Lower priced e bike

[scottsdalecommuter]

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.

I've also been impressed with the RadMission. Have had it a couple years and many rides and miles on it. Very comfortable and smooth to ride! No complaints from me, only upgrades I made were suspension seat post and added front and rear rack. I really like the stock tires on it and they are wearing really well and look brand new still.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

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.

Agree. My area's crawling with cheap DTC ebikes. I think their prospects for repairs and replacement parts are pretty dim, making them effectively disposable. But proper disposal won't be easy, as they're full of hazardous materials and things that aren't readily recyclable.

What will become of the cast-offs? Abandoned any old place like those !@#%& rental scooters? Tossed off cliffs or into lakes when no one's looking? Will ebike salvage become a business model?

 

[PedalUma]

their prospects for repairs and replacement parts are pretty dim

We had one DTC in this last week that seemed straight forward. Replace dropper cable, and adjust rear brake. We couldn't move the crimped dropper housing. It was crimped by other wires/cables and by the motor. It was a faulty design made by a marketing team with CAD and not by people who maintain and repair things. It was disposable. When we dropped the motor to get to the housing it came apart. The pawls of the clutch fell out, had been previously damaged and would not go back in. This POS cost us at our expense ten hours of labor. At least we did not allow the battery into the shop. It had all counterfeit parts, for example the fork was not a Fox, it was a Wolf.

 

[PedalUma]

That bike died today with frozen pedals. The throttle works. We may have to try to buy this unbranded motor and have contacted the company. We also do not know if it was working when it came in because we turned our noses at the battery and did not pre-test it.

 

[harryS]

That bike died today with frozen pedals. The throttle works. We may have to try to buy this unbranded motor and have contacted the company. We also do not know if it was working when it came in because we turned our noses at the battery and did not pre-test it.

Bummer. I take it then that someone pulled out the mid-motor to fix a dropper seat and now the motor no longer has working pedals. In a situation like this, is it the shop's fault?

 

[PedalUma]

@harryS, My service manager is a man of pride and does not like to admit defeat. That bike came back in today for us to make whole. It would be less expensive to buy a new disposable Cyberbike then to spend another minute on its repair. It is intended to market and sell, not to maintain.

 

[K1vsteen]

If you're looking for a lower-priced e-bike, I’d recommend checking out options that balance price and quality. You don’t have to break the bank for something decent. From what I’ve seen, bikes from places like wholesale ebike offer pretty good deals without skimping too much on features. Their selection includes reliable bikes at more affordable prices, so you can get something that lasts without spending a fortune. Also, look at reviews to get a feel for how other riders have liked them. I’ve also heard good things about their customer service, which is always a plus.