Should I buy a maintenance package from LBS

arubaito

arubaito

New Member
Region
USA
Hi,

I am thinking to buy my first e-bike. I am still debating between Specialized Turbo Vado 5 IGH and Gazelle Ultimate C380 HMB. I went for a test ride at a LBS and while discussing with them, one thing pop up. The LBS offers a maintenance package of $700 for 5 years of maintenance of the bike. I am very naive in this and have no idea of what kind of maintenance I have to do with the bike so I wonder if this is something worth considering?

Thank you
 
With ebike the only things that need regular servicing is drivetrain, brakes and tires.
Motors and electrics aren't serviceable so no need for regular maintenance there.
Given both bikes are belt drives with IGH only maintenance needed is slight tension of belt every few 1000 miles and IGH service every 5000kms.
Brakes only need new pads every so often, that will depend on how steep hills are on your regular commute. Their will still charge for pads, check if service covers labour.

Tires need to be topped up every couple weeks which you can do. Buy a good floor pump with gauge. Rear should be good for 1500-2000 miles, front double that.

You should learn how to change tire, shop should take you through this for free given how much bike costs.
 
No. That's a lot of money, and you can easily stay under $140 per year in maintenance costs. You also don't know how much you'll be riding it. The bike shop will tune up your bike at no added cost initially and that should go a long way.

If you were a serious road cyclist with a top shelf bike, it might make sense for all the miles you'll cover, but I don't think that makes sense here.
 
That seems high, I have spent $200 on maintenance in 2 years at 2000 miles and that was for a tuneup, new chain, and new cassette. Looks like those are belt drives so a tuneup every year or two for 100 bucks is probably fair. I am due to get in for my right brake being squishy and will likely cost another 50. Bike stuff is just so much cheaper than car stuff. Plus you likely get a warranty for the first year or two.
 
arubaito said:
Hi,

I am thinking to buy my first e-bike. I am still debating between Specialized Turbo Vado 5 IGH and Gazelle Ultimate C380 HMB. I went for a test ride at a LBS and while discussing with them, one thing pop up. The LBS offers a maintenance package of $700 for 5 years of maintenance of the bike. I am very naive in this and have no idea of what kind of maintenance I have to do with the bike so I wonder if this is something worth considering?

Thank you
Click to expand...
What exactly does that mean? Is it just service or parts and service? If just service I would say no. If it was parts and service it might be worth it if you plan to ride a lot.
 
arubaito said:
It only covers the service, not the parts.
Click to expand...
How long has this bike shop been around? Will they even be there in 5 years? How much would a one time visit cost for a full tune up on the bike?
 
keithj69 said:
How long has this bike shop been around? Will they even be there in 5 years? How much would a one time visit cost for a full tune up on the bike?
Click to expand...
It is Mike's Bike. They have been around for quite a while. Here is the detail of the package https://mikesbikes.com/pages/5-year-maintenance-plan. I did not ask for one time tune-up visit cost but I am living in CA, everything is getting expensive here so I don't think it will be less than $100 per visit.
 
Clean drivetrain in solvent tank (including derailleurs, crank & chainrings, cassette, & chain)
and
Bottom bracket overhaul

Are both pointless when looking at a middrrive/IGH bike.

The $300 plan looks better to be honest. Esp with the wheel truing and tension, plus the maintenance costs covered.
 
Maybe I missed it, but how good of a bike mechanic and electrical troubleshooter are you? How good are you at patching tubes? In 5 years I would put on about 13,000 miles. That means 2 sets of new tires, maybe 3 sets of new brakes, at least 4 chains, new cassette or 2, new chainring, and bleeding brakes. That is a lot of visits to the shop and probably $100 min each visit.
 
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Can you get to the bike shop without a car?
My nearest bike shop is 4 miles away. I would take longer to push the bike to the shop, then walk back to pick it up, than do the service in most cases. There is a bus, but 2 transfers of busses that run once an hour means in most cases it is faster to walk.
 
The goal of Pon Group who purchased Mike's Bikes it to make it into the 'Starbucks of bike shops.' It was a local Bay Area shop with a couple of locations in Marin. Then it expanded to 14 shops in the greater Bay Area. Now it has 25 locations across state lines. It is like getting a guitar from Guitar Center instead of supporting a local music store. The maintenance plan used to be a good deal but now at $700 it is too much, in my opinion. And it does not include any parts or eBike specific requirements. Here is one cost difference using brake pads as an example. What is better two for $10 or $12 for eight pads, plus tools. Mike's won't do a job unless they sell the parts at full pop. They are charging about 750% more for parts.
1683487889974.png
1683488081571.png
 
Last edited:
PedalUma said:
The goal of Pon Group who purchased Mike's Bikes it to make it into the 'Starbucks of bike shops.' It was a local Bay Area shop with a couple of locations in Marin. Then it expanded to 14 shops in the greater Bay Area. Now it has 25 locations across state lines. It is like getting a guitar from Guitar Center instead of supporting a local music store. The maintenance plan used to be a good deal but now at $700 it is too much, in my opinion. And it does not include any parts or eBike specific requirements. Here is one cost difference using brake pads as an example. What is better two for $10 or $12 for eight pads, plus tools. Mike's won't do a job unless they sell the parts at full pop. They are charging about 750% more for parts.
View attachment 153196 View attachment 153197
Click to expand...
Very good points. Going to be up to OP to figure out how deep their pocket is currently.
 
If I wanted to buy a similar retail bike in the SF Bay Area I would test ride a Trek Verve+ 4S Lowstep.
 
rich c said:
Maybe I missed it, but how good of a bike mechanic and electrical troubleshooter are you? How good are you at patching tubes? In 5 years I would put on about 13,000 miles. That means 2 sets of new tires, maybe 3 sets of new brakes, at least 4 chains, new cassette or 2, new chainring, and bleeding brakes. That is a lot of visits to the shop and probably $100 min each visit.
Click to expand...
Buyer is looking at IGH belt drive bikes. 20-30,000km from belt with odd tension which can be done when IGH gets a service every 5000kms.
Any electrical issues will be covered by motor manufacturers 2yr warranty. Service is for normal wear and tear items may not electrical faults.
 
The plan only covers 'adjustments,' such as tire pressure and barrel adjusters. Not repairs. It does include new cables and housings each year and grips when needed. The bottom bracket does not apply to mid-drives.

Install complete set of cables & housing

Clean frame & components

Clean drivetrain in solvent tank

(including derailleurs, crank & chainrings, cassette, & chain)

Headset bearing overhaul

Bottom bracket overhaul

Bleed disc brakes, front and rear

Install new handlebar tape or grips
 
There are other reasons to buy the maintenance package. Buying plans for our ebikes were the ONLY maintenance plans I have EVER purchased.
Why? Dealer relationship. No, the plans never actually paid off in service. But paid dividends in friendship.
 
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