Newly joined from OC

[VijayK]

Hi all

I just joined this forum. I'm looking to get a mountain bike with some form of pedal assist electric motor. Primarily for shlepping uphill. I have zero experience in this area. Thought it would be better for me to start with a used bike. Can someone point me in the right direction on this forum. Do people post used bikes for sale here? I am in Orange County California. Can drive a little to check it out/ pick it up.

Vijay

 

[indianajo]

Welcome to the site.
You are in the center of the US for electric bike users. However used e-bikes are not always a bargain. Batteries can easily be damaged by misuse or no-use, so used batteries are often a bad deal. I had two defective ones shipped from greater LA via Amazon & e-bay, so just because they are sold as new doesn't mean they are.
Also the industry just moved from 36 to 48 v standard, and before that there was a 24 v standard. You'll find little parts support for the 36 or 24 v bikes. I just checked craigslist in my town, the two used e-bikes are 36 v.
Bike shop trade ins are a little less risky, but buyer beware. Check your maximum range the first ride. A bike with word of mouth 40 km range was just taken back to the shop for exchange on a new one because the battery went dead in only 18 km.
You'll notice a panel on the base electricbikereview.com page that shows all the shops in your location. This works off cookies so do something so the site knows where you are. Everytime I mention LA the site changes my location there from Louisville, so the website is not very sophisticated.
There are also rental agencies in your location. Might be worth trying. Buy a helmet first.
Have fun shopping.

 

[VijayK]

Thanks for the reply. This is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. Since the price tag is several thousand dollars, I want to do all the due diligence I can before I take the plunge.

 

[MisterM]

Thanks for the reply. This is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. Since the price tag is several thousand dollars, I want to do all the due diligence I can before I take the plunge.

I wouldn't worry too much about batteries. Everyone should know not to buy cheapo Chinese no-name batteries (which are usually recycled and falsely repackaged as "new").

Most reputable batteries are designed to last ~1000 full discharge/recharge cycles - easily offering many thousands of miles of usage.

Advice about avoiding 36v systems is sound. Industry is moving towards 48v/52v. Many not-so-old bikes (and too many new bikes) still run 36v.

Need to figure out what type of emtb you want and your budget (emtbs aren't cheap - $2K is on the low end). Full suspension are more expensive but provide smoother ride on rough ground (hardtails skip over bumps while full suspension keeps wheels in contact with the ground) - FS will inevitably be a mid-motor design with battery on the downtube.

If fine with hardtail (make sure you are), then have option of less expensive rear hub motors (hub motors struggle on hills) or mid-motor designs (which have benefit of gears and will climb some really steep hills).

Also, have option of plus size or fat tire wheels - bigger tires offer a bit of cushion/extra traction (but also have higher rolling resistance which eats into battery range)


There is a for-sale thread here. JForan is selling a highly-capable 2017 Bixtrix 48v Ultra hardtail emtb at a nice discount - https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/2017-biktrix-juggernaut-ultra.25438/#post-168648 You'd be hard-pressed to do much better imo.

Can also check Craigs List.

 

[nublar]

Be careful in OC. Many, if not all, County operated offroad trails say "no motorized conveyances"

 

[VijayK]

Thanks..

 

[bob armani]

Vijay--
Mister M has very well said advice here. It would be prudent to try and test ride as many E-bikes as you can to get the feel of the bike's different motor systems, handling, frame geometry, interface, etc. You will be able to make a more accurate analysis as to what type of bike is best for your needs. You mentioned EMTB. They ain't cheap, however, once you narrow it down, I have found if you find something you like a bit out of your price range, spend the little extra. You will thank yourself later and get a lot more enjoyment out of your purchase IMO. Happy shopping and good luck!

 

[larry-new]

Welcome, and read, read, read...it took me over 40 hours to choose a bike, based mostly on successful problem outcomes.

 

[john peck]

What Jo said, People sell used ebikes because for some reason they no longer want them: more often than not so that they
can buy a better bike. There may be exceptions, but ride before you buy & learn the full specs of the bike first.

 

[Acey]

We're in OC (Costa Mesa) and would love to have you stop by for a ride. We sometimes have scratch and dent bikes for sale (none at this moment). Since you're local, I'd give you a good deal. Please check our site and contact me to arrange a test ride (take it for a couple of hours) if you are interested. I've been recovering from a severe back and shoulder injury, so have not been active on this forum recently, but we're still shipping bikes and blowing people's minds with our quality and value.

I fully agree that you should understand the specs first. Too many bikes have entry level parts (think Walmart bikes) and still claim to be premium. Look for something like this to fully understand what you are buying: