Slaphappygamer
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Aptos
Depends on who you are talking about. There are many replies.
Well, now there are 3 pages.
Disappointed after purchasing an e-bike?
- Thread starter Ihor
- Start date
Well, now there are 3 pages.
Slaphappygamer
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Aptos
That’s some Vado smoke. Wow. Lol
Slaphappygamer
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Aptos
Damn, I dream of having a 4 day work week. Still, no regrets.
Tom@WashDC
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Loudoun County, VA.
Dissapointed that I didn't get into ebiking 15 years ago. I purchased two Aventon Levels in 2020, one for me, one for my wife. Quickly threafer built a BBSHD Fat Bike, then modded one of the Aventons with a KT Controller for smoother performance, then bought a Luna Z1 Enduro for me, and a Frey Savannah CC for the wife. Lastly, added a Rholoff Speedhub in the Luna Z1.
Now, I'm making up for all of the fun I missed.
Now, I'm making up for all of the fun I missed.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
My own story might sound surprising (as I am perceived as a "Specialized fanboy" here).
I bought a Specialized Vado 5.0 (45 km/h) from an incompetent dealer in Warsaw. The dealer cheated me by saying I would be buying the latest model, which was a lie. (If that helps, the LBS lost its dealership later).
The Vado I bought was equipped with an obsolete and very bad BLOKS electronics. I felt very disappointed about it as I got a lemon that totally did not meet my expectations!
Seven months had passed. Specialized (not the LBS) then offered a free overhaul to the latest TCD-w (L1e-B) electronics. After the overhaul, I got like a brand new latest Speed Vado! Later, well after the warranty expired, Specialized replaced the Vado frame with a new one on the 'lifetime frame warranty'. I can only be delighted!
It all depends on the brand and on the LBS.
I bought a Specialized Vado 5.0 (45 km/h) from an incompetent dealer in Warsaw. The dealer cheated me by saying I would be buying the latest model, which was a lie. (If that helps, the LBS lost its dealership later).
The Vado I bought was equipped with an obsolete and very bad BLOKS electronics. I felt very disappointed about it as I got a lemon that totally did not meet my expectations!
Seven months had passed. Specialized (not the LBS) then offered a free overhaul to the latest TCD-w (L1e-B) electronics. After the overhaul, I got like a brand new latest Speed Vado! Later, well after the warranty expired, Specialized replaced the Vado frame with a new one on the 'lifetime frame warranty'. I can only be delighted!
It all depends on the brand and on the LBS.
6zfshdb
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Northeast Pennsylvania
Very true. Being a DIY'er allows you to make many alterations that add a whole new dimension to the e-bike experience.
Unfortunately, it's not an option for everyone.
indianajo
Well-Known Member
I was happy with my unpowered bike, but summer winds picked up in 2018 and it took 6 hours to ride 27 miles into a headwind. TOO MUCH EXERCISE! My first conversion kit installed on a Huffy Savannah cruiser, the battery would not climb any hill. Got my money back for that battery. Steering was too slow with an 18 lb battery & 7 lb hub motor on the front wheel. The second battery also would not climb any hill. Would flash back to 53 v as soon as I stopped riding, so I did not get my money back for that one. Second conversion kit proved second battery was bad, but it was a direct drive motor, heavy on the rear & drug like 2 higher sprockets when the power was off. Hated that. After 6 months I got the first geared hub motor removed from the Savannah and carried back to town where the third battery was, bliss. Wore out the first motor 2 1/2 years ~4500 miles, but it only cost $300, no big deal. After some problems with rain & a burnt wire harness and controller, I am still using the second motor. I have 6 years and ~11000 miles on the bike, 10000 miles on the battery. I'm afraid any normal mtb or cruiser ebike would throw me on my chin, as the 3 previous bikes did. **** quick steering! I wore a helmet with chin guard when I rented an e-bike in the Houston park system last October. Helmets are so hard to carry I left the Bell Super 3R MIPS at my brother's house in Houston. Will not protect me if I wanted to rent a normal ebike anywhere else. Not worth breaking the jaw again, elsewhere I will ride the bus or walk.
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Slaphappygamer
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Aptos
Rome, his first post was asking about other user’s experiences. Not his own experience. He is collecting data for something. Maybe a paper he is writing.
Sparky731
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
The basic Purion provides all of the necessary controls I require.
The very first thing the Trek Tech who built my bike advised me was to never put my phone into the smartphone clamp as it is highly unreliable with most phones falling out. Whereupon I used large rubber bands in addition to the clamp to hold my phone. And the software interface was disappointing. Quickly I upgraded.
I really like the Kiox 2. My bike does not have the Bosch SmartSytem required for the Kiox 3.
Rexlion
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Tulsa metro
My Ride1Up LMT'D turned out to be a decent quality ebike. Only problems I've had were:
- the fill opening for the front hydraulic brake must not have been tight from the factory, and after a few months I lost enough fluid that the brake needed a refill and bleed.
- after 800 miles some spokes on the rear wheel loosened up; I wasn't aware that the stress a hub motor puts on the spokes sometimes does this. One spoke had come loose and the connector had to be fished out from inside the wheel. The LBS guy used some threadlock and says it shouldn't happen again.
My analog bike lets me sit lower to the ground with a crank-forward design, and I find that I miss the feel of that design. So I am looking at buying a Townie. I have a friend who says she's interested in buying the LMTD from me, so I might part with it.
- the fill opening for the front hydraulic brake must not have been tight from the factory, and after a few months I lost enough fluid that the brake needed a refill and bleed.
- after 800 miles some spokes on the rear wheel loosened up; I wasn't aware that the stress a hub motor puts on the spokes sometimes does this. One spoke had come loose and the connector had to be fished out from inside the wheel. The LBS guy used some threadlock and says it shouldn't happen again.
My analog bike lets me sit lower to the ground with a crank-forward design, and I find that I miss the feel of that design. So I am looking at buying a Townie. I have a friend who says she's interested in buying the LMTD from me, so I might part with it.
2x Moustache Xroads (2&5). 12000kms and 3.5years old. Excellent bikes, very impressed with rear wheel quality had no busted spokes in this time.
Only complaints are dim tail light on mudguard not up to commuter standards. I've added extra one to back of rack.
Entry level MT200 brakes on Xroad 2, poor choice given price of bikes. I upgraded both bikes to SLXs.
Only complaints are dim tail light on mudguard not up to commuter standards. I've added extra one to back of rack.
Entry level MT200 brakes on Xroad 2, poor choice given price of bikes. I upgraded both bikes to SLXs.
AleksR
Active Member
Nope. My 4 year old Riese and Mueller Supercharger 2 has been nothing but a pleasant surprise. My bike store services it yearly and it runs like a champ.
Rexlion
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Tulsa metro
Heh. That reminds me: some scammer in the OKC area is offering a brand new R&M Superdelite for $655. But you can't go and pick it up; you have to pay electronically and he'll then ship it to you.... supposedly.
Slaphappygamer
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Aptos
Proof! Regular maintenance and care of your vehicle will greatly prolong the life of the vehicle. This will enhance the user experience.
Im just curious, is it the same bike shop that you purchased the bike from, or is this a different shop that maintains the bike?
Voltbike Mariner 2.
Pros: got a rebate from the province so it didn't cost much. Voltbike's factory warehouse is nearby and they'll service it. It does seem well built with name brand parts though not top of the line. The folding feature is handy if I want to take it anywhere. It's easy to get on -- I just step through as opposed to having to swing my leg over.
Cons: heavy. The 4 inch tires and thick frame make it difficult to fit in a bike rack. For my next bike I think I'd prefer a torque sensor over the cadence sensor.
Pros: got a rebate from the province so it didn't cost much. Voltbike's factory warehouse is nearby and they'll service it. It does seem well built with name brand parts though not top of the line. The folding feature is handy if I want to take it anywhere. It's easy to get on -- I just step through as opposed to having to swing my leg over.
Cons: heavy. The 4 inch tires and thick frame make it difficult to fit in a bike rack. For my next bike I think I'd prefer a torque sensor over the cadence sensor.
AleksR
Active Member
Same bike shop. They have been great so far. I am in the Bay Area and purchased it at Newwheel in San Francisco.
Catalyzt
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
I did not read the whole thread, but being disappointed is not a binary situation. It's entirely possible to be very happy with a purchase in some respects, but disappointed in others.
I would say my least disappointing purchase was the Motobecane with the E5000 motor. It's reliable and consistent and lightweight and handles incredibly well. What is disappointing is that it's underpowered. You can go about 45 miles with 4,500 feet of vertical on steep trails on a bike that's 47 pounds-- but you have to be in really good shape for a ride like that. There's no option to do it with high assist and then condition yourself to do it at lower assist. So maybe I'm 10 or 15% disappointed.
The Marin build is a bit more disappointing, but not much-- say I'm 15 to 20% disappointed-- but it has many capabilities the Motobecane does not. Specifically, it's faster and safer in traffic, and it's much easier to ride it for running errands. It's possible to lock it at a coffee shop because the battery is small and light, very easy to remove, and I never guessed how many possibilities that would open up! (I still never lock a bike where I can't see it, and always carry a legal weapon even then... you can take the boy out of the city, but not the city out of the boy.) Also, at 42 pounds, I can easily haul it up a flight of stairs to use the bank ATM. What most exceeded my expectations is the range, which is probably about 35 miles-- I had no idea I'd even get 30 with such a small, lightweight battery! The ergonomics of the bike are far better for daily riding as well, and it handles like a dream-- perfectly balanced with the little mid drive. What's disappointing is the power delivery and gearing-- I knew the latter would be an issue, but didn't expect how it would interact with TSDZ2B. I did not realize how difficult it would be to fix the issues with the gearing; it sounds moderately difficult to go to go from 12 to 8 or 9 gears and move the cassette outwards to fix the chainline problem. In fact, it will be very difficult, and until then, this bike will never be able to climb some of the very steep hills-- the stuff over 15%-- that the Motobecane can. It also may have been a mistake to run it without a speed sensor -- the right decision for where the builder lives, but the wrong one for where I live, which has longer and steeper hills. And probably buying a 29er was not a wise choice-- that's all on me. The bike may have 27.5 inch wheels in its future. The battery fade, too, at the end of the charge is an issue, though it's better on some days than others, thus the bike's name: "Mercury" for "mercurial"! (Also because it is silver.) So even at 20% disappointed, I ride it more than the Moto.
My most disappointing purchase was the Hilltopper kit-- count me 35% disappointed. Man, when it ran, it was great, and a great introduction to the sport! Love the lightweight hub drive for hairpin turns, nothing like it, and with a throttle, you can keep the power up even when the bike is leaned over too far to avoid a pedal strike. And it climbed way better than a hub drive had any right to... it climbed even better than the Marin... while it ran. But I blew up one controller and one battery (or controller, I never diagnosed it thoroughly) in less than three years. THAT was disappointing. The range was only 15 miles when the battery was new.
So have I ever been disappointed after buying an e-bike?
The correct answer would be: Always. But not very. Far more satisfied than dissatisfied for all three bikes. I'm more dissatisfied with the physics of living on planet earth, that don't allow me to have a 35-pound eMTB with a hundred mile range for less than $15,000 or so.
I would say my least disappointing purchase was the Motobecane with the E5000 motor. It's reliable and consistent and lightweight and handles incredibly well. What is disappointing is that it's underpowered. You can go about 45 miles with 4,500 feet of vertical on steep trails on a bike that's 47 pounds-- but you have to be in really good shape for a ride like that. There's no option to do it with high assist and then condition yourself to do it at lower assist. So maybe I'm 10 or 15% disappointed.
The Marin build is a bit more disappointing, but not much-- say I'm 15 to 20% disappointed-- but it has many capabilities the Motobecane does not. Specifically, it's faster and safer in traffic, and it's much easier to ride it for running errands. It's possible to lock it at a coffee shop because the battery is small and light, very easy to remove, and I never guessed how many possibilities that would open up! (I still never lock a bike where I can't see it, and always carry a legal weapon even then... you can take the boy out of the city, but not the city out of the boy.) Also, at 42 pounds, I can easily haul it up a flight of stairs to use the bank ATM. What most exceeded my expectations is the range, which is probably about 35 miles-- I had no idea I'd even get 30 with such a small, lightweight battery! The ergonomics of the bike are far better for daily riding as well, and it handles like a dream-- perfectly balanced with the little mid drive. What's disappointing is the power delivery and gearing-- I knew the latter would be an issue, but didn't expect how it would interact with TSDZ2B. I did not realize how difficult it would be to fix the issues with the gearing; it sounds moderately difficult to go to go from 12 to 8 or 9 gears and move the cassette outwards to fix the chainline problem. In fact, it will be very difficult, and until then, this bike will never be able to climb some of the very steep hills-- the stuff over 15%-- that the Motobecane can. It also may have been a mistake to run it without a speed sensor -- the right decision for where the builder lives, but the wrong one for where I live, which has longer and steeper hills. And probably buying a 29er was not a wise choice-- that's all on me. The bike may have 27.5 inch wheels in its future. The battery fade, too, at the end of the charge is an issue, though it's better on some days than others, thus the bike's name: "Mercury" for "mercurial"! (Also because it is silver.) So even at 20% disappointed, I ride it more than the Moto.
My most disappointing purchase was the Hilltopper kit-- count me 35% disappointed. Man, when it ran, it was great, and a great introduction to the sport! Love the lightweight hub drive for hairpin turns, nothing like it, and with a throttle, you can keep the power up even when the bike is leaned over too far to avoid a pedal strike. And it climbed way better than a hub drive had any right to... it climbed even better than the Marin... while it ran. But I blew up one controller and one battery (or controller, I never diagnosed it thoroughly) in less than three years. THAT was disappointing. The range was only 15 miles when the battery was new.
So have I ever been disappointed after buying an e-bike?
The correct answer would be: Always. But not very. Far more satisfied than dissatisfied for all three bikes. I'm more dissatisfied with the physics of living on planet earth, that don't allow me to have a 35-pound eMTB with a hundred mile range for less than $15,000 or so.
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