I am a new owner of a Stromer ST1 after re-discovering the ebike world and the move to pedal assist bikes (as opposed to throttle only). I generally research the heck out of any new purchase online, read reviews (thanks to forums like this!) and, in this case, shopped around at local dealerships. I live in a town which continues to be very bicycle oriented and lots of bike promotion going on here (Fort Collins, CO) where the craft beer culture and bikes, via New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire beer) has been a strong. We even had an ebike dealer in FoCo years back but it did not survive.
I've been a fan of bikes since my teens. My first purchase with my paper route money was a 10 speed road bike, a French Alpina, circa ~1963. In 2002, however, I bought my first motorcycle (BMW F650GS, dual sport) and that was that. Motorcycles became my primary interest. Touring and riding my Beemer became my hobby. I did buy a 'comfort' bike a few years back (K2 Easy Rider) which I really like, but free time was spent on the gas powered two wheelers.
Retirement gave me much more free time and age (and my Dr) dictated that I get some exercise. Somehow I stumbled on to ebikes and realized that they had gotten much more sophisticated with the pedelec, torque sensors, cadence sensors, etc. and started looking online. Despite living in a bike crazy town there did not seem to be much to choose from. Bike shops carried them but the young salesmen who work these shops seemed to have very, very little knowledge. But, I found an ebike only shop in Longmont, CO, a few miles south, in the penumbra of Boulder, CO, another bike crazy, hip community. Small Planet Ebikes had a wide array of bikes but, more important to me, a knowledgeable sales staff. They took the time to answer questions and allowed me to fully demo any and all bikes, which was very important to me. I did discover the Pedego brand, and there was a Pedego shop in Aurora, CO, a suburb of Denver. But the drive to Denver is hell, IMHO. The interstate from FoCo to Denver is almost always burdened with slowdowns, traffic jams, not to mention nut jobs speeding 85 MPH, weaving through heavy traffic. I go there once a month or so to visit, so I'm aware of the danger and frustration. I wanted to buy more local, for repair, maintenance, questions, etc. I even considered a Pedego dealer in Breckenridge, one of Colorado's best ski towns, which is about a 3.5 hour drive, again, down a heavily trafficked interstate.
Small Planet Ebikes also sold Pedegos. I was looking for the Ridge Runner, their sleek 'mountain' bike but the Stromer ST1 was on sale, had good reviews and was not a new model year as the Pedego Ridge Runner was (which was not instock at SPE). The salesman recommended the ST1 and it had the right specs for me. Stong 500 watt motor, 14.5 Amp hour battery, with a spare battery thrown in to help sell last year's model. And
smooth. It had the more 'stealthy' look, with the battery hidden in the down tube, as well as having a
quiet motor. Almost imperceptible! The one I got had a front suspension fork, a somewhat knobbier tire. And year end pricing for a premium brand and that Swiss design. I was anxious to get riding before the winter weather and have been very pleased with my purchase.
I do, however, want to visit the Pedego dealer. The ones I checked into rented their bikes for the hour or afternoon in addition to demos. I think that is a very good approach. The ebike is one of those things that sells itself as soon as you ride it. I also see that ProdecoTech now has a big van option for its dealers, or new dealers, which carries several bikes in addition to being a rolling repair shop. (
http://ebikemobile.com/ ) Take the shop to the target market. Take it to street fairs, farmers markets, etc. Again, these ebikes sell themselves once ridden (although they are still very expensive) and the 'pop-up shop' is a great idea for someone wanting to get into sales. Just my $.02. Good luck.