Forum fears

[Bruce Arnold]

That may be true of forums generally but my impression of most of the participants in this forum, myself included,is that we are here because of our passion and interest and relish the opportunity to share our enthusiasm and learn as much as we can about our new obsession.

I agree in general, with two friendly amendments:

One is that the whiners tend to get weeded out as they receive so little encouragement. However, their posts remain.

The other is that many ebike companies use this forum for QA/QI, so legitimate complaints get fixed over time ... but the posts remain.

 

[ebikemom]

Another issue with forums of any type is that there are fakers on occasion. There is no way to verify who people are, or whether or not what they write is true. Consumer reviews and such create an environment where folks can make fake accounts to put up fake positive or negative reviews to influence product purchases. Other fakers pretend they have a particular disease or are the parent of an ill child to participate in medical forums--I was on a medical caregiver forum where there was a fake parent. Moderators there did a lot of heavy lifting to figure that one out. The most astounding case I heard was of a 9/11 faker--a woman with childhood injuries from a car accident (thus who had real scars) who pretended to be a 9/11 survivor and became fairly prominent in that role, starting with her participation on an online 9/11 survivors forum, before being found out. And, of course, recent news items on FB about fake accounts generated overseas to influence people here in the US are widely known.

So, yes, forum fears, indeed!

 

[ebikemom]

so any bike shop should be able to fix any issues that don't involve the electronics on board

--that don't involve the electronics--therein lies the rub!

 

[AlanDB]

Those of us that live in or near medium size or large cities are fortunate to have local e-bike shops for sales and service without having to travel for hours transporting our heavy e-bikes to and from the LBS. But there are large rural areas that are LBS deserts, especially when it comes to e-bikes. In those areas, online orders and self maintenance are a necessity, not a choice. For those that find themselves in this situation, I agree with what others have said … stick with major, well known brands that have a good reputation for parts availability, direct end-user support, etc. And if at all possible, find a LBS within driving distance and establish a relationship with them to see what kinds of things they can (and are willing to) help you with.

 

[pnop]

I had a 2012 VW TDI. (I do have a point here). I really wanted one but was apprehensive after reading the VW forums. VW did have an issue with the HPFP (high pressure fuel pumps) grenading and sending crap all through the fuel system. It wasn't always covered as VW blamed it on poor diesel.

I bought one anyway. Paid $25k for it. Drove it 5 years and almost 100k miles. It was a great car. Not a single issue. VW bought it back for $20,500 when they had the emissions issue.

The point is, I'm glad I didn't let the forums scare me off.

 

[Jerry LM]

Check out the owner brand forum on here lots of good info.

 

[ebikemom]

someone is incapable of uttering a single bad word about the bike he/she owns, it’s not really helpful to potential buyers

My bike is a great fit for me and my usage pattern. It is, however, not a great fit for everyone. I think it would be a bad choice for someone who frequently rides on rougher terrain at rapid speeds (off-road type riding), because the cadence-sensing hub drive can be a bit unpredictible in its onset. I ride on great to fair quality urban streets and bike paths, so not an issue for me. And when I am in an area where I must ride super precisely but must accellerate (like a very narrow passageway), I use the throttle, which I can control with precision. I also know folks who have gotten my bike and model who are elderly and found that the slowest PAS was too fast for them, or too fast to ride their bike with itty bitty grandchildren on trikes, or that when the PAS kicks in they can't adjust to that feeling and it makes them feel unbalanced.

I think most of us share our own experiences, not those of other people, but if asked "what are the downsides of your bike" may well know stories like this. I'm on brand-related forums also, so have heard lots of stories there, including folks for whom the bike they got isn't a good fit for them. I was also surprised when I went to visit my dealer one day that he'd gotten bikes in for people who called and ordered and pre-paid over the phone without test-riding. Will they be happy with their bikes? I hope so, but who knows.

And, I find that there are tons of folks here who are thrilled with their bikes of all different brands, both purpose-built and DIY. That's why they are here--to spread the thrill and enjoy talking ebikes. Some of us are super happy with our bikes. Lucky us!

Ah, there's a possible thread title "What do you-or-other-people hate about your ebike brand or model?"

 

[DDBB]

My dealer is 1.5 hours away, not very convenient but free tuneups for life, a good out the door price and I was able to test ride a bunch of different models before I chose one. I ended up buying something completely different than what I thought I wanted so the test rides were crucial. I was only able to put 100mi. on my Haibike before the snow came (and stayed) but I'm happy with the purchase even though I still don't see how they get $2,000+ dollars for a bike with a little electric motor on it.. I hope it lasts many years but I'm so hooked on e-bikes now I'll probably want to upgrade before the bike starts getting old.

 

[steve mercier]

We on this site have not done this in any numbers as far as I can tell , so you could be our Guinea pig by ordering direct from China on Aliexpress. For less than a grand you can get started. If you like it then let us know. If you do not like it ,you will have a valuable but cheap lesson about Ebikes. I have bought 4 Ebikes (so far). Each one was a progressively more expensive lesson. Sadly I can only ride one at a time.

 

[DDBB]

Bob ...
There are serious problems relating to quality of both equipment and service. Fortunately, they aren't universal; but, having written that, I must admit to having been very seriously burned on my first venture into ebiking.

Stick to the brands recommended above. I can vouch for the quality of Trek's ebikes and the service that goes with them. Rad seems to be a favoured brand among EBR Forum members, too.

When you have a shortlist, publish it here and await comments. People will be supportive and helpful.
... David

Out of curiosity, what was the first e-bike you had that you got seriously burned with?

 

[John from Connecticut]

I'm researching for an e-bike purchase, using forums like this to separate wheat from chaff in terms of quality - but you guys are scaring me to death! It seems like every bike has costly problems and I would need a nearby LBS and a regular maintenance budget just to own one and keep it running. I know I'll find lower-grade components in my $1.5k - $2k range but all the complaints here make it sound like this is still such an infant industry that it's not for an old fart (76) on limited budget, yet. I have no bike mech skills so almost everything will have to be farmed out. My question, I guess, is how common are problems with e-bikes in my range - Rad, Surface, Juiced etc?

Hi Bobsiii,

Welcome. I completely agree with 'Deleted Member 4210 post. Mike made reference to...'household name' brands "(i.e. Trek, Giant, Specialized, Raleigh, Yamaha, etc)" . I've owned two
Trek Bosch equipt eBikes for a year and a half, 4600 miles combined, zero problems. You mentioned you visited a large LBS with a large selection of e-Bikes ( That's a good thing )
then you said they wouldn't work on kit bikes....Where did 'kit bikes' come from ? : ) If a big LBS won't work on a kit bike and they're pros what does that say ?

You've mentioned a number of 'perceived problems' in purchasing an e-Bike. If it's helpful.. I couldn't spell e-Bikes before I went on my one and only test ride at my LBS. I was out
for 20 minutes, but knew in the first 10 minutes the bike and e=Biking was meant for me ! I rode back to the shop and bought the bike on the spot. Best money I ever spent !! It's a commuter bike and I love it. Good Luck.

 

[DDBB]

Still might be some leftover 2018 Haibikes with Yamaha motors for not much more than $2,000, maybe less. Call crazy Lenny's.

 

[LewSchiller]

I too after reading these forums, was put off by the worry over batteries, chains...etc. I rode road bikes for years and always go 5000+ miles on a chain. Yet on the forum I heard of people having to replace their chain at 500 miles, and thinking nothing of it.

I decided to go ahead with it, based on reality and not on the illusions created on the internet.

Bought my Magnum from a LBS for $1700 out the door. Have now put over 2400 miles on it, and not one problem. At 1000 miles I paid $10 to have the gearing adjusted because of normal cable stretching. Battery life is like new (don’t worry about the 80/20 thing, just charge it and use it), no chain drops,. I lube the chain every 100 miles with a dry lube I get from Lowes. The important thing is to ride, and to ride safely.

Add me to the Magnum Enthusiasts List. No issues to date. Very happy with my Cruiser.

 

[Bobsiii]

Hi Bobsiii,
You mentioned you visited a large LBS with a large selection of e-Bikes ( That's a good thing )
then you said they wouldn't work on kit bikes....Where did 'kit bikes' come from ? : ) If a big LBS won't work on a kit bike and they're pros what does that say ?
.

John when I mentioned that I like the fit of my current bike and asked if it was convertible is when I got the snotty-toned kit bike comment.

 

[Bobsiii]

He said he is on budget though.. that's why I suggested Amego.
.

Thanks for mentioning Amego; after going thru reviews I put their "Infinite" model on my short (10 bikes) list. Don't think I will get to test ride tho, can't find any nearby.

 

[Jerry LM]

Gotta get a shout out for Evelo, customer service is way beyond what would be expected and the bike has run flawlessly. Not one of the big co. but certainly one to consider imo. I love my Aurora!