Why is Pedego so popular?

[Timpo]

First off, I want to make sure that I'm not trying to talk trash about Pedego.

But from my point of view (yes, very personal and highly subjective), I don't see anything special about Pedego.
And they're very expensive, not particularly clean looking, not particularly high tech or high spec, made in China just like many other ebikes, etc.

I have also noticed that Pedego just put these electric wires exposed but tape(or whatever they use to wrap them together) them around to keep the cables/wires together.. whereas I have seen some ebike companies try to route them inside the frame or make them look more integrated.
Not just that, batteries are not hidden in the frame or half-integrated, it is well exposed usually behind the rear rack. It almost look like they do these kinds of things on purpose.

However, I see Pedego everywhere, they're so popular.
So I did a quick search on Google and Wikipedia, and apparently Pedego is the largest ebike retailer in the country.

Obviously, Pedego is catching people's attention for a reason. Me personally, I don't understand why anyone would want a Pedego for the price they're asking.
But that's just my personal view point. Obviously I am missing something, I am not seeing what other people are seeing in Pedego.
If they're the #1 ebike company in the USA, well obviously they're doing something right.. it can't be just luck or coincidence.

Why did you buy a Pedego? Especially if you had so many other options for the price.
When I walk into an ebike store and see Haibike, E-Motion, Stromer and other nice lineups, I get excited just by looking at them and I can understand why people would want to buy them.
But when I walked into Pedego store... I was like, "hm.." and didn't get really excited as much...and I don't know why.

 

[harryS]

It's probably the dealership network. I was riding down in Florida and the bike path went past a Pedego shop offering free water, rentals and e-bikes. If you stop, you might buy an ebike. Here in the USA, I think it's mostly an older crowd that goes for ebikes anyway, and the Pedego has its appeal. Step-thrus and uprights. Not everyone wants a mountain bike style.

 

[Nova Haibike]

It's probably the dealership network.

Isn't Pedego a franchise business? I believe that is the major reason why they have grown.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Dealer network plus fantastic warranty service.

I agree that their designs are a bit tired. But basically if anything on the bike breaks during the warranty period you take it to the dealer and stuff gets fixed, no questions asked and at no cost to you. And their pro-rated 3-year battery warranty is also a pretty good deal.

My big gripe about Pedego is that they OEM a lot of their components and if you want to do even very simple upgrades or replacements it might turn into fairly major engineering project.

 

[JoeinJP]

For me, it was the fact that, of the bikes I evaluated and culled from Court's reviews, Pedego had a local dealer and I could test ride. Pedego City Commuter was a quality bike and great service from the shop owner. Now a bit wiser, for my next bike I'm considering, I would not get a rear-mounted battery, and such a heavy bike since I have stairs to deal with.

 

[WilliamT]

They cater to a larger older demographic. They also do a good job marketing their bikes with commercials. The price may be higher than what I'm willing to pay, but it's all about getting people into the stores and trying it out. Once they try an e-bike, they are hooked.

Their bikes are more upright and comfortable to ride than your typical mtb. These people aren't looking to shred the trails like you see on the e-motion site. Or for Stromer a guy in a business suit flying around lol.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

They have quality components on a retro style ebike with accessible dealers and very good after market support that suits to the demographics of the majority of the old timers (which happens to be the bulk of ebike consumers in the US).

Maybe if they can offer more downtube batteries, instead of the rear rack versions, I think that alone will appeal to more younger leisure riders.

 

[rich c]

You could make most of these comments about many companies. Rad bikes aren't much different, simple Chinese made bikes with pretty big sales numbers. Instead of dealer networks, Rad does a tremendous job of marketing.

 

[Va. Bch. Electric Bike Center]

check out this Pedego

 

[ebikemom]

Reliability. Warranty. Local warranty service. Safety Features (including bright colors). Upright riding style. Class 2. Integrated lights.

Btw, the wires do route through the tubing.

I found that to the features I wanted (including local warranty service) I need to buy from a local bike shop. I tried other bikes. Some others that I liked, like the Electra townie, didn’t have a throttle. One type that was recommended to me as a better deal seems to suffer a lot of breakdowns and quality issues. I can use a screwdriver and allen wrench but I am not a tinkerer. I also talked with a local man who is on his fifth e-bike. Why? Because he puts a lot of miles on his bike and the first four were great prices but were not reliable. He finally bought a Trek--much more expensive, but with a good warranty and local bike store service--and is very happy with his purchase. His main advice to me was to get a bike that was supported by a local shop who would stand behind the product.

There is a terrific local bike shop close to me that sells the bikes that are not Pedego (Trek, Specialized, Faraday, Electra). I know they would have provided on site warranty service. They support for the bikes that they sell. But their bikes did not have the features I was looking for all in one bike and in terms of price they weren’t cheaper than the Pedego.

I was going to put a rack on the back anyway, so the battery on the back doesn’t matter. On the Interceptor, which is what I have, I think the way that frame wraps around the battery is really beautiful. The retro styling may not suit your taste, but I love it. And, I get lots of compliments on it, "What a beautiful bike." So, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you prefer more aggressive styling and a downtube battery, check out the Ridge Rider and the Conveyer. There are fewer of them out on the street so maybe you haven't seen any ride by. They also have bikes with mid-drive rather than hub drive, though I chose a hub drive bike because they are more reliable with less wear (according to the bike dealers I spoke with).

I put over 100 miles a week on my bike. I’ve had it for almost two months. I’m very happy with my Pedego.

Oh, and did I mention that my local store makes house calls for service issues? We rode to the store on Sunday for a couple of adjustments (1 hour + ride), and the man who fixed my bike said, "If you need me to come out to your house to fix anything, just let me know." And, that visit would be without charge. Wonderful!

 

[ebikemom]

Isn't Pedego a franchise business? I believe that is the major reason why they have grown.

They are not a franchise. The shops are independent, but they don't charge Pedego shop owners for anything except the bicycles. Of course dealers have to pay their local overhead expenses.
https://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/own-a-store/
https://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com...second-careers-as-electric-bike-store-owners/

Actually, that's a faster way to grow than charging high francising fees.

 

[ebikemom]

They have quality components on a retro style ebike with accessible dealers and very good after market support that suits to the demographics of the majority of the old timers (which happens to be the bulk of ebike consumers in the US).

Maybe if they can offer more downtube batteries, instead of the rear rack versions, I think that alone will appeal to more younger leisure riders.

They have five styles with down-tube batteries.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

@Timpo I bet you don't get excited about Buicks either, and yet when GM closed out the Pontiac brand (their most exciting cars IMO) they kept the Buicks. Why? Buicks sell.

I see this in reverse all the time when I visit my 93 year old mother. She'll look at a commercial on TV and wonder who on earth would want to buy that and what a horrible commercial. I try to explain to her that she is not the target demographic, that they are appealing to a much younger clientele. She kind of gets it -- until the next commercial aimed at teens and 20s.

My wife loves her City Commuter. It's not my cup of tea, I prefer Juiced Bike's CrossCurrent S.

I understand that this state of affairs is called capitalism. Brands that meet needs at a reasonable price will prosper. Even when it's not my needs.

 

[ebikemom]

Reliability! I just got back from the Pedego dealer— daughter got flat this morning and I took the bike to get that fixed (which they did for free by the way), on my way out the dealer pointed out a bike that was just brought in for service for the first time in its life that had 20,000 miles on it. Here’s a photo of the bike!

 

[ebikemom]

BTW, another note on service. When I was there having the throttle on my son's bike installed, the store owner asked how my daughter was liking her bike. I told her how my daughter had become self-conscious about the hot pink color. Ya know what happened?

They offered to exchange it. !!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe it. I didn't even ask. They want her to LOVE her bike.

I surprised my daughter with her new WHITE bike and she couldn't believe it. She was so happy. She's a very happy e-biking girl! She said, "I'll ride this bike my whole life." Thank you, Pedego!!!!

 

[Dewey]

They offered to exchange it.

I can believe this, when a Pedego dealer recently opened near me his large family were there to support him, I brought along my 2 year old and the dealer had set up a Yepp child seat and front basket on an Interceptor, the Stretch set up for older kids, and a 24" Miniceptor my wife could try. The two mechanics were on hand to answer technical questions and promote their shop rides, and they said if something did go wrong they would give you a loaner bike from their rental fleet to keep you on the road while your bike was in the shop, this level of service really appeals.

 

[ebikemom]

I can believe this, when a Pedego dealer recently opened near me his large family were there to support him, I brought along my 2 year old and the dealer had set up a Yepp child seat and front basket on an Interceptor, the Stretch set up for older kids, and a 24" Miniceptor my wife could try. The two mechanics were on hand to answer technical questions and promote their shop rides, and they said if something did go wrong they would give you a loaner bike from their rental fleet to keep you on the road while your bike was in the shop, this level of service really appeals.

Your test rides sounded like "Hello, fun!" for sure!

 

[Diarmuid]

Reliability! I just got back from the Pedego dealer— daughter got flat this morning and I took the bike to get that fixed (which they did for free by the way), on my way out the dealer pointed out a bike that was just brought in for service for the first time in its life that had 20,000 miles on it. Here’s a photo of the bike!
View attachment 23553View attachment 23553

Is that the one in Redmond? I recognize the background. Good people working there.

 

[Barry S]

And, based on what I’ve read online from owners of Rad bikes, they break down a lot.

I see a lot of satisfied Rad Power Bikes owners here on this forum, and there are those that have had issues. I'm certain that if I go through the Pedego brand forum I can find a fair share of Pedego buyers with issues too. What's important to me is how the company handles customer support after the sale. I ordered a RadRover last Friday and hope to see it delivered in the next week or two. I'm hoping through proper maintenance and a watchful eye on areas that others have had issues with I will have a long and enjoyable experience with the bike.

 

[ebikemom]

Diarmuid posted, "Is that the one in Redmond? I recognize the background. Good people working there"

Yep, Redmond it is!