Heyo everyone. For the first time in my life I’m in a position to be able to use an ebike for most of my commuting needs, which I’m pretty psyched for!

As ebikes are a somewhat hefty investment, I want to do my best to get one that will last a good while, and can be maintained and repaired by just me. I’ve read that Bosch motors are proprietary and refuse to sell parts to anyone who isn’t a dealer, so I figured I’d ask here for advice before making any decisions.

The criteria I’m looking at is:

  • Budget of around $1200
  • Plan to haul groceries uphill regularly (not super steep though)
  • Decently fast, at least able to achieve Class 3 speeds
  • Enough torque for hauling a small trailer (costco runs)
  • Replaceable/repairable battery
  • As many non-proprietary parts as possible
  • Ability to fold is a bonus, but not a requirement

If any of you have any experience you can share, I’d be most grateful!