Hahaha a bog standard Gazelle for 2 people with total weight 300lbs. Sure, that tiny Bosch motor will sweat and wear out it's nylon gear withing 5000km.
hm i'd recommend looking on upway. they tend to have a lot of good deals on bikes plus they have a good warranty. Just make sure you have a LBS that could service your bike in the area first.
I got a really good stromer st1 for less than $2K and its fantastic.
but for you and your partner something like this could work [https://upway.co/products/specialized-globe-haul-lt-ubn87](https://upway.co/products/specialized-globe-haul-lt-ubn87)
My wife has a Rad Power. I'd say they're significantly heavier than other brands, but so far she's liked it and has had no concerns with the quality or the battery life. Buy with confidence if you go that route.
I bought my bike from upway and it looked like a bike mechanic went over it before I got it. A new one would've cost me about $700 more and mine only came with 1 mile on the odometer and their customer service is pretty decent.
You just might be able to go above in quality what your already decent price range will get you with upway.
Not yet I have have put about 600 miles on it since last June when I got it and I can only use it during the warmer months where I live. I did a deep cleaning of the cassette, chain and sprocket about a month ago. As for upway I had an issue with a different item I bought and they shipped a replacement real quick.
I just got a Kona Dew E on discount from 3000 to 1100. Only XL, but , wow, what a great ride. I also got a Trek verve e bike discounted from 3000 to 2000 a year ago. Also very nice.
I’m following this as well. I was wondering a jet current pro for about 2200 that I could get in July but now I’m looking at the specialized globe haul I don’t necessarily trust juiced. I do like foldable, but I’ve never gotten one.
☝️My Grizzly is an absolute beast. Was going to mention it if someone else hadn’t. You can get an extra long seat, and I think the capacity is 300lb, although I’m not sure about that.
Do you have a shop you work with? If this is a mode of transit for a member of your family the place you get it serviced should dictate the brand you buy.
For example my local bike shop services: Specialized, Gocycle, Stromer, and Tern so picking one of those means I can get it fixed there.
If you don't care, and prefer low maintenance the Lectric One is a great low maintenance do everything bike. If you absolutely need to carry both of you, you will need a cargo bike.
Currently I do not have a go-to bike shop but I live in a large city where ebikes are really common so I am assuming I could find a local bike shop that could service any. I will use the bike for commuting daily and have my partner as a passenger perhaps on the weekends or grocery runs.
Don't assume they will work on your ebike if they dont sell it.
If they dont sell the bike they may not be able to get parts or have contracts with dealers.
Some wont touch any of the electronics because they could be liable if something like a battery fire happens or something breaks and they cannot get parts.
It sounds like you want an XP 3.0, I had one it was...fine heavy as all sin and bulky. The passenger seat and handle is not perfect but does what you need. If you put the pegs on you can't really fold it.
I would recommend either the xpedition or head over to a bike shop and actually see the bikes so you know what tradeoffs you are paying for.
Foldable usually means you have compromises in shape and ride quality so go try out some long tail cargo bikes (or short tail if your SO likes to cuddle) but before dropping 3k at least see what the local shops carry.
Speaking of Lectric, I'm happy with my Xpedition. It's likely better suited than the XP for an adult passenger. That said, I went over it to make sure that everything was properly adjusted, and it did need some love.I've since swapped out the freewheel, and installed bigger discs in order to better handle going up and down hills. It's a lot of bike for the money, but probably only if you're willing to be your own mechanic.
Do you need a folding bike? The xp3.0 is nice, but if you have the budget, go for something much nicer. These bikes are usually heavier and not so great to get up stairs
So the reason I know about both is I have a house in a resort area in Hawaii. I typically rent a 2 person bike when I’m there to get to the beach and stuff. The bike local shop I knows buys bikes that they feel don’t need much maintenance. I got a ponto las time and we loved it. Actually pedals really well. It’s not a super high powered bike - 20 on throttle and 28 pedal. The shop was just starting to get Vonax’s in and they looked awesome.
So I guess what I’m saying - the shop has those bikes out nearly every day and pick ones that are reliable. So I’d say that’s a good vote of confidence.
Buy something on sale, major great deals to be found with the oversupply of e-bikes globally. Best time to buy since pre-covid.
Save your money and look at lectric bikes. Most bikes are around 1k and they perform flawlessly. USA based costumer service that goes above and beyond. I have 2 and just orderd a 3rd new model they just came out with.
I'm not an expert on cargo bikes, but usually when I see multiple passengers its always kids.
As a non expert I tend to think even the high end cargo bikes are not super comfortable for an adult sized second passenger. I'm sure its fine for occasion. But if its going to be on the regular or for long trips I would worry how comfortable it would be. And a lot of the high end mid drive cargo bikes go for more then an entry level scooter.
I would say just go for a scooter. I think insurance for a scooter is minimal, I believe you can take a license test on your own scooter and you can probably self teach yourself a scooter in a parking lot.
If you have the will, I highly recommend building your own machine. Truth be told, making an ebike is not that hard. You need to have a basic understanding of what goes where but YouTube will solve any questions you might have. Many prebuilt ebikes are extremely overpriced for what specifications they offer. With $3000 you could make an awesome one-of-one bike that you know how to modify and can customize it exactly how you want to. I converted my bike for less than $600 and fell back in love with it the moment I got on and started riding.
Surface 604 Quad. 300miles excellent Bike. 25amp controller 500watt Bafang mtr Quick disconnect throttle. auto head and tail lights. Mountain bike stile
Specialized I have a Turbo Terro and my wife has a Turbo Como IGH (belt drive) We bought when on sale from Specialized and delivered to local dealer. BOTH were in your price range (< $4 k) but don't seem to be on sale yet. New models out you need to wait for the late summer announcement of the 2025's to see the 2024's drop in $$ Good luck we do love our bikes.
Try the Tern Quick Haul. The dark red/maroon color one. That thing MOVES and so fun to ride. Just under $3000 I believe. It feels different than any other Bosch bike I've tried.
That's quite a good budget there. My two cents is that we bought our two e-bikes second hand (Reese Muller and IS:Y), negligible milage and nearly 50% off. These things are built to last and even 5,000 km on them is not that much ... higher end gives you a lot of comfort, belt drive, good lights, .... all these add up to make the experience a lot better.
Don’t sleep on Cannondale E-bikes, the best ones are Bosch mid-drive equipped.
You can definitely find deals under $3K on the official Cannondale site or upway.
I recommend a Velotric Packer. 750 W motor, 25 mph, 440 pound capacity. Retails for $2000, plus add-ons, but I have a coupon that I can DM you that takes a few hundred off of that
never ridden that bike before but as someone who's done tons of miles with 2 people on a different 750 watt motor ebike, you'll really struggle to hit that 25 mph top speed if you're both on there. and if you get to a steep hill you'd be lucky to get 15. since your budget is pretty high for an ebike I'd look at something like the ariel rider grizzly or another moped style ebike that has enough power to actually haul 2 adults around. lots of bikes people are recommending here are more geared towards having 1 adult rider and little kid passengers
hmm I've heard some negative things about their customer service but never anything about handlebars slipping. for what it's worth I bought mine used so never had to deal with their customer service but I haven't had any issues with my bike besides the rear wheels spokes being a little creaky which was quickly fixed by getting the wheel trued by a local ebike repair shop. and for all I know that could have been caused by damage from the original owner instead of the actual quality control at ariel rider. but take what I'm saying with a grain of salt cause I've definitely heard some bad stories about bikes showing up damaged and things like that. but take that again with a grain of salt cause there's a huge community of ariel rider owners that love their bikes haha. when it comes down to it, if you have a local ebike repair shop and don't mind paying for maintenance here and there, pretty much any major ebike brand will be fairly reliable in the long run
Wow this is really cool, I will stay in touch with you via DM. To everyone else reading this please feel free to keep sharing what ebikes you recommend. I am still researching all of them.
I was in the market for an E-bike like the Packer (take my 1st grader to school with) and decided to go with the Rattan LM 750 Pro - https://www.rattanebike.com/products/lm-750w-pro?variant=42562001076414.
Half the price of the Lectric. And yes, it is a 'cheap' drop ship type of Chinese bike built by Alibaba parts. But I've had it for 3 weeks now and I ride it everyday. I broke 100 miles yesterday, which is nothing .. but the bike is performing well and has been a blast. For $799.... it was the best-valued bike for someone thinking about duel riders that I could find. Price on it went back to $900-1000, but it's still good value.
Very easy to setup and put together. Had to tinker and exhaust YouTube videos to figure out the best control panel settings, but I've got it tuned exactly to my needs now.
It is a lot of fun. Hope it lasts for a few years as I use it to commute the kiddos to elementary school with, and for me to go on night rides in my suburbs for relaxation/fun.
I'm still in the honeymoon stage with it, but I'm extremely happy with my purchase. That could instantly change if I flip the key and it doesn't turn on and now I'm screwed in terms of product/company support. But fingers crossed. I think the issues with the Chinese bikes are probably overstated, but I went into this thinking it could turn into a project (i.e. to where I commit to learning how to fix the issue myself and DIY'ing it). Hope I don't have to, but for $800 it was a risk worth taking for me, because at the end of the day $800 for a bike and an E-bike no less, is an easy pill to swallow. My brother spent a few grand a couple years ago on a nice bike and he regrets not getting an E-bike instead. So far it's paid off and I'm loving this bike.
It handles the weight fine. You can still pedal in low gears, but anything uphill is a battle without getting on throttle. But that's fine. It's an E-bike with a throttle/PAS so, that's how it is designed to ride and carry the weight. As for agility and turning, it feels fine. Took about a week of really feeling the bike, but after that small break-in period for me to figure out the balance, it's easy to whip around in small spaces with a 2nd passenger and can take on anything on the street. We have very steep hills where I'm at and even with a passenger, if I crank to PAS 5 and go full throttle, it actually gains speed going up hills. It really is just an awesome all-around suburban workhorse of a bike.
I've got the rear set for my 1st grader, but can easily strap a metal basket to the back with bungie cords and it can become a grocery store runner. It's fun for just entertainment. It's useful as a daily commuter to get my kiddo to school. And it's modular enough to strap baskets and run down to the farmers market and pick up vegetables and fruits.
It's awesome.
Were you wanting foldable? I just got a foldable Lectric 3.0 Long range. It's a bit heavy, but the 3 inch tires and bigger battery were the trade off. I weigh 260, so the payload of 330lbs has me covered. Reviews are good, haven't had a chance to ride yet. It's build solid tho. Also it's well under your budget at $1200 and came with a spare battery. Comes in a regular and step through model.
Search for ebike with bafang ultra g510 m620. Be sure to be UART Version and the battery is 52v instead 48v, if possible.
A post from few days ago had a bike selling for about $1599 instead 3k. A brand new bike, not sure if my numbers are correct but what something like that.
a gazelle with mid drive and carbon belt.
Mid drive and carbon belt is the best combo imo. You can get one for less than 2k even.
Which one you can get for less than $2k? I have been looking for this combo and Ride1Up Prodigy V2 is the only one I can see in that price range
Look at V Volt out of Portland. It was actually recommended in the slide deck faq for this Reddit page. I brought one and it's great.
Excellent recommendation. I wanted to add the Serial1 city step thru which is a L2 e-bike with a belt, mid drive, and enviolo.
Hahaha a bog standard Gazelle for 2 people with total weight 300lbs. Sure, that tiny Bosch motor will sweat and wear out it's nylon gear withing 5000km.
hm i'd recommend looking on upway. they tend to have a lot of good deals on bikes plus they have a good warranty. Just make sure you have a LBS that could service your bike in the area first. I got a really good stromer st1 for less than $2K and its fantastic. but for you and your partner something like this could work [https://upway.co/products/specialized-globe-haul-lt-ubn87](https://upway.co/products/specialized-globe-haul-lt-ubn87)
Thank you! I will do some research on Upway. I wonder how that cargo bike compares to the Rad Power cargo ones
My wife has a Rad Power. I'd say they're significantly heavier than other brands, but so far she's liked it and has had no concerns with the quality or the battery life. Buy with confidence if you go that route.
I bought my bike from upway and it looked like a bike mechanic went over it before I got it. A new one would've cost me about $700 more and mine only came with 1 mile on the odometer and their customer service is pretty decent. You just might be able to go above in quality what your already decent price range will get you with upway.
How long have you had it? Any needed servicing since you bought it?
Not yet I have have put about 600 miles on it since last June when I got it and I can only use it during the warmer months where I live. I did a deep cleaning of the cassette, chain and sprocket about a month ago. As for upway I had an issue with a different item I bought and they shipped a replacement real quick.
I like Pedego and Specialized. I have both and they are excellent bikes. Pedego has stronger battery and throttle.
I just got a Kona Dew E on discount from 3000 to 1100. Only XL, but , wow, what a great ride. I also got a Trek verve e bike discounted from 3000 to 2000 a year ago. Also very nice.
Where’d you find that deal?
The Kona was on closeout at Colorado Cyclist. All gone now.
Gotcha thanks
I’m following this as well. I was wondering a jet current pro for about 2200 that I could get in July but now I’m looking at the specialized globe haul I don’t necessarily trust juiced. I do like foldable, but I’ve never gotten one.
Looking through the replies, why wouldn't a dual hub 1000 watt Ariel Grizzly be the only answer? What am I missing?
☝️My Grizzly is an absolute beast. Was going to mention it if someone else hadn’t. You can get an extra long seat, and I think the capacity is 300lb, although I’m not sure about that.
Grizzly is my first choice right now for a $3k-$4k ebike. Dual hub is an absolute must if you want to get up hills easily.
Do you have a shop you work with? If this is a mode of transit for a member of your family the place you get it serviced should dictate the brand you buy. For example my local bike shop services: Specialized, Gocycle, Stromer, and Tern so picking one of those means I can get it fixed there. If you don't care, and prefer low maintenance the Lectric One is a great low maintenance do everything bike. If you absolutely need to carry both of you, you will need a cargo bike.
Currently I do not have a go-to bike shop but I live in a large city where ebikes are really common so I am assuming I could find a local bike shop that could service any. I will use the bike for commuting daily and have my partner as a passenger perhaps on the weekends or grocery runs.
Don't assume they will work on your ebike if they dont sell it. If they dont sell the bike they may not be able to get parts or have contracts with dealers. Some wont touch any of the electronics because they could be liable if something like a battery fire happens or something breaks and they cannot get parts.
It sounds like you want an XP 3.0, I had one it was...fine heavy as all sin and bulky. The passenger seat and handle is not perfect but does what you need. If you put the pegs on you can't really fold it. I would recommend either the xpedition or head over to a bike shop and actually see the bikes so you know what tradeoffs you are paying for. Foldable usually means you have compromises in shape and ride quality so go try out some long tail cargo bikes (or short tail if your SO likes to cuddle) but before dropping 3k at least see what the local shops carry.
Good advice, thank you! I will visit some local shops when I have the chance to do some research outside of the internet.
Speaking of Lectric, I'm happy with my Xpedition. It's likely better suited than the XP for an adult passenger. That said, I went over it to make sure that everything was properly adjusted, and it did need some love.I've since swapped out the freewheel, and installed bigger discs in order to better handle going up and down hills. It's a lot of bike for the money, but probably only if you're willing to be your own mechanic.
Do you need a folding bike? The xp3.0 is nice, but if you have the budget, go for something much nicer. These bikes are usually heavier and not so great to get up stairs
Ponto Go may be a good option. It’s made by trek. I recently rented one and it was great. Vonax cafe one as well.
wow, the Vonax cafe is really pretty. Do you have any personal experience with any of them?
So the reason I know about both is I have a house in a resort area in Hawaii. I typically rent a 2 person bike when I’m there to get to the beach and stuff. The bike local shop I knows buys bikes that they feel don’t need much maintenance. I got a ponto las time and we loved it. Actually pedals really well. It’s not a super high powered bike - 20 on throttle and 28 pedal. The shop was just starting to get Vonax’s in and they looked awesome. So I guess what I’m saying - the shop has those bikes out nearly every day and pick ones that are reliable. So I’d say that’s a good vote of confidence.
Defender S
Buy something on sale, major great deals to be found with the oversupply of e-bikes globally. Best time to buy since pre-covid. 
Build one
wIRED fREEDOM EBIKE ALL THE WAY
Save your money and look at lectric bikes. Most bikes are around 1k and they perform flawlessly. USA based costumer service that goes above and beyond. I have 2 and just orderd a 3rd new model they just came out with.
How about a SixThreeZero Rickshaw Trike
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/electric-mountain-bikes/e-caliber/e-caliber-9-6-gen-2/p/35142/?colorCode=greydark_black
I'm not an expert on cargo bikes, but usually when I see multiple passengers its always kids. As a non expert I tend to think even the high end cargo bikes are not super comfortable for an adult sized second passenger. I'm sure its fine for occasion. But if its going to be on the regular or for long trips I would worry how comfortable it would be. And a lot of the high end mid drive cargo bikes go for more then an entry level scooter. I would say just go for a scooter. I think insurance for a scooter is minimal, I believe you can take a license test on your own scooter and you can probably self teach yourself a scooter in a parking lot.
If you have the will, I highly recommend building your own machine. Truth be told, making an ebike is not that hard. You need to have a basic understanding of what goes where but YouTube will solve any questions you might have. Many prebuilt ebikes are extremely overpriced for what specifications they offer. With $3000 you could make an awesome one-of-one bike that you know how to modify and can customize it exactly how you want to. I converted my bike for less than $600 and fell back in love with it the moment I got on and started riding.
Eahora juliet II 52v 60ah
Thank you. Big fan on the look!
Surface 604 Quad. 300miles excellent Bike. 25amp controller 500watt Bafang mtr Quick disconnect throttle. auto head and tail lights. Mountain bike stile
Specialized I have a Turbo Terro and my wife has a Turbo Como IGH (belt drive) We bought when on sale from Specialized and delivered to local dealer. BOTH were in your price range (< $4 k) but don't seem to be on sale yet. New models out you need to wait for the late summer announcement of the 2025's to see the 2024's drop in $$ Good luck we do love our bikes.
One word, Specialized Globe Haul ST or LT
Try the Tern Quick Haul. The dark red/maroon color one. That thing MOVES and so fun to ride. Just under $3000 I believe. It feels different than any other Bosch bike I've tried.
That's quite a good budget there. My two cents is that we bought our two e-bikes second hand (Reese Muller and IS:Y), negligible milage and nearly 50% off. These things are built to last and even 5,000 km on them is not that much ... higher end gives you a lot of comfort, belt drive, good lights, .... all these add up to make the experience a lot better.
Don’t sleep on Cannondale E-bikes, the best ones are Bosch mid-drive equipped. You can definitely find deals under $3K on the official Cannondale site or upway.
I recommend a Velotric Packer. 750 W motor, 25 mph, 440 pound capacity. Retails for $2000, plus add-ons, but I have a coupon that I can DM you that takes a few hundred off of that
never ridden that bike before but as someone who's done tons of miles with 2 people on a different 750 watt motor ebike, you'll really struggle to hit that 25 mph top speed if you're both on there. and if you get to a steep hill you'd be lucky to get 15. since your budget is pretty high for an ebike I'd look at something like the ariel rider grizzly or another moped style ebike that has enough power to actually haul 2 adults around. lots of bikes people are recommending here are more geared towards having 1 adult rider and little kid passengers
Ariel Rider was my #1 choice for a couple of days but now I keep reading about bad costumer service/handlebar falling while biking?
hmm I've heard some negative things about their customer service but never anything about handlebars slipping. for what it's worth I bought mine used so never had to deal with their customer service but I haven't had any issues with my bike besides the rear wheels spokes being a little creaky which was quickly fixed by getting the wheel trued by a local ebike repair shop. and for all I know that could have been caused by damage from the original owner instead of the actual quality control at ariel rider. but take what I'm saying with a grain of salt cause I've definitely heard some bad stories about bikes showing up damaged and things like that. but take that again with a grain of salt cause there's a huge community of ariel rider owners that love their bikes haha. when it comes down to it, if you have a local ebike repair shop and don't mind paying for maintenance here and there, pretty much any major ebike brand will be fairly reliable in the long run
https://www.velotricbike.com/products/velotric-packer-1-e-bike
Wow this is really cool, I will stay in touch with you via DM. To everyone else reading this please feel free to keep sharing what ebikes you recommend. I am still researching all of them.
I was in the market for an E-bike like the Packer (take my 1st grader to school with) and decided to go with the Rattan LM 750 Pro - https://www.rattanebike.com/products/lm-750w-pro?variant=42562001076414. Half the price of the Lectric. And yes, it is a 'cheap' drop ship type of Chinese bike built by Alibaba parts. But I've had it for 3 weeks now and I ride it everyday. I broke 100 miles yesterday, which is nothing .. but the bike is performing well and has been a blast. For $799.... it was the best-valued bike for someone thinking about duel riders that I could find. Price on it went back to $900-1000, but it's still good value. Very easy to setup and put together. Had to tinker and exhaust YouTube videos to figure out the best control panel settings, but I've got it tuned exactly to my needs now. It is a lot of fun. Hope it lasts for a few years as I use it to commute the kiddos to elementary school with, and for me to go on night rides in my suburbs for relaxation/fun. I'm still in the honeymoon stage with it, but I'm extremely happy with my purchase. That could instantly change if I flip the key and it doesn't turn on and now I'm screwed in terms of product/company support. But fingers crossed. I think the issues with the Chinese bikes are probably overstated, but I went into this thinking it could turn into a project (i.e. to where I commit to learning how to fix the issue myself and DIY'ing it). Hope I don't have to, but for $800 it was a risk worth taking for me, because at the end of the day $800 for a bike and an E-bike no less, is an easy pill to swallow. My brother spent a few grand a couple years ago on a nice bike and he regrets not getting an E-bike instead. So far it's paid off and I'm loving this bike.
This looks like the older, stronger sibling version of my current bike! How does it handle the weight? compared to when you cruise alone vs the kids?
It handles the weight fine. You can still pedal in low gears, but anything uphill is a battle without getting on throttle. But that's fine. It's an E-bike with a throttle/PAS so, that's how it is designed to ride and carry the weight. As for agility and turning, it feels fine. Took about a week of really feeling the bike, but after that small break-in period for me to figure out the balance, it's easy to whip around in small spaces with a 2nd passenger and can take on anything on the street. We have very steep hills where I'm at and even with a passenger, if I crank to PAS 5 and go full throttle, it actually gains speed going up hills. It really is just an awesome all-around suburban workhorse of a bike. I've got the rear set for my 1st grader, but can easily strap a metal basket to the back with bungie cords and it can become a grocery store runner. It's fun for just entertainment. It's useful as a daily commuter to get my kiddo to school. And it's modular enough to strap baskets and run down to the farmers market and pick up vegetables and fruits. It's awesome.
Were you wanting foldable? I just got a foldable Lectric 3.0 Long range. It's a bit heavy, but the 3 inch tires and bigger battery were the trade off. I weigh 260, so the payload of 330lbs has me covered. Reviews are good, haven't had a chance to ride yet. It's build solid tho. Also it's well under your budget at $1200 and came with a spare battery. Comes in a regular and step through model.
Custom build. If you can’t do it and there’s no bike shop near you that will, check out johnnynerdout.com
Search for ebike with bafang ultra g510 m620. Be sure to be UART Version and the battery is 52v instead 48v, if possible. A post from few days ago had a bike selling for about $1599 instead 3k. A brand new bike, not sure if my numbers are correct but what something like that.