New to e-bikes.

[TrevorB]

Do lots of test rides. Try different frame styles ( stepthrough city bikes, tourers commuter, MTB) and drive systems ( factory middrives like bosch, shimano and cadence hub drives on cheaper bikes).

Once you zero in frame style and drive system do longer ride eg 2hours.

With ebike you will typically ride faster lot further and for longer so it needs to be comfortable.

Don't over look small things like mudguards, racks, cafe wheel lock and lights they do make a difference. Much like electric windows, remote locking and AC in a car. Allow for extras in budget eg pannier bags, better suspension seatpost,quality locks.

If buying another ebike for sponse, then try to have compatible batteries. With factory middrives like Bosch or Shimao this should be easier as quite often same batteries are used from city bikes to high end MTBs.

 

[Ryno]

Thanks so much to all helping with the questions I have! There is so much I do not know about ebikes, and don’t know what to ask. Researching on...

Do yours have a throttle?

Yes, they have a throttle. It was a deciding factor for us. I highly recommend it

 

[ebikemom]

Thanks! I think I want a throttle. The bikes we rode on the beach had one.

Besides in hilly areas, I also like the throttle for intersections, when there are cars behind me, as I can get up to speed and through the intersection more quickly.

 

[ebikemom]

If buying another ebike for sponse, then try to have compatible batteries. With factory middrives like Bosch or Shimao this should be easier as quite often same batteries are used from city bikes to high end MTBs.

This is excellent advice. We have four compatible bikes and swapping batteries is A THING when I forget to charge, or someone else does, and suddenly there's a reason or desire to take a long ride.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Do lots of test rides.

This always sounds like such great advice.

Coming from a town which until recently had no ebike shop, it would have been useless to suggest it to me. I pored over the great information Court provides and looked at other ebike sites before making up my mind. It worked out fine. There was no option. Now we have a Pedego shop in town, so at least I can tell people (as I did today) to go take a test ride. Even if they don't end up with a Pedego, they've had a chance to see what an ebike is like. It's way better than nothing.

I've seen this piece of advice on the forum three times today. I just wish folks would think that not everyone has access to a variety of bikes to try.

 

[Acey]

Eclipse SS - Bottom bracket torque sensor, color display, 500W motor, 10.4 Ah battery, fenders, front and rear integrated lights, Acera components (highest available for 8-speed), 2.2" Kenda Kwick Drumlin moped tires with 5mm of flat protection, Class II with throttle and 20mph. Custom built with high-tier components and best ride technology for a geared hub e-bike. Our landed cost is just under $900 for a large production run. On sale thru July 26: $1499. That's legendary value.

We started Acey DC E-Bikes because of retail price gouging for lifestyles, brand image and marked up features that make you have to spend $3,000 to get anything decent - and half what you pay seems to be for the air in the box. (Industry rule of thumb is build an e-bike for less than 1/3 of retail price.) We're transparent, honest, blue-collar folk trying to establish a new dynamic in e-bike pricing. Sorry for the blatant plug, but whenever I see people advising that purchase decisions should be based on price, not build quality or specs, it brings me back to why we started Acey DC E-Bikes in the first place: Value should be real and tangible. *rant over*

First shipment of four model styles should be in our warehouse by July 25th. It's a small order, but we have hundreds of frames and components waiting...

 

[Caligirlshan]

Where are you located, and do u have a website?

 

[Caligirlshan]

Well, I found your website! I guess I should’ve looked first before asking . Its late and I’m tired but I’ll be checking it out soon. I would like to get in on the sale!

 

[Acey]

Well, I found your website! I guess I should’ve looked first before asking . Its late and I’m tired but I’ll be checking it out soon. I would like to get in on the sale!

Caligirlshan, where in Cali do you live? SoCal by chance? I'm going to try to send you a direct message.

Good news, bad news.

Good news, I'm extending the sale by a week.

Bad news, at about 4:30 am. my rep called in tears to tell me there was a delay in my shipment because she tried to do something special for me. She knows how important quality is to me, so two weeks ago she called in Bafang engineers to oversee the installation and programming of my torque sensors, controller and displays. Not many companies use their highest level components in production, so Bafang and my manufacturer wanted to make sure it was absolutely correct. The engineers didn't arrive until yesterday. They are doing a whole training program now and have completed two of the four models. My new completion day is July 16. That puts them in our warehouse around August 1. I was also informed the lights arrived with the wrong voltage (36V not 48V) and will be expressed on August 4, after the e-bikes arrive.

I swore I wouldn't be one of those guys with all the delays and updates so waited until after my container was delivered and was assured they would be shipped by July 7. So I launched my website July 4, shamelessly plugging my e-bikes here and became "that guy" anyway. So my deepest apologies. Silver lining, my e-bikes have been inspected and blessed by Bafang engineers! Yay?

 

[Caligirlshan]

I live in Washington state

 

[ebikemom]

I live in Washington state

Lots of Cali girls here in Washington State!

 

[Alex M]

Thanks, mostly urban and gravel. We rode the fat tire upright style at the beach last week and it was a fun time. Not sure what to get, but will keep researching.

Ah, eternal question - To Fat Or Not To Fat... You need decide on that one first. On paved and gravel, cruisers with 2.1-2.3 tires and some suspension pretty much eliminate the need in fat tires and associated complexity and cost of the fat setup.

 

[Caligirlshan]

Ah, eternal question - To Fat Or Not To Fat... You need decide on that one first. On paved and gravel, cruisers with 2.1-2.3 tires and some suspension pretty much eliminate the need in fat tires and associated complexity and cost of the fat setup.

Can

Ah, eternal question - To Fat Or Not To Fat... You need decide on that one first. On paved and gravel, cruisers with 2.1-2.3 tires and some suspension pretty much eliminate the need in fat tires and associated complexity and cost of the fat setup.

In your opinion are the 2.1-2.3 tires fat enough for the beach, wet sand?

 

[rich c]

This always sounds like such great advice.

Coming from a town which until recently had no ebike shop, it would have been useless to suggest it to me. I pored over the great information Court provides and looked at other ebike sites before making up my mind. It worked out fine. There was no option. Now we have a Pedego shop in town, so at least I can tell people (as I did today) to go take a test ride. Even if they don't end up with a Pedego, they've had a chance to see what an ebike is like. It's way better than nothing.

I've seen this piece of advice on the forum three times today. I just wish folks would think that not everyone has access to a variety of bikes to try.

I drove 200 miles to ride eBikes at a shop. So sure you may not have one around the corner, but I drove to the next state to find one. Then drove back again in 4 months and bought a second one. I'm that convinced that riding a bike is that important.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

There was not an ebike shop within 5 hours of me until Pedego opened a shop in Durham, 2.5 hours away, and that was after I got my CCS. You might have been willing to make a 10 hour round trip for a test ride. I'm not, and I wonder how many people would be. I wonder how many would make the 200 mile trip that you did. It's not a just a question of how important a test ride is. It's also whether you have the resources to allocate, in time and money.

 

[rich c]

There was not an ebike shop within 5 hours of me until Pedego opened a shop in Durham, 2.5 hours away, and that was after I got my CCS. You might have been willing to make a 10 hour round trip for a test ride. I'm not, and I wonder how many people would be. I wonder how many would make the 200 mile trip that you did. It's not a just a question of how important a test ride is. It's also whether you have the resources to allocate, in time and money.

Bruce, I've been a member of the Sondors owners Facebook page for a couple of years. Sondors used to only offer on size of frame. Now they sell smaller folding bikes and other little bikes. I'd guess at least a hundred owners over that amount of time I've been reading it, that can't ride the bike they purchased. Too short, too tall, sore backs, too high of step over. So there are a lot of posts of adding steerer extensions, high rise handlebars, low profile tires, cutting off seat posts, etc... in an attempt to make an on-line single sized frame purchase fit. Then there is the occasional post on the sale and swap page where they give up and sell the brand new bike. So when I wanted a new bike, a 400 mile round trip seemed like an easy investment. They just kept rolling out bikes until I found one I fell in love with. A simple Saturday adventure. It is how important the test ride is and how comfortable I am on the bike. I ride everyday. I don't want to spend weeks buying an array of aftermarket do dads to make the damn thing not hurt me when I ride.

 

[Alex M]

In your opinion are the 2.1-2.3 tires fat enough for the beach, wet sand?

Your said "Mostly urban and gravel", right?
Cyclocross competitions include a sandpit, by the law their tires are VERY skinny, mere 1.3", so this must be doable, but I have a feeling that they hate sandpits .

There is no benefit in 4" tire on a paved road. One should consider his priorities really well before committing to 4", because you can't have something without sacrificing something else. Different hub motors, different (more expensive) rims and tires. A bit noisy on paved roads. More rolling resistance - motor would compensate for this, though at the expense of battery.

 

[Caligirlshan]

Thank you! I think I will go with the 2.1-2.3 tire.

 

[CodyDog]

Your said "Mostly urban and gravel", right?
Cyclocross competitions include a sandpit, by the law their tires are VERY skinny, mere 1.3", so this must be doable, but I have a feeling that they hate sandpits .

There is no benefit in 4" tire on a paved road. One should consider his priorities really well before committing to 4", because you can't have something without sacrificing something else. Different hub motors, different (more expensive) rims and tires. A bit noisy on paved roads. More rolling resistance - motor would compensate for this, though at the expense of battery.

I'm going to disagree. My wife says the fat tire bike feels more stable to her. If thats what it takes to get her riding, I see that as a huge benefit. Also, I thing the fat tire not only works well on bad pavement but is a hell of a lot of fun riding.

Benefits are comonly based on emotion.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against thinner tires. If I was riding city only, the thinner tire bikes would make more sense in a lot of ways.

 

[TForan]

I love a 3.5 inch street tire on my fatbike. Very stable, great ride and no noise. That said, I hated the 4" Kendas it came with. I have no desire to go to a narrower tire. It does help that my bike has the Bafang Ultra motor with boat loads of power. I rode a Pedego Trail Tracker before buying my bike and was nicely made but not nearly the power of mine. I think a high powered fat bike is perfect for most situations.