Recommendations for lightweight petite adult bike for hilly area, possibly electric

[DoctorsKit]

Recommendations for first time unfit adult petite bike, lightweight to fit in car/boot, but maybe with electric as live in a very hilly area.

We spent a month researching, looking in detail at specs, contacting manufacturers,* asking questions politely *and are very pleased with our new bikes.

Bumping as I'm considering an e bike. A bitter pill but I'm too old for these hills now ...

Yes, it’s the hills that put me off! Hopefully some helpful folk will comment…

What's your budget, and what style of bike are you looking for?
There is a huge range of ebikes available these days so it's difficult to make suggestions without knowing a bit more about what you want.

I just got my 5ft 1 DD a Frog 78/26 which is not electric but very lightweight, 9.7kg I think which is the lightest I found. I’ve had a quick shot (5”5 myself) and feels good.

I found that the bikes that have pedal assist are better and ensure it’s on the back wheel and not front
Also look at how much it would cost for a replacement battery in a few years, my battery cost nearly £400 to replace !

I was thinking up to £500? But reading a post about the cost of a battery alone I’m probably way out of touch, right?

Helpful, thank you. Pedal assist is what will really help but hadn’t even considered if it’s front or rear so thanks.

£500 will get you a decent second hand bike but not electric I’d have thought. A decent e bike is the price of a small car these days. Do you have the option to buy via a cycle fo work scheme? I paid my regular bike off over a year tax free so a £1k bike cost me about £5-600 in actually money because of how it was worked out. I have a Liv bike as designed for women. You do need to try them as different frame sizes suit different body types. I like flat bars and and higher stem

Have a look on Liv-cycling.com they have a clearance section

Mmm...yes, I'm afraid so. My ebike was the lightest on the market when I bought it 5 years ago (it weighs 11kg ) but it cost 10 times more than what you're thinking of spending. I'm afraid a cheap, light, good ebike really is a unicorn, especially new. You might pick something reasonable second hand but it is a bit of a minefield. I'm a big fan of buying regular bikes second hand but the problem with buying a used ebike is that you can't tell how well the battery has been looked after, so there's a risk of getting what looks like a bargain but ends up costing you a lot in repairs. I certainly wouldn't buy a used ebike that was out of warranty unless I knew and trusted the person who was selling it.
There's a lot to think about. To start with you need to think about all the things you'd consider about buying a regular bike - what style of frame do you want, what type of gears and so on, and then you need to decide on the electric side of things, like what type of motor do you want, how much torque do you need (the more torque the more "help" you get) and what kind of battery life do you need. In very simplistic terms if you get a motor with a lot of torque it will give you lots of assistance but drain your battery quickly so you either don't get much range or you need a bigger (and hence heavier) battery. So if you do short hilly rides mostly you'd probably want a vety different battery and motor configuration than someone who does long, flatter rides, Then there are practical considerations around charging, for example, if you don't have anywhere to keep your bike indoors or you live in a flat up a lot of stairs you'd probably be better off getting a bike with a removable battery.
Have a look at this website.https://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/
I've never used this shop so can't personally recommend them but there are absolutely loads of models on the site which should give you some idea of what is out there. Then I'd look for a physical bike shop that sells the brands you're interested in, or even better, a hire shop where you can properly try them out. Lots of people buy an ebike without really researching what meets their needs and end up making an expensive mistake, so take your time and shop around. And don't forget, a good quality, light conventional bike might actually be easier to ride than a cheap ebike that weighs half your body weight.

Electric bikes are very heavy. And not compact. Unless you have quite a big car they won't fit in your boot.
I have a Liv Rab+ in XS which I really like but it's not small or light. Try some for size in a shop.
It was in the high £1000s I think.
Before that I had a Trek hybrid which I loved but it was nicked. I had it converted to electric.

I have a Wisper folding e-bike. It’s not particularly light (about 22kg) but I can easily lift it in and out of my car. It’s a step through, so hand for short people - I’m a little over 5ft. I live in rolling countryside rather than anywhere with big hills, but have never had to go above a level or two of power assist, so I think a higher assist would be okay for bigger hills, but would reduce the range.

It’s above your price range, but you may find one second- hand, as they’ve been around a while.

It's double your budget and won't be light but maybe something to think about?
Liv Rove E+ 2022 Womens Bike - Nearly New - Womens Mountain Bikes - Womens Bikes - Bikes

Second vote for Wisper; we have older versions (2018) of the 806 folding bike. They're not particularly light, but can fit into our vehicles and our boat, and are basically just really good bikes. Also, we've been very impressed by Wisper's customer service.

https://wisperbikes.com/shop/e-bikes/step-through-ebikes/tailwind-806/

If you already cycle what kind of bike do you have? Would you go for same type? There are lots of specialist e-bike shops now that you could visit. Also e-bikes are not without problems so check if the local shop can service the brand you buy.

After a bit of research I bought a Merida e-silex gravel bike. I was used to a road bike with drop handlebars and liked the profile of this. It’s quite “stealth” as battery is in the tube. We carry them on the bike rack on our campervan so they needed to be light. (Think mine weighs about 14 kg.) I can lift it easily. It fits in the boot of my car.

As it’s light I can cycle on the flat without assistance. Range is ok I can get 80 kilometres on it on undulating routes. Local bike shop is a dealer for the brand and the mechanic is Merida trained.

whilst some have bigger batteries/greater range they can be really heavy - saw a lady who couldn’t push her electric bike up an incline to get to a pub!

I also considered a Ribble bike but at the time they had very long lead times. You can visit their shop/factory. They do have lovely colours though!

I'm also in the market. Are these smaller wheels not unstable? I'd love a folder but that potentially puts me off.

I don't think smaller wheels would be unstable but bigger wheels do roll better @Summerhillsquare

Don't know if this appeals? No experience of it but it's such a bargain!
It's single speed so something to take into account.

Momentum Voya E+ 2 Electric Hybrid Bike 2025 in Ink Blue

I was concerned about "squirrely" wheels when we were doing our initial research, but these Wisper bikes have 20" wheels, not as small as some folders, which are 16". (We did try some folders with 16" wheels; the difference those inches make is significant, much more stable.)

Currrently looking at this one: www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/brands/basis/basis-hybrid-full-size-folding-electric-bike-700c-wheel-96ah-battery-black-red/

As ever, it depends why you want something and how you are going to use it , but I'd be a bit wary of this. There's usually good reasons why things evolve as they do, and small wheels add a great deal of portability which is why most folding bikes have them. I guess if you want a folding bike simply because you're short of storage space at home or something then full sized wheels could work, but I don't think a 23kg steel framed bike with 700c wheels can be made truly compact and portable however you package it, so if you want to be able to take it on public transport for instance I would think very carefully. Even folded it's going to be a heavy and bulky object.
There are lots of other reasons why I wouldn't buy it either to be honest. A front hub motor is the least popular type of ebike motor, again for good reasons. They are cheap and simple, but adding weight to the front of the bike can affect steering and traction, especially on loose surfaces. They also tend not to be very good on steep hills. This bike is heavy and by modern ebike standards has quite a poor range. Plus it's got pretty basic mechanical components, though at this price point that's not unreasonable.
It's hard to make a good folding bike and even harder to make a good folding ebike. A step through frame is intrinsically less stiff than a frame with a top tube to begin with and then you disrupt the structure by effectively cutting it up. Overcoming those weaknesses needs some good engineering, and overcoming them without making the bike weigh an absolute tonne is even harder. That's why really good folding bikes like Bromptons cost such a lot of money - they are well designed, well built and use more expensive materials and components. Even high end folding bikes have to make compromises so that they fold well but to be brutally honest this bike looks like it has all the disadvantages of a folding bike but without their one huge advantage - portability. I'd think very carefully about whether this will meet your needs.

@MrsAvocet gives an excellent analysis.

Sorry @Summerhillsquare but it's more of a BSO (bike shaped object) than an actual bike.

I have an xs liv e bike. It is far too heavy and big to put in a car. We have a towbar and put an e bike carrier on the back, but I don't have the strength to take that on and off, so only use this when husband available.

I absolutely love the bike though and an e bike was a game changer. I got it through the cycle to work scheme which made it more affordable. I have definitely got my money back on it in the savings I have made and get more exercise, a complete win.

I absolutely understand what people are saying about weight. Being 5ft0, puny and disabled I had to choose my ebike quite carefully to ensure I could lift it into my car on my own. Weight definitely does matter and unless you are sure you will never be putting your bike in or on a car, or carrying it up steps etc then I would always advise someone to buy the lightest one they can.
But "too big" to fit in a car mystifies me a bit. My ebike is no taller or longer than any of my regular bikes. Frame size and saddle height are a function of my height and reach, and the wheels are the same size so the overall dimensions are much the same. My ebike looks quite a lot bulkier it is true, because the frame is constructed from wider diameter tubes, as most ebikes are, but get a tape measure out and the bike doesn't actually occupy more space than my manual bikes. Assuming the same general style of bike and rider size I can't think of any logical reason why an ebike would take up signifcantly more room in a car than an equivalent manual bike. And I'm yet to find a car I couldn't fit a bike in. Some are easier than others it is true -my original mini would at best be described as challenging! But you can fit most bikes in most cars if you take the front wheel out, which takes, what, 30 seconds if it's got a quick release and a couple of minutes with a thru axle. Plus removing a wheel makes the bike a bit lighter so is a sensible thing to do if you struggle to lift your bike anyway. Choosing an ebike with a removable battery is another thing to consider if you find it difficult to lift your bike as the battery makes a significant part of the overall weight.
I'm not saying it is a non issue, but it isn't as difficult to transport bikes as people sometimes think.

I am guessing anyting under 2 grand is a BSO 😆

anyway I have bought this https://www.halfords.com/bikes/second-hand-bikes/electric-bikes/second-hand-grade-c---pendleton-somerby-electric-hybrid-bike-2019---midnight-blue---s-m-frames-830062.html