What happens when your Ebike you ordered on the Internet breaks?

[rich c]

I'm astounded to hear owners taking flats to an LBS. When one gets a flat somewhere out in the boonies are they gonna push or tow their bike 30 miles to the nearest LBS?
CN

I would have been also if not for being on the Sondors Owners Facebook page. The way so many folks assembled their new bikes was eye opening to me. There was a whole rash of people assembling with the front fork on backwards. The “look at my new bike “ pictures became the QC and the opportunity to be corrected on their assembly.

 

[opimax]

We bought a van so we (meaning mostly me) can can get picked up of needed for any reason. If we are both out I get the working bike back to the van and pick up my waiting wife. Also extended family has us covered until we start to travel for real next year

 

[theemartymac]

I'm astounded to hear owners taking flats to an LBS. When one gets a flat somewhere out in the boonies are they gonna push or tow their bike 30 miles to the nearest LBS?
CN

Do you know how many people don't know how to change a car tire either anymore? The frequency is so rare with modern tires that AAA coverage is usually fine if you aren't a backcountry explorer. I haven't had a flat on my truck or motorcycle in at least 15 years/200,000+kms.

And as long as you aren't trekking into the back forty (Which the majority of ebikers and bicycle commuters are not), did you know that AAA or any comparable plan covers picking up you and your bicycle for flats/breakdowns and transportation back to a shop or home too?

I'm not saying it isn't a good idea to know your bike and basic maintenance, but it shouldn't scare people off of them if they aren't handy.

 

[BigNerd]

There is also the convenience/experience factor.

Someone who fixes flats regularly will probably do a much better job than someone who see a flat very infrequently.

 

[Dallant]

Do you know how many people don't know how to change a car tire either anymore? The frequency is so rare with modern tires that AAA coverage is usually fine if you aren't a backcountry explorer. I haven't had a flat on my truck or motorcycle in at least 15 years/200,000+kms.

And as long as you aren't trekking into the back forty (Which the majority of ebikers and bicycle commuters are not), did you know that AAA or any comparable plan covers picking up you and your bicycle for flats/breakdowns and transportation back to a shop or home too?

I'm not saying it isn't a good idea to know your bike and basic maintenance, but it shouldn't scare people off of them if they aren't handy.

Truth is many cars don’t even have a spare to change to!

 

[McCorby]

Truth is many cars don’t even have a spare to change to!

Newer cars that don’t come with a spare have run-flat tires!

 

[Dallant]

Newer cars that don’t come with a spare have run-flat tires!

Not always.

 

[McCorby]

Not always.

Do you have an example?

 

[theemartymac]

Do you have an example?

Many without a spare these days, and I've seen a few articles that reference them with the claim that run-flats aren't always guaranteed to be installed. Certainly not after the first change anyway.

https://www.cars.com/articles/got-a-spare-not-on-these-cars-1420697605296/

 

[McCorby]

Many of the cars listed in that link have run-flat tires and the one’s that don’t come with a repair/inflator kit.

 

[Dallant]

Do you have an example?

My Miata, for one.

 

[Dallant]

Many of the cars listed in that link have run-flat tires and the one’s that don’t come with a repair/inflator kit.

A repair kit ain’t a spare or a run flat.

 

[McCorby]

A repair kit ain’t a spare or a run flat.

Gotcha!

 

[RolandSchitt]

I haven’t seen this mentioned but the LBS closest to me wouldn’t even look at my ebike and said it was purely for insurance reasons that they couldn’t touch it.

 

[Art Deco]

I haven’t seen this mentioned but the LBS closest to me wouldn’t even look at my ebike and said it was purely for insurance reasons that they couldn’t touch it.

We want to insure that you won't sue us ...

 

[BigNerd]

I haven’t seen this mentioned but the LBS closest to me wouldn’t even look at my ebike and said it was purely for insurance reasons that they couldn’t touch it.

I don't understand this mentality.

Many ebike issues are mechanical. Maybe they can just have the customer sign a waiver that they can't be held liable for electrical/motor issues (me not a lawyer).

My local bike store has worked on my ebike twice without any qualms.

 

[RolandSchitt]

I don't understand this mentality.

Many ebike issues are mechanical. Maybe they can just have the customer sign a waiver that they can't be held liable for electrical/motor issues (me not a lawyer).

My local bike store has worked on my ebike twice without any qualms.

When I was looking into renter's/liability insurance, my e-bike was considered a motor vehicle in my state and I wasn't able to get it covered under any kind of bike coverage. I wonder if that motor vehicle designation is a factor in the LBS's insurance. Beats me.

 

[pmcdonald]

There's only one dedicated Ebike specialist in my city of 250k. They only work on bikes they sell, but I think their issue is capacity more than liability.

When my BH motor died after a lot of ringing around I paid one willing local store who sells a few ebikes to crack it open and see what they could do. 'Yeah, nah..' was the shorthand answer. End of story, bike dead.

Given the unproven reliability of ebikes and my bikes role as a commuter, second time round I made sure to buy local from a brand known for reliability.

 

[Dallant]

I’m sure there are a wide variety of responses. I talked with one Trek lbs who wouldn’t touch any little known online ebikes because 1. they were way too busy with their own customers and 2. they couldn’t get parts. There may have been other reasons but none that he mentioned.
My Trek guy is certainly willing to but it really depends on a variety of factors. His take is that he is more likely to get more customers to come over to the Trek family by being helpful than by refusing to help.

 

[ebikebob]

As someone whose bike on the internet broke, I started learning how to repair things, and we're talking like extremely basic things like tighten screws. I continue to maintain that whoever figures out reasonably priced, quick, and widespread customer service for ebikes will be the long-term winner. I don't think it'll be about the actual bikes themselves. No one in my social circles exhibits the patience I have for finding a deal. Most people would count the time invested in learning to repair as money down the drain because they could be working on something else. 95% of people just want the ebike to work and be reliable if it's going to become their main mode of transportation. Did I save money on this internet ebike? Ultimately, I did not save money, but it was 1/3 the price initially, so even with repairs, my time counting as money, it kind of evens out. Where I may start saving money is for ebike #2 and #3--I'd be more knowledgable and better able to troubleshoot, so I could be more confident in knowing what I'm getting and fixing easy issues