The elusive $1k quality E-bike... Coming this year?

Guess I do. I have a family, am on a budget, and need to buy two ebikes so my spouse can enjoy as well. They will never replace my car as I live in too rural of a location and long distances are the norm so I have no cause to compare the two.

For the average middle-aged person interested in returning to recreational cycling via ebike I think you are way out of touch. I don't personally know a single person in my family or circle of friends that wouldn't seriously balk at a bicycle costing $3k, much less 2 or 3Xs that.
Get Rid of Cable, Cut the cell Phone Bill DATA , And Get a Part Time Job for a Few months > Make it happen : Or buy acoustics to see if you even like riding : I can think of 3 people I know personally who had to get an expensive E-Bike because everyone was getting them > They just sit : Not sure where you live But Spring is a Great Time to see about finding a Good Slightly Used one. I see Court has mentioned that's what he does.
 
Get Rid of Cable, Cut the cell Phone Bill DATA , And Get a Part Time Job for a Few months > Make it happen : Or buy acoustics to see if you even like riding : I can think of 3 people I know personally who had to get an expensive E-Bike because everyone was getting them > They just sit : Not sure where you live But Spring is a Great Time to see about finding a Good Slightly Used one. I see Court has mentioned that's what he does.

Yeah, I do recommend to anyone considering buying one to somehow try before you buy, such as using shared e-bikes to see just how much you'll use it, especially if you don't already commute by bike. There's always a chance it doesn't work out and then you can't return it.
 
The Aventon Pace 350 was priced at $999 when it came out - decent quality? Now I think it's an even $1000...
 
Guess I do. I have a family, am on a budget, and need to buy two ebikes so my spouse can enjoy as well. They will never replace my car as I live in too rural of a location and long distances are the norm so I have no cause to compare the two.

For the average middle-aged person interested in returning to recreational cycling via ebike I think you are way out of touch. I don't personally know a single person in my family or circle of friends that wouldn't seriously balk at a bicycle costing $3k, much less 2 or 3Xs that.

Ecotric's can be had under 2k for two. So far pleased with ours. We are casual riders. These bikes, for us , are used for recreation. I agree with you, know your actual needs and use before spending 3k on a quality eBike. 500w 36v 7speed cog lets us go 12-14mph, get some exercise on PAS-1 or 2 and ride an easy 20-25 miles. Using PAS 5 your pissing off pedal bike friends on the uphills. Actually we go out of our way to stay even with non electric bikes if riding on a bike trail. I think quality for casual riders should be viewed in terms of "decent" frame construction, welds etc. Disc brakes, decent shifter ( ours use Shimano thumb shifters). I have enough background to know what will work and what's considered unsafe. The Ecotric's are much better than you basic Walmart cruisers and Mtb's .
 
I think I found my thread.

Have things changed since March?

Don't know about "quality", but there seems to be a few "decent" ebikes hovering around $1k. All direct to consumer though.
 
Haha well toy versus tool, an e-bike is a cheap tool and a pricey toy.
Do you have “analog” bikes? Maybe the answer for you is to just ride regular bikes for the time being. Next year might have some cheaper new ebikes or used ebikes from folks wanting to upgrade.
Best of luck with your search.
 

What happens when the campain does not meet its goal... are they keeping the funds?

"This campaign has ended and will receive all funds raised."


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I have no idea what you guys are saying by you cannot get quality for under 1k. There are quite a few bikes that are great quality and value for the buck. Sure they aren’t the best “performance” parts but they still can be good quality.

I’ve been riding my 899 Lectric XP and I can’t tell you how much I love it and how it’s a quality bike.
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It really depends how much you ride. If your only a casual rider a cheap bike gets you out there and the low quality components used simply don’t matter. If you never rode as an adult you might find you don’t enjoy cycling much and the bike just sits in your garage. Maybe a single speed ebike would be perfect for you.
I am the cyclist in my family. My wife has a manual bike and an ebike, together they have less than 1,000 km. After 10 years.
However if you consistently ride 5,000 km a year then good components matter in keeping you on the road and out of the shop. There are bikes for every type of rider already out there. You just have to figure out where you fit in.
 
I have no idea what you guys are saying by you cannot get quality for under 1k. There are quite a few bikes that are great quality and value for the buck. Sure they aren’t the best “performance” parts but they still can be good quality.

I’ve been riding my 899 Lectric XP and I can’t tell you how much I love it and how it’s a quality bike......
That is certainly a high value bike. If you don't spend a ton of money upgrading the components because you are happy with them, then it is a great bike. Feedback from customers indicates that it hits the right spot for many. Of course it won't satisfy all, but it seems to satisfy a great many. Even as a first e-bike that you later move on to another bike, it is a great value starter to help one figure out what they need in terms of features and how much they might/will really use it.
 
I have no idea what you guys are saying by you cannot get quality for under 1k. There are quite a few bikes that are great quality and value for the buck. Sure they aren’t the best “performance” parts but they still can be good quality.

I’ve been riding my 899 Lectric XP and I can’t tell you how much I love it and how it’s a quality bike.View attachment 58436

Not bad for $900... the mechanical brakes and Tourney groupset would be a deal-breaker for me. YMMV. ;)


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These types of thread are always severely subjective. Excluding what is obvious junk to most looking at it, my sub $1k eBikes ( branded as Ecotric but basically cookie cutter) have provided more then the quality to do what we ask. My wife and I are nearing 500mi of 98% r2t bike path riding. So when someone is researching an ebike purchase simply know what it has to accomplish. I might be going out on a limb here but I would almost bet most 70 year olds or there about will ride somewhere between 12-24 miles when they ride. Use mostly bike paths and have never used the spare battery they purchased (1/2 the value of my entire bike)

If my assumption is correct then a 36/48v, rear hub, 500w motor with a 12ah battery,(using PAS 1 or 2 75% of the time will give you range 25-28mi) @ around 12mph ( nice leasurely pace). If that's you a $1k bike will be fine.

Want fenders, light ? Perhaps some front suspension? Add $400-800. The fenders I added to my bike (shorties) $20. The front air/spring forks $149. USB front/rear led lights $19. Brooks Flyer seat $86.

So yes you can definitely get an eBike with the quality required for $1k. if you fit the box described, don't hang out with friends who ride "Founder Edition" eBikes and don't have any blue pill addiction issues :)
 
Radcitys were on Blowout this December for 999, my guess is Rad Power will be the one to do it first.

And Rad Power did just recently announce their just under 1k bike that is coming out in the fall.

A good quality non-electric road or city bike is going to cost $400 to $600 dollars. The cost of a motor and battery added to that will bring the cost above $1000.

I agree with others who suggest checking out the used market. I've seen a few nice e-bikes for sale locally for under 1k, that were likely around 2k when new.
 
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