FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley
What I Learned from Buying and Riding My First Electric Bike
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FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley
I agree... looks better without the chainguard.
john peck
Well-Known Member
I think it´s great that there are very affordable bikes out there that are still pretty reliable, functional transport for new riders.Hi guys! I did this interview with Logan from CNET recently where we talk about buying your first electric bike. He had lots of great questions and really covered the process from start to finish, receiving the bike and building it... then using and maintaining it a bit. It was a lot of fun, and I think it could be useful here too, for anyone who is new to the space and considering buying an ebike. Enjoy!
Rock onand this is his full written article back at the official CNET website. If you're trying to figure out the different ebike categories, and figure out what some of the best options are in those categories... check out my best electric bikes page and some of the topic specific guides like best affordable electric bikes.
Your first car probably wasn´t an Audi, but you learned the ropes in it. Research carefully & tailor your purchase to suit your
needs & budget.
Jetsfan901
Member
Just ordered my first Ebike. Started by ordering a Yamaha Cross Connect, dealer couldn't get the color I wanted, I switched to a Yamaha Cross Core. Told dealer to add the suspension post and also the ShockStop. Any opinions on this bike as being my first Ebike. Using it mainly for a 4 mile ride to work to get me over the bridge without a lot of sweat. I will also be alternating between my Specialized road bike I started riding a few months ago and the ebike for 30-50 mile rides around NY. And hopefully a couple 75 mile rides..
Jetsfan,
Congrats on your new bike!
That’s a great commute distance. I suspect you will love it, especially as you fly up the hill.
My only two cents is be sure to get a couple safety accessories, especially if you ride in traffic.
- A good mirror to see what’s coming behind you. Just like driving, imagine not having one. I like Mirrycles but they’re many other brands on the market.
- Bright lights, front and back, if your bike doesn’t already have them. Mostly to be seen by other drivers, especially the ones still texting who occasionally may get their faces up from their phones. And I’m recommending lights also for your Specialized road bike.
Enjoy your bike! Looking forward to seeing some of your adventures.
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Congrats and all the best as you enter the traffic zone! Ride like you’re invisible!
Jetsfan901
Member
Thank you for the reply...Jetsfan,
Congrats on your new bike!
That’s a great commute distance. I suspect you will love it, especially as you fly up the hill.
My only two cents is be sure to get a couple safety accessories, especially if you ride in traffic.
- A good mirror to see what’s coming behind you. Just like driving, imagine not having one. I like Mirrycles but they’re many other brands on the market.
- Bright lights, front and back, if your bike doesn’t already have them. Mostly to be seen by other drivers, especially the ones still texting who occasionally may get their faces up from their phones. And I’m recommending lights also for your Specialized road bike.
Enjoy your bike! Looking forward to seeing some of your adventures.
Already have lights on both bikes. That is actually the law here in New York City, and they are getting aggressive with tickets here because of so many accidents with injuries...
And I will take a look at the mirrors.
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley
Welcome to EBR.
You can't go wrong with the Yamaha Cross Core... including the excellent PW-SE mid-drive motor with great reliability.
Yamaha Cross Core Review
Price: $2399 | Model Year: 2019 | A sleek affordable commuter from Yamaha, a household brand name going for a balance of price, performance, efficiency, and a purist feel, for years they did their homework studying their applications on Haibike, Giant, etc, using data and analysis to make...
electricbikereview.com
- A sleek affordable commuter from Yamaha, a household brand name going for a balance of price, performance, efficiency, and a purist feel, for years they did their homework studying their applications on Haibike, Giant, etc, using data and analysis to make offerings of their own
- The PW SE motor is smooth and very efficient, coupled with the protected PW-X display, it makes for a intuitive and enjoyable riding feel, measuring cadence, torque, and rear wheel speed, an extremely advanced system for a value priced ebike
- A 3 year warranty and a dealer network that gets reimbursed for working on your bike which means much less customer issues on an already proven and reliable electric system, a perk some of the smaller brand names are still catching up to
Jetsfan901
Member
Looking forward to having it in a few days ..Welcome to EBR.
You can't go wrong with the Yamaha Cross Core... including the excellent PW-SE mid-drive motor with great reliability.
Yamaha Cross Core Review
Price: $2399 | Model Year: 2019 | A sleek affordable commuter from Yamaha, a household brand name going for a balance of price, performance, efficiency, and a purist feel, for years they did their homework studying their applications on Haibike, Giant, etc, using data and analysis to make...
- A sleek affordable commuter from Yamaha, a household brand name going for a balance of price, performance, efficiency, and a purist feel, for years they did their homework studying their applications on Haibike, Giant, etc, using data and analysis to make offerings of their own
- The PW SE motor is smooth and very efficient, coupled with the protected PW-X display, it makes for a intuitive and enjoyable riding feel, measuring cadence, torque, and rear wheel speed, an extremely advanced system for a value priced ebike
- A 3 year warranty and a dealer network that gets reimbursed for working on your bike which means much less customer issues on an already proven and reliable electric system, a perk some of the smaller brand names are still catching up to
Thanks for the great review of the bike.
Latitude
Well-Known Member
I wasn’t able to get your chain guard Dallant, it’s only sold as part of the complete crank set. But I found one on Amazon, and just put it on yesterday. Worked out well. Along with a new Deore derailleur that I had to get after I destroyed my Alivio.
bikesfamily
New Member
No.If the slope angle is a, the length of the slope is l, and the friction coefficient is u, the equation can be obtained as follows: mglsina umglcosa = (1 / 2) MV2, the mass m can be eliminated, and then: GL (Sina ucosa) = (1 / 2) v2
So it's wrong for that bike to go downhill heavier and faster. According to the formula, the velocity is related to the friction coefficient, the length of the slope and the slope angle
bullsbikesusa
New Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Lynwood
Riding an ebike is just plain fun, but there are some important pieces of information to know before making the big purchase, things that can easily be hidden behind clever marketing or in the fine print.
When it comes down to it, ebikes are just like any other major purchasing decision. Ask yourself how often you intend to ride and in what ways. If you only plan to do the occasional short ride and have space outside your home to store an ebike, then perhaps a cheaper hub-drive motor is a good option for you.
If you’re looking for an ebike that will deliver consistent power, spec’d with durable name-brand components and great customer service, we suggest you consider investing in a quality mid-drive ebike that will pay dividends for years to come. We, of course, believe BULLS ebikes to offer one of the best values for high quality ebikes, with a longer mid-drive history than just about anyone.
- There are only 3 types of regulated ebike systems. Class 1 is pedal assist to 20mph. Class 2 is pedal assist/throttle combination to 20mph. Class 3 is pedal assist to 28mph. If an “ebike” is not labeled as one of these 3 classes, it’s not technically legal to ride on streets or on bike infrastructure.
- Mid-drive motor systems provide the best pedal assist experience, making for a more “normal” cycling fee. Mid-drive motor systems are much higher quality than hub-drive motors, but cost quite a bit more. For a discussion on quality vs. low priced ebikes, click here
- There are only a handful of high quality motor companies. We believe Bosch offers the best mix of quality, tunability, range, power output and availability. Other brands like Fazua and Shimano also produce excellent motors. These motors will run longer, stronger and come with signicantly larger warranty periods.
- Make sure to purchase an ebike with a UL-Certified battery. Cheaper ebikes without this certification have been the cause of battery fires you may have read about and the U.S. government will most likely require this certification for all ebikes in the near future.
- Make sure you have a local bike shop nearby that will help you maintain your ebike. Generally speaking only “ebike specific” bike shops will work on hub-drive -powered ebikes. Your high quality mid drive motor will require a certified shop to ensure proper work. Certification is a free service offered by quality motor manufacturers.
When it comes down to it, ebikes are just like any other major purchasing decision. Ask yourself how often you intend to ride and in what ways. If you only plan to do the occasional short ride and have space outside your home to store an ebike, then perhaps a cheaper hub-drive motor is a good option for you.
If you’re looking for an ebike that will deliver consistent power, spec’d with durable name-brand components and great customer service, we suggest you consider investing in a quality mid-drive ebike that will pay dividends for years to come. We, of course, believe BULLS ebikes to offer one of the best values for high quality ebikes, with a longer mid-drive history than just about anyone.
Browneye
Well-Known Member
Kind of a necro-post here...last time this thread was active was nearly three years ago.
Uhm..."we" believe that Yamaha makes the best mid-drive assist system. The frequency of repair or failure on the Sync-drive WAY WAY surpasses Bosch or Shimano. They simply just do not break.
A lack of certification does not 'cause' battery fires. An internal short, over or under charge, or damage, is what causes a battery pack to catch fire.
Personally I don't utilize a local bike shop to maintain my bikes, ebike or otherwise - I am an avid DIY'r.
While Bulls bikes seem to do well and have a reasonably good reputation, they're not the end-all do-all in mid-drive ebikes.
Making an op-ed post and trying to convey it as fact is misleading. YMMV.
Uhm..."we" believe that Yamaha makes the best mid-drive assist system. The frequency of repair or failure on the Sync-drive WAY WAY surpasses Bosch or Shimano. They simply just do not break.
A lack of certification does not 'cause' battery fires. An internal short, over or under charge, or damage, is what causes a battery pack to catch fire.
Personally I don't utilize a local bike shop to maintain my bikes, ebike or otherwise - I am an avid DIY'r.
While Bulls bikes seem to do well and have a reasonably good reputation, they're not the end-all do-all in mid-drive ebikes.
Making an op-ed post and trying to convey it as fact is misleading. YMMV.
Urbancowboy
Active Member
- Region
- Canada
Hmmmm, Thanks for your contribution. Riding Downhill with the Motor turned off may safe on Brake Pads too. Yes I do have a good supply of Brake Pads at Home but not here (1000 KM away from home) at the moment but still love to ride my eBike each evening for at least 20 KM. Saw a big Black Bear and a few minutes later a Moose Cow while riding home yesterday evening. Would not want to collide with those Guys.
If you're into premium e-bikes, you should definitely check out MILOO's website 
They’ve got an amazing range of models — sleek, powerful, and designed with Swiss precision
Bonus: you can even book a free test ride at the shop closest to you!
Highly recommended
They’ve got an amazing range of models — sleek, powerful, and designed with Swiss precision
Bonus: you can even book a free test ride at the shop closest to you!
Highly recommended
Thanks for sharing! I’ll check out the CNET article and your guides, super helpful for anyone new to ebikes.Take a look at the Best Class 3 Electric Bikes of 2020 for some recommendations...
Best Class 3 Electric Bikes of 2020
Class 3 Electric bikes are a specific regulatory classification of ebikes in the US and Europe. A class 3 electric bike provides motor assist while the rider pedals up to a speed of 28mph, which is close to the speed a fit cyclist can achieve without assistance. Class 3 electric bikes are increasing in popularity with riders who prefer a faster ride to keep up with traffic, reduce commuting time, and to expand their traveling range. Due to their increased speed, class 3 ebikes are restricted some bike trails and bike paths. They are sometimes referred to as speed pedelecs, because they rely on pedal assist to achieve the higher top speeds. See all the details and even more winners on our best Class 3 electric bikes page.
Premium
Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 EQ Review
- MSRP: $3,500
- MODEL YEAR: 2020
One of the best ebikes I've ever reviewed. Relatively light weight at 36.9lbs including integrated lights, a rear rack, and custom designed tubular fenders with extra long rubberized flaps to keep your feet dry. Reasonably priced for outstanding motor and battery technology. Class 3 speed-pedelec performance offers 28mph (45km/h) assisted speeds for fun, respect from automobiles, and overall faster commutes. Boost hub spacing provides sturdier spoke bracing angle, 12mm thru-axles provide stiffness and control at… Read Review
Value
DŌST KOPE Review
A sturdy, highly-functional, high-step hybrid electric bike with upgraded components and optional second battery pack. Adjustable angle stem improves fit, 100mm spring suspension fork offers compression lockout and preload, high quality 2.4" wide Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires offer stability, visible reflective sidewalls, and puncture protection lining built-in. Lots of great accessory options including bags, cup holders, suspension seat post, mirrors, and child seat. Powerful 750 watt Bafang BBS02 mid-drive motor blends into the purpose-built frame, alloy housing keeps… Read Review
- MSRP: $2,799
- MODEL YEAR: 2020
Affordable
Aventon Level Review
The Aventon Level is a powerful and feature-rich Class 3 commuting electric bike, and if you are trying to calculate painting cost for a 1000 sq ft home, it can help you compare projects, a new model from Aventon that is competitively priced with impressive quality components throughout. The Shimano Acera drivetrain feels smooth with a good gear range across eight speeds, Quik… Read Review
- MSRP: $1,599
- MODEL YEAR: 2020
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
FlatSix wrote that 6 years ago, which is the stone age for e-bikes
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
My Levo is six years old.
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