DC newbie question

[sukeiasa]

Hi all,

been reading reviews and trying to learn about ebikes because i'm hoping to purchase one for my work commute here in washington dc. i've been on the bikeshare system for a few years but my new work location is just hilly far enough to get me too sweaty for the office. with that said, i'm ok with using pedal assist up hills, and i don't need the bike to go super fast. (just being in the bike lane will make it much faster going through downtown dc during rush hours, and i don't mind using pedal assist up hills)

have tried out a few bikes over at hybrid pedals and also enjoyed talking with the folks working out there, but am hoping to spend a bit less than their basic pedego / intro izip products...

of the bikes discussed around here, i'm most interested in the EG / genze selections as i'm trying to keep the ebike budget under 2k.

looking for suggestion regarding shops/models i should also look at?

 

[George S.]

Those are good value bikes. Genze is a huge company but very new in the US. EG is hard to figure out, but these are Chinese imports where they have done some work to get decent bikes. Genze may not have many dealers yet. EG seems to be available from Crazy Len, who is a regular on this forum. It's hard to buy value ebikes from dealers. Check reviews here, on YouTube, wherever. Run Google searches.

 

[JoePah]

There's a couple of large shops in Philly which isn't too far. Give them a call

http://www.phillyew.com

 

[Lenny]

Hi all,

been reading reviews and trying to learn about ebikes because i'm hoping to purchase one for my work commute here in washington dc. i've been on the bikeshare system for a few years but my new work location is just hilly far enough to get me too sweaty for the office. with that said, i'm ok with using pedal assist up hills, and i don't need the bike to go super fast. (just being in the bike lane will make it much faster going through downtown dc during rush hours, and i don't mind using pedal assist up hills)

have tried out a few bikes over at hybrid pedals and also enjoyed talking with the folks working out there, but am hoping to spend a bit less than their basic pedego / intro izip products...

of the bikes discussed around here, i'm most interested in the EG / genze selections as i'm trying to keep the ebike budget under 2k.

looking for suggestion regarding shops/models i should also look at?

Certainly possible to get a quality Ebike under $2K.
We sold ~110 EG bikes last year and received very few (< 3%) complaints so far. From the photo below you can notice we have a whole section dedicated to EG bikes.

 

[Kaldeem]

Check out Riide they are based in Washington DC. The bike is designed for the DC commuter. It's also sub $2K.

 

[sukeiasa]

i've read about riide, but it seems like their battery is fixed and it's a single speed bike? doesn't seem like too much value for the price?

 

[Brambor]

If your commute is flat you won't really need gears. I seldom shift and I have several moderate hills on my commute.

 

[George S.]

Riide has really had their problems. It started out as a Kickstarter and got funded. That was as of a year ago. They kept promising deliveries all of last year:

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...-has-evolved-lighter-faster-electric/comments

Most of what Court said in his review was very positive. They've had some problems with the frame, apparently. That was the selling point, the batteries in the frame thing. I don't know how they made a functioning bike when Court did the review (Spring 2014), but now they can't.

They are selling the same bike (biike?) as a pre-order. Sure, if it works, it's an interesting bike, but this company has not moved out of the prototype stage. Would you really want to buy it until it is clear they have worked out the kinks?

If you are in DC maybe they are still doing the test rides:

• We are anticipating a late August 2014 delivery at this point, however that could change if anything is delayed with production. Those who pre-order will receive weekly updates on production + the company, and bikes will be shipped in the order in which orders are received!
• Anyone can reach us personally at hello[at]riide.com, amber[at]riide.com, jeff[at]riide.com and the company telephone number is 202-656-9004.
• We are giving test riides + tours of Riide HQ in Washington DC every Friday from 4-6PM. If the commenter is local, we’d love to have them by the space!

Best,
amber + jeff

 

[sukeiasa]

thanks. yeah, i think i'd prefer to go with something with a little bit more track record?
i sent lenny a pm for his recommendations as well.
not sure if there were around when i went to school in madison, but i have purchased a scooter and motorcyle from scooter therapy when i was there...

 

[JoePah]

thanks. yeah, i think i'd prefer to go with something with a little bit more track record?
i sent lenny a pm for his recommendations as well.
not sure if there were around when i went to school in madison, but i have purchased a scooter and motorcyle from scooter therapy when i was there...

Stay away from those Crowdfunded eBike projects!!

Lenny really seems to be the most reasonable ebike dealer I've seen on line.. And he sells alot!

Ask him about demos for sale.. Had some great deals at the end of last year.

 

[sukeiasa]

thanks for all of the warm assistance!

as this will be my first ebike, i'm now pondering over what i believe to be all really good options

what would you pick?

2015 izip path+ from local shop for

2015 izip path+ from reputable out of town dealer at

2014 easy motion neo jet from local shop for

2014 easy motion neo jet from reputable out of town dealer at

EG zurich from reputable out of town dealer at

EG athens from reputable out of town dealer at


the other thing i was wanted to figure out is whether to get a EG to save on initial investment, since i don't anticipate riding for more than 10 miles at a time. but the video review for the athens was a bit alarming when it seemed like the motor was really working hard on throttle up parking ramps...

i'm leaning towards the 2014 path+ from reputable out of town dealer since i think the only thing it needs to be commutable is a set of lights (and a basket/paniers) my other thought is the 2014 neo jet from the local shop but that means i'd have to also invest in fenders, mud flaps, chain guards, the things that make going to work less of a hassle?

how would y'all decide?

*edited to remove pricing information*

 

[Lenny]

Purchase your bike from a local dealer. You can always take your bike to them for any warranty issue.

 

[opimax]

From a local person to you: I ride a lot, I have many problems , some the bike's fault some are not. I cant fix squat on a bike. I would only buy form local shop. my problem is Stromer keeps getting dropped by dealers and i chase a new dealer for warranty work. Still not the same as being serviced by the shop that got my initial big buck purchase

 

[JoePah]

I'm strictly an LBS guy.. buy local stay local..

Buying inexpensive eBikes is a little risky. They are probably not as reliable, so buying close to home seems like a smart idea. And get one with the longest warranty... two years on everything.

And the local guy who wants $400 more.. Why not offer to split the difference with him and ask for a discount on all accessories? Trust me they will bite.

More importantly demo the bikes in your price range and don't let price difference between those bikes dictate what you wnat.

 

[lilrich1959]

Being a technician for many, many years and also involved in sales I think I can offer a somewhat informed opinion on the subject of buying local or mixing it up to obtain a good deal. The ultimate would be to find a local dealer offering excellent service and the best price, unfortunately that is not always the case. Manufactures impose restrictions on dealers with MAP, MSRP, and other means which some dealers use to maximize their margins and protect their local market. In theory the practice should level the playing field allowing the little guy to compete against the big bucks, in reality it stymies competition and inflates prices. That said one cannot blame the consumer from seeking the best deal the question is what are the trade offs. While this industry is still finding its footing there are coming to the fore some established brands with good products and reputations to match. Dealers while spread around are following suite. When dealing with established brands even those mentioned above as good value bikes the electrical components are proving to be generally robust. Most issues relating to the bikes electrical components are discovered by the dealers and resolved in house before the customer even sees the bike and in my experience are the exception. The majority of issues after the sale are not unique to electric bikes but common to any bicycle, and can be handled by any competent bicycle shop or skilled owner. Educating the owner or non electric bike caregiver on battery maintenance and care, powered wheel removal when dealing with a flat, or checking for loose connections will usually suffice to resolve most issues unique to electric bikes. When something beyond that does come up assisting customers with problems on bikes they purchased somewhere else, or brands not carried is not an issue. When needing service for customers living outside our local area reaching out to their local dealers, when available or established regular bicycle shops with assistance usually will resolve the issue. Sometimes a phone, email with pictures/video walkthrough will work and if need be there is always shipping or now my gray is showing the house call road trip. The point is service is probably one of the essential elements to growing this industry from something that now is for the enthusiast and edge buyer to the common place. Until e-bikes are as ubiquitous as regular bikes we need to step up to the plate and go the extra mile. The legal uncertain legal regulations will eventually sort themselves out, the manufactures will come and go for awhile and eventually settle in, and pricing will finally find level ground. Until then I encourage those of us who want to be here when the dust settles to get along, help each other and find the common ground. Sorry for the rant, guess you can see my passion, enjoy the thrill of the constant changes happening, but long for peaceful country roads ahead too. Keep rollin........

 

[sukeiasa]

I'm strictly an LBS guy.. buy local stay local..

Buying inexpensive eBikes is a little risky. They are probably not as reliable, so buying close to home seems like a smart idea. And get one with the longest warranty... two years on everything.

And the local guy who wants $400 more.. Why not offer to split the difference with him and ask for a discount on all accessories? Trust me they will bite.

More importantly demo the bikes in your price range and don't let price difference between those bikes dictate what you wnat.

I offered to split the difference but no deal.

So here's where I'm at: I just bought a 2015 path+ from Lenny and have coordinated with my lbs to receive and setup the bike for me (since it would be quite difficult to get a box that size into my tiny dc apartment). Alan, John and Nelson over at hybrid pedals are great folks and I'm sure ill look to them to service my bike in the future, but even Alan couldn't believe the price I got and offered me $50 to show him the invoice.

I'll keep yall posted when the bike is delivered. Can't wait to cut my commute time in half, even in the chilly weather.

 

[JoePah]

I offered to split the difference but no deal.

So here's where I'm at: I just bought a 2015 path+ from Lenny and have coordinated with my lbs to receive and setup the bike for me (since it would be quite difficult to get a box that size into my tiny dc apartment). Alan, John and Nelson over at hybrid pedals are great folks and I'm sure ill look to them to service my bike in the future, but even Alan couldn't believe the price I got and offered me $50 to show him the invoice.

I'll keep yall posted when the bike is delivered. Can't wait to cut my commute time in half, even in the chilly weather.

Congratulations! And it looks like you got the best of both worlds.. Great price and local support.

Will say that Lenny's prices are very difficult to beat.. Even his price on STromer batteries are well below market.

 

[Brambor]

Lenny does great service to ebikers. I hope that he continues to be successful and that we find vocabulary for his pricing that is most flattering and positive.

 

[PowerMe]

When I figure out exactly which eBike is the right one for me, I'll be giving Lenny a call to get a quote. People seem very happy with the deals they are getting.

 

[sukeiasa]

as promised... pictures of my new bike!
since i lived in a tiny apartment in dc, i had the bike shipped to hybrid pedals and they agreed to receive, set up and dealt with the disposing the trash. when i picked it up the odo said 7, but i guess the test ride put another 1 on there right away haha
one small issue is that i think the battery is damaged? when i took the battery off the bike today i noted that some plastic pieces are not symmetrical? see picture!