[Hoot Gibson]

I'm curious on how those e-bikes do going up hill. If they make it easier.  When I was in the shape of my life, on a regular bike, I struggled going uphill. Often having to push and walk the thing lol

Hill climbing is one of the best things about e-bikes. For an average sized rider, most bikes easily climb most hills, although it depends on the power of the motor and weight of the rider and cargo. In eastern Kentucky, my bike would carry me up nearly any hill. It has a 750 watt motor and 8 gears. On a very steep hill, I might need to pedal to maintain a reasonable speed. If a hill is to steep and you have to push the bike, most good bikes, including mine, have a walk mode that will push the bike at up to a 2 to 3 mph rate.

Some cheaper "good" bikes come with 500 watt motors, which are still adequate for climbing hills for average sized riders. Below 500 watts, a rider might need to push his bike up some steep hills.

My AI estimates that my bike would be able to carry a 330 lb. rider up a 20 percent steep paved road in throttle-only mode, and a 30 percent or steeper road with a 330 pound rider peddling in the lowest gear while in pedal-assist 5 mode. (330 lb. is the maximum recommended rider weight for my bike.) My bike weighs around 100 pounds, so a lighter bike equipped with a 750 watt motor would climb steeper hills.

You can buy cheaper Chinese branded bikes with more powerful motors, but I would not recommend getting one because of restrictions on riding them on trails and roads in Manny areas. There are 3 classes that e-bikes are most commonly rated for operation.

Class 1 bikes are limited to 20 mph in pedal assist only. Class 2 bikes are limited to 20 mph in pedal assist or throttle mode, and Class 3 bikes are limited to 20 mph in throttle mode and 28 mph in pedal-assist mode. Laws and regulations are based on e-bike class.

My bike and most others can be configured to operate as a class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike. E-trikes are often limited to Class 1 and 2 operation because they are prone to tip over at higher speeds when turning.