Which Electric Bike Will She Choose? Short Woman Tests & Reviews EBikes Choosing Her Favorite

Dustin: Okay, so which one did the quiz give you?

Lady: It gave me a relaxed.

Dustin: Did it?

Lady: Yeah.

Dustin: Okay. So this one, let me show you. Do you want a helmet, by the way? Are you good with it?

Lady: Nah.

Dustin: Okay. All right, let me flip this around. So here's the EvryJourney, which a lot of shorter women like. Have you ridden a knee bike before?

Lady: No.

Dustin: Okay. And you're sure you don't want a helmet? Okay. All right, so let's try this one to start. So this one, the seats down. So see how that feels. Can you get this foot down? So that's a little too high?

Lady: Yeah, I’m like super tippy-toe.

Dustin: Okay, So that one's got one of the lowest seats. Other than the Relaxed Body and the Simple Step-Thru 20 inches. So you said you're 5'2"? Try this one. So still a little bit, not too bad though. How does that feel?

Lady: Feels okay. I'm just used to hopping off when I ride.

Dustin: Yeah, yeah. All right.

Lady: I like this frame better.

Dustin: Easier to get on and off.

Lady: The handlebars are closer. My arms are short. So that one feels like oversized for me.

Dustin: Okay.

Lady: And it's easier to get on and off.

Dustin: So this one, the seat can go the lowest. Let me... You've got a longer seat post in here. Let me give you the shorter seat post. This one's long, too. OK, let me get you a shorter seat post and I can get a tool to adjust this one. You can try that one. OK, try that. So the handlebars let's see that feels better yeah and then okay and then they can also bend down. Let's see. That's a different size. Ooh, it's tight. All right. So yeah, you can kind of find what…

Lady: That's nice. Okay.

Dustin: Okay. Do you want to try it?

Lady: Yeah.

Dustin: Okay, I'm going to put the kickstand up for you. All right, so the power button's right here.

Lady: Okay.

Dustin: Now when this is in zero, nothing, no electronics will work okay. Does it?  Lady: I’m, not, haven’t been on a bike in a while.

Dustin: Do you want to try it without the electrical assistance?

Lady: Let me try it first.

Dustin: Okay.

Lady: So like they just get acclimated to recycling.

Dustin: Yeah, yeah go for it. There you go. Yep. You can go all the way down if you want.

Lady: Okay, I have to get used to the handlebars.

Dustin: Oh a little bit different.

Lady: Like I’m being further apart.

Dustin: What's that? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Lady: But I like the way it rides. I think that’s better for me right there.

Dustin: Right there?

Lady: Okay. I do like how you can sit back more on the seat.

Dustin: On this one?

Lady: Yeah. It's comfortable.

Dustin: Yeah, this one's a…

Lady: I always had that problem finding bikes. Because the seat is wider.

Dustin: Oh, yeah? Oh, this seat you mean?

Lady: Yeah, in general.

Dustin: We have a bigger one, too, that's even more comfortable. You could try it.

Lady: I can try it.

Dustin: All right. Want me to turn the power on?

Lady: Yeah, let me turn myself around.

Dustin: Okay. Yep. No, you're good. All right. So put this on. You have five levels of assistance. You can do these up and down while you're riding. So one gives you the least amount of assistance. Five gives you the most. We can start you out in one. Now, this right here is a throttle. You can push it and get a feel for it if you want. It's turned off right now. It's just like a gas pedal on a car, so you're going to want to ease into it.

Lady: Yeah, because I rode a scooter before, so it's similar to that throttle where you…

Dustin: That's a twist throttle?

Lady: Yeah.

Dustin: Yeah, same idea. It's just this is a thumb throttle. Some people like to use that to get going, just again, like ease into it. Yeah. So once you make a full rotation of pedaling, you're going to feel the motor kick in.

Lady: Oh, okay. So right now it's on speed two, right?

Dustin: So yeah, these are the gears. So these are independent of each other. 

So these gears are like gears on a bicycle.

Lady: So it depends on your incline or wherever you're riding.

Dustin: Also, if you're in the most amount of assistance, you'll want to be in the highest gear here typically, but you don't have to be, you can do it.

Lady: Okay. Yeah. I'm not going to feel it like buzzing off, right? Like.

Dustin: You're gonna feel it assist you, but it's not gonna be crazy. You can make a full lap around if you want to. It's fun, right?

Lady: Yes. I love this thing.

Dustin: It goes fast, doesn't it?

Lady: And it's smooth. You can't even tell.

Dustin: Yeah. Yeah, it's cool.

Lady: I like it.

Dustin: So yeah, I mean, that's probably the only one I was gonna…

Lady: How about that one? 

Dustin: This one?

Lady: Yeah.

Dustin: Do you want to try it?

Lady: Yeah, I want to ride it and see.

Dustin: Sure. Yep. So before you get off, I always tell people to hit the power button and hold it down. There we go. Now nothing crazy can happen. And then it's easier if you step off the frame probably too well.

Lady: Oh.

Dustin: It's up to you, but so yeah, have a seat. And I can adjust the handlebars.

Lady: I’m just thinking, this one could get in my car easily.

Dustin: Yep, totally.

Lady: This one feels high. Is this the lowest seat?

Dustin: That's as low as it goes, yep. Yep.

Lady: Will it go lower?

Dustin: Yeah.

Lady: …hand that’s a quick release.

Dustin: Good? How about, is the positioning good?

Lady: In terms of the seat?

Dustin: The handlebars can go away from your body.

Lady: Yeah, let's go away a little bit. It feels close.

Dustin: Sure. Okay. Okay, I gotta clamp down the seat here really quick, too. It's Yeah.

Lady: You have another seat that's cushioning?

Dustin: Yep.

Lady: Can I try that in a minute?

Dustin: Yeah. Oh, yeah There you go.

Lady: Weird I have to have, I have to start.

Dustin: Yep, so everything's the same.

Lady: So if I want to start, if I want to ride it, I have to turn this off, right?

Dustin: You can leave it in zero and it won't work either.

Lady: And then this will just speed it up.

Dustin: Yep.

Lady: Even the two were fast.

Dustin: Yeah.

Lady: Because it's flat here yeah two was like super, I felt like it was like overpower for this level. Like one was okay.

Dustin: There you go.

Lady: All right, so I'm gonna try it.

Dustin: Okay. What do you think?

Lady: They ride differently, but I like them both. Like this one rides more like a scooter, like more straight up. That one is like chilling out. So yeah, I like them both.

Dustin: Let me grab the other seat for you. Okay. And then you can try that. All right.

Lady: What's the weight of this bike?

Dustin: It's about 70 pounds. And this one's about 55.

Lady: To get it on a bike it’s heavy.

Dustin: Give it a shot. Well, you can take the battery off. That's eight pounds.

Lady: Okay,

Dustin: So…

Lady: I’m going to give it a ride. Definitely this one.

Dustin: Do you like the seat?

Lady: It's so comfortable.

Dustin: Yeah, it's nice, right? Do you want to try it on this one?

Lady: You know what? This one feels better because I actually can touch the ground. It feels more comfortable. That one is like I still have the tippy toe when you sit, you have to stand really, sit with really good posture. This one you could be a little bit more relaxed. I feel like it's more versatile.

Dustin: Okay, cool, yeah. Do you wanna try the trikes you said too?

Lady: Yeah, is that what I'm, I'm thinking of getting one for my mom.

Dustin: Okay. So this is the EZ Transit.

Lady: I think that's what I saw on the list.

Dustin: So everything works. Have you ridden a tricycle before?

Lady: When I was a little kid.

Dustin: Okay, it rides a little bit differently. I'm just gonna give you a heads-up. The steering is different. So try that. It's okay if you can't touch the ground on a trike. 

Lady: This one’s fine for me like

Dustin: Yeah, we can try a bunch of them. So same deal. You just put the power on. You can try pedaling if you want. This has a parking brake.

Lady: Oh, I keep thinking, it’s a bike I’m looking for a kickstand. Is that what how do you… What do you do right now.

Dustin: There's a parking brake. So right here you can see this thing right here.

Lady: I see.

Dustin: Click that in and now you have the parking brake. Yep. Yeah, so you have to steer. So that's a lot of people who…

Lady: Feels weird it's…

Dustin: The tricycles are different.

Lady: Yeah.

Dustin: Here, pick your feet up. I'll just push you backward so you can reset.

Lady: It feels unnatural.

Dustin: Well yeah if you're used to riding a bike, yep so just go slow and just turn. You have to turn.

Lady: But can the handlebar be pushed upward?

Dustin: Oh, sure.

Lady: Yeah, because it feels close to my body.

Dustin: Sure.

Lady: I'm like, my brain is just like a bike.

Dustin: Totally. Everybody that gets on trikes goes through the same phase. Trust me.

Lady: That's better.

Dustin: Okay.

Lady: Okay. So there's a d and r what is that?

Dustin: Uh, this has reversed.

Lady: Oh, okay.

Dustin: So if you were to like use it in tight spaces or go into an elevator for an older person. 

Lady: It's like those motorized scooters where they have.

Dustin: Exactly.

Lady:  …like a chair.

Dustin: Yep.

Lady: I've seen them in the store.

Dustin: Yeah, exactly.

Lady: Okay. Let me try slowly.

Dustin: Steer to the left, left, there you go. So you gotta turn the handlebars.

Dustin: You can try this one too. This one's got really wide tires, so it may, feel better for you. This one, so this one's a twist throttle instead. The power button.

Lady: Oh, I did have a question.

Dustin: Sure.

Lady: So when you're riding, you know, like at first you use the throttle. So once you're riding about, do you have to hold that throttle button down or not? Is that just to start, kick up the electric part?

Dustin: You don't have to use the throttle to start.

Lady: Okay.

Dustin: You can just pedal. But if you don't want to pedal, you have to hold the throttle.

Lady: Oh, yeah, that's my question. So, like, if I'm riding along and I have the pedaling assistant going on, for it just to chug along on the battery, I have to hold the throttle, right?

Dustin: Without pedaling?

Lady: Yeah.

Dustin: Yes.

Lady: Okay.

Dustin: Yeah, yeah. But while you pedal, the motor will go.

Lady: Okay. Yeah. All right.

Dustin: So if you're pedaling, you don't have to hold the throttle.

Lady: Is the brake released already? Yeah?

Dustin: Yeah. Now you have big tires. Did you get easier?

Lady: Yeah. It takes a while to get used to it.

Dustin: Alright, I think I saved one for you that you'll like. All right, so this one is our Simple Glide. This is like a recumbent. This is really, let me put the seat all the way forward. Okay. So this one's really good for riders that maybe have any kind of physical impairment or... just want absolute comfort. So go ahead and have a seat. You may need another backrest, but we'll see.

Lady: I think I’m okay, I feel like I’m in a lounger.

Dustin: Yeah. So you push the power here and same deal. Do you want the handlebars farther away from you or do you like them there.

Lady: Let's try it a little further just to see if it feels natural. Leave it there.

Dustin: This has an easily adjustable.

Lady: So question, what is this red?

Dustin: That's a kill switch, so if you press that, the throttle won't work.

Lady: Okay so like I’m going too fast I need to cut it off so it’s…

Dustin: No you wouldn't do that, you just hit the brakes. This is basically like when you're stopped like if you don't want to accidentally use the throttle. Kind of like what happened to you on that one. Yeah. And then this is engaged. So once, oops, sorry. Now you can,

Lady: I can take off.

Dustin: If you twist that throttle, it's easy to get going too. Just ease into it. It's got a lot of power.

Lady: This is nice.

Dustin: Comfortable, right?

Lady: Yeah. It's fun.

Dustin: So that's, I mean, and then we have our rickshaw, which I don't, that one's about the same as this one.

Lady: That one was big for me. This one was nice. But I still like this one.

Dustin: Okay. Yeah. I thought for your mom.

Lady: Yeah. I don't think she could. She'll get flustered. With the throttle and the pedaling.

Dustin: Oh, really? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Lady: But this one, I think for me, yes.

Dustin: Okay. 

Lady: But I'm undecided about this seat or the regular one. I forget how it feels now. This one's more cushiony, right? And it's wider.

Dustin: It's wider, yeah.

Lady: It has the butt grooves.

Dustin: What'd you say?

Lady: The butt grooves. Yeah, it's comfortable. Let me just sit on that.

Dustin: Sure, yeah, you can ride it again, too. Do you want to try the one with the backrest? So we have this seat here, come over here. Maybe just, if you can try to sit on there that that's the same seat with a little backrest. Just a very small, it's a prototype.

Lady: It's nice. I don't think I need it.

Dustin: Okay yeah.

Lady: I think when you sit that one far back you just like you're reclining you get a little like, that rock in the back is like, don't scoot back anymore. 

Dustin: Fair enough, yeah.

Lady: So yeah, that one’s my favorite one.

Dustin: Oh, all right.

Lady: I guess your little quiz is right.

Dustin: Yeah? Perfect. This seats. So yeah, this one.

Lady: The only thing I was thinking like if I get a rack on the back of my car, how heavy is it going.

Dustin: But keep in mind, you can take the battery here. Let me, um, here are the keys right here. So let me show you.

Lady: It's like riding a scooter.

Dustin: Yeah, like a hybrid.

Lady: I'm glad I didn't buy a scooter.

Dustin: So put your key in. So you can try to lift it now a little bit easier. Try from up here. Grab that. There you go.

Lady: Oh yeah, it's a lot better. Yeah of course I'll just have somebody else do it.

Dustin: That's the best way. 

Lady: I need help you know I’m short. I can’t carry stuff.

Dustin: Yeah.

Lady: Yeah, this one's nice. I like the colors too.

Dustin: Cool.

Lady: When I put my bike on a rack, I just lift one tire at a time. Oh, I see what you're saying.

Cameraman: Yeah. Pick up the whole bike. Yes. I didn't think that.

Lady: So the key is just for the battery to be able to turn on or?

Dustin: Lock it onto the bike.

Lady: Oh, okay.

Dustin: So if you were to, like, park the bike somewhere, no one could steal the battery and yeah or and so then to take it in and out with you you know but yeah.

Lady: But this could not fit in with my truck right in my trunk right? It's too big.

Dustin: I don't know. Probably. Do you want me to measure the back of your car? Let's see. So the bike's 72 inches. 72 inches. Hyundai Tucson. First time loading it in. Is there a button here? No, you're good. Oh, there's your doggy. I mean, yeah, I would go... You'd have to put that seat forward. Oh, okay.

Lady: How far is that just with the seat down?

Dustin: Basically to the back. You could also probably try to fold the wheel. That's pretty close, like 70.

Lady: Okay.

Dustin: Yeah, it's gonna be hard to load it in here too, but yeah, could work. Yeah, so that one…

Lady: So I guess I’ll just have to ride it from my house.

Dustin: Do you mind if I measure you? I'm kind of just curious because... I want to see…

Lady: Normally no but I say yes for the video.

Dustin: All right put your feet together. Well I want to confirm.

Lady: I’m 5’1 and a half.

Dustin: Yeah, you're about right. You're about you're right you're about five one. I just want to see your inseam because I think you have oops let me just see because you have a shorter leg.

Lady: Yes, unfortunately.

Dustin: So yeah maybe about 28 27?

Lady: 26.

Dustin: 26, okay. All right. Yeah, it's interesting because we have Rider.

Lady: I'm surprised. I thought that one would be the one that's being used.

Dustin: So this is a sample.

Lady: Looking at the frame, I thought for sure.

Dustin: On the production ones, it's going to go down another inch and a half because the seat right now is blocked by the rack. So I think in the future production, this one will work a lot better for you because it'll go down another inch and a half.