Looking for a little advise.

T

ThreeLRanch

New Member
Region
USA
Me and and my wife are looking for a couple of Ebikes for when we go camping , we have a 15 month old and would also need one that can have a seat attached to it.
I’ve just started looking and really have no clue what to look for or what brands to stay away from. Price needs to stay under 2k each.
Is there any brands that I should stay away from and what’s the three top brands out right now?
 
I'm gonna toss Rad Power out there. The RadRunner1 is what I have. Great value and has been very reliable. I also have a RadMini Step-Thru in the family and I enjoy the extra gears sometimes. What is important to you? Local support? Small foot print of 20" wheels? Folding? Weight? Others should chime in with their favorite value based brands.
 
ThreeLRanch said:
Me and and my wife are looking for a couple of Ebikes for when we go camping , we have a 15 month old and would also need one that can have a seat attached to it.
I’ve just started looking and really have no clue what to look for or what brands to stay away from. Price needs to stay under 2k each.
Is there any brands that I should stay away from and what’s the three top brands out right now?
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The big brands in the bike shops are Trek, Giant, and Specialized. But before worrying about brands, have you ridden any ebikes?
 
I would also say take a look at the Rad Power bikes. I've had great luck with mine and they have a model that seems to fit your needs.
 
sc00ter said:
I'm gonna toss Rad Power out there. The RadRunner1 is what I have. Great value and has been very reliable. I also have a RadMini Step-Thru in the family and I enjoy the extra gears sometimes. What is important to you? Local support? Small foot print of 20" wheels? Folding? Weight? Others should chime in with their favorite value based brands.
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I have looked at rad but they seem to have a little back log , i will be putting them on the back of my camper for the most part so weight really is not an issue . I just want the most miles i can out of a single charge and i really dont care about speed seeing how i will have my 15 moth old on the back .
 
ThreeLRanch said:
I have looked at rad but they seem to have a little back log , i will be putting them on the back of my camper for the most part so weight really is not an issue . I just want the most miles i can out of a single charge and i really dont care about speed seeing how i will have my 15 moth old on the back .
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If speed is not an issue then you will get more miles per charge. I know that in the spring and fall I always ride quite a bit slower than in the summer simply because it's quite cold especially in the spring where I live. I tend to ride faster when it's hot out to enjoy the breeze but my miles per charge does go down. That's not really a problem as my rides are generally in the 20 miles range anyway.
 
ThreeLRanch said:
I have looked at rad but they seem to have a little back log
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Most any brand worth having is likely to have a good bit of back log right now - The pandemic has made eBikes more popular than ever and manufacturers are having a very hard time meeting the demand. If someone has a bunch of stock on hand, I would be a bit cautious - There might be a reason those aren't sold out now too

Don
 
ThreeLRanch said:
I have not ridden one before .
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Well, that's something you need to do before buying anything. All ebikes are not the same, and you will always learn more in an hour in the saddle than a week reading forums. Maybe you can rent one from a local shop, or find a place renting ebikes to tourists if there is a tourist area nearby. Or borrow one from a friend, or whatever it takes. Stock is starting to show up again at the LBS, so even a test ride may be possible.
Trying to make sense of hub drives, middrives, power ratings, suspension and all the rest without riding anything is not likely to go well, especially with a child seat requirement.
 
I suggest you check this thread https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/need-new-rim.41413/
and this one https://electricbikereview.com/foru...nt-from-fine-to-dead-in-one-bump.42759/unread
and this one with 12 pages of entries https://electricbikereview.com/foru...er-products-help-solutions-fixes.13196/unread
before jumping on the rad bandwagon.
bikes with really short lists of known problems are trek, gazelle, surface 604, pedego, biktrix, yuba
pedego trek & gazelle are expensive. Yuba has special provisions for child seats & later graduation to a padded shelf & grab bars for 4-7 year olds.
My yuba has ~6500 miles, I broke a fender with my foot & hated the OEM seat. One shifter stop screw adjustment. Various brake adjustments as the pads wore, and a new set of pads. Yuba cables don't stretch as cheap ones do. I replaced the chain @ 5000 miles, too, plus 3 sets of tires.
Remember with a direct to consumer bike like Rad, Surface, Biktrix, you are the repair department. With a dealer sold bike like Trek Pedgo or Gazelle, the bike shop is responsible for any problems.
 
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Art Deco said:
Well, that's something you need to do before buying anything. All ebikes are not the same, and you will always learn more in an hour in the saddle than a week reading forums. Maybe you can rent one from a local shop, or find a place renting ebikes to tourists if there is a tourist area nearby. Or borrow one from a friend, or whatever it takes. Stock is starting to show up again at the LBS, so even a test ride may be possible.
Trying to make sense of hub drives, middrives, power ratings, suspension and all the rest without riding anything is not likely to go well, especially with a child seat requirement.
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Great advice if possible. In my case when I started looking in March of 2020 I googled Ebikes close to where I lived. There was one shop about 45 miles away that sold Pedeco bikes but they were closed due to covid. The next was a couple of hundred miles away and their least expensive offering was I think around $5000. That left Court's reviews which I watched bunches of before settling on the Rad Rover ST. Rad had one left in stock which I bought which has been a great bike for me at least so far in the 1800+ miles I've ridden it.
 
Aventon known problems thread is 6 pages, about middle.
Last year there were a lot of complaints that their PAS lowest speed was too fast and accelerated too fast. It was also non-programmable. I had the same complaint about the $221 power wheel conversion kit I put on my bicycle. I deleted the PAS pickup and only use throttle with power now.
 
Have you thought about building your own? You would save money and build it how you like. Lots of kits out there.
 
Many people are attracted to the reviews on a seller's site and buy a bike without local support and without riding it. Making your own is certainly an option if you are inclined that way. Or as @Art Deco suggests go for an established brand with nationwide dealers with repair shops. I agree, the difference between bikes is huge. I just repaired one that is 2,000 Watts and is a dud. Feel is more important than a data sheet.
 
ThreeLRanch said:
I don't really want to build one , no that i could be just don't want too .
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For a child that age there are two options for seats attached to a bike. 1) A seat that goes over a horizontal top tube - little legs to either side. 2) A seat that goes where a rear rack would attach. Some eBikes do not have a horizontal top tube. Some do not have regular rear rack attachment points. This should help to narrow down the list and make it more manageable. There is another option. A trailer. Kids love them. They can have some toys, a book and snacks in their trailer while on a bike adventure. It is also a nice little nest to take a quiet nap next to the dipper bag. Trailers attach in several ways so just make sure the attachment is compatible with your bikes. These trailers fold flat when not in use. They are also handy to pick up some groceries or even some firewood when camping.
 
The have a US location, wholesale only, in San Diego. On paper it looks okay. The dorado battery is also available from China. Ride one. The internet only bike that looked good on paper that I worked on this week had bolts you would not put on a wheel barrel.
 
ThreeLRanch said:
Anyone have any dealings with this one?
ride1up.com

700 Series - Ride1UP | Best Electric Bike 2021

Ultimate electric bike experience. Rack & Fenders included. Hydraulic brakes, 15ah Samsung battery, Super Moto X tires, a fully integrated frame, and speeds of 15mph
ride1up.com ride1up.com
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I don't know anything about how good or bad it is from experience but wanted you to know that it is a Class 3 Ebike and there are bike trails that do not allow class 3 bikes to use them. I live near one such trail in Acadia National Park. They do not allow Class 2 or 3. However at least with a Class 2 (what I have) you can simply unplug the throttle and ride it like a Class 1 using PAS.
 
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