99 days!!!

Mr. Coffee

Well-Known Member
Region
USA
City
A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
I ordered a Charger GX Rohloff with dual batteries on February 20th. After multiple slips in the delivery date my dealer is now unable to estimate when I will be able to receive the bike. At this point I don't have the full set of facts on the situation so I really am not yet able to point any fingers. For myself, I personally doubt that my bike shop is to blame and strongly suspect that R&M is just not up to getting the job done. I know that many Western European companies take a perverse sort of pride in mistreating their customers but this situation is beyond ridiculous.

At this time I wouldn't recommend any R&M bicycle. Even if the bicycle has magical properties R&M has dug themselves a huge hole in my esteem for them and their company.

A lot of people on this forum dump on Pedego. Yes, their bikes are more expensive and their designs are a bit dated. But both the company and their dealers treat their customers well. That counts for a lot, and a company that seemingly can't even deliver a bicycle to me isn't even in the running.
 
I ordered a Charger GX Rohloff with dual batteries on February 20th. After multiple slips in the delivery date my dealer is now unable to estimate when I will be able to receive the bike. At this point I don't have the full set of facts on the situation so I really am not yet able to point any fingers. For myself, I personally doubt that my bike shop is to blame and strongly suspect that R&M is just not up to getting the job done. I know that many Western European companies take a perverse sort of pride in mistreating their customers but this situation is beyond ridiculous.

At this time I wouldn't recommend any R&M bicycle. Even if the bicycle has magical properties R&M has dug themselves a huge hole in my esteem for them and their company.

A lot of people on this forum dump on Pedego. Yes, their bikes are more expensive and their designs are a bit dated. But both the company and their dealers treat their customers well. That counts for a lot, and a company that seemingly can't even deliver a bicycle to me isn't even in the running.

Ha. Feel your disgust. I placed an order Jan 4 from Biktrix. If I hadn't become so disgusted and cancelled a few weeks ago, would be showing up on my doorstep this week - nearly 150 days later - over 100 days longer than original stated late February delivery. The repeated misleading promises of delivery left a bad taste in my mouth (I was talking to the owner, not third-hand info from a dealer, so naturally expected much more accurate information than what I was given).

The silver lining is a few nicer bikes that I wasn't originally willing to wait 6 months to buy are now starting to ship.

Pedego can keep bikes in stock precisely because their designs are outdated and overpriced.
 
I'm not so much mad or disgusted as just really profoundly disappointed.

100 days now.
 
I'm not so much mad or disgusted as just really profoundly disappointed.

100 days now.

If I were you, I would ask to loan their demo Delite while waiting for a new bike. Waiting a week or two is fine. 3+ months is a long time.
A good shop (I assume G&O or Splendid is your dealer and they are nice guys) should give a loaner when there is an extended delay. I would have asked for a Delite loaner after the first month.

Actually, you could have bought a Haibike Trekking 4.0 for $2799 on closeout and added Rohloff ($1500 for total installation) via a competent bike shop. Even with the extra 500whr powerpack ($750), you would have still saved $1000+ and have had some good riding time. In hindsight, everything looks different but R&M doesn't have big presence here in the US.

I am sure there are Charger GX in some shops in the US.
Ask your dealer to talk to Rocket Electrics in Austin or New Wheel in SF or San Diego Fly rides and ship their inventory Charger to you and he can negotiate with them and pass your bike to them when it arrives.
 
I didn't go for the loaner because I have the Pedego here at home and was getting plenty of riding time on it. In hindsight the fact that I had a bike and was patient might have been a mistake.

I don't want to bring my bike shop into it just yet but they have from my perspective been very helpful and constructive and patient with my increasing impatience. My own guess is that this crisis largely stemmed from a breakdown in communication between R&M and the shipping company.

Right now a large portion of my frustration stems from my hope and ambition for an extended bike tour this spring. Given commitments I have the time window for such a tour is rapidly closing and for the trip(s) I had planned the Pedego would have been an awkward choice. Back in February I was debating whether to get another 720wh battery for the Pedego and going with that instead of a new bike.

There have apparently been some developments on this crufty bogus saga and hopefully I will have better news to report tomorrow.
 
... and if I was going to get a different bicycle it would have been one of these.
 
Bike is here. I'll post impressions tomorrow...

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!Wonderful! I felt for you when I read the original post and the possibility of missing your planned trip. What a great looking bike. Can't wait for some reviews/ride impressions. Congrats!

Hey! I just noticed your bike doesn't have that Hebie Chainglider/cover thing. Did you remove it?
 
That is a nice looking bike! I hope it holds up!
I took a chance and purchased a R&M Tinker HS from Propel Bikes in Brooklyn NY and have had problems with the motor intermittently powering off often during rides. I received the bike in late May five weeks ago. I have taken it to my local LBS a few times, and even though they are a Trek dealer and have a Bosch certified tech on staff, the LBS has been unable to help. First they thought it was the connections from the intuvia display. Then it was maybe the display! Luckily I had already purchased a new display and was able to disavow them of that option because the problem persisted. Now I have been awaiting for over a week for a display control panel from Propel. They are sure this will solve the problem.
Right now I am feeling frustrated! Maybe I have should have tried to purchase an non R&M e-bike from a dealer closer to where I live? Chicago is a long way from NYC!
 

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