Am I particularly unlucky?

[Afren]

I ask this question because during the first 10,000 miles on my e-bike I had to replace almost every item on my e-bike apart from the frame. I've had to replace the Brose T motor twice, went through 3 sets of tires, multiple brake pads, three sets of crank arms, replaced saddle and pedals (personal choice), three sets of chains and also a number of spokes needed to be replaced. In the past three years, I've spent more money on repairing my e-bike than my car! I wonder if I've been particularly unlucky or it's normal to have had so many problems?

 

[6zfshdb]

I think the answer to this depends on the brand of bike and how you ride it. If it's a commuter and mostly ridden on pavement, I'd say yes, you're a bit unlucky. If your bike is an eMTB used for extreme single-track, based on my experience with conventional MTB's, I'd say your repairs are about average.

 

[rich c]

All depends how hard you ride it. Accelerate hard, stop hard, and you’ll use up parts. Our kids live in Chicago, I live in Peoria. They go through cars much quicker than I do with that hard stop and go.

 

[BBassett]

I ask this question because during the first 10,000 miles on my e-bike I had to replace almost every item on my e-bike apart from the frame. I've had to replace the Brose T motor twice, went through 3 sets of tires, multiple brake pads, three sets of crank arms, replaced saddle and pedals (personal choice), three sets of chains and also a number of spokes needed to be replaced. In the past three years, I've spent more money on repairing my e-bike than my car! I wonder if I've been particularly unlucky or it's normal to have had so many problems?

I have over 10K and just put a new BBSHD mid-drive on (old one was making noise under load), lots of brake pads, 3 sets of tires, just replace the crack arms... but didn't need to at all, have broken one spoke, replace the chain every 1000 miles, have gone through 3 sets of mirrors, and changed the seat. Everything necessary was from normal wear-n-tear. When I got my bike they hadn't faced the frame and had to have that corrected... shouldn't have had that expenditure.

https://imgur.com/a/3w6izz7 - Bike and Trailer
https://imgur.com/a/DKpcF0a
https://imgur.com/a/zXXlyuv

Check out 70 miles w/front panniers & trailer on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/g37290970278

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN67sUw0ykU-Mg5gLsOw9vF8kBMEM5cGCgCNmLT_j72h9iu5fKYFFVbLJ2Z415Umw?key=LUZqdEl1d3RjNV9id0ZvTEFickhITnBwWFZrU3hR

 

[indianajo]

In 20 months and ~3200 miles, I've replaced the rear brake pads, the handlebar grips, the tires. The quality of this yubabikes bodaboda was superb. The battery is 10 months old, the motor 2 years but was only installed with a battery I can use since then. I've changed the seat because i didn't like it, the lights because one was stolen and one wasn't bright enough. The OEM white tires, one lasted 700 miles, I took the other off soon after to avoid a road problem. Note this is a hub motor conversion of a pedal bike.
I had to take the pedal off last month and let it sit with oil dripping down into the bearing, because it was snapping. But it is fine now. Thick bumpy kenda tires look as if they have another 6 months in them before they get to thin. I ride on paved roads.
Bike was struck in the rear by a car today about 20 mph, scooted right on the rear tire and the frame hit my left shin. I have a knot on my tibia, some abrasions, from the frame hitting it. I went down on my left hand & knee. Bike appears to be fine. I was crossing a street with 14 seconds left on the pedestrian timer, a small car turned right behind me without even slowing much, struck the pannier (bag) and knocked the taillight off. I couldn't read his license number. He was up to 40 mph maybe 50 ' from the intersection. Learned those cornering skills playing Grand Theft Auto I suppose. Force was high enough to break the top off a weed sprayer in the pannier. My right quadriceps is slightly sore in the right crotch where the seat pushed me.
My guardian angel wins again.

 

[BBassett]

In 20 months and ~3200 miles... My guardian angel wins again.

Mine has saved me a few times too. Doesn't seem to mind some contact with nature but not Too Much contact. Ride safe.

 

[MikeDD]

My emtb, brakes at 500 miles. Its up or down around here.

 

[Afren]

I think the answer to this depends on the brand of bike and how you ride it. If it's a commuter and mostly ridden on pavement, I'd say yes, you're a bit unlucky. If your bike is an eMTB used for extreme single-track, based on my experience with conventional MTB's, I'd say your repairs are about average.

I own a Bulls Sturmvogel E Evo with Brose motor which as I said before has so far been replaced twice. I use the bike on normal roads mainly and 30% of times on non extreme but medium single tracks. I have added a seat suspension as well as front fork suspension to the bike. I carry a spare battery and other repair tools with me so added weight of about 20 lb. I weigh around 185 lb and live in a very hilly area.

 

[6zfshdb]

Depending on how long you've owned your Bulls, 10K is an impressive mileage total. The most I ever put on a single conventional bike is 5K and I replaced a lot of parts in the 3 years I owned it. I have 2K on my current ebike and have owned it 15 months. Tires, chain, brake pads and shocks all needed work in that time period.

Your situation seems more extreme. I suspect your style of riding and the quality of the bike has more to do with it than luck though.

 

[Alaskan]

It sounds like the answer to your question is yes. Your list of repairs and replacements sounds extreme. Bulls bikes have a good reputation.

In the last year and a half I have cycled over 10,000 miles but that has been on four different bikes, one of which has over 3,000 miles. I have had to replace chains at around 1,500 miles and rear cassettes at around 2,500 miles, brake pads replaced at around 3,000 miles. No spokes, No motors, No batteries (all Bosch) All saddles are in excellent condition (I weigh 215 lbs.) I did have to replace one crank due to faulty threading on my part. Most of my tires are Schwalbe Super Moto X or Marathon Mondials. None have more than 3,000 miles but all still have lots of life remaining. I am pretty anal about keeping the bikes clean and properly adjusted. I do most of my own work, with the exception of warranty service and work on the Bosch systems, which to date has only involved software/firmware updates. They all run as quiet and smoothly as they day they were new.

With all the replacements you have experienced i can't even begin to speculate about the cause. I guess with none of my bikes reaching the miles on yours yet, my experience is not really relevant. If I were in your shoes, I would be wondering if I got a lemon.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I have around 1200 miles on my 2015 Pedego Ridgerider and so far I've had the motor and torque sensor replaced under warranty and replaced the chain. At the rate my bike is having problems I may surpass your bike's problems if I ever ride the bike for that many miles. 90% of my riding is on my two carbon road bikes. I use the Ridgerider mostly for gravel roads and mild trails.

 

[steve mercier]

I have around 1200 miles on my 2015 Pedego Ridgerider and so far I've had the motor and torque sensor replaced under warranty and replaced the chain. At the rate my bike is having problems I may surpass your bike's problems if I ever ride the bike for that many miles. 90% of my riding is on my two carbon road bikes. I use the Ridgerider mostly for gravel roads and mild trails.

I have 11,000 km on mine so far . Repairs include brakes - 3 sets pads ,- 3 chains , 1 rear cluster and 1 front cog. (actually I only reversed the front ring for now). All normal wear and tear. This bike had a faulty rack plate which was replaced with an updated one under warranty and all is good back there. Now before this bike I was able to squeeze 6000 unpleasant km on a cheaper bike that kept breaking spokes, and the chain kept popping off ,and the charger died and the twin batteries lost 3/4 of their range and the leatherette grips decomposed and the plastic chain guard snapped off as well as the normal wear and tear. I also crashed on that bike because of the crappy electronics. I have stripped that bike in case my son wants to use the hub motor for something. I donated the fork to a bike shop and the frame is rusting in the backyard, waiting for a trip to the knackers. But what about luck? I guess that doing your homework in advance increases your odds of success but in the end " you pays your money and you takes your chances".

 

[FlatSix911]

Bike was struck in the rear by a car today about 20 mph, scooted right on the rear tire and the frame hit my left shin. I have a knot on my tibia, some abrasions, from the frame hitting it. I went down on my left hand & knee. Bike appears to be fine. I was crossing a street with 14 seconds left on the pedestrian timer, a small car turned right behind me without even slowing much, struck the pannier (bag) and knocked the taillight off. I couldn't read his license number. He was up to 40 mph maybe 50 ' from the intersection. Learned those cornering skills playing Grand Theft Auto I suppose. Force was high enough to break the top off a weed sprayer in the pannier. My right quadriceps is slightly sore in the right crotch where the seat pushed me.
My guardian angel wins again.

Mine has saved me a few times too. Doesn't seem to mind some contact with nature but not Too Much contact. Ride safe.

Glad to hear that you guys are Ok... take care!

 

[BBassett]

Glad to hear that you guys are Ok... take care!

I have "friends" that would argue that I'm not OK. Cheers.

 

[Feliz]

I ask this question because during the first 10,000 miles on my e-bike I had to replace almost every item on my e-bike apart from the frame. I've had to replace the Brose T motor twice, went through 3 sets of tires, multiple brake pads, three sets of crank arms, replaced saddle and pedals (personal choice), three sets of chains and also a number of spokes needed to be replaced. In the past three years, I've spent more money on repairing my e-bike than my car! I wonder if I've been particularly unlucky or it's normal to have had so many problems?

What was wrong with the crank arms?

You're not unlucky, I would consider what you've had to do to be on the high side of what I would consider normal.

 

[Figs]

Yes, you are unlucky. That would be unacceptable to me, unless it was a very low end bike. I would not buy that brand again for sure. In 4000+ mile I have replaced the brake pads twice (lots of stop and go riding), that’s it. Everything on the bike is original just as it came from the dealer. I will need to replace the rear tire in the next 1000 miles or so. Chain is still good, excellent range on battery, motor strong as ever.

Other than chips in the paint it looks like it it when I first brought it home.

 

[Feliz]

What is normal depends on the bike! Most riders of the mountain bike I ride have to change the chain every 200-500 miles and sprockets three times that. If you ride a low powered hub drive and ride conservavely 10+ times that could be expected.

 

[Captain Slow]

As others have said the drivetrain items are normal wear. I find brake pad wear varies greatly on a number of different factors. On my Juiced I go through brake pads like crazy. But I have some hills on my commute to and from work, I generally go quicker on my ebike than my acoustic and it's a heavy bike. So on the Juiced I tend to get about 1,500 km's out of a set of front brake pads, maybe 2,000 km's if I'm lucky. Rears last about 4,000 km's.

But on my Cervelo (acoustic) which doesn't have disc brakes but regular calipers I would guess I'm replacing brake pads in the range of every 4,000 to 6,000 km's. I actually am not sure because it doesn't happen very often. The Cervelo is a lot lighter (1/3) the weight of my Juiced, and I'm not going as fast. Plus I tend to only ride the Juiced in wet weather, which wears the brake pads a lot faster.

 

[Feliz]

Apart from the drive, it sounds normal. I’ve changed multiplie items in over 22,000 kilometers. That includes electrical remote, cassette, chain, pads, rotors, a rear wheel, tires, pedals. Next item will be the kickstand and maybe the cranks. Hopefully the drive will last a bit longer. Seems I’ve had a good run on that front but I wonder how much further I can go.

If that's your bike in your avatar I'd buy tires too

 

[steve mercier]

I have around 1200 miles on my 2015 Pedego Ridgerider and so far I've had the motor and torque sensor replaced under warranty and replaced the chain. At the rate my bike is having problems I may surpass your bike's problems if I ever ride the bike for that many miles. 90% of my riding is on my two carbon road bikes. I use the Ridgerider mostly for gravel roads and mild trails.

Happy Birthday Deacon Blues. "They call Alabama the Crimson tide......." sing it!