AdrianLesher

I'm an American who has recently retired in Portugal. I get around with a BEEQ E800 stepthrough pedalec manufactured by the Portuguese bike concern RTE. This ebike has a 90nm Brose motor and a Nexus 8 hub (this combination is no longer made by BEEQ, though the same bike is still available with a less powerful motor).

I would recommend an ebike with a mid-bike motor, with no less than 85nm of torque. I'm a pretty heavy man living in Portugal and have a Portuguese-made BEEQ ebike with a 90nm Brose motor which is very helpful in getting up the steep inclines that are common in Portugal. Other mid-bike motors with this amount of torque are made by Bosch (85nm), Shimano (85nm), and Yamaha (85nm). Of course bike weight plays a role in how these motors perform. Also, of course, range is a concern. I sometimes carry an extra battery when I have worries about getting stranded in a place where I won't be able to charge the bike. Here are some roundups of high torque ebike engines. Although they are here suggested for off-road mountain bikes, the same motors should be helpful in navagating mountain roadways. https://www.mbr.co.uk/buyers_guide/best-ebike-motor-388838 https://ebike-mtb.com/en/emtb-motor-comparison/ Brands like Riese and Mueller and Specialized make good bikes with high-torque center drive motors, but they are quite expensive. I was happy to find the BEEQ brand in Portugal which makes some affordable pedelecs with high-torque mid-bike motors. https://www.beeq-bicycles.com/