E-Bikes & Bikes Customised to You
Guys, Dustin, your CEO of sixthreezero. Today, we're going to answer the question, am I too heavy to ride an e-bike? Stick around. All right. So today we're going to answer the question, am I too heavy to ride an e-bike? But before I do hit that Subscribe button below, stay in touch with us here at sixthreezero and be the first to know about all the new content we're putting out new products, and of course our weekly, monthly giveaways for bikes, e-bikes, and accessories.
All right. So the question is, am I too heavy to ride an e-bike? The short answer is no, but you will need to look for a specific type of e-bike depending on your body, your weight, and what's best for you. So I personally am 225 pounds and certain e-bikes are best for my body and my fit. I'll give you a general synopsis of what to look for.
Now, I would say it's hard because men and women are different, but there are different motor sizes. Now, along with the actual structural integrity of the frame and the materials, the bike has made out of that's one important thing to look for. So generally speaking, if you're 225 pounds and below, you could be looking at, let's say 500 Watt or even I'd say 240 pounds in below, or even 250 pounds and below because it really depends on the riding. So let me explain, 250 pounds and below you could be utilizing a 500 Watt or less motor size. 250 Watt depending on the type of riding you're doing for someone 210 pounds or more going up a hill may not provide you ample power depending on the severity of the hill which in that case you'd want to look for 750 Watts of power.
Now, an important thing to know is for street legal purposes in California, the Wattage of the motor can be no more than 750 Watts. Now, again, for me at 230 pounds, when I go up to large hills typically 500 Watts is enough for me, depending on the severity of the angle, I've never had an issue. However, I have towed my children with me before, which has taken the weight up to say 300 or 350 in some cases. And the 500 Watt motor does struggle a little bit with that 300-pound weight limit going up hills. Now on flat ground, it's totally fine. So if you're going to be doing mostly flat ground, I can say confidently that a 500 Watt motor would really be enough to power riders up to 350 pounds. But anytime you add some incline into it's going to put more torque on that motor, so if you're going to do a lot of incline riding and you're 250 and above 750 Watts is something for you to take a look at.
And if you're 350 pounds and above 750 Watts, I would say is almost a no-brainer if you have any hills in the ride at all, but it also comes back to how fast you want to go. Not everybody needs to go 20 miles an hour. If you're comfortable with the bike just taking you eight, nine, 10 miles an hour, then you don't need a super large motor size even if you're 300 pounds, 350 pounds, because a 500 Watt motor will still get you going 12, 13, 14 miles an hour. Now to answer the question, am I too heavy for an e-bike? From the motor specifications, no.
The other thing to consider is if you get into the 350 pounds 300 to 350 weight range, you may want to think about a mid-drive motor versus a rear motor. The mid-drive motors have a little bit more torque. So they're going to be good to like pull more weight, especially uphill, they're going to be a little bit more expensive, but it would pay off if you're going to be doing those inclines frequently. Now again, flat ground, not as much of an issue, but when you start to talk about the hills and 300 pounds to 350 pounds or above, you want to go mid-range. If you're 350 pounds or above, and you're doing a lot of hills mid-range would be a no-brainer. 750 Watt mid-range you'd have ample power to traverse anything. But again, the mid-drive's going to be a little bit more expensive than the rear hub motor.
Now the other thing to consider is the bike itself, right? And so there are elements I think anybody could customize the bike to work for their weight. I really believe that whether it be buying a new seat or upgrading the wheels with thicker spokes, there's nothing that can't be changed or upgraded. So you may have to buy let's say a stocky bike and just make some subtle changes. The things that tend to come under stress with increased weight are the spokes, the rims, the seat, and the seat springs.
The other thing too is thinking about the frame material, aluminum versus steel. If you're 350 pounds and above, I would really think about getting a steel frame. A steel frame is going to be much more durable, stronger, and an aluminum frame is lighter, but the steel frame will hold up better with heavier weight. Now things like the wheels and the spokes, those can always be changed, upgraded, improved. If you do get a rear-drive hub motor and the motors in the rear of the wheel, you may find it difficult to change the spokes. So you may want to look at that mid-drive motor because then changing the spokes on the wheels and the rims would be significantly easier.
And the seat there are lots of different aftermarket seats that can be improved, upgraded, changed to where I'm confident that you can find a seat that would work for you. Now, the other thing about that too is most... I can't say most, but a lot of the components that come on these bikes will endure a certain amount of miles with most rider weights. And means it's going to work for some amount of time. It just may not last as long with a 300-pound rider versus a 120-pound rider. Me, as an example at 225 pounds, my bike's seat and spokes are going to take a lot more wear and tear with me on it versus let's say Alana in our company, who's 110 pounds. That bike's just going to be under a lot less duress.
So it's just something to think about and to know about if you come into a bike to understand how your weight is affecting this bike and just be aware of it and just think I may need to upgrade this seat eventually. I may need to upgrade these spokes eventually. Everybody has to make those upgrades at some point over some length of time depending on how many miles you log. So you just have to pay attention to your bike, see what needs to be changed. Now the beauty of SixThreeZero bikes, in particular, is lots of things can be changed very easily, including the seat.
The same is true for lots of other e-bike brands out there as well, so you can always change, improve, upgrade, and swap for new as you see fit. So to answer the question, I am too heavy for an e-bike? I believe no. Just make smart choices, be aware of the upgrades that will best suit your body, and pay attention to when your bike might need tuning or improvements, it'll help keep it in tiptop shape. So if you have any other questions or comments, please put them below or reach out to us at theteam@sixthreezero.com or call us at (310) 982-2877. And don't forget, go to our website and take our proprietary body fit tool. You're going to answer some questions about your body and your life and our proprietary algorithm will recommend the perfect bike for your body and your life.
In addition to that, we have a 30-day test drive for your e-bike policy, if you don't love your bike in 30 days, send it back. No questions asked, no money out of your pocket. And lastly, download our app and be a part of our community. We're doing 150,000 mile People Pedaled Challenge this year.
And for every 25,000 miles we log, we're giving away bikes to inspire more riders to be a part of it. And you can be a part of the community and compete on the leaderboard for weekly giveaways. It's a ton of fun. You can also join our Facebook Pedalers group and talk to real riders about their bikes before you purchase and after you can share photos, make friends and be a part of the community. All right, thanks for sticking around, and don't forget, it's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.