Semi New to Ebikes need suggestions on a buy

[Mournsorrow]

Hi, I'm semi new to Ebikes I got one last year without doing much research and ended up with a real lemon in the form of the e-guruma folding bike and am now looking to purchase something more useful.

Anyways to cut to the chase the bike I have my eye on currently is a Big Cat Ghost Rider Electric Mountain Bike and I'd really appreciate any advice/critisms/info that anyone can give me on it.


Though as the title implies I'm willing to take suggestions of any bike that meets my needs. Honestly what I'm mainly looking for is something for basic commuting (I.E. trips to grocery store, library, local market, etc.) but built tough (as I may be forced to off road due to living in a semi rural area) and capable of decently climbing a hill like a mountain bike, that can preferably get up to 18-20mph with a range of 15-20miles and priced in the $800 or lower range.

 

[lilrich1959]

Sorry to hear of your bad initial experience. One contributing factor may be the price range you are shooting for is on the low end for an ebike if you want a quality machine. With that said you can get to that target range if you look into used or demo machines which will allow you to get the quality that is essential to avoid throwing good money after bad, even then 800 limits your choices and makes it harder to find the bike that is right for you and your needs. Unfortunately like most things you get what you pay for. The big cat model you mention is one of the many come and goes that are trying hitch a free ride on the tails of more established electric bikes. Walmart and some of the big boxes tried the same ploy with the emoto and other substandard low grade component bikes. Most quality ebikes will far surpass your performance goals. While I have expressed in past posts the need for a low cost ebike to help get people riding on limited means I would never suggest buying a substandard bike, which only leads to disappointment and no support. Better off to find a good dealer who can work with you to find a bike that will meet your needs and serve you well for many years. Many have used, trade ins and demo machines and will be there for any issues you may have. Also many of us will work with you on financing your purchase. Good luck in finding the bike that is right for YOU not just your pocketbook, do your research, but most of all have fun....ride on

 

[Ann M.]

Kudos to you @Mournsorrow , for going the ebike route after a rough ride. I agree with@lilrich1959 that the price point you're looking at doesn't offer a quality product that will work in offroad conditions. The under $1000 bikes with lithium batteries are generally ok for lower impact use situations but not offroad. I don't see any link back to a supplier or support when you search the Amazon listings for the Big cat ebike even though several models are listed. This is another example of someone pulling a few items off an import site like Alibaba.com and calling them their own. If you have been following the brouhaha about the Indiegogo Storm/Sonders Ebike over the last couple of weeks then you can get a general idea about the dilemma between what a marketing firm says an asian manufactured product can do vs. what reality indicates.

Conversion kits might be another option for you; however, its good to have the support of a shop, even if by phone when buying a kit or Ebike.

 

[Kaldeem]

MEEP. NO! Plz don't buy that bike off amazon. Dude, if you want more utility than another humongous paper weight in your garage; troll the forums here for a few WEEKS. Seriously. Also spend some time watching ALL of Court's reviews on the E bikes. Additionally use the 'advanced' settings off the main page to view E bike's in your price range, then watch those reviews again and again.

If you do that and afterwards feel like this bike is right then... I dunno. anyways man, check out some bikes from Pedego and here's an advanced search for bikes under 2500$. Good luck, and welcome to the Club!

 

[J.R.]

Not apples to apples but may give you some idea of the companies products:
http://electricbikereview.com/big-cat/phantom/
And the bike in Court's review that's for sale on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Cat-Phant...sbs_sg_46?ie=UTF8&refRID=1MPN3QGKVT5961C49QZ0
The Big Cat forum here on EBR:
http://electricbikereview.com/community/forums/big-cat/

I know nothing about Big Cat bikes, never heard of them until your post. I think you could do a lot better if you could stretch to 1200.00 to 1500.00 but that's a decision only you can make. The community here only wants you to make the most informed decision you can so you don't wind up with two bad ebike experiences.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[lilrich1959]

Hi, I'm semi new to Ebikes I got one last year without doing much research and ended up with a real lemon in the form of the e-guruma folding bike and am now looking to purchase something more useful.

Anyways to cut to the chase the bike I have my eye on currently is a Big Cat Ghost Rider Electric Mountain Bike and I'd really appreciate any advice/critisms/info that anyone can give me on it.


Though as the title implies I'm willing to take suggestions of any bike that meets my needs. Honestly what I'm mainly looking for is something for basic commuting (I.E. trips to grocery store, library, local market, etc.) but built tough (as I may be forced to off road due to living in a semi rural area) and capable of decently climbing a hill like a mountain bike, that can preferably get up to 18-20mph with a range of 15-20miles and priced in the $800 or lower range.

start a private conversation with me to see if I can help you with specific models many used/demo/ last year models available

 

[Mournsorrow]

Firstly I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who replied and all. Secondly to inform you all I've decided to just simply purchase a normal bike that I really like and then eventually convert/upgrade it into an electric as while that might prove slightly more expensive in the long run I think it would help to ensure I get the bike I really want with the capabilities I really want and it would ensure that as lilrich1959 said I get the bike that is right for me.

 

[RyderOnTheStorm]

Well, I think your decision to buy a non-electric bike is probably a good one, and despite the fact that your issue may be resolved for now I would like to weigh in.

I've been involved in electric light vehicles for about 10 to 12 years, and for me, one of the truly cool things about this whole industry is jumping online and just doing research. Those of you who have been involved for a while, like me, know that this whole thing is just blowing up and getting huge – and this is fantastic.

While you're riding your regular bike around town, I'd like to suggest that you go ahead and just school yourself.

Electric bike reviews is, I feel, one of the premium informational resources we have currently available to us as an ever expanding and growing community.

In closing, I'd like to offer two links.

First one is a website that lists all of the electric bikes being made in the United States. And while that may not guarantee quality, it does make that particular information resource clear, concise, and easy to use.

The second link is to a company down in Florida called Prodeco; they seem, and I have to say I've never written one of their bikes, but they seem to be making really high-quality bikes for insanely low prices - in other words, there seems to be really good value in their electric bikes. I'll probably post this question again to ask the community to weigh in if anyone has experience with Prodeco, but for now, here's the two links:

http://www.prodecotech.com

http://usamadeproducts.biz/vehicles-bicycles-electric-bicycles.html

 

[lilrich1959]

Ryder sorry to pop your bubble your link lists four manufactures the first of which is on the way out. Prodeco is the only one that does not appear to be a conversion. Kind of a sad commentary on the present state of manufacturing in the US. I am hopeful that our entrepreneurial spirit will change that. I am aware of many bikes assembled in the USA from parts sourced throughout the world not included in the site you reference like http://hi-powercycles.com/ and others. As this industry grows this should change, look back to the early days of the motorcycle and auto industry there was a wealth of American manufactures. While many of them went by the wayside over time a few survived and new ones are again appearing. There are great opportunities in related industries too such as e-atvs, e-cycles, e-boats and e-aircraft. As the world inevitable shifts away from fossil fuels electric vehicles promise to offer many opportunities. Being far less complex that combustion engines manufacturing can flourish on a lesser scale especially if sourcing out components. I see other products such as mowers, chainsaws, snowblowers and such coming online as energy density in battery technology and more robust motors are developed. I especially thought of snowblowers the other day being in Wisconsin as I serviced a friends and overheard others talking about the yearly chore of service for an occasionally used product...why not a multi purpose something that can convert to a mower or conversion kits to swap out that old dino motor....just thinking...

 

[JoePah]

Firstly I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who replied and all. Secondly to inform you all I've decided to just simply purchase a normal bike that I really like and then eventually convert/upgrade it into an electric as while that might prove slightly more expensive in the long run I think it would help to ensure I get the bike I really want with the capabilities I really want and it would ensure that as lilrich1959 said I get the bike that is right for me.

Kudos on your choice... Would avoid a straight up mountain bike as those bikes are incredibly slow for the effort.. But if you do try a 29er with street tires.

I have a nice Fuji Nevada 26 incher hard tail mountain bike and many road bikes.. For the same effort I can cruise at 18 mph on the road bikes vs 14 mph on the Fuji

 

[RyderOnTheStorm]

Ryder sorry to pop your bubble your link lists four manufactures the first of which is on the way out. Prodeco is the only one that does not appear to be a conversion. Kind of a sad commentary on the present state of manufacturing in the US. I am hopeful that our entrepreneurial spirit will change that. I am aware of many bikes assembled in the USA from parts sourced throughout the world not included in the site you reference like http://hi-powercycles.com/ and others. As this industry grows this should change, look back to the early days of the motorcycle and auto industry there was a wealth of American manufactures. While many of them went by the wayside over time a few survived and new ones are again appearing. There are great opportunities in related industries too such as e-atvs, e-cycles, e-boats and e-aircraft. As the world inevitable shifts away from fossil fuels electric vehicles promise to offer many opportunities. Being far less complex that combustion engines manufacturing can flourish on a lesser scale especially if sourcing out components. I see other products such as mowers, chainsaws, snowblowers and such coming online as energy density in battery technology and more robust motors are developed. I especially thought of snowblowers the other day being in Wisconsin as I serviced a friends and overheard others talking about the yearly chore of service for an occasionally used product...why not a multi purpose something that can convert to a mower or conversion kits to swap out that old dino motor....just thinking...

 

[RyderOnTheStorm]

Lilrich,

Wow, thanks for the great feedback! Ironically, I actually teach classes on entrepreneurship so I really related to your comments.

Do you have any thoughts on Prodeco out of Florida? I don't think electric bike review has done anything on them, and I'm still impressed by their price point and their product line...

 

[JoePah]

Ryder sorry to pop your bubble your link lists four manufactures the first of which is on the way out. Prodeco is the only one that does not appear to be a conversion. Kind of a sad commentary on the present state of manufacturing in the US. I am hopeful that our entrepreneurial spirit will change that. I am aware of many bikes assembled in the USA from parts sourced throughout the world not included in the site you reference like http://hi-powercycles.com/ and others. As this industry grows this should change, look back to the early days of the motorcycle and auto industry there was a wealth of American manufactures. While many of them went by the wayside over time a few survived and new ones are again appearing. There are great opportunities in related industries too such as e-atvs, e-cycles, e-boats and e-aircraft. As the world inevitable shifts away from fossil fuels electric vehicles promise to offer many opportunities. Being far less complex that combustion engines manufacturing can flourish on a lesser scale especially if sourcing out components. I see other products such as mowers, chainsaws, snowblowers and such coming online as energy density in battery technology and more robust motors are developed. I especially thought of snowblowers the other day being in Wisconsin as I serviced a friends and overheard others talking about the yearly chore of service for an occasionally used product...why not a multi purpose something that can convert to a mower or conversion kits to swap out that old dino motor....just thinking...

I've tried those battery powered mowers, chainsaws, weedeaters and edgers... Returned everyone of them.. They are incredibly slow and that spells danger to me, esp when you start to muscle the tool... Problem is the battery discharge rate is limited, and they just don't last long at all... 2cycle or 4 cycle power just can't be beat for small engines imo.


A battery breakthrough where the energy density is tripled is needed for emotors to go mainstream.

 

[Ann M.]

Firstly I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who replied and all. Secondly to inform you all I've decided to just simply purchase a normal bike that I really like and then eventually convert/upgrade it into an electric as while that might prove slightly more expensive in the long run I think it would help to ensure I get the bike I really want with the capabilities I really want and it would ensure that as lilrich1959 said I get the bike that is right for me.

Alright! @Mournsorrow , there's never any reason to rush to create what works for you. Whether it is an already designed ebike or a custom build, what really matters is creating a bike you will want to ride! A little back story here; I bike commuted, no car, until my mid 30's so I've got a couple of bikes that were the back bone of my rides; rock solid hybrid bike, along with a road racing bike! You aren't limited in what you do for what works for you on an ebike. There are so many good conversion systems that can make the bike you're most comfortable with electric. That's one of the reasons to choose a kit vs. a whole ebike. Consider that a good quality kit, including the Lithium Battery, will cost about as much as some whole ebikes so its important to know that the bike you're thinking about converting is really your best ride. I ultimately decided that the hand built Airnimal folding bike with 24" rims built with a rock solid BionX system fit my height and performance needs. Everyone who trys it is amazed at how quick the handling and power are. Do your research; Court has some great reviews of different hub motor and mid drive kits that will get you started.

 

[tinasdude]

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