis, and does an e-bike make the differece I'll need do you think? My usual commute is only about 6 miles, and I'm sick of getting in my van every day.

 

[scarrabri]

Good to be finally on the forum. I live in Devon - pretty hilly. I have arthritis in my back and hip - used to be a keen commuting cyclist but grinding up and down these hills is no longer an option, so I've been considering an e-bike for quite a while. Any other members here have arthritis, and does an e-bike make the differece I'll need do you think? My usual commute is only about 6 miles, and I'm sick of getting in my van every day.

Hi and welcome,
you will like this forum,i too have changed from a normal bike to an E/bike ,i dont have arthritis
,but i am Diabetic and my legs dont work as well as they did,the Ebike has given me freedom to ride again ,as i am sure it will do for you .very best wishes Brian.

 

[Swinswin25]

Hi wellcome I have old Arthur only I went the cheap route got a bike off eBay working and now I've done it up a bit. It's an old powabyke very heavy 6 stone and I'm 16 stone so no small feet a ebike but it's great small effort on hills. I will get a far better one later but this test the waters quite well as it's £25 a day to hire and that's money you'll never see again so hope this helps all the best paul

 

[pedder63]

Thanks guys. I'm currently thinking of the cyclamatic as an intro to the ebike scene. The reviews here seem pretty good, unless anyone has a better idea of an entry bike.

 

[timidtom]

Hi Pedder63, and welcome. I have arthritis in various places and find an ebike a great way of defeating the old B88888d. Go for one with a throttle because it's a wonderful assistant to starting off in a wbble free straight line!
I must admit a slight bias towards JuicyBikes but try before you buy!
May the ewind be ever at your back!
Best wishes,
Tom.

 

[flecc]

If you are tackling those typically tough Devon hills the Cyclamatic will be found wanting since it's one of the lower powered e-bikes. The member who likes them the most and has a couple lives in the Eastern counties where the going is fairly flat. The Juicybike mentioned above is a better choice for hills.

Basically if getting a hub motor bike aim for a 36 volt one, not 24 volt. If you are prepared to spend more and get a crank drive bike where the motor drives through the bike chain and therefore uses the bike's gears, a 24 volt system will be ok. This latter type of bike is a favourite in the Devon area since it handles the steepest hills best, but they are mostly quite expensive.

I know that it can be difficult to do if living in Devon, but it's always best to try out any e-bike you are considering before buying to make sure it's suitable, and worth travelling to do that.