There was an old thread about this, but I'll start a new one. I'm interested in general opinions--are these advisable, more trouble than they are worth, etc.--and if they are a good idea, which ones? I have some opinions to share later.

I'm new to ebiking, bought a City 5 Plus 3 weeks ago. I have been away from cycling for several years but used to do a lot of road biking. At the start of my first ride, I fell over--and pretty hard. I think I may have broken something in my shoulder, but it seems to be healing well. Anyway, I had trouble starting out and tried to stop with one-toe support (I had set the saddle height for road bike pedaling efficiency). The weight of the bike bowled me over.

I have talked to several people who are riding much lower due to wanting to be able to plant their feet solidly when they stop. I want to keep my butt high enough for efficient pedaling but of course don't want to fall over again, so I'm going to try a "dropper" seatpost that will allow me to drop the seat when I stop, then raise it again quickly when I start again. These are used mostly on mountain bikes, but it seems they might be useful for a variety of ebikes as well.

What are people's thoughts and experiences with dropper posts?

I am very close to buying a 5 City Plus step-through. I took a short test ride for the first time today (I'm in Seattle) and am quite excited. My misgivings are as follows:

• The test-ride woman nicely let me try to load it into the back of my Subaru Forester. She helped me remove the front wheel, then I hoisted it up. It jammed a bit because it was vertical, but I think it is doable with adequate planning. However, it was anything but easy (I'm 71 years old and have lost muscle mass). The test-ride bike had a different saddle without the handle--does that help much? Also, I did not remove the battery.
  
• I have read a number of reviews that fault the small lefthand display for not being bright enough in sunlight; I had a little trouble reading it even on a cloudy day. Any thoughts? Is that the only way to determine the assist level?
  
• Re: security. Is the Arbus (?) wheel lock that Rad sells useful, at least for brief in-and-out errands? Does anyone use concealed Apple Air Tags?
  
  
  Thanks in advance,
  John