Hello from NC

[gr8jrnydmh]

I am looking at getting my first E-Bike. I am on the bigger side but hope to use it to get in shape and have some fun in the sun and out of doors. Very confusing as to what bike to get, I am looking at Ecotric for price and Himiway for ideal. I know they are lower end bikes but I am on a tight budget. I was wondering if there is a resource available about batteries? It looks like many of the bikes use the same batteries but they are stamped with different brands and a wide range of prices. I would never consider buying an e-bike without having at least one extra battery, but the Himiway extra batteries, for example, are $550.00 dollars on the website. I did see where someone posted an alternative from aliexpress but how do you find these alternatives? Do you have to have some specialized knowledge of the battery manufacture or is there a "list" of compatible batteries in this forum or another? Sorry to throw out so many questions but I try to be fully informed before I pull the trigger. This is a lot of money to purchase online as there are NO Local Bike Shops near me and definitely none that sell budget priced e-bikes. All the shops near me within 100 miles only sell high end bikes starting at $2K. I see that this is going to be a great resource for information, thank you for the forum.

 

[PatriciaK]

I am looking at getting my first E-Bike. I am on the bigger side but hope to use it to get in shape and have some fun in the sun and out of doors. Very confusing as to what bike to get, I am looking at Ecotric for price and Himiway for ideal. I know they are lower end bikes but I am on a tight budget. I was wondering if there is a resource available about batteries? It looks like many of the bikes use the same batteries but they are stamped with different brands and a wide range of prices. I would never consider buying an e-bike without having at least one extra battery, but the Himiway extra batteries, for example, are $550.00 dollars on the website. I did see where someone posted an alternative from aliexpress but how do you find these alternatives? Do you have to have some specialized knowledge of the battery manufacture or is there a "list" of compatible batteries in this forum or another? Sorry to throw out so many questions but I try to be fully informed before I pull the trigger. This is a lot of money to purchase online as there are NO Local Bike Shops near me and definitely none that sell budget priced e-bikes. All the shops near me within 100 miles only sell high end bikes starting at $2K. I see that this is going to be a great resource for information, thank you for the forum.

 

[PatriciaK]

Whereabouts in NC? We have a couple in town in Greensboro, they're are several on Charlotte, and I think there's an Aventon dealer in Wilmington area...

 

[gr8jrnydmh]

I am north of Greensboro, (Rockingham County), I am going to try to go by "E-Bike Central" this weekend if possible. I haven't gone deep into it but the website looked cool, but the brands listed seemed a little out of my price range. But, still want to look. I also may be traveling to the Durham area during April so I may check around there as they are much bigger market. Thank you for replying. I want to get my family into "E-biking" and get everyone out of the house more. It would be nice to have a forum for folks to find other folks in their area for possible meet ups and group rides, that would be awesome.

 

[PatriciaK]

I am north of Greensboro, (Rockingham County), I am going to try to go by "E-Bike Central" this weekend if possible. I haven't gone deep into it but the website looked cool, but the brands listed seemed a little out of my price range. But, still want to look. I also may be traveling to the Durham area during April so I may check around there as they are much bigger market. Thank you for replying. I want to get my family into "E-biking" and get everyone out of the house more. It would be nice to have a forum for folks to find other folks in their area for possible meet ups and group rides, that would be awesome.

There's also Cycles D'Oro in Greensboro - they sell mostly Giant (and Giant subsidiaries) and Specialized

Greensboro, bicycles, cycling, Specialized, Giant, events, repairs, Fit, clothing, helmets, Greensboro Velo Club, race team, touring, commuting

 

[gtpharr]

I am north of Greensboro, (Rockingham County), I am going to try to go by "E-Bike Central" this weekend if possible. I haven't gone deep into it but the website looked cool, but the brands listed seemed a little out of my price range. But, still want to look. I also may be traveling to the Durham area during April so I may check around there as they are much bigger market. Thank you for replying. I want to get my family into "E-biking" and get everyone out of the house more. It would be nice to have a forum for folks to find other folks in their area for possible meet ups and group rides, that would be awesome.

I would be very cautious in dealing with or buying from eBike Central in Greensboro, NC. I currently have a Riese & Muller ebike on order with this dealer and the entire experience has been very disappointing so far. I have found their communication and follow through on promises to be very poor at best. They do not have a full time mechanic. They have a retired guy that works only on Tuesday, but may come in on other days if needed. At this point, I have very little expectation that there will be any real service after the sale.

I agree that eBike Central has a very nice website that makes them look like a great company to do business with. Their website is what suckered me in! Unfortunately I have found their day to day operations does not match what their website would lead you to believe.

All I can say about eBike Central in Greensboro NC is "Buyer Beware" and get everything in writing.

 

[gr8jrnydmh]

I would be very cautious in dealing with or buying from eBike Central in Greensboro, NC. I currently have a Riese & Muller ebike on order with this dealer and the entire experience has been very disappointing so far. I have found their communication and follow through on promises to be very poor at best. They do not have a full time mechanic. They have a retired guy that works only on Tuesday, but may come in on other days if needed. At this point, I have very little expectation that there will be any real service after the sale.

I agree that eBike Central has a very nice website that makes them look like a great company to do business with. Their website is what suckered me in! Unfortunately I have found their day to day operations does not match what their website would lead you to believe.

All I can say about eBike Central in Greensboro NC is "Buyer Beware" and get everything in writing.

Thanks for the info @gtpharr I was starting to think this also. I am still thinking Himiway Cruiser. But I have some other stuff to deal with, so I may end up with Ecotric or Ancheer, we'll see.