Hi there. Newbie here seeking advice. Which model ebike should I get? I'm 75, female, and just had a knee replacement surgery, so I obviously won't be riding until spring. I'm 5'3", about 160 lbs and very non-athletic. I live in a very hilly area so I want a bike that can get me up these darn hills. I'd like to be able to go 50+ miles between charges. Also want 24" wheels do I can support myself while stopped and still seated. Am I asking for too much?
50 miles is going to be a bit of a stretch for someone non-athletic. I'd check out Rad's sizing guide to get an idea of what bikes will fit you best: https://bit.ly/3ohGxLo (https://bit.ly/3ohGxLo)
If it were me I'd be looking at the RadMini Step-thru 2. But keep in mind ebikes are heavier than normal bikes and I've seen people return them because they didn't consider this fact. This is one reason my mom who is in her 60s went with a much lighter ebike.
I have 2 steep bridges that I cross going to visit a friend. Those bridges will take 2 bars off my battery gauge really quick, and I actually pedal as well! Otherwise my area is flat. I'm not sure how well a hub drive/cadence sensor system works on steep hills. Everyone I've talked to in hilly areas have torque sensor mid-drives, but they don't have throttles. Throttles are nice because if you get tired or in pain just use the throttle. Throttles seem rare on mid-drives. Hopefully others in hilly areas will chime in.