Bankruptcy and exiting markets

[VirgilCaine]

No one talks about it until it's done, but the very first thing anyone should consider before buying an ebike should be the solvency of the company/ ownership and their position in your country's market. Take it from me as an owner of a BH Easy Motion, it's no fun when your tech support quits answering the phone. Even though the EBR technical reviews on my bike were glowing and the specs looked great, they did not mean a thing when the ship went down. Every bike company's financials and dealer footprint in your country should at the top of the list when deciding which bike to buy. Deep discounts are great in the short term, but they can also be a red flag.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

I looked up Ride1Up at the BBB site. That solidified my purchasing decision.

For sure, dig into the company before you make a big purchase. Computers, cars, appliances, anything really.

 

[VirgilCaine]

That's awesome ! I wish I would have done that instead of getting mesmerized by specs and discounts, with you play the game,you take your chances attitude.

 

[Gionnirocket]

No one talks about it until it's done, but the very first thing anyone should consider before buying an ebike should be the solvency of the company/ ownership. Take it from me, an owner of a BH Easy Motion bike that is essentially worthless. 3k down the drain. The EBR technical reviews on my bike were glowing, but they did not mean a thing when the ship went down. Every bike company's financials should be the very first thing you should learn. Deep discounts are great in the short term, but not if the company folds before you need their support.

Was there ever an ebike that EBR didn't see in a positive light?

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Was there ever an ebike that EBR didn't see in a positive light?

Probably, but why publish that?

I actually saw this site when I was first looking at reviews. Then I thought better and seeked reviews from many other sources. Including those unboxing videos. I didn’t really care what some of those videos has to say, I just wanted to “see” someone put the bike together.

 

[DaveMatthews]

It's why I bought Giant.

 

[sc00ter]

It seems the market is just so saturated nowadays that I'm surprised anyone can make a profit. I even remember a article saying this very thing about Lectric, though the article has since been retracted. Said article called them the "Never ending sale." company, wondering what the profit margins really are. Now the long established companies, Specialized, Trek and Giant pop to mind, don't have all their eggs in one basket, their diversified to better weather a storm. It does suck when any ebike company folds and the customer is left holding the bag.

 

[Bubba zanetti]

Tell me about it. Rocky Mountain bikes are in trouble, laying off and restructuring. I love mine But it has a proprietary motor. GT bikes recently did the same thing. Both these companies are long standing and well thought of. But hey, these are crazy days.

 

[Jim1348]

That is a great point and this is a good topic of discussion. It is difficult to predict the future and anticipate with great certainty who will vanish and who will last, but there can be clues.

In my lifetime I have seen a number of products become quite popular and then settle down. As a kid growing up in Minnesota, I recall a huge surge in snowmobiles. Today there are just a few manufacturers.

Somewhat similarly, CB radios was incredibly popular when I was in high school. I had several and it was fun using them. Lots of companies made them. Today just a few remain.

I also saw it with GPS navigation devices. Garmin seems to have survived. Perhaps there are some Magellan and Tom Tom units, but I rarely hear about them these days.

I am also an amateur radio operator. Probably due in part to my CB radio experience. One of my favorite brands years ago was Standard amateur radio. I had a few of them. They are now long gone from the ham radio market.

I expect to see this with e-bikes, too. Time will tell who remains in business in the future.

 

[kevinmccune]

That is a great point and this is a good topic of discussion. It is difficult to predict the future and anticipate with great certainty who will vanish and who will last, but there can be clues.

In my lifetime I have seen a number of products become quite popular and then settle down. As a kid growing up in Minnesota, I recall a huge surge in snowmobiles. Today there are just a few manufacturers.

Somewhat similarly, CB radios was incredibly popular when I was in high school. I had several and it was fun using them. Lots of companies made them. Today just a few remain.

I also saw it with GPS navigation devices. Garmin seems to have survived. Perhaps there are some Magellan and Tom Tom units, but I rarely hear about them these days.

I am also an amateur radio operator. Probably due in part to my CB radio experience. One of my favorite brands years ago was Standard amateur radio. I had a few of them. They are now long gone from the ham radio market.

I expect to see this with e-bikes, too. Time will tell who remains in business in the future.

a lot of the "clone" brands will disappear,I may be wrong it seems a lot of the "sub continent" cheap steel bikes have vanished. Innovation is basically at a standstill,mostly content and price remain for new attractions,you will see a few more trikes and quadricycles and for now the market will pretty much level out after the "covid" boom now its a "bust" with a lot of clone bikes becoming extinct-does anyone know how many Chinese factories spit out ebikes?

 

[Roamers]

with a lot of clone bikes becoming extinct-does anyone know how many Chinese factories spit out ebikes?

1?

 

[kevinmccune]

1?

expect there's a few more.

 

[6zfshdb]

Dost is a recent example.

 

[teskow]

I bought a Juiced bike because I was sure it was a strong and stable company around for the long haul. The party who bought it from me felt the same way. We all know how that turned out. The fact is it is really hard to tell how strong and solvent a company will fair in the long run.

 

[sc00ter]

Juiced is an excellent example. That was out of nowhere. DOST as well, and I almost ordered one! Slightly of topic but ONYX just went belly-up BUT the original owner is trying to currently revive the brand. I think the only one truely making a killing is Bafang. Their product seems to be on so many ebikes. It will be interesting watching this ebike market from a user perspective over the next year or two. If I wasn't lazy I'd make bingo cards and we'd mark off the defunct companies as they fall. Coming up with bingo prizes would be fun as well! But seriously, any company failing has negative affects on the employees who rely on said job for a living.

 

[Jim1348]

On e-bikes, what components are the most likely to be unique to a given brand?

I had new brakes, chain and tires installed on my Rambo a few weeks ago. I went to a local bike shop, but they are not a Rambo dealer.

 

[VirgilCaine]

On e-bikes, what components are the most likely to be unique to a given brand?

I had new brakes, chain and tires installed on my Rambo a few weeks ago. I went to a local bike shop, but they are not a Rambo dealer.

The connectivity between motor, controller, display and battery.

 

[VirgilCaine]

It's why I bought Giant.

Yep, me too, but unfortunately it was after getting burned by BH and learning the hard way.

 

[harryS]

A company can still be in great shape too, but they might not support your 10 year old battery,

 

[VirgilCaine]

A company can still be in great shape too, but they might not support your 10 year old battery,

Good point and they didn't get any cheaper. I was offered a second battery from Crazy Lenny's for $550.00 when I bought the bike. Two years later, the price from BH tech support was $800.00. As a side note, Crazy Lenny's went out of business too, for a double whammy. Not fun.