First Ebike For 13 Year Old

[Sambeaux]

New to this community.

I’ve commuted to work on ebikes for about 4 years now. My son - a small 13 year old boy, is starting high school in August and wants to commute to school like his pop does to work. His school is on my way to work - about 4 miles for him and 6 for me so we could do it together.

I am looking for an entry level ebike that won’t break the bank - under $600 if possible, decent range, full electric with throttle and something that he will enjoy.

I would love to know everyone’s thoughts. Thank you all in advance for any and all advice and help.

 

[FlatSix911]

What is his approximate height and inseam? What size/type bike does he currently ride?

 

[raceto100]

Welcome! Make sure in your state that it is legal for a 13 year old to ride an ebike on the street. In my home province of Ontario the minimum age is 16, and it's like this in many other places.

Cheers

 

[Sambeaux]

Hyper E-Ride
$598

26in Hyper E-Ride Mountain 36V MTB

Enjoy the benefits of cycling with assistance from the electric motor! FEATURES: 26in light weight aluminum frame Rear hub brush-less 36V / 250W< electric motor Integrated flush-Mount 36V / 7.8 AH battery Battery charging time of 4 hours Top Speed at 20 MPH with a run time of 1 hour / 20 Miles 6...

hyperbicycles.com

Thank you. I really appreciate it!

 

[FlatSix911]

New to this community.

I’ve commuted to work on ebikes for about 4 years now. My son - a small 13 year old boy, is starting high school in August and wants to commute to school like his pop does to work. His school is on my way to work - about 4 miles for him and 6 for me so we could do it together.

I am looking for an entry level ebike that won’t break the bank - under $600 if possible, decent range, full electric with throttle and something that he will enjoy.

I would love to know everyone’s thoughts. Thank you all in advance for any and all advice and help.

Take a look at getting him an 8-speed cruiser EBike... all of his friends will be jealous.

Save up to 60% OFF Mango SuperBird eBike 7 Speed Cruisers Cruisers from bikesdirect.com

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[PDoz]

Why does a 13 yo need an ebike for a 4 mile ride?

A conventional bike will be lighter and easier to control, you will be in a much better spec range for the same price, and when he grows out of it those components might be transferable to the next bike?

Whilst my kids ride my ebike occasionally, most of the time they are more comfortable on their own bikes. The 11 yo gets the ebike for long rides ( over an hour)

 

[Nova Haibike]

at the age of 13, a lot of kids are very well developed in terms of physical ability.
They can do wheelies, do crazy tricks on BMX, in terms of athletic ability, they're beyond someone who is 60 or 70.

So they don't need a motor.

 

[FlatSix911]

That's $899

That's $300 jump from OP's $600 budget.

Being a budget conscious buyer myself, $300 is a lot of money when you're on budget.

Yes, but you really don't want to let your kid ride a Walmart EBike... one insurance claim and you are toast. YMMV.

 

[PDoz]

I think it depends?

Meanwhile in Japan.. https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/should-it-be-legal-for-kids-to-ride-ebikes.33753/

Kids in Japan ride ebikes to go to school.
I think it's better than parents giving them a ride to school everyday.

Kids can ride ebikes no problem.. also at the age of 13, a lot of kids are very well developed in terms of physical ability.
They can do wheelies, do crazy tricks on BMX, in terms of athletic ability, they're beyond someone who is 60 or 70.

It was covered on EBR.

Even at 6, they're quite good

I guess I wasn't clear enough.

I have absolutely no issue with kids on an ebike, but was questioning why they need one for a 4 mile ride.

For shorter distances, I find my kids prefer the lighter non ebike - it's easier to kid handle , more responsive to rider input, and also easier for them to learn skills like manuals / bunny hopping snakes etc

If budget us a consideration, the quality gap between a budget ebike and a similarly priced regular bike is HUGE. $600 buys an awesome conventional kids bike but a pretty average ebike. I personally wouldn't want to ride in traffic on an under braked or under suspended overweight bike, so I definitely wouldn't want my kids doing that. But then again, when I was 13 my parents would have been constantly stressed from the things I was doing on bmx / motorbikes etc do I probably don't have any right to preach.

 

[PatriciaK]

Where is he going to put the bike while he's at school all day? Do you know how many bikes get stolen from bike racks at schools? Leaving the bike unattended all day is just asking for it to be stolen.

And, what about his friends who are going to want to (pressure him into letting them) fool around with it? What if one of them gets hurt? Who's liability is that? What if the bike gets damaged?

There is so much going on emotionally and developmentally as kids make their way through high school. And, the kid in your presence is not the same as the kid on their own. The peer pressure, especially for a freshman, is going to be intense. Your kid may be physically capable of handling the bike, but the maturity level - the brain development - is just not there.

Perhaps it would be a better idea to get the bike for the two of you to ride together for recreation, and leave the whole school thing out of it for at least a couple of years?

 

[MikeDD]

I think he is looking for e-bike suggestions, not on how to raise his children.

 

[PatriciaK]

I don't think

I think he is looking for e-bike suggestions, not on how to raise his children.

I'm not understanding what concern my opinion is to you, since you're not the OP. Or, why you feel the need to chastise me, again, since you're not the OP. There are several other comments here about children and Ebikes. I simply brought up some additional issues he might want to consider (or not) - don't think that's telling him how to raise his children. But, in any case, I'm sure the OP can handle this himself, thanks.

 

[J.R.]

@Sambeaux I hope you find the bike that works for your family. I had mini bikes from age 7 on. My mother made me wear a helmet and goggles, looked like a dork in the late 60's Even though I had a "motorbike", it didn't make me lazy, I was an athlete in school. Two wheels of all types have been a big part of my life ever since. I'm sure you can make it work.

I see you are in New Orleans, LA. Adding to @raceto100 comment. Louisiana has some odd laws regarding ebikes.

Louisiana ebike laws....

Is there one place to find all the legal information about e bike classification in this state? Is it an e bike, moped, motorized bike or ? I keep hearing conflicting information. My consensus was that if it's max speed was 25mph you are OK. I regularly have non-motorized competition bikes...

electricbikereview.com

Looks like you might need a drivers license? I have no idea how strictly the laws are enforced. Riding to school property might add some scrutiny.

Just a heads up. Good luck!

 

[FlatSix911]

@Sambeaux I hope you find the bike that works for your family. I had mini bikes from age 7 on. My mother made me wear a helmet and goggles, looked like a dork in the late 60's Even though I had a "motorbike", it didn't make me lazy, I was an athlete in school. Two wheels of all types have been a big part of my life ever since. I'm sure you can make it work.

I see you are in New Orleans, LA. Adding to @raceto100 comment. Louisiana has some odd laws regarding ebikes.

Louisiana ebike laws....

Is there one place to find all the legal information about e bike classification in this state? Is it an e bike, moped, motorized bike or ? I keep hearing conflicting information. My consensus was that if it's max speed was 25mph you are OK. I regularly have non-motorized competition bikes...

electricbikereview.com

Looks like you might need a drivers license? I have no idea how strictly the laws are enforced. Riding to school property might add some scrutiny.
Just a heads up. Good luck!

Awesome... for those that don't remember what a mini-bike looked like in the '70s...

 

[Jay Cee]

New to this community.

I’ve commuted to work on ebikes for about 4 years now. My son - a small 13 year old boy, is starting high school in August and wants to commute to school like his pop does to work. His school is on my way to work - about 4 miles for him and 6 for me so we could do it together.

I am looking for an entry level ebike that won’t break the bank - under $600 if possible, decent range, full electric with throttle and something that he will enjoy.

I would love to know everyone’s thoughts. Thank you all in advance for any and all advice and help.

Hello,

Are you a Costco member? If yes, wait for the Jetson Bolt Pro. This is a folding ebike with throttle and only $299. Your son will love it!

 

[FlatSix911]

Good suggestion... also available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Jetson-Folding-Throttle-Electric-Bicycle/dp/B0812MP2T5