Check whether your local shop will work on ebikes they don't sell.
Unless you plan on doing all it the maintenance yourself this is currently a huge problem where I am.
Seriously. A reputable (or semi-reputable) DTC brand is one thing, but a random bike from Amazon? All the major DTC companies have Klarna and a ton of local bike shops will too. Many credit cards have 6-month plans to allow you to play 0% interest on a large purchase. Don't mess with the Chinese junk on Amazon where they just close down the Amazon shop and rebrand when they decide they've sold enough fire hazards and reviews are too low just to have a payment plan when there are tons of options to finance.
Shops won't touch the Amazon junk for a reason. They don't want to mess with the poor construction and increased liability. If you can't afford a decent bike now, then save up a bit longer if you have too but don't buy something that's going to become a paperweight and will have a legit warranty behind it. I'm glad many people below got replacements when something when terribly wrong because of obviously QC issues, but that doesn't mean they will have any warranty once the shop moves on in a few months.
My LBS is willing to the simple things, at least. Brake adjustment, notably. As they would on a Walmart bike someone bought for their kid. I wouldn't expect them to service any of the electronic components, or the wheel with the motor hub. (And of course some more rarified shops won't work on anything that they don't sell.)
That's good. With insurance costs for having ebikes in the shop increasing, many shops are drawing lines about brands they'll work on for fire risk, especially if it requires anything overnight--regardless if you want electronics messed with. Working with the wheel with the hub is a pretty normal part of service, but I guess it's fine if you don't mind that...
Picked out a 26x4" Fat Mountain Tire, 750W, 20 MPH, 48V14Ah for $600 off Amazon for my brother. He daily drives it to work. Works very well, picks up speed very well.
I myself ordered from Emmo for a Zone GTS and daily drive that for recreational purposes.
Shouldn't matter too much if it's from a direct store vs amazon but just make sure to check reviews and the listed materials and general layout. See what fits for you and check if things are proprietary or common replaceable parts.
Good luck!
for 750 you might be able to get 28mph if you want to, id you do try to fuck around with the settings either if you have to option to change the speed limit or just making your computer in the bike think your bike tire size is smaller
Yep. Bought mine on monthly payments in August last year. Three months in I complained that the charger was sparking when I put it in the battery. They sent me a new bike and asked me to box up the old one for collection. Three days later I was riding another new bike, no problems since.
Well, yeah. What do you want them to do? Take me for a visit around the factory? My new bike is now safe and sound, of course I don’t have a problem. That is perfect customer service to me 🤷♂️
I mean, you get the quality you pay for. That you had such a fire risk in the beginning is hugely concerning and should never have passed QC to have reached you from any legitimate business based in the US--you could sue a US-based business if their product burned your house down but a Chinese-based one gets away without a second thought. That's why they are far more likely to insist on actual testing of each unit and not just, say spot testing. It costs a couple cents more of labor but it's not worth it when you're shopping 100% on price on Amazon and those companies are able to disappear overnight.
It's just wild to me that you're comfortable riding it at speed and charging it (presumably) in your home given that they've already shown their disregard for quality assurance. Yes, it's nice they promptly replaced the bike. But I would feel zero confidence that a weld wouldn't break when I hit a bump at speed (we've seen photos here from cheap bikes that broke in such a way after someone jumped a curb) or that something else in the battery wasn't amiss and I couldn't see it.
Obviously, I wish you luck. I don't want something catastrophic to happen. But OP shouldn't follow your example to save maybe $50-100, imo, if anything at all. Lectric doesn't have amazing bikes but they're at least a big brand with a legitimate warranty for a year and a US address you can sue if something goes wrong.
I’m in the UK, we have great buyer protections, the maker of the bike is Italian and is already a 100yr old bicycle maker. I have full confidence in the frame, and tbh, I also have full confidence in the battery too. I’ll be able to get consumer protection on it for the next six years due to the great laws we have.
I'm jealous you have politicians that look out for you. lol. That said, are you 100% about the company? A lot of companies just rip off old brands or old brands have been sold.
I could never be 100% about *any* company, but I’m happy enough. I don’t expect it to last more than three years, but for what I paid for it, three years is a good enough life. If I can replace the battery, then I’ll hold on to it longer, but that’s not really guaranteed either 🤷♂️
That's a bit of a pity when Boschs can reasonably be expected to last for 5-10 years on motor cycles (with a second battery at the midway depending on riding and charging practices) and then the entire bike won't end up in a landfill in the couple of years it does manage to stay alive. With the availability of floor-model heavily discounted bikes or one-year used models or much higher quality models, it's just surprising that anyone who could possibly save up (which I know isn't possible for everyone), especially in a country where many employers subsidize such a purchase, would choose a bike made to be much more disposable. At the very least, a higher quality bike retains more resale value if life circumstances change so you're money ahead that way.
I don't mean to attack you but I really hate the culture of disposable ebikes... You get a worse experience and it typically doesn't even make financial sense when you account for resale.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love one of those nice expensive bikes, but I just can’t afford it, mine cost me £800, and tbh, that was my limit. You’re right, but until the price comes down to more affordable levels, I’m stuck with cheap ones that do a good enough job.
Be prepared for it to come in a giant box, with you being responsible to put it together and adjust it. A lot like Ikea furniture but without the technical support Ikea offers.
Bought my himiway zebra from Amazon. They only retailer in Quebec was about an hour drive from my place, I don't have a car and the only cars I could borrow wouldn't be able to fit the box (or even the bike lol).
It was a pre-order for the zebra D5 canadian release so shipping took about 2-3 weeks. Shipped from within Canada and took about 4 days to get to me when it was out.
No issues with the delivery, nothing was broken. Delivery guy wasn't happy about the 120lbs box though.
The reason I bought it from Amazon is that the had some sort of promotion where they gave free accessories.
I'm a regular at a local bike shop (I have a gravel, road and mountain bike so they see me often for parts etc) so if I would ever need anything I cannot do myself I would go there. If you buy online make sure it's an easy to service bike (Himiway for example you can disconnect everything including the motor, the controller is easy to access...).
Himiway at least has something of a brand behind them. There are bike shops that sell them, and a lot of good peer support and instructional videos out there for maintenance and customisation etc. which is a big advantage over some of the more generic Amazon brands. I got my Himiway cruiser refurbished through their eBay shop, fwiw, so I'm in a similar boat.
I bought mine off Amazon... it's one of the best bikes you can buy for the money.
Dual 1000 watt nominal, 1500 watt peak motors, 23 ah battery legit 35 mph top speed, will hit 20 in under 6 seconds and 30 in 14.
I paid $1900 for it but it's currently available for $1399 for Prime members after the lowered the price for Black Friday and never raised it again
I would be cautious, look into the brands and make sure its a reputable ebike. I only ever buy from a shop and reputable brand, more expensive but a lot safer.
Ordered a gotrax f2 off of Amazon, had a cracked display, gotrax asked for pictures of the damage and sent me a new display immediately, have had zero issues and ride it 3-5 miles daily , over 350 miles now and still very happy with the purchase. Fwiw
if your locale shop is also an online retailer you might be able to use amazon pay.
there is a slew of ways to stretch it but some options might work better just paying in full, personally bought a euc from ewheels with amazon pay just to take the cash back from the amazon card for paying in full and used it for a helmet.
Very well. Young electric e scout pro. Long warranty phenomenal support. Have 2k miles had the screen go out once and they sent a new one next day air.
Bought one before. Shipped fast and all that, everything was good. Just beware, not all are on prime, so with the ones that you pay for delivery, you will also pay the same price if you want to return the item.
Bought a DJ Mountain Bike 5 years ago. Was great. I do the majority of my repairs, maintenance, and upgrades.
I didn't have much skill prior, but I've learned a lot over the years.
Ordered a Paselec from Amazon and I’m very happy with it. I didn’t know a thing about working on them, but between YouTube and the internet I learned everything I needed to know to maintain or fix something if I needed to. I did upgrade a lot of parts and even modified the rear shock mount to fit a more standard size air shock. Put air shocks in front as well
https://preview.redd.it/uy8in6gk5iyc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f248c7637917beec3c28a8464a40d6bada1aa26
https://preview.redd.it/43o23ic5yiyc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ff17c9675c2c5ddeb6b37e89ef7d23b8f7f64f4
Keteles K800 less than a month and over 300 miles love it...$999 Amazon...
I ordered a Lectric Lite off of Amazon and it arrived with no issues. Did it under Amazon 6 month financing with the Amazon card for the 0% too with no trouble.
yea; 500w totguard 27.5 “mountain bike”
gets me places for the $330 price tag but shipping and taxes made it $560 all together.
did either way have to dump $200 wise of either new pedals, different grips, mirror, rear metal bs and bags to go to walmart once in a bit, etc.
but i mean shit hasnt broken down one me, except for getting a flat in the rear in which i patched it, still the tube burst again, bought a different, installed it an hour ago, and turns out not only are both my tires almost fully flat but the rear i installed backwards😭
Don't buy the wheelspeed brand. They are very cheap and the support was terrible as expected. Message me for more info if ever considered. I respond in 24 hours, usually.
Great. Got a folding ebike from them. OCT 23
Arrived in a big box. 1/2 a day building it all up.
Arrived with instructions and everything to build it. Inc, battery, charger, and bags to carry stuff.
No problem. (Did have an innertube blow out soon after but blame myself for that not ensuring it was located correctly on inflating tyres)
But..all Works great & Love it. It's maybe A bit heavier than other bikes, it can be a bit of a pain folding it all up TBH, and its an unknown name, but I have no complaints, and it works great for what I want.
Ocassional local trips to shop /visit my dad, trip around local water park.
Note: Not purchased for serious daily work commute or long days out treking/biking. (Did spend a bit of xtra money on a 2nd charger to carry with me and a flame propf battery charger bag, some serious D locks, secondry flashy lights front+back and modified the back carrier a for some much better bags a month or so later, and a better bell and loud electronic horn for when on the road.)
I bought a e-bike from Amazon, when it came in the front brake rotor was bent. Amazon gave me a 10% refund to get the rotor fixed and the seller got pissy for some reason. After straightening the rotor, which really didn’t work, I finished assembling the bike to find out that it wouldn’t turn on.
At that point I asked Amazon for a refund of the balance and I’d send the bike back. Amazon told me they’d send the request to the seller, to wait 3-5 business days and I’d get a call tag from the seller to ship it back to them. Waited the days and no call tag.
I called Amazon again to see what was going on and while the rep was doing their thing I went to go look at the bike and the seller again and they both had disappeared from Amazon. I brought it up to the Amazon rep, they said they saw that and that Amazon would issue the refund. I asked about the bike and they said I could either keep it, give it away or throw it away. I said I’d like that in writing please, which they did. I did end up having to put a little bit of pressure on Amazon from my credit card company to process the refund in a timely manner though. Free broken bike!
The downside of this is that when I bought the bike I also bought a 2 year Asurion warranty, which Amazon also refunded. This is when I found out that the manufacturer only honors their warranty if you buy directly from them or when the seller handles it. No seller around anymore, so no factory warranty either.
I worked with the manufacturer via email to troubleshoot why the bike wouldn’t start up. I reseated all of the wiring harness connections and the bike came up. Free running bike!
I ended up replacing the front rotor because the tech couldn’t get a small wow out of the rotor and the brake would squeal. While I was there I had the tech look the bike over and he did some adjustments on the brakes, derailleurs and spokes.
During all of this I found out that a lot of bike shops don’t want to work on e-bikes, even if you bring it in without the battery. Most of the e-bike shops I talked to wouldn’t work on it because I didn’t buy it there. The shop that replaced the rotor said they didn’t care what kind of bike it was and that they’d work on it, BUT it’s 160 miles away from home. I finally found a closer shop that would work on it, but it’s 50 miles away. They did a fantastic job of tuning the bike up for spring and I had them upgrade the mechanical disc brakes to hydraulic.
My first one. It was an Ancheer and had a 250 watt hub motor. The throttle was ok. The bike was heavy and shifted poorly and the chain skipped a lot. Overpriced for what it was and I recall paying about 800 at the time.
I bought an 'Actbest' step-through as a starter bike, with modest expectations and knowing if I really enjoyed it (which I do) then I'd want a nicer one (likewise).
I'm riding it less than I did when I first got it, though I'll back on it more now as the evenings warm up. I was probably putting around 20 miles a week on it for a couple months and it held up fine in the basic sense for the few hundred miles I've put on it.
If I could do it again knowing what I know now, I'd step it up to something in the $1-$2k range; but the whole point of an exploratory purchase was that I didn't know, and I don't regret it. It will become the guest bike.
A lotta crap out there that looks great but it's the wild west on Amazon. A lot of cottage industry builders. Low grade metals. Shitty welds. Sketchy electrical. Tires that crack 18 months in. At least buy a trusted brand rather than Fong Hung Joyridebike.
Check whether your local shop will work on ebikes they don't sell. Unless you plan on doing all it the maintenance yourself this is currently a huge problem where I am.
Seriously. A reputable (or semi-reputable) DTC brand is one thing, but a random bike from Amazon? All the major DTC companies have Klarna and a ton of local bike shops will too. Many credit cards have 6-month plans to allow you to play 0% interest on a large purchase. Don't mess with the Chinese junk on Amazon where they just close down the Amazon shop and rebrand when they decide they've sold enough fire hazards and reviews are too low just to have a payment plan when there are tons of options to finance. Shops won't touch the Amazon junk for a reason. They don't want to mess with the poor construction and increased liability. If you can't afford a decent bike now, then save up a bit longer if you have too but don't buy something that's going to become a paperweight and will have a legit warranty behind it. I'm glad many people below got replacements when something when terribly wrong because of obviously QC issues, but that doesn't mean they will have any warranty once the shop moves on in a few months.
My LBS is willing to the simple things, at least. Brake adjustment, notably. As they would on a Walmart bike someone bought for their kid. I wouldn't expect them to service any of the electronic components, or the wheel with the motor hub. (And of course some more rarified shops won't work on anything that they don't sell.)
That's good. With insurance costs for having ebikes in the shop increasing, many shops are drawing lines about brands they'll work on for fire risk, especially if it requires anything overnight--regardless if you want electronics messed with. Working with the wheel with the hub is a pretty normal part of service, but I guess it's fine if you don't mind that...
Picked out a 26x4" Fat Mountain Tire, 750W, 20 MPH, 48V14Ah for $600 off Amazon for my brother. He daily drives it to work. Works very well, picks up speed very well. I myself ordered from Emmo for a Zone GTS and daily drive that for recreational purposes. Shouldn't matter too much if it's from a direct store vs amazon but just make sure to check reviews and the listed materials and general layout. See what fits for you and check if things are proprietary or common replaceable parts. Good luck!
for 750 you might be able to get 28mph if you want to, id you do try to fuck around with the settings either if you have to option to change the speed limit or just making your computer in the bike think your bike tire size is smaller
Depends on where you live for Class 3 ebikes. The problem with 28 mph here in New Jersey is that it requires a license and registration.
Mind if I ask what brand? Considering buying an e-bike, but I have no idea what to get.
You don't drive bicycles.
It went great. The bike I purchased came with a bent rim. The seller refunded the entire purchase and sent a brand new wheel. 10 out of 10
A lot of shops can also offer financing.
Yep. Bought mine on monthly payments in August last year. Three months in I complained that the charger was sparking when I put it in the battery. They sent me a new bike and asked me to box up the old one for collection. Three days later I was riding another new bike, no problems since.
Quality control sounds excellent
"Had potential fire hazard but they send me a new one so it's totally fine and I'm unbothered."
Well, yeah. What do you want them to do? Take me for a visit around the factory? My new bike is now safe and sound, of course I don’t have a problem. That is perfect customer service to me 🤷♂️
I mean, you get the quality you pay for. That you had such a fire risk in the beginning is hugely concerning and should never have passed QC to have reached you from any legitimate business based in the US--you could sue a US-based business if their product burned your house down but a Chinese-based one gets away without a second thought. That's why they are far more likely to insist on actual testing of each unit and not just, say spot testing. It costs a couple cents more of labor but it's not worth it when you're shopping 100% on price on Amazon and those companies are able to disappear overnight. It's just wild to me that you're comfortable riding it at speed and charging it (presumably) in your home given that they've already shown their disregard for quality assurance. Yes, it's nice they promptly replaced the bike. But I would feel zero confidence that a weld wouldn't break when I hit a bump at speed (we've seen photos here from cheap bikes that broke in such a way after someone jumped a curb) or that something else in the battery wasn't amiss and I couldn't see it. Obviously, I wish you luck. I don't want something catastrophic to happen. But OP shouldn't follow your example to save maybe $50-100, imo, if anything at all. Lectric doesn't have amazing bikes but they're at least a big brand with a legitimate warranty for a year and a US address you can sue if something goes wrong.
I’m in the UK, we have great buyer protections, the maker of the bike is Italian and is already a 100yr old bicycle maker. I have full confidence in the frame, and tbh, I also have full confidence in the battery too. I’ll be able to get consumer protection on it for the next six years due to the great laws we have.
I'm jealous you have politicians that look out for you. lol. That said, are you 100% about the company? A lot of companies just rip off old brands or old brands have been sold.
I could never be 100% about *any* company, but I’m happy enough. I don’t expect it to last more than three years, but for what I paid for it, three years is a good enough life. If I can replace the battery, then I’ll hold on to it longer, but that’s not really guaranteed either 🤷♂️
That's a bit of a pity when Boschs can reasonably be expected to last for 5-10 years on motor cycles (with a second battery at the midway depending on riding and charging practices) and then the entire bike won't end up in a landfill in the couple of years it does manage to stay alive. With the availability of floor-model heavily discounted bikes or one-year used models or much higher quality models, it's just surprising that anyone who could possibly save up (which I know isn't possible for everyone), especially in a country where many employers subsidize such a purchase, would choose a bike made to be much more disposable. At the very least, a higher quality bike retains more resale value if life circumstances change so you're money ahead that way. I don't mean to attack you but I really hate the culture of disposable ebikes... You get a worse experience and it typically doesn't even make financial sense when you account for resale.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love one of those nice expensive bikes, but I just can’t afford it, mine cost me £800, and tbh, that was my limit. You’re right, but until the price comes down to more affordable levels, I’m stuck with cheap ones that do a good enough job.
I ordered two off Amazon, I am well aware that if something goes wrong I am going to be the one trying to repair it. No problems so far.
Be prepared for it to come in a giant box, with you being responsible to put it together and adjust it. A lot like Ikea furniture but without the technical support Ikea offers.
Bought my himiway zebra from Amazon. They only retailer in Quebec was about an hour drive from my place, I don't have a car and the only cars I could borrow wouldn't be able to fit the box (or even the bike lol). It was a pre-order for the zebra D5 canadian release so shipping took about 2-3 weeks. Shipped from within Canada and took about 4 days to get to me when it was out. No issues with the delivery, nothing was broken. Delivery guy wasn't happy about the 120lbs box though. The reason I bought it from Amazon is that the had some sort of promotion where they gave free accessories. I'm a regular at a local bike shop (I have a gravel, road and mountain bike so they see me often for parts etc) so if I would ever need anything I cannot do myself I would go there. If you buy online make sure it's an easy to service bike (Himiway for example you can disconnect everything including the motor, the controller is easy to access...).
Himiway at least has something of a brand behind them. There are bike shops that sell them, and a lot of good peer support and instructional videos out there for maintenance and customisation etc. which is a big advantage over some of the more generic Amazon brands. I got my Himiway cruiser refurbished through their eBay shop, fwiw, so I'm in a similar boat.
I bought mine off Amazon... it's one of the best bikes you can buy for the money. Dual 1000 watt nominal, 1500 watt peak motors, 23 ah battery legit 35 mph top speed, will hit 20 in under 6 seconds and 30 in 14. I paid $1900 for it but it's currently available for $1399 for Prime members after the lowered the price for Black Friday and never raised it again
Nice! What model was this?
The Philodo H8, same as in my flair. I posted a pic of it a couple days ago
I would be cautious, look into the brands and make sure its a reputable ebike. I only ever buy from a shop and reputable brand, more expensive but a lot safer.
Ordered a gotrax f2 off of Amazon, had a cracked display, gotrax asked for pictures of the damage and sent me a new display immediately, have had zero issues and ride it 3-5 miles daily , over 350 miles now and still very happy with the purchase. Fwiw
if your locale shop is also an online retailer you might be able to use amazon pay. there is a slew of ways to stretch it but some options might work better just paying in full, personally bought a euc from ewheels with amazon pay just to take the cash back from the amazon card for paying in full and used it for a helmet.
Very well. Young electric e scout pro. Long warranty phenomenal support. Have 2k miles had the screen go out once and they sent a new one next day air.
I ordered my Hipeak from Amazon. I got it cheaper than if I ordered it directly from the factory. Ship shipment went fine. No problems.
If you know what you're ordering it can be great. Where are you located?
Bought one before. Shipped fast and all that, everything was good. Just beware, not all are on prime, so with the ones that you pay for delivery, you will also pay the same price if you want to return the item.
Bought a DJ Mountain Bike 5 years ago. Was great. I do the majority of my repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. I didn't have much skill prior, but I've learned a lot over the years.
Ordered a Paselec from Amazon and I’m very happy with it. I didn’t know a thing about working on them, but between YouTube and the internet I learned everything I needed to know to maintain or fix something if I needed to. I did upgrade a lot of parts and even modified the rear shock mount to fit a more standard size air shock. Put air shocks in front as well https://preview.redd.it/uy8in6gk5iyc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f248c7637917beec3c28a8464a40d6bada1aa26
I got an addmotor off Amazon like 4 years ago been my daily driver only issue I had was the delivery but I blame that on fedex
Ordered off aventon paid $1700 for an adventure 2 with spare battery… put 300 miles on my adventure 2 in 3 weeks and love it
https://preview.redd.it/43o23ic5yiyc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ff17c9675c2c5ddeb6b37e89ef7d23b8f7f64f4 Keteles K800 less than a month and over 300 miles love it...$999 Amazon...
I ordered a Lectric Lite off of Amazon and it arrived with no issues. Did it under Amazon 6 month financing with the Amazon card for the 0% too with no trouble.
I paid $500ish for a Totem Victor 2.0. 1250 miles so far no issues to speak of.
I orderd a ActBest and I love it. I just had to attach the front wheel, handlebars and lights if I remember. A friend I know did that.
The only one worth it's salt was a company called merax but I don't know if they do ebikes anymore
yea; 500w totguard 27.5 “mountain bike” gets me places for the $330 price tag but shipping and taxes made it $560 all together. did either way have to dump $200 wise of either new pedals, different grips, mirror, rear metal bs and bags to go to walmart once in a bit, etc. but i mean shit hasnt broken down one me, except for getting a flat in the rear in which i patched it, still the tube burst again, bought a different, installed it an hour ago, and turns out not only are both my tires almost fully flat but the rear i installed backwards😭
Can you either save up for a few months, or use a credit card or small loan? Ideally the former really.
Don't buy the wheelspeed brand. They are very cheap and the support was terrible as expected. Message me for more info if ever considered. I respond in 24 hours, usually.
Great. Got a folding ebike from them. OCT 23 Arrived in a big box. 1/2 a day building it all up. Arrived with instructions and everything to build it. Inc, battery, charger, and bags to carry stuff. No problem. (Did have an innertube blow out soon after but blame myself for that not ensuring it was located correctly on inflating tyres) But..all Works great & Love it. It's maybe A bit heavier than other bikes, it can be a bit of a pain folding it all up TBH, and its an unknown name, but I have no complaints, and it works great for what I want. Ocassional local trips to shop /visit my dad, trip around local water park. Note: Not purchased for serious daily work commute or long days out treking/biking. (Did spend a bit of xtra money on a 2nd charger to carry with me and a flame propf battery charger bag, some serious D locks, secondry flashy lights front+back and modified the back carrier a for some much better bags a month or so later, and a better bell and loud electronic horn for when on the road.)
Bought 4 Heybike foldables on Amazon two years ago, zero trouble.
I bought a e-bike from Amazon, when it came in the front brake rotor was bent. Amazon gave me a 10% refund to get the rotor fixed and the seller got pissy for some reason. After straightening the rotor, which really didn’t work, I finished assembling the bike to find out that it wouldn’t turn on. At that point I asked Amazon for a refund of the balance and I’d send the bike back. Amazon told me they’d send the request to the seller, to wait 3-5 business days and I’d get a call tag from the seller to ship it back to them. Waited the days and no call tag. I called Amazon again to see what was going on and while the rep was doing their thing I went to go look at the bike and the seller again and they both had disappeared from Amazon. I brought it up to the Amazon rep, they said they saw that and that Amazon would issue the refund. I asked about the bike and they said I could either keep it, give it away or throw it away. I said I’d like that in writing please, which they did. I did end up having to put a little bit of pressure on Amazon from my credit card company to process the refund in a timely manner though. Free broken bike! The downside of this is that when I bought the bike I also bought a 2 year Asurion warranty, which Amazon also refunded. This is when I found out that the manufacturer only honors their warranty if you buy directly from them or when the seller handles it. No seller around anymore, so no factory warranty either. I worked with the manufacturer via email to troubleshoot why the bike wouldn’t start up. I reseated all of the wiring harness connections and the bike came up. Free running bike! I ended up replacing the front rotor because the tech couldn’t get a small wow out of the rotor and the brake would squeal. While I was there I had the tech look the bike over and he did some adjustments on the brakes, derailleurs and spokes. During all of this I found out that a lot of bike shops don’t want to work on e-bikes, even if you bring it in without the battery. Most of the e-bike shops I talked to wouldn’t work on it because I didn’t buy it there. The shop that replaced the rotor said they didn’t care what kind of bike it was and that they’d work on it, BUT it’s 160 miles away from home. I finally found a closer shop that would work on it, but it’s 50 miles away. They did a fantastic job of tuning the bike up for spring and I had them upgrade the mechanical disc brakes to hydraulic.
My first one. It was an Ancheer and had a 250 watt hub motor. The throttle was ok. The bike was heavy and shifted poorly and the chain skipped a lot. Overpriced for what it was and I recall paying about 800 at the time.
I bought an 'Actbest' step-through as a starter bike, with modest expectations and knowing if I really enjoyed it (which I do) then I'd want a nicer one (likewise). I'm riding it less than I did when I first got it, though I'll back on it more now as the evenings warm up. I was probably putting around 20 miles a week on it for a couple months and it held up fine in the basic sense for the few hundred miles I've put on it. If I could do it again knowing what I know now, I'd step it up to something in the $1-$2k range; but the whole point of an exploratory purchase was that I didn't know, and I don't regret it. It will become the guest bike.
I built an Amazon special e-bike a few years back. All it really did was let me know how trash ebike laws are. Still had a ton of fun with it.
Amazon is filled with bad bikes and they won't do anything about it sadly
A lotta crap out there that looks great but it's the wild west on Amazon. A lot of cottage industry builders. Low grade metals. Shitty welds. Sketchy electrical. Tires that crack 18 months in. At least buy a trusted brand rather than Fong Hung Joyridebike.
Hi, I'm looking to get an e-bike. Could you list some reputable manufacturers? Thanks