Considering buying the Current, how hard is it to get the electronics repaired

[PickleGarf]

The current seems like a really good deal, especially with the %20 off from costco. The main thing I have a problem with is that as a beginner biker, I'll need LBS to be able to do repairs. Can the Priority Current's electronics easily be repaired by LBSs or will I have to ship it in/do the repairs myself? Thanks!

 

[StatCoder]

I purchased the Current a year and a half ago as a beginner biker in the middle of the pandemic shutdown which meant that I wouldn't be able to rely on an LBS to do any maintenance due to backlogs or whatever. There were some issues that were promptly addressed by Priority for a year under warranty including a failed motor. The controller is module with a screen and control buttons that is plugged into the motor. Any other electronic issues usually require the battery or the entire bike to be sent back to Priority. I also did a lot of the repairs myself with the assistance of YouTube, etc. These include tube punctures, new tires, torn belt, replacing brake pads, bleeding brakes, broken spokes, broken shifter cassette mechanism, and recently building a new rear wheel and replacing the Shimano hub.

I have ridden the bike hard for over 6K miles and plan to do all of the service myself now that the bike is out of warranty. I would suggest at least knowing how to replace spokes as these will eventually wear down and begin breaking to the point where the rear wheel has to be rebuilt. I think the Current is still a great deal for someone who is willing to do some self-service rather than rely on a LBS to do it on a regular basis. If you're not going to ride it as long or hard then you probably don't have to worry as much about wear and tear.

 

[PickleGarf]

Thanks for the answer! I think that because I'm new and I need my bike to be up as much as possible, this is a dealbreaker for me, so thank you so much for the info!

 

[StatCoder]

Let us know what prices and features you are able to find at your LBS. The deal-breaker for me is the retail pricing. Everything that I look at as an upgrade to the Current seems to cost twice as much.

 

[FloridaZen]

Let us know what prices and features you are able to find at your LBS. The deal-breaker for me is the retail pricing. Everything that I look at as an upgrade to the Current seems to cost twice as much.

What upgrades are you considering? What am I missing?

 

[JimK067]

I've owned my Current enviolo for almost a year. It runs great. Over 1200 miles. Priority makes an excellent bike. You're over thinking it.

 

[TrevorB]

I purchased the Current a year and a half ago as a beginner biker in the middle of the pandemic shutdown which meant that I wouldn't be able to rely on an LBS to do any maintenance due to backlogs or whatever. There were some issues that were promptly addressed by Priority for a year under warranty including a failed motor. The controller is module with a screen and control buttons that is plugged into the motor. Any other electronic issues usually require the battery or the entire bike to be sent back to Priority. I also did a lot of the repairs myself with the assistance of YouTube, etc. These include tube punctures, new tires, torn belt, replacing brake pads, bleeding brakes, broken spokes, broken shifter cassette mechanism, and recently building a new rear wheel and replacing the Shimano hub.

I have ridden the bike hard for over 6K miles and plan to do all of the service myself now that the bike is out of warranty. I would suggest at least knowing how to replace spokes as these will eventually wear down and begin breaking to the point where the rear wheel has to be rebuilt. I think the Current is still a great deal for someone who is willing to do some self-service rather than rely on a LBS to do it on a regular basis. If you're not going to ride it as long or hard then you probably don't have to worry as much about wear and tear.

Broke rear wheel spokes on ebikes isn't unusual. The better quality bikes use stronger wheels which are lot more reliable. 13000km between 2 Moustache Xroads and no broken spokes.

 

[JimK067]

Over 4,000 miles between 3 ebikes. No wheel problems. I ride on pavement and hard pack trails. The Current is for pavement, not off road.

 

[Oendaril]

I have ridden the bike hard for over 6K miles and plan to do all of the service myself now that the bike is out of warranty. I would suggest at least knowing how to replace spokes as these will eventually wear down and begin breaking to the point where the rear wheel has to be rebuilt. I think the Current is still a great deal for someone who is willing to do some self-service rather than rely on a LBS to do it on a regular basis. If you're not going to ride it as long or hard then you probably don't have to worry as much about wear and tear.

Just to let you know, you are not out of warranty yet if you only got it 1.5 years ago. The Current has a full 2 year warranty and a 5 year frame warranty, so be sure to still try and reach out to them if something else happens.

 

[StatCoder]

Just to let you know, you are not out of warranty yet if you only got it 1.5 years ago. The Current has a full 2 year warranty and a 5 year frame warranty, so be sure to still try and reach out to them if something else happens.

While I have been happy with Priority's warranty coverage, thus far, when I contacted them about a half-dozen broken rear spokes and, eventually, the WTB rim developing a bunch of cracks around the spoke bed, they did not offer any warranty repair of the rear wheel. They did refer me to WTB for their 2 year coverage of the rim which was replaced. I would have to get the wheel rebuilt, however. I ended up buying the spokes and a new Shimano hub and building the wheel myself.

It's good to know that the frame is warrantied for 5 years, however, I don't know if Priority is going to be covering anything else going forward. For example, the motor and the battery.

 

[tomjasz]

You are the repair shop.

 

[Oendaril]

While I have been happy with Priority's warranty coverage, thus far, when I contacted them about a half-dozen broken rear spokes and, eventually, the WTB rim developing a bunch of cracks around the spoke bed, they did not offer any warranty repair of the rear wheel. They did refer me to WTB for their 2 year coverage of the rim which was replaced. I would have to get the wheel rebuilt, however. I ended up buying the spokes and a new Shimano hub and building the wheel myself.

It's good to know that the frame is warrantied for 5 years, however, I don't know if Priority is going to be covering anything else going forward. For example, the motor and the battery.

Yeah, I would say Priority has been by far the most responsive and helpful of the direct to consumer brands I have interacted with. But that still at the end of the day means they are direct to consumer - they all push some level of service onto you that a local shop would happily do for you on one of their bikes. If you're handy and knowledeable about bikes that may not be a big deal, but Priority seemed to always expect some work on my part when something needed fixing.

 

[Doggyman1202]

I've owned my Current enviolo for almost a year. It runs great. Over 1200 miles. Priority makes an excellent bike. You're over thinking it.

I could not agree more. I went through an expensive learning curve before happily acquiring my Current last year. PickleGarf could spend 2x the price, and still deal with maintenance issues. Priority's service has been top notch. I also ride more than 50% of the time on dirt roads and rail trails (dirt and gravel). It's absolutely fine.

 

[TForan52]

I really love the simplicity of the igh and the belt drive. I could use on more gear.

 

[Achterbahn]

Unfortunately it's the same deal as with most direct to consumer bikes. If you are lucky and never run into issues, it's a dream. If you run into mechanical issues (e.g. shifting, brakes, tires, etc), many LBS would gladly fix it for you. However, if you run into issues with the electronics, you'll have to figure it out by yourself. In that sense, I can confidently say Priority is better than most direct to consumer brands. As mentioned above, if your motor dies within warranty, they will ship you a new one and share instructional videos. They'll also gladly schedule a video call to diagnose any unforeseen issues. Most electronics issues are fixed by replacing something, which isn't hard. As long as the brand is willing to honor their warranty and replace the faulty component, you should be fine.

I am on the lucky side of this. I got mine in Jan 2021 and don't have nearly as many miles as some of these folks (under 2000), but never had a single issue with the bike. I wouldn't kid myself and say it's bulletproof, though!

 

[alloo]

You can also use a mobile bicycle repair service to set up and service your bike. Priority has excellent customer service.

 

[StatCoder]

The the electrical system of my Current suddenly quit about two months into ownership. Priority quickly shipped me a new controller (display) to install. That didn't solve the problem so they offered to send me a replacement but this was April 2021 and they had no inventory so they offered to ship me the demo unit from the showroom and refunded me $300 for the difference between new and used. They were really great about it.

 

[TForan52]

I sure wouldn’t fret about it. Make sure you have Costco membership for savings of 20%. Nice bike for 2600 bucks.

 

[alloo]

I'm surprised that no one recommended a mobile bicycle repair for assembly and service.

 

[TForan52]

I’ve had Current for six months and have done nothing but put air in the tires. Zero complaints from me.