E bike vs setting up a regular bike

[Wrench]

I have a trek powerfly and it's as light as any less expensive traditional bike. It's only 250 watts.....but does a tremendous job of aiding and handles well. I bought it used and paid less than a similar equipped bike. Battery life is great.

 

[Illini1988]

So I guess im a little late to this forum but I am going to purchase an E Bike for hunting purposes only. I know there are a ton of options. I know QuietKat is a huge name but comes with a huge price tag. Anybody tried any of the lower priced options, such as Mokwheel Basalt. Their reviews are good but its on their website so harder to trust.

 

[jodafo]

I bought a rogue ridge 750 two seasons ago. Quality was not great and battery life in the areas I went with it wasn't great. Definitely find something with good reviews outside of their own website.
From what I've heard 1000 watt is probably your best bet for performance.
Something to consider isc old eats battery life up and hills drain them fast.
The rad rover e bikes do really well if you're not in steep country, they used to be a fraction of the price of quiet cat and other "hunting" e bikes.

 

[Fowl Play]

You are going to want a 1000w for hunting hilly terrain. Yes you can use pedal assist, but you are forgetting the e-bike likely weighs 75lbs. I have a 750w Rad Rover and love it, But still have to pedal all out on steep grade. An e-bike with a dead battery is a great workout on flat terrain, let alone hills.

 

[scattergun]

You don’t need 1000W to climb hills if you have a mid-drive system instead of a hub motor.

The bike doesn’t have to be super-heavy, either. Also, it’s possible to carry a spare battery or two if range is an issue.

 

[Fowl Play]

You don’t need 1000W to climb hills if you have a mid-drive system instead of a hub motor.

The bike doesn’t have to be super-heavy, either. Also, it’s possible to carry a spare battery or two if range is an issue.

What bike are you using?

 

[drdrop]

I'd say go with a regular bike if you want more options as to where you can go. In the US, many Forest Service trails are explicitly non-motorized. Individual forest rules differ regarding whether e-bikes are motorized or not. Generally where I have hunted, e-bikes are motorized and not allowed to be on non-motorized trails.

In my experience, the fatter the tire the better for non-traditional bike trails (e.g. horse trails that allow bikes). The true fat bike can handle chunky terrain pretty good. And at the very least, a regular old mountain bike can be a glorified game cart on the pack out.

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

750w rad rover fat tire. We use them in az.,nv. $1800 delivered.built in Seattle. No issues. Weighs 60lbs. You can buy a second battery for $190?

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

I now have a front and rear beaver tail. Phone holder. 30 mile range.

 

[JoeDirt]

I have a 500 watt mid drive with low range gears (aftermarket) I can pedal up hills with a quarter elk on my Burly trailer.

 

[jboy047]

following

 

[scattergun]

What bike are you using?

The main two are a Moustache X-Road FS 7, and a customized Riese & Müller Load 60.

The stock Bosch drive on the R&M will haul 100+ kilos of passenger/cargo up a hill without an issue on a 48-tooth chainring and 11-51T cassette. Really handy for taking the dog and kids afield.

Likewise, the Moustache will get up ski runs on a fully-stock drivetrain effortlessly.

 

[mtnbiker208]

For the people complaining about having to peddle, why not just buy an electric motorcycle.
quiet and plenty of power and range.

 

[Fowl Play]

The main two are a Moustache X-Road FS 7, and a customized Riese & Müller Load 60.

The stock Bosch drive on the R&M will haul 100+ kilos of passenger/cargo up a hill without an issue on a 48-tooth chainring and 11-51T cassette. Really handy for taking the dog and kids afield.

Likewise, the Moustache will get up ski runs on a fully-stock drivetrain effortlessly.

Copy, very nice bikes! Still 55lbs+ and over $10,000 US so I guess you don't have to have a heavier steel bike, but you will pay dearly for it. How do the derailleurs hold up? That has always been the week point for the mid-drives, if a rock/log takes that sucker out you are walking it back. Hub drives are not as efficient, but as long as the wheel is still attached to the bike, it has power. I have had to tow buddies with mid-drives back to the trail head with my hub drive.

 

[Fowl Play]

For the people complaining about having to peddle, why not just buy an electric motorcycle.
quiet and plenty of power and range.

Can't speak for everyone, I personally enjoy pedaling and use my e-bike for scouting/exercise in the offseason. You can use it like a piece of exercise equipment -- set the intensity level of your workout, etc. while covering more ground. But... I do think it'd good to set the expectations of what you need. For the OP requesting a bike for "goat hunting" in the mountains... he is going to want a high power model. Unless he's an extremely in shape individual

 

[Rich M]

I put together a fat bike with a mid drive Electric motor kit. Besides having pedal assist it also has a thumb throttle which is way more helpful. I definitely think you could have a bad experience with some Box store E bikes. There’s a big difference between riding and a bike in the neighborhood versus riding mountain trails with a 30+ pound pack on your back.
As far as running out of battery power I really don’t think that’s a big issue it’s exactly like a gas tank in your vehicle, I can average over 20 miles just using my thumb throttle not even Peddling.

Thumb throttle is not allowed in FL hunting. Pedal assist only. We got screwed pretty much.

 

[scattergun]

Copy, very nice bikes! Still 55lbs+ and over $10,000 US so I guess you don't have to have a heavier steel bike, but you will pay dearly for it. How do the derailleurs hold up? That has always been the week point for the mid-drives, if a rock/log takes that sucker out you are walking it back. Hub drives are not as efficient, but as long as the wheel is still attached to the bike, it has power. I have had to tow buddies with mid-drives back to the trail head with my hub drive.

Haven't had any failures on any of the electric bikes yet; I run either XT or the 51T-compatible 11-speed Deore derailleurs and they're all fine. No different than a normal mountain bike in that regard.

Riese & Müller offers the awesome Rohloff 14-speed geared hub on many of their bikes if derailleur breakage is a concern, but I prefer the efficiency of a regular chain drive and would personally just carry an extra hanger, derailleur, quick link and chain tool if I was that worried about derailleur failure. I've only broken one derailleur off-road over decades of riding, and that case was very preventable. A quick hanger swap and it was back in action.

 

[Unoboats]

I’m waiting on a Bakcou Storm. It should be here on Friday. They had done discounted demos.

 

[kelly1]

Copy, very nice bikes! Still 55lbs+ and over $10,000 US so I guess you don't have to have a heavier steel bike, but you will pay dearly for it. How do the derailleurs hold up? That has always been the week point for the mid-drives, if a rock/log takes that sucker out you are walking it back. Hub drives are not as efficient, but as long as the wheel is still attached to the bike, it has power. I have had to tow buddies with mid-drives back to the trail head with my hub drive.

Just use a chain tool to shorten the chain and run single speed

 

[StuckoYota99]

I ordered a rad rover 6 last night.