Recommendations for the most bang for the buck bike under $1,500?

[Chan P.]

Hi, I am Chan and I am a new member and active researcher to find an e-bike under and around $1,500. I am 25 and live in suburb in Los Angeles. I go to school that is 10 miles away with some altitude variables. There is one big hill which at the lowest point of the hill is at 150m and highest 300m in altitude. This will be my first e-bike and so I am careful and cautious to see if this thing will get me some work out, some fun riding and hopefully give me some break on expensive SoCal gas prices

I have done about 7 hours of research so far and came down to two choices: GenZe e101 and Rad Power Rover. (If there are other amazing bikes at this price, let me know!)

They are both at $1499.00, although shipping for Rad Power Rover is significantly more at $175 whereas the e101 is at $50 from Amazon.

Seems like both have good pros and cons.

I am looking for stability, consistency, longevity, and some power to go up hills. I am about 145 lb and 5'10".

Definitely the Rad Power Rover has much more power at 750W and will take me up the hill pretty good. Also the shocks & fat tire will give me lots of cushion and stability. But the extra huge & fat tires on street and large and bulky (compared to GenZe) is not my style. However, the quality of the components seem better than the other and has more of a good "finish" in terms of welding. Btw, I wonder how long those fat tires will last in paved streets.

I have read up on Ken M.'s daily posts of Genze e101 and it sounds like it runs well, has good consistency but it does lack a lot less power at 250W and top speed of 16-18 mph. It's slim & looks good. I like the the battery pack is tucked inside. However, the components for the bike looks less in quality and should cost a bit more to replace them with something better. Ken said he had replaced a set of tires under 1,000 miles..?

If there are any e-bikes out there that you think I should know more and research about, any local stores that I should stop by in LA area, please let me know!

Extra question - some say that watts the e-bikes output does not actually matter that it is how each motor keeps its temperature that increases/decreases power.. is that true?

 

[pxpaulx]

The radrover will eat your hills for breakfast. Only catch us having to wait right now, unless you happen to catch someone that is no longer interested and can arrange to get their indie gogo order. Otherwise it is a great bike, tons of fun to ride.

 

[JoePah]

Hi, I am Chan and I am a new member and active researcher to find an e-bike under and around $1,500. I am 25 and live in suburb in Los Angeles. I go to school that is 10 miles away with some altitude variables. There is one big hill which at the lowest point of the hill is at 150m and highest 300m in altitude. This will be my first e-bike and so I am careful and cautious to see if this thing will get me some work out, some fun riding and hopefully give me some break on expensive SoCal gas prices

I have done about 7 hours of research so far and came down to two choices: GenZe e101 and Rad Power Rover. (If there are other amazing bikes at this price, let me know!)

They are both at $1499.00, although shipping for Rad Power Rover is significantly more at $175 whereas the e101 is at $50 from Amazon.

Seems like both have good pros and cons.

I am looking for stability, consistency, longevity, and some power to go up hills. I am about 145 lb and 5'10".

Definitely the Rad Power Rover has much more power at 750W and will take me up the hill pretty good. Also the shocks & fat tire will give me lots of cushion and stability. But the extra huge & fat tires on street and large and bulky (compared to GenZe) is not my style. However, the quality of the components seem better than the other and has more of a good "finish" in terms of welding. Btw, I wonder how long those fat tires will last in paved streets.

I have read up on Ken M.'s daily posts of Genze e101 and it sounds like it runs well, has good consistency but it does lack a lot less power at 250W and top speed of 16-18 mph. It's slim & looks good. I like the the battery pack is tucked inside. However, the components for the bike looks less in quality and should cost a bit more to replace them with something better. Ken said he had replaced a set of tires under 1,000 miles..?

If there are any e-bikes out there that you think I should know more and research about, any local stores that I should stop by in LA area, please let me know!

Extra question - some say that watts the e-bikes output does not actually matter that it is how each motor keeps its temperature that increases/decreases power.. is that true?

Wait until October or so when there are leftover model clearance sales..

 

[David1]

For that price I would search for a deal on a pre - owned one. E-bikes are out there. L.A. or Diego ,has got to have one for you. Good Luck

 

[Admin]

Hi @Chan P., Hope you found a great bike! I've created a section of reviews on the site that are all under $2k and most are under or around the $1k to $1.5k mark labeled as "affordable". I like what @JoePah said about end of year deals. As the weather cools off and manufacturers shift to next year there are indeed some great sales. I'd recommend checking in with your local shops and sometimes even on Craigslist as other people go for newer models and need to pass the old ones along

 

[Cameron Newland]

The Juiced Riders CrossCurrent is probably the best bang-for-your-buck ebike nowadays, although the Rad City is pretty strong in that department, too.

 

[Bicyclista]

Chan, don't know if you got a bike already, but obvious e-bike candidates for you are the Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent Air ($999 pre-order) and the regular CrossCurrent ($1499). Their distinction is beefy 48V batteries (hence "juiced") for longer range. Juiced Bikes are headquartered in Chula Vista, CA, and they have several dealers in the L.A. area. http://www.juicedbikes.com

 

[@artsff]

Hey, guys!
Hey, Court Thanks for all the work you doing for us, newbies. What a great resource and an amazing support. Impressive!

In 2015 I bought E-Twow booster scooter and rode that thing around San Diego a lot, but it came to my attention that since the economy is doing so well and there is so much construction everywhere I will probably need an e-bike so I don't beat up the scooter. Plus I'm considering using an e-bike to commute to the gym and back - 9 miles round trip + a steep hill on the way home.
I'm kinda in the same boat as our pal Chan. I have about the same budget (well, maybe a lil higher, but not too much). I'll definitely will be on the lookout for the local deals and Craigslists of the world, but I wanted ya'lls opinion on what seems to be powerful, but "affordable" bike - http://amzn.to/2h5eD5I & http://amzn.to/2gRZ7tA

Have you reviewed them yet/already?

I love the sleek and modern design and the motor specs look powerful enough to get me up the steep hill (though I'm only 168lbs).

Looking forward to hearing ya'lls opinion!
Dyakuyu