Just me? So hard to pull trigger!

[jcastanza]

Greetings! After months of research and having been 99% sure of what I want for some time, why am I finding it so hard to pull the trigger and purchase my first ebike? Is it because in the past I’ve been the guy that buys the [ insert product ] and then 2 weeks later the next newest, even cooler model is released? Or will I find an even more perfect match that I somehow missed, after I make the purchase?

Here’s where I’m at: I dig the Lectric XP and even with a budget much larger than $900 I just keep coming back to it. I know I want 20” wheels with 4” fat tires, I want speed (the 28mph is a huge draw), twist throttle, and I want it to look cool. Even tho I am seeing a lot of new bikes hitting the scene, many with suspension and hydraulic brakes, I still keep coming back the Lectric XP. Maybe it’s that there are so many videos of satisfied people, even a year later, and a lot of these newer contenders appear to have a lot of immediate complaints?

That said there are a few that I would definitely choose over the XP, but are priced way beyond my budget. So there’s that. I also am starting to see some pretty good specs for very cheap prices on Amazon, but try to research some of these bikes and can’t find very much info at all, not a single review. So there’s that.

But at the end of the day I keep finding myself staring at photos and re-reading the specs for the 20th time for the XP, so I should just assume that means I should pull the darn trigger, right?

Thanks, if you’ve read this far, and please feel free to suggest any bikes that perhaps I somehow haven’t run across yet.

Jason

 

[Marci jo]

Jcastanza,
Congrats on your search for an ebike. Or maybe I should say congrats on your new XP!
Loved your comment about you keep going back to the photos of the XP.

My two cents:
You can drive yourself crazy trying to decide. It’s called “paralysis by analysis”.
Of course there will be something better on the market the second you bring your new bike home. Like computers and smart phones, these ebikes are changing constantly.
And another thought, think of all the great rides and adventures you are missing by waiting to decide.
Maybe by the time you read my comments you will have ordered your XP. What color did you get?

Looking forward to a photo of your new ebike.

 

[harryS]

Greetings! After months of research and having been 99% sure of what I want for some time, why am I finding it so hard to pull the trigger and purchase my first ebike?

Keywords. First ebike. There will surely be more in your future, so buy it now. It's only 900 bucks and a lot of bike for the money.

 

[Johny Rocket]

I have about 2500 miles on my XP and live in Florida. Pretty flat except for the many bridges over waterways to simulate hills.

The XP does exceptional at doing everything good, no one thing on the bike is bad, no one thing on the bike is better than good.

I highly recommend it as a starting place. As you ride more and more there are many upgrades you can put the extra $600 savings into the bike to make it yours.
IMO Lectric under promises but over delivers. The motor is listed as a 500 watt but it also has 850 watt peak, (some companies publish peak motor power instead of the lower nominal rate). Battery is listed as 48 volt but is actually around 54volts fully charged.

The almost identical bike can be found floating around under different names some with cheap suspension front forks destined to fail, some claiming the 48 volt battery is a 52, some claiming the motor is 750 watts. Probably they are identical except the suspension fork. If you find that you want front suspension then add a decent quality one of your choice.

There are two items I have upgraded on my bike, I changed the freewheel gearing to an 11-34 because if you run out of battery then a lower "granny" gear comes in handy climbing hills and a higher top gear keeps up with the too speed of the bike and avoids ghost peddling. I added a second battery for added range as well. It's a little complicated to do and there are some precautions to take to prevent damage.

I did replace worn brake pads at about 1000 miles and at 2200 miles need to replace the rear tire

Beware, there is huge demand and few choices in 20" fat tires when it comes to replace them. I just spent $100 for two of them when if they were in any other size it would have been about half or less.

I really don't think you can go wrong with the Lectric XP.

 

[AaronXander]

I just recently bought myself the Lectric XP as my first ebike and at first I started looking into one of those cheap ebikes from Amazon, till I saw a few videos of the XP and the price range and it had everything I was looking for and bought one. Now I'm just waiting for Lectric to get the shipment from the LA Customs port and hopefully it'll be here by the end of the month.

 

[sidgabe]

Greetings! After months of research and having been 99% sure of what I want for some time, why am I finding it so hard to pull the trigger and purchase my first ebike? Is it because in the past I’ve been the guy that buys the [ insert product ] and then 2 weeks later the next newest, even cooler model is released? Or will I find an even more perfect match that I somehow missed, after I make the purchase?

Here’s where I’m at: I dig the Lectric XP and even with a budget much larger than $900 I just keep coming back to it. I know I want 20” wheels with 4” fat tires, I want speed (the 28mph is a huge draw), twist throttle, and I want it to look cool. Even tho I am seeing a lot of new bikes hitting the scene, many with suspension and hydraulic brakes, I still keep coming back the Lectric XP. Maybe it’s that there are so many videos of satisfied people, even a year later, and a lot of these newer contenders appear to have a lot of immediate complaints?

That said there are a few that I would definitely choose over the XP, but are priced way beyond my budget. So there’s that. I also am starting to see some pretty good specs for very cheap prices on Amazon, but try to research some of these bikes and can’t find very much info at all, not a single review. So there’s that.

But at the end of the day I keep finding myself staring at photos and re-reading the specs for the 20th time for the XP, so I should just assume that means I should pull the darn trigger, right?

Thanks, if you’ve read this far, and please feel free to suggest any bikes that perhaps I somehow haven’t run across yet.

Jason

I've got a step thru and another ordered and love it. Only issue is it is taking three or months to get them.

 

[ERRey]

I ordered a Lectric XP (Black), a little over a month ago, and am still waiting for the company to confirm that the bike has been shipped.. If you are in a hurry to start riding then maybe another option is best. If you are patient and can wait the month and a half lead time before receiving your purchase, then XP is an excellent choice. Had i known it would take them 6 weeks to deliver, i may have chose something else.

 

[ebikester]

It's not about the specs, it's simple....If you have the technical knowledge to risk buying from a company who has poor customer service or support, then better options exist. But if you don't, Lectric is probably the best option

The people who buy Lectric XP's are folks who value and prioritize customer service and support over hardware specs.

.

 

[jcastanza]

It's not about the specs, it's simple....If you have the technical knowledge to risk buying from a company who has poor customer service or support, then better options exist. But if you don't, Lectric is probably the best option

The people who buy Lectric XP's are folks who value and prioritize customer service and support over hardware specs.

.

Good perspective. That makes sense. I feel confident enough but I just don’t want to deal with any hassle, you know?

 

[jcastanza]

You can drive yourself crazy trying to decide. It’s called “paralysis by analysis”.

ha! This is so true! Well I’ve decided on the XP for sure, but am now further torturing myself with step-thru or not. I could care less what people think, i just can’t lift my leg as high as I used to be able to, but at the same time it doesn’t buy *that* much room and I’m worried about the frame flexing. I do like that your center of gravity seems to be lower on the step-thru; and that seems like it would feel more “in control”.

 

[Johny Rocket]

ha! This is so true! Well I’ve decided on the XP for sure, but am now further torturing myself with step-thru or not. I could care less what people think, i just can’t lift my leg as high as I used to be able to, but at the same time it doesn’t buy *that* much room and I’m worried about the frame flexing. I do like that your center of gravity seems to be lower on the step-thru; and that seems like it would feel more “in control”.

I have the standard bike and pretty bad hip issues. I'm not able to swing my leg over the seat and rear of the bike but I'm easily able to pull my foot and leg in front of the seat up over the top tube. The stand over is actually pretty low at only 24". If you can lift your foot 24" above the ground then you can step through the standard frame. Typical adult bike top tube is 29-31" above the ground so the xp is already pretty low. I'm 5'11" and 30" inseam to give you a prospective. Hope this helps with your decision.

 

[ronr]

ha! This is so true! Well I’ve decided on the XP for sure, but am now further torturing myself with step-thru or not. I could care less what people think, i just can’t lift my leg as high as I used to be able to, but at the same time it doesn’t buy *that* much room and I’m worried about the frame flexing. I do like that your center of gravity seems to be lower on the step-thru; and that seems like it would feel more “in control”.

I have a Specialized step thru and much like you don’t care what anyone thinks. No noticeable flex.

 

[ebikester]

ha! This is so true! Well I’ve decided on the XP for sure, but am now further torturing myself with step-thru or not. I could care less what people think, i just can’t lift my leg as high as I used to be able to, but at the same time it doesn’t buy *that* much room and I’m worried about the frame flexing. I do like that your center of gravity seems to be lower on the step-thru; and that seems like it would feel more “in control”.

If you're not concerned with the style, the step-thru is going to be the more comfortable bike because it's simply less effort to get on and off. And the lower center of gravity probably improves the cornering quite a bit. But for me personally, I'm willing to sacrifice a little comfort just to avoid riding around on what I've always understood as being designed specifically for women. The reality is that no one is ever going to notice or care, so as long as you're okay with it, the step-thru is probably the more comfortable bike.

 

[Heymelbs]

Don't wait too long, bike prices from other manufacturers are already starting to rise because of the Chinese tariffs, rising material costs, supply chain issues etc. I have the XP and my wife the ST. Love them! We couldn't find a bike that has the features of the Lectric for the price. Customer service is really good also!

 

[jcastanza]

I have the standard bike and pretty bad hip issues. I'm not able to swing my leg over the seat and rear of the bike but I'm easily able to pull my foot and leg in front of the seat up over the top tube. The stand over is actually pretty low at only 24". If you can lift your foot 24" above the ground then you can step through the standard frame. Typical adult bike top tube is 29-31" above the ground so the xp is already pretty low. I'm 5'11" and 30" inseam to give you a prospective. Hope this helps with your decision.

Actually, yes thank you that’s very helpful. At 24” isnt that only about a 6” difference then? This got me thinking more and being a visual person wanted to “see” what this looks like, I’ll attach the quick mock-up I made in case anyone is interested. It also helpe you see where the extra 1-1.5” of bike length appears too.

 

[jcastanza]

Well I’ll be. I was literally about to hit the button and order an XP and low and behold there’s a new 2.0 model! Lots of awesome upgrades for only $100!?! Although I’m not sure how I feel about a 3” tire The 4” tire is one of the top few reasons I want an XP. I also wonder how much delivery time of a 2.0 vs 1.0 XP differs, or if it will at all...

 

[contraktor]

Literally THOUSANDS of orders to contend with. I'm thinking you would probably see an XP ST 2.0 in your hands before anything else. I'm personally waiting for my SO XP next Monday.

 

[contraktor]

Jcastanza,
Congrats on your search for an ebike. Or maybe I should say congrats on your new XP!
Loved your comment about you keep going back to the photos of the XP.

My two cents:
You can drive yourself crazy trying to decide. It’s called “paralysis by analysis”.
Of course there will be something better on the market the second you bring your new bike home. Like computers and smart phones, these ebikes are changing constantly.
And another thought, think of all the great rides and adventures you are missing by waiting to decide.
Maybe by the time you read my comments you will have ordered your XP. What color did you get?

Looking forward to a photo of your new ebike.

You had me @"Think of all the great rides & ADVENTURES you are missing"!! Truer words have never been spoken!!! @jcastanza have you ordered? 2.0 shipping times have indeed been extended. If you have not, why? You're going to be missing out, man!!!

 

[harryS]

In my opinion, it will bike better on most surfaces with a 3" tire. The wider ones are nicer for bike shows. If you order the 1.0 now, will you get it by July?

 

[soyabean]

Consider this:

It's already mid-May.

Do you want to be enjoying an ebike like the rest of us right now, or wait until 2022?