Future ecyclist

[neversober]

Hi all,
I am casual recreational cyclist who is lately looking to get some electric bike for his stable. Still don't know much about ebikes, so I got here to learn more about them.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Welcome! Lot's of good people here to help you out.

Advice? Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Priority one, purchase from a local brick and mortar store that will service what they sell. There is a lot of temptaion to purchase from online-only merchants to save money, but unless you are willing to do your own diagnotics, wrenching, parts hunting, deal with significant down time, I would avoid online-only dealers, unless they have a dealer service center near you. That being said, there are many bikers that purchased from online retailers and are perfectly happy. I'm one of them.

• Set your budget
• Define your needs
• Shop locally, and test drive.
• Re-define your needs
• Re-adjust your budget.
• Purchase locally.

Regarding The Main Features and Benefits:

• Torque Sensing - You deserve it. As opposed to "Cadence-only" sensing, you'll get much better exercise and performance. Eventually (2-3 yrs) every bike will have it as standard equipment. Enhances resale value. Read: Pedal Assist Systems
• Rear Suspension - You deserve it. You will never regret the money well spent. Enhances resale value big time.
• Mid-drive - Unnecessary unless you are going off road (mtb/enduro), pulling a load, encounter lots of steep hills every day, or you're obese.
• Controller Amp Rating - The "nominal" and "max" amp rating of the controller equals the real world power of your bike, not the watt rating of the motor. Read this: The Futility of Motor Power Ratings.
• Motor Torque Rating - The more torque, the merrier. "Torque is the rotational measurement of force, ie. how hard something is being twisted. Measured as "Nm", Newton meters.
• Battery Amp Hours - The more amp hours, the merrier. It's like the amount of fuel in your tank. Measured as "Ah", Amp hours.
• Tubeless Ready Rims - If the ebike causes you to ride more miles, you'll get more flats. You will benefit greatly from tubeless ready rims. A lot less flats.

Residing in Europe, you'll have a more narrow band of choices when it comes to the power of your motor as expressed in Watts and Amp rating of the controller. I rented an eMTB in lake Como, Italy last year and climbed Mt. St. Primo. I was realy dissapointed in the restricted speed and power of the bike.

Good luck!

My ebike journey: Evolution of an Ebiker

Caveat emptor

 

[harryS]

It;s good you listed your location as Europe. Your part of the world is more restrictive on what kind of ebike you can ride without having to worry about taxes, licenses, and insurance, and it varies by country. Be a little more specific on location,

 

[JGcycle]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[PedalUma]

A agree with much of what @Tom@WashDC said. From my experience I would put more emphasis on low weight as a priority. Lower weight means the motor and battery can also be lighter. You do not need a full suspension unless you are doing rock gardens in the mountains. A light bike can bunny hop a curb. Stay away from pogo forks - that means springs. Also mid-drives pull the chain through the gears so the motor's power is shift-able and more efficient. The motor and battery should both be low and centered for balanced riding dynamics. How you intend to ride is very important. Is it for speedy weekend sport on the tarmac? Is it for daily commuting and shopping? Does it need to go off road to some extent? Overall, the best systems are the most simple, flashy stuff that requires things like Bluetooth do not make a better riding bike, it is just more expensive stuff to go wrong. It is a bike not a video game or Peloton.

 

[neversober]

I wont quote anyone but thank you all for the insightful tips

 

[FiremarshallDave]

I agree with everything said above with a few caveats. I would also consider the used market. Some people buy because they have a friend who rides and The bike becomes a coat hanger. I just bought a second E bike for my wife's collection because it was needed in another state on the other side of the country. I paid 1/3 of what the local brick and mortar wanted for a new one. The bike was in brand new condition. Remember inflation and demand has driven the price of many brands up by 30 - 40% or more in the last few years. There are some great deals to be had. If they bought it for $900 and now it sells for $1500 you can take 50% off the $900 for a used bike (follow?) $450 vs $1500 see how that works... I have 6 bikes right now and my wife is after me to sell a few... If the seller won't stand for an inspection by a bike shop or by an experienced mechanic, it's a walk away deal. I second what was said about front spring forks mine is in the locked position now. It just sucks my energy and control. Don't overspend if your a casual street rider. You don't need a suspension Mountain/ Downhill bike. Do buy a great bike saddle and good safety equipment. Don't skimp on lights and my personal favorite, a rear view mirror. I've been riding with one for a few years. I just completed a new build and felt naked riding without one on a recent ride. I went home and stole one off one of my other bikes to complete my ride. Helmet, helmet helmet. I can't think of a bike shop that won't work on an E bike regardless of where it came from. The concern is engineering problems and repair parts. Well known brands won't have as many issues. I forgot your in Europe and my not have the inflation rates we have here. I did order a fat tire aluminum frame bike from the Emirates that had a stupid low price a few years ago. Apparently Fat tire bikes were not selling in Dubai. I've been a bike mechanic since 1970 and The deal didn't scare me in the least. It is my favorite ride right now after I converted it to an E bike with a kit.

 

[PedalUma]

after I converted it to an E bike with a kit

I regularly convert bikes. And am known for it. That way you get a better bike and parts and service are a fraction of the price. You are then not beholden to some large proprietary company. I have a few reviews and photos of eBikes on Google Maps, PedalUma eBikes. Most of them are stealthy and lithe but will still blow past expensive ones from stores. This one has climbing gears. External batteries can easily be swapped in seconds for what ever size is needed for a given ride. Less is more. Zoom to check the prices of the ones it out runs.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You will find plethora of good e-bikes in Europe, and not so many which I ironically call "the Chinese crap"* Euro e-bikes are all nominally 250 W but their peak power can be significantly higher. Yes, all the legal Euro e-bikes are limited to 25 km/h (except S-Pedelecs). The price for the quality is the high entry cost of Euro e-bikes. At least we do not have many North American e-bike problems (such as e-bike ban in national parks or e-bikes banned in some areas) and an e-bike is treated as a regular pedal bike by the European law.

It is good if you share your country @neversober as European countries slightly vary between one another, not legally but about what brands are popular, what is readily available, etc. (Also, some countries are flat as a pancake while other are mountainous).

The right questions would be:

• What is the intended use of a bike for you? (Commute or recreation? Urban or road or gravel or mountain singletrack?)
• Age group and fitness level. Why would you ride an e-bike in the first place?
• What is your budget?

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*) That's why most of us here in Europe do not need to think of ideas such funny as Controler Amp Rating or Battery Amp Hours (we express the battery capacity in Wh in Europe, and production e-bikes dominate here). Most of us just buy an e-bike and ride it here.