Need e-bike recommendations for pulling a baby trailer

Post date: 2019-11-10 12:36:11

My wife and I have two kids who go to different daycares, and only one car. We are considering upping our commute game with an e-bike, which would be used to pull a trailer containing one of the kids. I'm looking for general advice as well as recommendations for specific models.

Relevant info:

The commute is 3 miles each way along a paved bike path with some ups and downs but no big hills.

The trailer is a Burley Encore (a slightly older model than the one shown here, but quite similar). It attaches to a hitch which goes on the rear axle of the bike. We'd like to keep using this trailer.

My wife and I are both relatively tall (5' 10" and 6' 1", respectively), and we both ride road bikes but are open to other form factors.

We will be sharing the e-bike.

We also intend to use the bike to increase our range for other errands, but the daycare run with our younger child is the main purpose for now.

I'm pretty sure I don't want one with a throttle (Class 2). That leaves pedal-assist only, ie Class 1 or Class 3. Within that constraint, top speed is less an issue for us than reliability and ease of use.

Our budget is probably toward the lower end of the e-bike range. We'd like to spend under $3000 (USD).

General info I'm looking for:

I've heard that there are different types of pedal-assistance that feel more or less natural (torque-sensing vs cadence-sensing). Is this a big deal or not?

Will I notice a big difference between a hub motor and a mid-drive motor?

Are there other factors I should be considering?

Specific model recommendations are most welcome. There are so many choices out there and I'm feeling overwhelmed! Our priorities are (1) ability to attach the trailer, (2) reliability, and (3) price. Range is less of a consideration, since it'll be used mainly for dropping off our child and running errands in our neighborhood.

Please click Here to read the full story.