Crazy Walmart mid drive deal $349

[PedalUma]

Back to the original topic about these under $300 mid drive bikes (I factored out the shipping cost.)
The frame appears OK, and the motor and battery work well. But everything else is super cheap.
So. it's a yes and a no as far as this ebike in concern to the question "Do prices reflect quality?"
Nonetheless, I would of thought Stefan would approve, as these ebikes have no throttle.

It costs $135 to ship a bike with BikeFlights from CA to NY, which I did recently. If you take a bike to a bike shop to pack to ship it is $125 plus the box and pacing materials. That alone is over $260; if the box is $20 and the packing materials another $20, that is $300! A basic non-electric bike is $600. A raw motor is $400 and a new in box battery another $400.

 

[Catalyzt]

What is funny for me here is buying several items of the same product only because it's cheap.

A very American phenomenon, I think, perhaps?

Collecting is weird; I try to avoid the conspicuous consumption stereotype, but I still collect guitars and affordable wristwatches-- even if I use most of them, it's still a guilty pleasure, not something I'm proud of.

There are exceptions-- times I've bought two of something where the second is for spare parts.

@gromike please don't get angry with me but isn't it the example of the American consumerism?

The Walmart bike might be partly the stereotype, but also something a little different. Our parents lived through the 'great depression,' and we have seen many booms and busts in our economy. So some of this is hoarding because we don't trust our economy or our government to be stable; we want to have huge refrigerators full of frozen steaks, underground bomb shelters. When I first moved to Los Angeles, I always had half a case of beer in reserve, and two full bottles of dark rum stashed in bubble wrap in a cabinet in case of earthquakes. (That was actually very useful, helped keep our neighbors calmed down after Northridge!) We're always planning for trouble-- just not particularly well, or efficiently.

I consider our ebikes pieces of emergency safety equipment. I don't mind having one or two more than we absolutely need. We could escape on them if the roads were blocked. My wife rolled her eyes when I mentioned this last. Though I notice when I offered a lesson on the eMTB, she actually accepted, so we'll see if this goes anywhere.

 

[PedalUma]

emergency safety equipment

A person in an urban area with a giant Humvee would be trapped trying to evacuate a place like San Francisco. The bridges would be blocked and with gridlocked intersections. In Mill Valley, CA there are people who live in the hills with narrow twisting roads with huge trees. They will not be able to get out with firetrucks going up. Unless they can take a go anywhere bike.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

A person in an urban area with a giant Humvee would be trapped trying to evacuate a place like San Francisco. The bridges would be blocked and with gridlocked intersections. In Mill Valley, CA there are people who live in the hills with narrow twisting roads with huge trees. They will not be able to get out with firetrucks going up. Unless they can take a go anywhere bike.

I saw a CyberTruck in an SF parking garage. Those garages are extremely narrow, as well as the parking spots. This CyberTruck had damaged side view mirrors. I chuckled because why would buy such a wide truck if you live in such a congested city. Then I thought, “they might just be visiting and don’t know”. Then again, some California freeway lanes are just inches wider than the CyberTruck. I think that’s a bit dangerous. Especially knowing you can have motorcycles splitting lanes at 70MPH.

I guess I’m mostly surprised why people get the wrong tool for the job.

 

[PedalUma]

I saw a CyberTruck in an SF parking garage

I would rather be seen on a $349 Walmart bike.

 

[Catalyzt]

My Honda CRX-- with chains-- was a snowmobile.

I once drove right off the road and into a snowbank when I thought a gap in the piles of snow by the side of the road was a driveway.

I just put it in reverse and drove out. With all season radials, it had no problem when Google Maps sent me up a winding mountain road that was covered with black ice and too narrow to turn around. Love light cars and FWD.

 

[gromike]

Well, last week the Hyper mid-drive got down to $249, shipping included. Walmart must have swept the warehouse floor, as they are gone now.
That has to have been the lowest cost new mid-drive ebike ever. The motor and battery seem to work well, though the overall bike is made of low end components. If I hadn't already bought a few at $349 I would of surely bought 'em at $249.
Might surprise some of you, but cheap bikes hurt me. I couldn't bear to put another one together.

 

[kevinmccune]

I would rather be seen on a $349 Walmart bike.

He was too heavy,there are different weights that are optimum for different conditions in sleet all bets are off.

 

[DDBB]

I had a CRX too. It was my favorite car that I ever owned. It was a little less than 10k USD back in 91' and I got the "HF" model with the 68? HP engine.. EPA rating was 49/52 and I could beat those numbers hyper milling. I loved that car but sadly it was a northeast vehicle and after 20 years and almost 200,000mi. rust was killing it.. The engine was still perfect though. I should have bought two of them.

 

[kevinmccune]

What is funny for me here is buying several items of the same product only because it's cheap.

Stefan,that is what happened with the Ford "Maverick" pickup(19K$ hybrid small truck-RIGHT!) you couldn't find one the fleets snapped them up and the well off bought one or two for novelty,I finally ending up trading a nice truck( getting reamed of course* and paying about $2K over msrp for a used Maverick with over 20K miles on it-xl model with AWD that's all ,not even a hitch on it(had to put on myself) so caveat emptor,that being said the "Hyper" bikes are functional and are a "gateway drug" into the world of ebiking.

 

[kevinmccune]

Well, last week the Hyper mid-drive got down to $249, shipping included. Walmart must have swept the warehouse floor, as they are gone now.
That has to have been the lowest cost new mid-drive ebike ever. The motor and battery seem to work well, though the overall bike is made of low end components. If I hadn't already bought a few at $349 I would of surely bought 'em at $249.
Might surprise some of you, but cheap bikes hurt me. I couldn't bear to put another one together.

bought a middrive schwinn for around $400 I believe didn't like it at all.

 

[kevinmccune]

well daggone it! bought bought a turquoise hyper woman's bike just now for$227,this should be the donor bike for the ErGo,beings the ergo has hydraulic brakes already an upgrade for the front end,with a battery coupler should be able to extend range rather easily,I have tried 250 watt bikes in the past some will actually give you assist to the last grunt since I am willing to bend the crank I can get up most hills,this should be interesting( the "barbie pink was around $400 more) wish I was near"Pedaluma" to get some help on the upgrades,its not like I have never had a hyper before I tried the 700c step thru and it worked pretty good and it was pretty easy to pedal unpowered,I had so many bikes then I took it back for refund,its taken me all this time to realize I don't need "mega power" I had a rear suspension bike with 500 watt rating which took me up any steep hill(if I was willing to assist-it would hit 625 watt draw on stall) if I can maintain 10-12 mph I am happy and I have no shame in pushing,because after the hill is a slope or level.

 

[kevinmccune]

I had a CRX too. It was my favorite car that I ever owned. It was a little less than 10k USD back in 91' and I got the "HF" model with the 68? HP engine.. EPA rating was 49/52 and I could beat those numbers hyper milling. I loved that car but sadly it was a northeast vehicle and after 20 years and almost 200,000mi. rust was killing it.. The engine was still perfect though. I should have bought two of them.

consumer reports called Hondas hand on those CRX models and was surprised when this little go getter would better the EPA figures,there's another little car that was available in the 70s the Datsun 1200,zippy and economical people would buy these things(like this) for jokes and disdain,only to find out,what are the American manufacturers missing?Dont get me wrong I loved the old stinky dinosaur mobiles I just think the government went in the wrong direction,when you study a bit of recent history you find,corruption,corruption leading up to this potpourri of plutocratic oligarchy we have ,if you want to see even in wartime what goes on,attend a rendition or read "Arthur Millers-"All my sons" preceding that read "the jungle" by Upton Sinclair,its actually sickening.( before that study"railroading" or the "Robber Barons",believe it or not before some of that there was the "Era of Good feeling" If Jesus is coming back I hope he steps on it!