Battle of Value MidDrive

[BigNerd]

So Ride1Up finally came out with a lower priced Prodigy mid-drive bike, the Prodigy V2 Eco for $1295:

Prodigy v2 ECO - Ride1Up

Shop the Prodigy v2 ECO, an affordable Class 3 mid-drive e-bike with a German-engineered Brose motor. Performance starts at just $1,295.

ride1up.com

For the last few months I've been eyeing the HeyBike Alpha for $1299:

ALPHA

Heybike ALPHA delivers 105 N·m of torque with a mid-drive motor and 26 x 4-inch fat tires, built for demanding all-terrain rides.

www.heybike.com

The Alpha is heavier but has a throttle (only when pedaling) and the Eco is lighter. I can check out the Alpha locally... and possible the Eco but much farther away in San Diego.

Never had a mid-drive so I'm tempted... will also cut down on those rear flat repairs because local bike shops charge extra for hub motors.

 

[gromike]

As far as battle of the value middrive I'd offer up the Hyper middrive: $350 including shipping!
They got down last year to $250 shipped for a brief while.

Albeit, it's a cheap bike. But the middrive motor and battery work surprisingly well.

 

[Dave Rocks]

Were can you buy that bike for that $ ?

700c Hyper E-Ride City Mid-Drive E-Bike​

HYP-E700-1300
Regular price$1,498.99
Free Shipping

 

[gromike]

I don't know what the model number was on the bikes I bought. $350 shipped was the price summer before last. I bought 3 of them at that price, then Walmart dropped the price to $250 shipped to finish off the liquidation. I felt ripped off that I paid the $350 for them.
The battery was dated 2022, and that's probably why they got rid of them. That, and the market had spoken: 20 inch fat tired step thru geared hub motor ebikes, not skinny tired middrives.

Don't be fooled, the bike is cheap in both ways, but with a few parts upgraded it works well. Just rode one of them to the library, post office, and downtown to a department store, then back up the hill.

 

[PedalUma]

Are you saying that you can get a 28 mph Brose motor on a starter bike that costs less than $1300, German engineered and made in China at the Brose plant (using child and political prison labor) for less than 1/4 of what that E. European guy spent for a 15 mph bike that requires clipping-in and Lycra? Who cares if it needs new tires, brakes, shifter, derailleur, chain, touch points. It is a deal for any commuter. Even if it last only 3-6 years. Brose are touchy, proprietary. Even at that price you are kind-a screwed with no right to repair. Still it is almost unbelievable, shops want that much just to replace a motor.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

German engineered and made in China at the Brose plant

Made in Berlin Germany.

 

[PedalUma]

Okay, It is like Specialized saying 'designed in California'. The Companello factory is empty except for some executives. I am sure that they keep some appearances to say 'Made in Germany.' Still motor failure is almost 30%. Battery cells are not made in Germany.

Brose operates multiple manufacturing and development facilities across major automotive hubs in China, headquartered in Shanghai. [1, 2]

Key Locations and Plants in China

• Shanghai (Headquarters & Sites):
  • Brose China Co., Ltd. (Jiading District) – Main Chinese headquarters and component operations.
  • Shanghai Brose Automotive Components Co., Ltd. (Jiading District) – Focuses on vehicle doors, electric motors, and drives.
  • Brose Sitech (Shanghai) Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (Baoshan Urban Industrial Park) – Joint venture supplying seat systems to SAIC-Volkswagen. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
• Taicang:
  • Brose Taicang Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. – A major Asian manufacturing facility featuring digitized control systems for door, seat, and drive systems. [1, 2]
• Beijing:
  • Brose Beijing Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (Daxing District). [1]
• Changchun:
  • Brose Changchun Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. – Serves regional northern automotive manufacturing. [1]
• Shenyang:
  • Brose Shenyang Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.. [1]
• Wuhan:
  • Dongfeng Brose Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. – A joint venture focusing on door and seat systems. [1, 2]
• Chongqing:
  • Operations supporting southwestern automotive production. [1]
• Guangzhou:
  • Brose Guangzhou Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. – Supplies door systems, window regulators, and seat systems in southern China. [1, 2]
• Hefei (Anhui Province):
  • Brose Sitech (Anhui) Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. – Joint venture plant supplying seat systems for Volkswagen Anhui and Cupra Tavascan. [1, 2]