Why did you buy make and model?

[Barry S]

Started researching my first ebike in October 2017 and didn't pull the trigger until July 2018 largely due to financial setbacks, but the delay made me better informed thanks to the EBR forums. The Voltbike Yukon 750 Limited was my primary choice until I started noticing an increase in customer complaints here and on Facebook regarding having difficulty reaching Voltbike with warranty issues. I looked closer at my #2 pick the RadRover, and after test riding one during a business trip to Seattle I ordered one 2 weeks later.

The bike was delivered 11 days later to my workplace without any noticeable damage to the box. During assembly, I noticed that the rear derailleur guard had taken a hit, got bent, and made contact with the rear derailleur. During a post-assembly tune-up by my LBS a few days later, I was told that the rear derailleur hanger was bent but easily fixed. However, the impact also damaged the shifter cable and required replacement. I contacted Rad Power Bikes and the next day they sent me an email apologizing for the damage and requested a copy of the bill. The day after I did that, they confirmed my bankcard would be refunded for the damage amount. This is why I went with Rad Power Bikes.

 

[batmick1]

I bought a 2016 Haibike XDuro Trekking RX in January 2018. Had researched for a while on here and elsewhere and a friend of mine had bought a Haibike Urban S RX the year before and let me ride it for a few days. Then it was a matter of waiting for a good deal.
Ebikes of NE had a closeout sale and the bike was available in my size (64cm) for a killer price so I pulled the trigger.

I am a long time bike mechanic and do all my own stunts so I don't have to rely on a local shop for any of that. Otherwise I would have looked only locally.

 

[Alex M]

I work in the bicycle industry, so in my case, I knew what I was looking for in terms of type and quality.

Yes. This is what the OP should begin with - his/her requirements.

 

[Kurt in CT]

Magnum Peak
I looked at many and tried a few. It was the combo of factors that swayed me:
$2000 - bang for the buck
24 gears
Combo road/Mtn bike - wanted the option - medium knobby tires
Battery power / range / top-end speed
Appearance - Good looking bike, battery slightly stealth and not obvious
Sold via LBS
Court's reviews
PAS + throttle
Overall descent-quality components.

Lastly when I test-rode it, the comparative power knocked me out... (Though this was subjective at the time...)_

 

[Ryno]

Purchase: 2017 Magnum Metro+

Reasons for purchase:
Local Bike Shop that carries Magnum and allowed for a test ride
Range - 48 volts, 13.5 amp-hour
Comfort for my 35 mile one way commute
Hydraulic disc brakes
Schwalbe Marathon tires standard


The other bike that I wanted to purchase was Juiced CrossCurrent S, simply due to the similar cost. The CCS did offer a larger battery but the Schwalbe tires were an upgrade and I didn't want to wait some indeterminate amount of time (purchased in December of 2017 when the delivery time frames were a little sketchy).

I'm still happy with the bike but would like a larger battery (17 or 21 a-h would be great for my commute).

Biktrix uses the same Reention Dorado battery packs that we have on our Magnum bikes, and offers a 17ah for $600, and a 20ah for $700. Samsung and Panasonic cells

 

[ebikemom]

I wanted to be able to test ride and buy from a local bike store, both to be able to try the bike and have access to ongoing service.

I wanted certain features--upright riding stance, enough range to easily do a 30 mile RT commute+errands, integrated lights, pedal assist, throttle. Pedego had the features I was looking for. I was interested in Electra also, but the model I saw didn't have a throttle, which I need due to living in a hilly area and having to stop/start on hills that can be quite steep.

 

[p0ppyman]

Stromer ST1 Platinum

1. Performance met the requirements of my mission - 52 mile RT daily commute (validated on ~ 30 miles of demo riding)
2. Design met my aesthetic philosophy
3. Point of purchase from a reputable, friendly, high volume LBS (New Wheel)
4. Perception of reliability based upon reviews
5. Price point was within my budget
6. Many color options as long as I picked black

Placed the order today!

 

[ebubar]

Juiced CCS
1) Large battery equals large range for 50 mile roundtrip
2) Overall positive reviews of the bike itself
3) Good experiences with Juiced support when asking questions
4) Good price

 

[jazz]

I like BH (formerly known as Easy Motion/Emotion) ebikes.

• They are well built with great quality components such as Brose and Dapu motors and Samsung Batteries
• They come standard with features like torque sensing and hydraulic brakes
• BH has a great warranty (5 years on motor controller and display, 2 years on battery, lifetime on frame).
• *Perhaps the best reason of all: Most BH ebikes are stealth looking (non-ebike looking) with integrated frame batteries etc. In this day and age when many people are critical of mountain ebikes and ebikes in general, having a stealth looking ebike is a plus!

 

[Dewey]

I converted a pedal bicycle with a Bafang BBS01 kit motor from California Ebike and the battery from Luna Cycle because:

1. I needed after-sales support on the motor and battery so I bought them from reputable US suppliers with parts inventory;
2. I needed my local bike shop's support on the mechanical side so during the conversion I paid them to remove the bottom bracket and make the new chain line work, a year later I had them change the drivetrain from derailleur to Shimano Nexus 8 IGH and add a gearsensor. I gave them my business so they continue to support my ongoing bicycle maintenance needs;
3. I wanted to be able to reprogram power settings in the controller myself to tweak performance without having to take it into the shop;
4. I wanted a mid-drive motor and battery on the downtube to keep the added weight centered and balanced.

 

[Aunthugh]

Thanks everyone for taking time to respond to my question. Lots of reasons a particular bike fits your need. I presently ride a mid drive and was looking for comments for rear hub bikes. I'm testing a rear hub from a friend and it handles quit different than the mid drive. Lots of new e-bikes hitting the market.

 

[Chris Hammond]

Purchase: 2017 Magnum Metro+

Reasons for purchase:
Local Bike Shop that carries Magnum and allowed for a test ride
Range - 48 volts, 13.5 amp-hour
Comfort for my 35 mile one way commute
Hydraulic disc brakes
Schwalbe Marathon tires standard


The other bike that I wanted to purchase was Juiced CrossCurrent S, simply due to the similar cost. The CCS did offer a larger battery but the Schwalbe tires were an upgrade and I didn't want to wait some indeterminate amount of time (purchased in December of 2017 when the delivery time frames were a little sketchy).

I'm still happy with the bike but would like a larger battery (17 or 21 a-h would be great for my commute).

Yeah, you have to be stressing your battery a bit for your commute; either that or you are keeping your speeds on the lower side. I have a 30 mile one way commute. I went with the CCS and was lucky enough to order when the 52V/ 21Ah battery was available. It made the price about $1K more than the Metro+. IMHO, worth every penny of the difference. I have a bike that does what I want, cruise at high speed (~30 mph), easily handles the job (I charge to 80% and rarely drop below 40% by the end of my commute), and makes we want to ride everyday (I only skip bike commutes when I need my car for some reason, never for windy days like I did on the road bike.

 

[Dynamo Dan]

Purchase
Voltbike Yukon 750 Ltd

Reason
Appearance. The bike just looks badass and I get lots of positive comments when out riding.
Price. At $2300 after taxes, accessories and delivery this is hard to beat.
Components. Like PCDoctorUSA, I had the Yukon and Radrover as top of my want list but picked the Volt bike because the latest edition of the Yukon has slightly better components (I'm sure the next edition of the Radrover will have upgraded components such is the nature of 2 virtually identical bikes competing for the same business ).
Test ride. The Voltbike sells direct to customer via internet but they do have an ambassador program that enables you to contact an existing owner to try before you buy. I test rode a few big name brand bikes from LBS but when I tried the Yukon, I was just blown away; faster, cheaper and better looking.
Local. Voltbike is a local company to me and when there is an opportunity to buy local, I do.

 

[Dynamo Dan]

Thanks everyone for taking time to respond to my question. Lots of reasons a particular bike fits your need. I presently ride a mid drive and was looking for comments for rear hub bikes. I'm testing a rear hub from a friend and it handles quit different than the mid drive. Lots of new e-bikes hitting the market.

I think that there is a lot of unnecessary concern surrounding mid drive vs hub drive. The main arguments I have heard for mid drives are this; Mid drive motors will give you more torque.
They are easier to maintain.
It is easier to change a flat to rear tire.
Most people on these forums do not use their bikes on extreme trails and so do not benefit from the better torque. If you ride on paved trails, roads or established off road trails, hub drives will work just fine.
Modern motors should not need much maintenance. Hub drive motors are relatedly simple and unless they are abused they will last a lifetime.
The rear flat problem doesn't exist. Changing a rear tire on hub drive is the same as mid drive except for the addition step of disconnecting the power line to the motor. My bike has a jack socket that disconnects the motor power. If you can connect an earphone jack from your phone, ipod or Sony Walkman (for those of us that remember them), you can disconnect the motor.
The handling issue is largely due to weight distribution. Again, unless you are hitting some hardcore trails this really shouldn't be an issue. I suggest that the different handling characteristics is something that you will get used to.

 

[john peck]

Juiced CCS, I watched the EBR reviews for years, looking toward the goals I wanted in an ebike. range, capabilities,
affordability, durability. The CCS came close enough to tempt me into buying. I love it.

 

[p0ppyman]

I think that there is a lot of unnecessary concern surrounding mid drive vs hub drive. The main arguments I have heard for mid drives are this; Mid drive motors will give you more torque.
They are easier to maintain.
It is easier to change a flat to rear tire.
Most people on these forums do not use their bikes on extreme trails and so do not benefit from the better torque. If you ride on paved trails, roads or established off road trails, hub drives will work just fine.
Modern motors should not need much maintenance. Hub drive motors are relatedly simple and unless they are abused they will last a lifetime.
The rear flat problem doesn't exist. Changing a rear tire on hub drive is the same as mid drive except for the addition step of disconnecting the power line to the motor. My bike has a jack socket that disconnects the motor power. If you can connect an earphone jack from your phone, ipod or Sony Walkman (for those of us that remember them), you can disconnect the motor.
The handling issue is largely due to weight distribution. Again, unless you are hitting some hardcore trails this really shouldn't be an issue. I suggest that the different handling characteristics is something that you will get used to.

I found out for myself through renting bikes (Bosch mid drive, Brose mid drive & Stromer hub drive) and taking them on the same steep (~ 12% grade) hill. Plus I took the Stromer hub drive and the Brose mid drive on a 25.8 miles route with elevation changes beyond what I would normally ride. Using those test cases I saw no difference in performance when it came to climbs based upon mid drive vs. hub drive.

As to changing rear flat tubes I will have my LBS show me how to remove the rear wheel. And on my road bike I have repaired flats without removing the wheels.

I took the time and created a process to validate the myth that was banging around in my mind about lack of torque from rear hub drives. Instead I crushed it, smacked it down, squeezed the life out of it, and kicked it to the curb where it belongs at least for my use cases.

But YMMV since each of us have different missions for our e-bikes.

 

[john peck]

I found out for myself through renting bikes (Bosch mid drive, Brose mid drive & Stromer hub drive) and taking them on the same steep (~ 12% grade) hill. Plus I took the Stromer hub drive and the Brose mid drive on a 25.8 miles route with elevation changes beyond what I would normally ride. Using those test cases I saw no difference in performance when it came to climbs based upon mid drive vs. hub drive.

As to changing rear flat tubes I will have my LBS show me how to remove the rear wheel. And on my road bike I have repaired flats without removing the wheels.

I took the time and created a process to validate the myth that was banging around in my mind about lack of torque from rear hub drives. Instead I crushed it, smacked it down, squeezed the life out of it, and kicked it to the curb where it belongs at least for my use cases.

But YMMV since each of us have different missions for our e-bikes.

Hub or mid, if your speed on the steep falls below 9 mph, you're just pedaling a bike. I went to a slightly smaller chain ring for a bit more torque.

 

[FSRBart]

I pick up my Specialized Levo FSR 6Fattie today. I figured it was the "do anything" type of bike. I used to MTB alot (also did road), and figured an MTB would offer me the greatest diversity regarding where I ride. Back when I only had an MTB, I'd put "Farmer Johns" on it and pumped them up and use it for cruising on-road.

I picked Specialized as I really only had a few choices of brand to pick. Funny as you'd think Denver, sitting at the base of the Rockies would have a larger selection of ebikes. I didn't want to order sight unseen, untested/ridden other brands. The only bikes that fit that category were Specialized and Haibike. I'd never heard of Haibike and was very familiar with Specialized. While I'm sure Haibike makes a good product I went with Specialized.

 

[larry-new]

It was between Juiced, Pure Cycles, and Rad Power

My riding - all road and bike path. Longer rides planned, no commuting. Grocery runs.

Rad had the bike - City. Looked well designed, even though upright has not been my ride style, I figured I could modify that a bit for more comfort and efficiency.

Others were future indiegogo promises, or out of stock.

Rad also had good owner reviews on customer service, and fewer problems. A welded rear rack looked sturdy for long rides. Accessories built like tanks.
Bike with no sales tax, free delivery, and a spare battery...all less than $2k.

 

[Athena]

I bought mine at a yard sale. Price was right, bike works well, and although no longer produced, parts are still available. As for model, it is an IZIP Mountain Trailx AL women's. Added another battery pack and pretty much can go all over Phoenix with a 40 mile + range.