Author Topic: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?  (Read 2662 times)

maginvizIZ

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E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« on: April 02, 2019, 09:45:20 AM »
https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/55604417

I negotiated it down to $500.

Bike cost $1300 + he bought $300 worth of upgrades.  He claims to have purchased it 7 months ago.

https://emotionbikesusa.com/easygo-race/

I do see a used one online for $989...


Looking for opinions.  Hopefully there are e-bike riders out there?  What do you think of getting a used one?  What should I be looking for when seeing it in person?

Anyone used this bike before?

Distance to work: 2.5 miles
distance to grocery: 1.0 mile
Distance to gym: 3.1 miles

How worried should I be to lock up an e-bike when out and about?  I can remove battery and screen.

Are these rainproof?  Can I go through puddles of water without worry?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP :)

gooki

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2019, 03:08:47 AM »
ok Ebike at $500.

Battery is small, so good for about 12 miles on a full charge.

Small puddles and splashes will be fine, but I wouldn’t do river crossings with it.

waltworks

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2019, 08:24:46 AM »
It's a hub drive with a *really* big chainring/high gain ratio. That combination will mean it's *terrible* if you have hills around you (ie, if you live in the Avenues or elsewhere on the benches). If you're in the middle/west side of the valley where it's mostly flat, it'll be great.

I'm assuming you're in SLC since it's a KSL link.

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Tinker

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2019, 02:15:45 PM »
With distances that low, you'll spend more time hauling it around than actually riding.
Unless you live in a very hilly area, you'd probably do yourself a favor buying a regular, non-e bike weighing 5kg less than what you're looking at here.

mountain mustache

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2019, 07:44:02 PM »
I work in the bike industry, and I have seen almost every e-bike out there, and ridden a bunch of them too. This is not me being a "bicycle sales person trying to get you to drop a lot of money on a new bike." BUT. That bike will not be fun, it will break, and you will spend more money fixing it than you are spending in the first place. Trust me, I have seen all sorts of issues with inexpensive e-bikes, batteries, wires, motors, etc...it's not pretty. Save up for a little while, buy a good e-bike from a reputable company that has: 1. an actual drivetrain, as in, more than 1 gear. That is important for your enjoyment of riding the bike. 2. preferably not a hub-driven motor...these tend to be more problematic, and changing a flat tire is a huge pain. You want a motor that is in the bottom bracket area, much smoother and easier to work on in general. Trek makes several good, more affordable e-bikes that have warranties ( you want this, all e-bikes have issues eventually) and are well known for making quality product.
Just my 2 cents.

MayDay

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2019, 09:03:59 PM »
I work in the bike industry, and I have seen almost every e-bike out there, and ridden a bunch of them too. This is not me being a "bicycle sales person trying to get you to drop a lot of money on a new bike." BUT. That bike will not be fun, it will break, and you will spend more money fixing it than you are spending in the first place. Trust me, I have seen all sorts of issues with inexpensive e-bikes, batteries, wires, motors, etc...it's not pretty. Save up for a little while, buy a good e-bike from a reputable company that has: 1. an actual drivetrain, as in, more than 1 gear. That is important for your enjoyment of riding the bike. 2. preferably not a hub-driven motor...these tend to be more problematic, and changing a flat tire is a huge pain. You want a motor that is in the bottom bracket area, much smoother and easier to work on in general. Trek makes several good, more affordable e-bikes that have warranties ( you want this, all e-bikes have issues eventually) and are well known for making quality product.
Just my 2 cents.

What are your top recommendations?

I've been saving gift money. I'm a very recreational biker (like 1-3 miles) but I'm worried if I buy a low range one, and find I love the ebike, I'll wish I could ride it further (work commute is 25 miles for example).

mountain mustache

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2019, 07:42:01 AM »
I work in the bike industry, and I have seen almost every e-bike out there, and ridden a bunch of them too. This is not me being a "bicycle sales person trying to get you to drop a lot of money on a new bike." BUT. That bike will not be fun, it will break, and you will spend more money fixing it than you are spending in the first place. Trust me, I have seen all sorts of issues with inexpensive e-bikes, batteries, wires, motors, etc...it's not pretty. Save up for a little while, buy a good e-bike from a reputable company that has: 1. an actual drivetrain, as in, more than 1 gear. That is important for your enjoyment of riding the bike. 2. preferably not a hub-driven motor...these tend to be more problematic, and changing a flat tire is a huge pain. You want a motor that is in the bottom bracket area, much smoother and easier to work on in general. Trek makes several good, more affordable e-bikes that have warranties ( you want this, all e-bikes have issues eventually) and are well known for making quality product.
Just my 2 cents.

What are your top recommendations?

I've been saving gift money. I'm a very recreational biker (like 1-3 miles) but I'm worried if I buy a low range one, and find I love the ebike, I'll wish I could ride it further (work commute is 25 miles for example).

I feel like you can't go wrong with the big brands. Trek, Specialized, etc. They have lots of dollars to throw at development, and the ability to price things well, and great warranties. I really like the Specialized Turbo Vado and Turbo Como. Those are great commuter bikes, that start in that lower price range. The Trek Verve+ and Dual Sport+ are also great options, and the Verve+ is probably the cheapest e-bike I would ever recommend to someone. Both of those companies have excellent warranty and support around their products. Look for a battery life that will support the longest distance you want to go, and the comfort you want over that distance. If you buy an e-bike, don't be surprised if you start using it for everything...add a rack/panniers to the back, and you'll never drive to the grocery store again!

waltworks

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2019, 10:09:39 AM »
If you want to not spend much money and still have something decent, Radpower is probably your best option (IMO).

-W

Tester

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2019, 12:09:31 PM »
For the initial post: I am plus one on buying a regular bike.
I got a simple Raleigh Cadent 1 for 480 including a 80 usd helmet 4 years ago.
I have a 6 mile commute.
I love it.

I would look into e bikes starting at 10 miles commutes or 6 miles with a lot of hills.
Buying an e bike for 3 mile rides won't reduce the time significantly.
More, buying a bad e bike will do more harm than good.

TomTX

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2019, 02:12:16 PM »
I feel like you can't go wrong with the big brands. Trek, Specialized, etc. They have lots of dollars to throw at development, and the ability to price things well, and great warranties. I really like the Specialized Turbo Vado and Turbo Como. Those are great commuter bikes, that start in that lower price range. The Trek Verve+ and Dual Sport+ are also great options, and the Verve+ is probably the cheapest e-bike I would ever recommend to someone. Both of those companies have excellent warranty and support around their products. Look for a battery life that will support the longest distance you want to go, and the comfort you want over that distance. If you buy an e-bike, don't be surprised if you start using it for everything...add a rack/panniers to the back, and you'll never drive to the grocery store again!

It appears that the Turbo Vado costs 10x as much as OP's used ebike.

I don't see a problem with trying out a used, low-end ebike - especially for someone who isn't "into" cycling. Try it out, see what you like and don't like - then sell it for about what you bought it for.

TomTX

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2019, 02:14:24 PM »
If you want to not spend much money and still have something decent, Radpower is probably your best option (IMO).

-W

Yep, Radpower and Juiced seem to be the most reputable "budget" brands.

mountain mustache

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2019, 06:54:24 PM »
I feel like you can't go wrong with the big brands. Trek, Specialized, etc. They have lots of dollars to throw at development, and the ability to price things well, and great warranties. I really like the Specialized Turbo Vado and Turbo Como. Those are great commuter bikes, that start in that lower price range. The Trek Verve+ and Dual Sport+ are also great options, and the Verve+ is probably the cheapest e-bike I would ever recommend to someone. Both of those companies have excellent warranty and support around their products. Look for a battery life that will support the longest distance you want to go, and the comfort you want over that distance. If you buy an e-bike, don't be surprised if you start using it for everything...add a rack/panniers to the back, and you'll never drive to the grocery store again!

It appears that the Turbo Vado costs 10x as much as OP's used ebike.

I don't see a problem with trying out a used, low-end ebike - especially for someone who isn't "into" cycling. Try it out, see what you like and don't like - then sell it for about what you bought it for.

Yes I agree, I wasn't responding to OP, but responding to MayDay's question of what I would recommend if someone was saving up for an e-bike, etc. That's the only reason I brought up those more expensive e-bikes. I also just always feel I have to caution when it comes to buying used e-bikes, because I have just seen a lot of frustrated people in my shop wishing they had just spent a little more in the first place and not dealt with issues. But, I'm just a cautious person with purchasing almost all bikes used in general, because I see every day how people treat their bikes...and most of the time it's not great.

MayDay

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2019, 07:28:32 PM »
Ouch, that's more than my car is worth (Verve +). Guessed I'll be saving birthday money for awhile longer!

waltworks

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2019, 08:58:34 PM »
Ouch, that's more than my car is worth (Verve +). Guessed I'll be saving birthday money for awhile longer!

Or you could just get a decent normal bike for $100 on CL and be all set.

E-bikes are great if you're old/feeble or have a major health problem. If you're young and healthy, and your commute is under 10 miles/you don't need to haul 50 pounds of stuff, they're basically pointless.

-W

gooki

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #14 on: April 07, 2019, 02:41:01 AM »
I work in the bike industry, and I have seen almost every e-bike out there, and ridden a bunch of them too. This is not me being a "bicycle sales person trying to get you to drop a lot of money on a new bike." BUT. That bike will not be fun, it will break, and you will spend more money fixing it than you are spending in the first place. Trust me, I have seen all sorts of issues with inexpensive e-bikes, batteries, wires, motors, etc...it's not pretty. Save up for a little while, buy a good e-bike from a reputable company that has: 1. an actual drivetrain, as in, more than 1 gear. That is important for your enjoyment of riding the bike. 2. preferably not a hub-driven motor...these tend to be more problematic, and changing a flat tire is a huge pain. You want a motor that is in the bottom bracket area, much smoother and easier to work on in general. Trek makes several good, more affordable e-bikes that have warranties ( you want this, all e-bikes have issues eventually) and are well known for making quality product.
Just my 2 cents.

From someone who’s built 5 ebikes and rides many different bikes, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the emotion linked to.

It’s not that cheap at $1299 when new.

They’ve designed it right for a simple ebike provided your route is flat/modest hills. Single speed with a hub motor is one of the most reliable ebike designs.

It won’t be excessively heavy (a common problem with most cheap bikes). 16.5kg.

The battery is sized right for the OPs journeys.

It’ll be a fun ride. Of all my ebike, my single speed geared hub motor is the most fun.

MayDay

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Re: E-bike owners: What do you think of this one?
« Reply #15 on: April 07, 2019, 05:36:03 AM »
Ouch, that's more than my car is worth (Verve +). Guessed I'll be saving birthday money for awhile longer!

Or you could just get a decent normal bike for $100 on CL and be all set.

E-bikes are great if you're old/feeble or have a major health problem. If you're young and healthy, and your commute is under 10 miles/you don't need to haul 50 pounds of stuff, they're basically pointless.

-W

I have one and I don't ride it a ton because hills are not fun to me.

 

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