Lower priced e bike

[Corvette Corner]

I just purchased an inexpensive 500 w 24 in tire e bike. Haven't rode it yet. Are the cheaper bikes of reasonable quality?

Thanks

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I just purchased an inexpensive 500 w 24 in tire e bike. Haven't rode it yet. Are the cheaper bikes of reasonable quality?

Thanks

Why don't you share the make, model, and price, and maybe some other members that purchased that make or model can give you some specific insight?

 

[Corvette Corner]

Varun Electric Bike for Adults, 24'' 500W Peak Ebike, Up to 35 Miles 20MPH Electric

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Varun Electric Bike for Adults, 24'' 500W Peak Ebike, Up to 35 Miles 20MPH Electric

I don't know anything about those bikes, but on thier parts page it looks like they use the "KT" controllers which are ubiquitous and easily sourced. That's a good thing.

 

[harryS]

You mean something like this one on amazon?

The reviews, while only a few, seem good. The worst one came from a guy who didn't realize he had to pay shipping.

The biggest wake-up call on ebikes like this happens to folks that aren't hands-on or good with bikes, There is no one to tune your shifters, adjust your brakes, change the seat or handlebar positions, Let's not even talk about flat tires. I've always done my own repairs and learned to do the same with bikes. I see this as a good value. Others see it an an supported piece of junk.

I rarely have done it, but on low cost bikes like this, always a good idea to lube the front bearings, the headset, and bottom bracket (pedals), They probably use loose bearings. But if you cannot do it, don't worry about it. Replacing the bearings is inexpensive.

Have fun. I didn't talk about the electrical parts, I've never seem a motor fail. Controllers, if kept dry, don't fail either. If water gets inside, maybe 10 seconds before something fizzles DIsplays also go bad if water gets inside. Don't ride in a downpour. Cover the electrics if you transport on a carrier.

Batteries are the biggest question mark,. I would not take a bet on yours lasting two years, but so what. In two years, you'll be able to buy a safer replacement,

 

[Corvette Corner]

You mean something like this one on amazon?
View attachment 181826

The reviews, while only a few, seem good. The worst one came from a guy who didn't realize he had to pay shipping.

The biggest wake-up call on ebikes like this happens to folks that aren't hands-on or good with bikes, There is no one to tune your shifters, adjust your brakes, change the seat or handlebar positions, Let's not even talk about flat tires. I've always done my own repairs and learned to do the same with bikes. I see this as a good value. Others see it an an supported piece of junk.

I rarely have done it, but on low cost bikes like this, always a good idea to lube the front bearings, the headset, and bottom bracket (pedals), They probably use loose bearings. But if you cannot do it, don't worry about it. Replacing the bearings is inexpensive.

Have fun. I didn't talk about the electrical parts, I've never seem a motor fail. Controllers, if kept dry, don't fail either. If water gets inside, maybe 10 seconds before something fizzles DIsplays also go bad if water gets inside. Don't ride in a downpour. Cover the electrics if you transport on a carrier.

Batteries are the biggest question mark,. I would not take a bet on yours lasting two years, but so what. In two years, you'll be able to buy a safer replacement,

 

[Corvette Corner]

I am a good mechanic and can fix myself. Thanks all

Dave

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I am a good mechanic and can fix myself. Thanks all

Dave

Looks like a Hailong battery which is good. They are widely available.

 

[None]

For $260. I'd say it's decent value if it last more than few hundred miles.
Beyond that, if you can fix the upcoming issues yourself, then it's a great value.
Not everyone need an expensive ebike.

 

[PedalUma]

Clearly from the photos it is a legit bike. Well almost.

In photo 1 the guy is dressed for a time trial. The bike has a kickstand and fenders, a first for a TT bike, that is innovation. He also has clip in shoes and the bike does not have clip pedals, again a fresh take in design.
In photo 2 'On The Mountain' the motor's power is not shiftable for climbs, has a pogo fork with a sticker that says 'Not for off road,' and it has a kickstand that will deploy in rough situations, with cable actuated brakes.
Much the same can be said for photo 3. Why do we see a light beam in the daytime? It is noteworthy that he is dressed in all Fox Shox Race Team clothing.

 

[Corvette Corner]

Clearly from the photos it is a legit bike. Well almost.
View attachment 181880
View attachment 181882
View attachment 181883
In photo 1 the guy is dressed for a time trial. The bike has a kickstand and fenders, a first for a TT bike, that is innovation. He also has clip in shoes and the bike does not have clip pedals, again a fresh take in design.
In photo 2 'On The Mountain' the motor's power is not shiftable for climbs, has a pogo fork with a sticker that says 'Not for off road,' and it has a kickstand that will deploy in rough situations, with cable actuated brakes.
Much the same can be said for photo 3. Why do we see a light beam in the daytime? It is noteworthy that he is dressed in all Fox Shox Race Team clothing.
View attachment 181885

Great thread. Thanks all.


Dave

 

[rob feature]

Are the cheaper bikes of reasonable quality?

If you're just going to putz around the neighborhood a few times a year, sure, it'll probably be fine. I wouldn't rely on it to take me anywhere though. Definitely wouldn't count on it to get me back home. At the very least, I'd want to go through every part on it & make sure it's not going to kill me first. Cheap bikes are built to a price point - which is to say the builder won't spend a lot of time/money making sure it's ready to ride.

That bike referenced above...hard pass for me. It'll be worthless after a few hundred miles - if it makes it that far.

 

[PedalUma]

When a bike of this quality came my way the dropouts had to be filed to fit the wheels. The paint flaked off to show yellow primer, nothing worked right and was 100% counterfeit. Instead of making a fuss I ate the scam loss and gave it to a poor disabled guy. Lesson learned, tuition paid. And I'm never going back to my old school. Reviews must be on Google Maps, verified, tied to a real place, and not just on the seller's site.

 

[kevinmccune]

When a bike of this quality came my way the dropouts had to be filed to fit the wheels. The paint flaked off to show yellow primer, nothing worked right and was 100% counterfeit. Instead of making a fuss I ate the scam loss and gave it to a poor disabled guy. Lesson learned, tuition paid. And I'm never going back to my old school. Reviews must be on Google Maps, verified, tied to a real place, and not just on the seller's site.

you begin to realize the insane markup on bikes when you start dealing with the lower end especially,imo a really good bike shouldnt run over$3000 and the cheapies can stay were they are.i got lulled into the half off msrp game and found out while the bike is alright its vastly over priced,i usually figure on adding a few upgrades myself,if a bike costs less than a single component upgrade you cannot expect much,i finally got a bike that really worked good for around $900(fs) and like a da i let it go because i wanted a bit more power,havent seen one like listed since,live and learn,the one thing you have to watch on a lower end bike is the fact that a lot of the frames are in a word cramped.

 

[spokewrench]

I paid $500 for a Radmission, and another $200 for fenders, front and rear racks, and maybe other accessories. I think I'd paid 3 times more for a similarly equipped Radrunner, and I find the Radmission a much better bike.

Some expensive brands offer different frame sizes. (According to Specialized, I'm XL.) That was also true in the 19th Century. Raleigh was investing in developing superior bikes at unbeatable prices, as Henry Ford later did with automobiles. For dealer efficiency, one size had to fit all. A good handlebar height can keep a rider comfortable on cobblestones without a front suspension. Raleighs had an adequate height adjustment which for stability, kept the hand grips pretty well lined up with the steering axis.

The usual spacing between ladder rungs seems to be 12 inches. I believe I know why. In a closet in my house, a built-in ladder has rungs 14 inches apart. This requires me to lift with a leg bent more than 90 degrees. I need substantial help from my arms. I can easily go up and down ladders with 12 inch spacing. It's about as high as a man can step without bending his knee more than 90 degrees.

Raleighs had a reputation for comfort and efficiency, in part because the seat was back far enough that the rider's knee wasn't bent more than 90 degrees at top dead center. This allowed long, efficient power strokes. It also allowed him to keep most of his weight on the pedal from top dead center to bottom dead center, then switch his weight to his other leg, as in walking. Reducing weight on the saddle increased comfort.

Raleigh put riders of all heights in the ball park by angling the seat tube back approximately 30 degrees. For each inch the saddle was raised for a longer inseam, it moved back for a longer femur. Thus, as a second-grader, my sister bought a new 26" Raleigh because she knew she could ride it. She paid $10, vs $70 for a Schwinn, which was too inefficient to ride far. That was good because it was also unsafe; the bicycle death rate was vastly higher than it is now.

I was in first grade and love to ride it. In fourth grade I switched to a boys' frame in case riding a girl's bike was immoral or illegal. At 18, the same size frame that worked for me at 7 was still ideal. One size could fit all.

I had to modify both my Radpower bikes to position seat and handlebars for stability, efficiency, and comfort. Expensive bikes are appealing, but I think I'd have to modify one of them, too. Better the devil you know than the one you don't.

 

[gromike]

In my mind there is only one way to "fix" a cheap bicycle and that is a new bike, which you can do piece by piece or complete.
Cheap bikes hurt me just to look at them, and when at times I end up with one I diassemble it into it's elemental form and recycle it.

 

[harryS]

Did it arrive yet? Did you put it together? Does it work?

 

[Meghan Saunders]

Ebikes are cheaper now than they were 2 years ago. The cost of the bike is cheap. It's the brand and after sales service that's expensive. If the motor and battery used are reliable. Plus experience in bike repair, you should be fine

 

[PedalUma]

I worked on some of the worst bikes this week, one was a 24 inch tire VaRun which works well in Spanish as a bike name because Va means Go, that is clearly targeted for the teeny busboy market. That VaGo the third bike in the photos above, enlarged with a pro rider edited onto it so it looks like a 650b or 29er. The HappyRide was the worst of the week and is so heavy. It has fake chrome gas canisters above the rear coil springs. A good runner up was the 140 pound plus 15 pound rack on a 1750W duel motor H9 fat folder. And then there was the CyberBike and a HeyBike. Then all the Super73s and MacFoxes. Pure crap bikes, don't go there. Junk bikes are more expensive over two years. I also got to work on many great bikes. Today I assembled a mid-market value Pace 500 and a Como IGH 4.0 on my day off after coming in for an hour to help catch up . I might need to somehow make a CyberBike disappear, maybe with a discounted remotely activated pager or with a cat soup accusation. It will take five hours to not quite fully repair and that costs more than the bike. The junk bikes are designed to market, and not by people who work on bikes.

 

[gromike]

The junk bikes are designed to market, and not by people who work on bikes.

There will be mountains of cheap ebikes in the not too distant future.
Maybe I'll pick their bones -- like what I do now, feasting on the heaps of discarded aucoustic bicycles.