I'm a senior and I'm about to go to college. I'm looking at getting an electric bike, because my college of choice discourages cars but has a large, hilly campus. I think that I've got a pretty good shot at getting my parents to buy me a bike, but I have to keep it under $900 (I may be able to push them up to around $1100, but that would be a tough sell).
I'd like it to look somewhat low-key, not unlike a typical street/mountain bike. It doesn't have to be crazy powerful, but it does need to be strong enough to tackle hills on a regular basis, and it needs batteries to match that usage pattern. I prefer the flexibility of a mid-drive mounted motor, since that would let the motor take advantage of the gears, and it would let me easily switch between power-assisted and all-electric pedaling, but I wouldn't mind a different setup. Finally, the university has a lot of fog and rain, so weather-resistance is probably important.
I already own a street-bike with 26" wheels and a diamond-frame body, so if a conversion kit would be a strong option, I'm also open to modifying my current bike.
Finally, if the bike most suitable for my needs falls outside of my price range, what would the price-range for that bike be, and what alternatives could I pursue? (I don't want a motorbike or a scooter/moped)
Thanks for reading this and considering my question. Let me know if I should include any additional information
Thanks for the feedback. I don't have any health problems, but I do a fair amount of running, meaning that I often have sore legs. Thus, doing a lot of uphill biking on a conventional bike isn't the most attractive option, which is why I'm looking at electric bikes. Additionally, I don't want to exert myself too much while getting from class to class, or else I'll arrive sweating and breathing hard, bothering people who sit next to me. If the school were flat, I'd just use my normal bike as I do now.
I'd like it to look somewhat low-key, not unlike a typical street/mountain bike. It doesn't have to be crazy powerful, but it does need to be strong enough to tackle hills on a regular basis, and it needs batteries to match that usage pattern. I prefer the flexibility of a mid-drive mounted motor, since that would let the motor take advantage of the gears, and it would let me easily switch between power-assisted and all-electric pedaling, but I wouldn't mind a different setup. Finally, the university has a lot of fog and rain, so weather-resistance is probably important.
I already own a street-bike with 26" wheels and a diamond-frame body, so if a conversion kit would be a strong option, I'm also open to modifying my current bike.
Finally, if the bike most suitable for my needs falls outside of my price range, what would the price-range for that bike be, and what alternatives could I pursue? (I don't want a motorbike or a scooter/moped)
Thanks for reading this and considering my question. Let me know if I should include any additional information
Thanks for the feedback. I don't have any health problems, but I do a fair amount of running, meaning that I often have sore legs. Thus, doing a lot of uphill biking on a conventional bike isn't the most attractive option, which is why I'm looking at electric bikes. Additionally, I don't want to exert myself too much while getting from class to class, or else I'll arrive sweating and breathing hard, bothering people who sit next to me. If the school were flat, I'd just use my normal bike as I do now.