Disappointed after purchasing an e-bike?

My primary disappointment with my two 2016 Radrover fat tire ebikes was having to replace the controller 3X between both ebikes the first year. I purchased a 2023 Radcity Step-thru last summer and had to replace the controller after 7 miles on the ebike. No local Rad ebike support in NM, the back/forth with emails with Rad, sending video files confirming the issue, and replacing components can take time. It can be a PITA if you don't have the proper tools and I don't like the downtime waiting on parts.

I haven't had an issue with either 2016 Radrover controller after the 1 year warranty period and +7000 miles between both ebikes.
 
Mostly its been service. like my bulls bike I had a cracked rim in less then 2 years and 8000 miles on it and I found out bulls does not warranty the whole bike only the frame the est was on each manufacture. this was during the pandemic and my shop was sold and the new management was not really that helpful. my tandem had no support but there were no dealers ether around. but trek was able to do all the work after our crash. Now our tandem that was on sale for 3800 and was about 4200 is now 8000.00 but for that price I could not complain about weak brakes and a few other things as getting a bosch powered tandem for that price is a fantastic deal.
 
mrgold35 said:
My primary disappointment with my two 2016 Radrover fat tire ebikes was having to replace the controller 3X between both ebikes the first year. I purchased a 2023 Radcity Step-thru last summer and had to replace the controller after 7 miles on the ebike. No local Rad ebike support in NM, the back/forth with emails with Rad, sending video files confirming the issue, and replacing components can take time. It can be a PITA if you don't have the proper tools and I don't like the downtime waiting on parts.

I haven't had an issue with either 2016 Radrover controller after the 1 year warranty period and +7000 miles between both ebikes.
Click to expand...
Thank you. So basically service.
 
fooferdoggie said:
Mostly its been service. like my bulls bike I had a cracked rim in less then 2 years and 8000 miles on it and I found out bulls does not warranty the whole bike only the frame the est was on each manufacture. this was during the pandemic and my shop was sold and the new management was not really that helpful. my tandem had no support but there were no dealers ether around. but trek was able to do all the work after our crash. Now our tandem that was on sale for 3800 and was about 4200 is now 8000.00 but for that price I could not complain about weak brakes and a few other things as getting a bosch powered tandem for that price is a fantastic deal.
Click to expand...
Thank you. WouLd understanding warranty coverage have made you more concerned? Would knowing more about warranty made any difference?
 
My only disappointment was the climbing performance on my torque-sensing 500W hub-drive. But I don't view the hub motor as the core problem. The bike was just geared too high for the many short, steep hills in my area.

I like to pedal, have no need for speed on a bike, and expected to do most of the work from the outset. Once I dialed in the gearing for my strongly preferred 85±5 RPM cadence, I found the hub motor more than adequate for my needs.
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
My only disappointment was the climbing performance on my torque-sensing 500W hub-drive. But I don't view the hub motor as the core problem. The bike was just geared too high for the many short, steep hills in my area.

I like to pedal, have no need for speed on a bike, and expected to do most of the work from the outset. Once I dialed in the gearing for my strongly preferred 85±5 RPM cadence, I found the hub motor more than adequate for my needs.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Helpful response. So the disappointment was an initial expectation, but first you needed to understand and experience your bike to get what you needed.
 
seanconnery said:
Thank you. WouLd understanding warranty coverage have made you more concerned? Would knowing more about warranty made any difference?
Click to expand...
not really. the bike was a good bike for the price i could afford. but when the motor rusted right after the 2 year warranty I needed a bike it was my transportation. so when I went to trek (less then a mile from my house) I chose easy warranty service and the mechanic got the bulls fixed for free. Plus I could use the battery from the bulls on the trek as a extended battery where I could have gotten a bit better bike from that like bike store. then of course the back rim cracked but I got a new wheel out of it no hassle.
 
Open ended question, and you'll hear from plenty of owners who were unhappy.It's all about expectations as well as reliability, Some sellers offer good support. Others don't. At the same time, Some brands are well made and won't require much service. If you get the case where a nike is junk and the seller is cackling away holding your money,, then you may have bought the wrong bike.

Then there are good bikes with supply chain issues. I heard about Treks ans SPecialized sitting in the shop waiting for parts a few years ago during Covid. Thankfully, those days are past.,

Depends on your own skills too. If you have to take it in for a flat tire, better buy from a local shop where they will prioritize your service.
 
You are right. Even doing a huge amount of research over time is no guarantee of eventual satisfaction. It’s just good to read others’ experiences - I can deduce their level of preparation in understanding what awaits them, and how they respond after use.
thank you.
 
Juiced RCS. Service after sale after warranty.
Juiced was zero help when I needed a new motor. Even with the serial number the tech group could not tell me what motor I had. They were condescending, arrogant, and lacked compassion. My probs were not their probs.
So Service and support.
 
How does one assess quality of service in researching e- bikes?
Sorry to hear Of your experience.
my thanks
 
Disappointed? Yes with Trek’s choice to put a ridiculous Bosch smartphone controller on their bikes.
Changed mine immediately to the excellent Bosch Kiox 2.
Who makes those poor decisions? Certainly not anyone who used the Smartphone controller.
 
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