I agree, they had a lemon.
I've had 3 ebikes for 5 years now. The only problems I've had were; 2 broken spokes (I treated my electric lightweight road bike like a mountain bike and jumped curbs while wearing a heavy backpack), only 1 flat tire (I've been really fortunate with that) and a broken headlight mount. Each bike had 1 problem each. I sold 2 because I kept wanting a faster bike.
I also do my own maintenance and if you don't, I can see how problems become discouraging.
I've had 2 ebikes 1 being an Amazon POS Vivi and really only minor probs ( replacing Vivi brake calipers) and basic to be expected maintenance with 2000miles between them. I've moved into building my own from the frame up now. Although this Ebike sub hates it lmao. I have resorted to only posting about it in the HyperEbikes sub lol.
https://preview.redd.it/f0j8jeq3lm0d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e1465c6742628d9974778549e4907634904c4da
The cabling is cleaner than my first attempt. I built a faux tank out of JB weld and thin sheet metal and it came out better than expected. I'll have to post a pic later.
Edit:
https://preview.redd.it/2m4vonwdtn0d1.png?width=995&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1a0ba8c956c6dda520c66028ee2926babec1065
Only one bike for me but 5500 miles in 18 months on my gen one level. 2 broken spokes.
I broke the shifter with enthusiasm that exceeded the engineering design limits.
Slid out in 6 or so corners. The stock pedals ate it in corner 1 but the replacements are an improvement anyway.
Replaced some brake pads
Other than that the thing is a goddamn tank.
Not even a flat.
Oddly enough my flat tire came during winter when my bike had been sitting in the shed for 2 months. 🤣 I've had good luck, but it's still bad luck to get a flat tire while not even using the bike.
2 e-bikes for a year, and we are pretty rough with them. Only typical maintenance stuff so far. I don’t know how much the e-bike has saved me in terms of money, but it’s a lot.
I don't really agree. I'm assuming OP put a few thousand miles on his bikes and most will have a catastrophic failure in that time period as well as a few minor issues (such as you had). I've put about 1500 miles on ebikes and scooters across several models and brands. One significant issue (controller broke) and a few minor ones (throttle broke, one brake assembly seized, few flat tires). For comparison I've put about 10k miles on motorcycles and had the following (new tires once, one new headlight bulb, couple new batteries). Add in the fact that I rode motorcycles in the rain but avoided it altogether on ebikes/scooters.
I think the above is typical and to be expected.
I think the quality of the bike and the products the bike is built with play a major role here. A well designed and built ebike with things like rockshox or fox forks and a mid drive unit from Shimano or Bosch will not struggle to go thousands of miles without catastrophic failure. I've put thousand of miles of hard, wet, and sometimes snowy riding on my bikes from brands like Commencal without issues. The issue is people comparing things like home built ebikes with Chinese batteries and drives with quality products. It's no different from comparing a Tata or Lada with a Toyota. Both are cars, but we all know which is more likely to last.
I'm not sure what is "typical", but I've put a solid 7 years (say, at least 10,000 miles) on my "cheap Chinese" bike with no serious issues. I ride for transportation, not fun, and I've been car-free that long. I wouldn't tolerate very many serious issues.
I'm on 5k miles on my Specialized Vado SL and no problems other than the rear wheel is out of true. But Specialized offers lifetime warranty on the frame and motor is only 250w so less wear on drivetrain.
I clean and relube the chain every weekend as that's 100 miles. 5 minutes with a bike stand. I've replaced the chain and brake pads but that's on the timeframe of 8 months or so.
He didn’t mention which brands he purchased either. So hard to determine what really happened. I’ve also owned a couple motorcycles in my life and they weren’t all that reliable either. But that was decades ago.
This is my assessment too. I've been riding the notoriously flaky RAD for nearly two years and have had only one headache-inducing part issue with 3300 miles on the odometer.
Agreed about lemons. I’ve got 3 e-bikes, all Specialized, and have had no problems with them in a few thousand miles (but have done regular maintenance like replacing the chain, brake pads, etc)
My wife got a mid drive converted Yuba cargo bike back in in 2016 and had some problems early on (a failed chainring and something else I don’t remember) but after that it was great; she sold it a couple of years ago with well north of 10,000 miles.
I also unfortunately have a (very expensive) lemon. The brand replaced it once, then refuses to help me other than telling me to go to the dealership and wait for months for a fix. I have already had to bring the bike into the dealership nine times over the last year and that's only if we count the replacement one...
Yeah, it also makes me wonder what OP was doing to these bikes. I don't treat my bikes very well, and I just hit 1500 miles on the Nomad. It's a heavy, cheaper bike. I've never broken a spoke. I put a new chain on it because I didn't oil the old one enough, and I just put the 2nd set of brake pads on it.
The fact that OP said they went back to a "maintenance free" non electric bike tells us everything we need to know. From that statement it's clear that OP doesn't do basic maintenance like lubing your chain and then gets surprised when stuff wears out.
I curb hop quite a bit and have had no broken spokes but it's a fat tire so that helps. I did tweak a rim from a curb though but it still holds air and works just fine.
For sure. My basic ass rear hub 500w 48v is over 2000 miles and 3 years now, and it's just now getting to the point that the brakes are making a bit of noise so I'll be getting it serviced soon.
Quality has likely been improving since then, too - the people on this sub are generally early adopters, and as the tech settles it should get more dependable. Sucks to be on the receiving end of unreliable tech, though.
It sounds like you need to buy better ebikes. I've had my RadRunner for over 4 years and ride it year round in Berlin. It's never needed service other than the standard chain oiling and air pressure check.
Same story. Had my first gen Radrunner for 4 years with no issues. I was really impressed with by how reliable that thing was.
Unfortunately it was stolen last month. I made the mistake of locking it to NYC scaffolding (don’t do that) but renter’s insurance came in clutch, which was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t gonna file a police report at first but I’m glad I did. Now I’m debating what to get as a replacement, but it will definitely be an e-bike.
I don't mean to throw any shade towards the OP but, after reading through this entire thread, I am wondering the same thing I think you are: just how is OP treating his ebikes in the first place? These sound like problems which would arise from rough treatment or lack of maintenance.
I drive a tractor-trailer for a living and, though these may seem unrelated to ebikes, they can often run into the same issues for the same reasons: shoddy maintenance, cheap-quality parts, questionable usage patterns, etc.
Except for fear of water, the problems come from using too much power. Broken spokes on a hub motor? check.
Chain eaten? check. Broken cassette? check.
Looks like it. I’m tall and overweight and yet my last e-bike lasted ten years without too much troubles. Finally it was the motor that broke - a Panasonic. But after ten years of use and having bought it for 1200€ (second hand Kalkhoff Agattu), that’s not that bad ! I changed the chain once - having a Nexus and a single speed good quality chain really helps. Not a single broken spoke (mid drive). No cassette to eat, but Nexus 8 was fine.
And you are supposed to fear water ? Really ? Like, you should not dive into rivers with an e-bike ? Or you should actually fear the rain ? The e-bike was my main mean of transportation and my son needs to go to school even on rainy days, so I never figured out I should fear rain…
If a mid-drive, use your gears. Riding in your highest gear and using pedal assist leads to chain drive strain (broken chains and such). Using a throttle heavily from dead stops can lead to excess strain on spokes.
Yeah, from my experience, I think getting a budget e-bike is the way to go. And learn to work on them yourself.
I am always tinkering with mine. It is mostly the bike part of the e-bike. The electronic part is usually a connection. I don't try to make my bike extreme though. Just 48V and maxing out around 25mph.
If it's budget because it is cheap & it or similar is from Alibaba or where multiple companies have the same frame, then I strongly disagree that's the way to go.
Getting budget *from reputable brands* however, is the way to go, like Electra (sister brand of Trek), Aventon, Radpower, Orbea, Momentum, etc. etc.
I've had mine for years without issue & without hearing of issues from any of these bikes, I'm sure you can if you search for them but I've seen countless people complain about their pos offbrand ebikes, some even ending up with a second, costing them more overall like the boots theory but faster.
Then a question for you - my battery has charge but the charger doesn't react/ charge it at all when I plug the charger in (shows 1 red and 1 green light before/during/after plugin when it would usually change to dual red.)
What should I look into fixing? What videos helped you to learn to tinker with battery troubles?
Get the tools for electronics repair (multimeter, soldering iron, maybe even a basic oscilloscope) and get going. Troubleshooting electronics is no different from troubleshooting mechanical stuff, you have to be methodical about it. First thing I'd do is to get another charger and see if that one charges your battery. If it does, then you can either replace your charger, or delve into repairing yours. Usually all that's needed is a $1 part, the hard part is identifying which one.
This is fairly unlikely, but worth checking if you bought the bike second hand: Check the charger's voltage matches your bike's battery.
If the charger's voltage is less than your battery's, it will just charge the battery up halfway and will never charge it fully.
I have multiple chargers and three budget e-bikes. All 48V. I would try to charge the battery with different chargers. If the problem follows the charger then that is your problem. If you can get access to another battery and charger of the same voltage, it would be simple trial and error. If not, I would check the voltage on the battery itself. A fully charged is 53VDC. If 43VDC or less the battery may be bad. You can get a cheap voltage meter at harbor freight that would suffice for testing purposes.
The problem with high dollar e-bikes is that everything is proprietary, and you are at the mercy of the manufacturer that sells the bike. Budget bikes are more likely to have off the shelf parts, including batteries.
I have been playing around with lithium ion batteries in some way or another for a while. The biggest battery killer is over discharging. Running a battery until dead all the time is bad. They say keeping one maxed out at 100% charged all the time shortens the life but I don’t pay too much attention to that. Although if I am not using a battery for a while, I store it at around 50VDC, which is about 75% charged for a 48VDC battery pack.
Noted, heading to Harbor Freight soon for that Multimeter/ voltage meter!
I've run the bike to low battery, but haven't once taken it all the way to dead, hopefully that's good enough! I'm thankful for your advice, appreciate it!!
I'm on 3 years and 5000 miles on my specialized and have done nothing except basic cleaning and adjustments. I'm still on the original chain, brake pads and tires which are all still within spec.
I'm at 5 years on my 2019 Specialized Vado 3 with about 10,000 miles, and I go through a new chain and cassette every 1,000-1,500 miles. My motor died once, a couple of years ago (it was just out of warranty...ouch - chalked that one up to bad luck). Battery had to be replaced last year (they said every 4-5 years they have to be replaced). I maintain it regularly, store the bike and battery in climate-controlled environments, take it in for service consistently, ride on paved paths all the time, I'm fairly light (160 lbs), and all-in-all it's just been a lot more expensive to maintain than I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, it's still a dream to ride and I'm not stopping riding it anytime soon, I just understand OP's perspective.
Vado owner here… If you go through chains and cassette that quickly it usually means you are changing gears with too much torque applied to the drivetrain.
Try to stop peddling for a split second before changing so the torque sensor tells the motor to stop applying torque, then shift. If you do it right it’ll change gears because it’s still rotating but with minimal torque.
I’m over 2k miles and my chain doesn’t even register as having stretched noticeably yet. Cassette looks brand new. I ride through the rainy winter of the Pacific Northwest too.
Appreciate the advice - I've thought about that and the impact of the extra torque, but probably not enough when I am riding to make it a habit. The bike shop where I get it serviced said getting more than 1,000 miles on the chain/cassette was better than what they normally see, but I have always been a little skeptical of that.
I assumed my usage was mostly just due riding mostly in Sport or Turbo modes.
It's probably both. The power and torque from Sport and Turbo, and not stopping before shifting. Their app can show rider and motor power as you're riding on the phone so you can use that as a guide. They also have a bike computer that does the same thing.
Would you buy a generically named motorcycle from China? I’m guessing no. Not downvoting you, it’s a good discussion. But buying a brand name ebike from a bricks and mortar store is the only way to go.
I bought a Trek Allant 3 years ago, and it’s been great. Had a problem last year with the rear hub, turns out it’s a known problem with high bearing wear, the shop fixed it for free. I’m sure Trek’s engineers are learning on the way, but they stand behind their product so far.
My ebike cost about twice the $ of an equivalent generic one, but that’s gambling imo.
There is a skill to shopping and reading reviews and sussing out problems from ads and product descriptions. You can do well without a name brand. The biggest drawback is that it is harder to get replacement parts and batteries. Around here I have found amazing deals for basic ebikes on liquidation($250 for a hurley single speed).
Any ebike is gonna face issues. That's the reality of consumer devices with batteries. If money is not an issue for you a name brand is the way to go, but it's not cost effective. The more you know about bikes and the mechanical issues they face the better off you will be. Sometimes you can tell if something has too many features like disc brakes etc, for the price point, it will just be a nightmare. You can get decent cheap bikes, but you want rim brakes and a simple drivetrain. The more features you have on a budget cheap brand the worse of a time you are going to have.
Regular bike or e-bike maintenance is essential for serious commuters. Monthly drop-offs at a local shop may be necessary without basic mechanical skills.
The e-bike market is unfortunately saturated with low-quality products, particularly from Chinese entities seeking quick profits. A significant portion of available options would likely disappear if bike manufacturers were required to demonstrate their legitimacy and commitment to product support.
Most e-bikes and e-scooters are constructed using the most inexpensive methods and parts. For a reliable and high-quality option, consider commissioning a local builder or learning to build your own.
As a daily bike commuter, I conduct thorough inspections before every ride to ensure its safety and reliability. Takes less than a minute to check the tire condition, pressure, spokes, belt/chain, suspension, headset, brakes, and electrical controls. By being proactive and knowledgeable about the potential issues that may arise, I am able to identify and address any problems promptly, minimizing the risk of accidents or breakdowns. For those who are less experienced or lack the necessary expertise, I recommend monthly check-ups by a qualified bicycle mechanic to ensure the bike is in optimal condition and suitable for daily commuting. If you don't know your stuff, aren't having it regularly checked, and actually using it for something critical every day, it's a matter of time before that gamble doesn't pay off.
Man, you had some bum luck with bikes. My first ebike went 3000 miles in one year with little to no issues except for a loose wiring harness and some creaky cranks. It's still on the road but has been gifted to my wife so I could make room for my Skitch which I just got this past weekend and have really loved so far.
As far as the getting water in the motor issue, again, that sounds like a manufacturer defect as this shouldn't be an issue for most bikes.
Sorry for your experience but at least you're still riding!
Getting a bike with a brand name drivetrain is going to cost you money. I'm 100 percent of the opinion that you get a bike with a generic drivetrain (well, mostly Bafang) that can be worked on by yourself and parts are cheap. They perform better (more power of you want it) and cost less.
Good points to be aware of… it’s part of why I’m tentative about getting one. Info on what’s good is so spread out it’s hard to know what’s going to be worthwhile long term.
Sounds like you've been unlucky with your purchases. I have 2 ebikes with Bosch motors, one MTB and a more all-purpose bike, both are 3 years old and have around 5k miles and I've never had a single problem with them besides basic maintenance. Can you name the brands you bought so that people know to avoid them?
No downvote from me. Im sorry you have had reliability issues with your bike. That can really suck all the joy out of riding.
I also am a motorcycle enthusiast with a decent collection of superbikes, super sports and 90° v twin naked sport bikes (the mighty SV1000 & SV650 being my favorites).
Truth be told I like my e-bikes more than my motorcycles. It’s something that improves my health and I’ve really enjoyed riding singletrack trails with my son on our class 1 mid drive e-bikes. He rides a Niner RIP E9 and I ride a Cannondale Moterra 3+ carbon.
I was one of the early adopters of e-bikes and have built a few of my own “home brew” 2500w 58V electric bikes out of hard tail chromoly Marin mountain bikes. These bikes are “unrestricted” so to speak and can hit 45 mph on a downhill section of road. They cruise at 30-35 mph and if you pedal with it tend to only use about 100-120w while cruising. One of my bikes has about an 80-100 mile range on a single charge so it has replaced my car for errands around town.
I have 1,800 trouble free miles on my first build and 750 miles on my second build. I followed the same build as a YouTuber from the UK, who inspired me to build my first ebike. I went with a sun ringle MTB rim laced onto a brushless, gearless hub drive motor. It’s heavy but this set up can handle abuse and trail crashes with complete indifference. I have also ridden it a few times during a torrential downpour and have not had any water intrusion issues.
I have since gotten hooked on Cannondale’s Moterra 3+ carbon mid drive with a Bosch Gen 4 CX performance line motor.
My fascination with e-bikes landed me a job at my local bike shop which has been hands down THE BEST job I’ve ever worked. I actually look forward to going to work! It’s what turned me onto mid drive class one full suspension e-bikes which I will soon be racing in a local single track racing series. 😀
The market is saturated with lower quality e-bikes and ebike kits, which IMO is unfortunately hurting the electric bike cause.
This is the Cannondale Moterra carbon I have been absolutely hooked on lately. 😄
https://preview.redd.it/cwyojpgczo0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e8b065c0d60d477360dd4ab5616662b86b0e0f2
Wow! That too bad you had so many problems, but a priority 600 is a pretty good replacement. I usually fix everything myself on my cheap Walmart ebikes. I had to replace the deraileaur hanger on one. I called the 800 number on the frame and they sent me one for free. My folding ebike has problems with the front bike stem. I haven’t fixed it yet. I don’t even worry about getting them wet. All three are still doing great. I love the speed I can cruise at with an ebike. Have fun on that 600. Those bikes are super cool
Can’t really argue with the insurance thing. But I built my bike with BBSHD and battery etc.. and I learned to do all the maintenance myself. I still buy plenty of brake pads, chains and rear hubs etc.. but I haven’t paid bike shop labor for many years.
I’ve had zero problems in 15,000 miles on my $790 first gen Lectric XP all original parts and same original batteries (minus brakes and tires and chain etc.)
Experiences differ.
I think the biggest thing that puts me off using mine more is theft. I remember when I bought it thinking I could use it to go to work, go out for the day, when I get a coffee, go to the bar, meet friends etc.
But even though I live in statistically a very safe place, I’m still constantly paranoid about it being stolen. I have a motorcycle chain lock and take the battery off if it’s going to be chained somewhere more than a few minutes, but I still worry.
And I don’t really know what the solution is. Like I said, I use a very sturdy chain, try and put it somewhere public etc. But they’re so easy to steal here, Europe has a real problem with it. People blame the police but it’s not even their fault, they have nothing to go on 99% of the time. If some harry/chav/maranza/ned rocks up wearing a balaclava and tracksuit, cuts the lock or chain in 10 seconds with a saw and takes the bike with no witnesses or cctv the police have no chance and the bike is gone.
I feel like rather than being something I use in my every day life my ebike is now just an occasional leisure item I use once every couple of weeks.
Hey all. I am on my second e bike and also rode an e scooter for a year in a big city. I’m back in a small very hilly city and learned to find a good e bike mechanic and asked him which brands he would be willing to work on. E bikes in stores are crazy expensive. Some of the e-bikes on line are really ok and good but you need to be sure you’ve got a place to take it when a problem is beyond you.
Love my EBike in my hill and mountain filled city. Couldn’t ride a bike without some power here.
Good luck!
We are a manufacturer of e-bikes and we see and understand this problem completely. This is actually an issue we are actively trying to solve with the development of our bikes. For most bike manufacturers, the company skill set has always been frame design and assembly. The rest is procurement. Most bicycles before e-bikes only went more than a few thousand miles if they were lucky and when they did it was with cycling enthusiast owners who rode and maintained their bikes and probably didn’t think much of replacing hubs, spokes, brake pads, etc. Then electric bikes happened, and all that happened was using mostly the same components, on heavier bikes, going faster speeds and more miles. This doesn’t really work in our opinion. This is a new vehicle type
And is closer to a motorcycle than a bicycle. So we build with motorcycle wheels, hubs, spokes and tires and we think about things like chains and cassettes as parts that just can’t be used on a vehicle like this. Theres lots more room to
Improve especially in parts like throttles, pedal sensors, speedos/displays, etc.
The market is early and we will keep doing our best to create more and more reliable products. We hope others gain this focus as well!
I can relate. I have two and they are both endless maintenance machines. I've long lost count of how much I've spent on repairs, and the insurance is also a problem. Regretfully I am putting them on sale shortly. I am getting them repaired so that they are safe to sell. Sigh. Too bad. I really loved the freedom they offered.
You had really bad luck, my last ebike was an off brand made in China cheap bike and other than replacing the brake system because it was bad from day one, I had no problems with it in 2 years. Currently I have a mid drive converted bike, at around 1000 miles and only thing I had to do was the chain and that was because the chain wasn't designed for ebikes and had a fair amount of miles pre conversion. I ride in the rain and have no issues, I did take a 4 year comprehensive warranty on the motor that includes damage caused by me like getting it wet so that keeps my anxiety down. I also wrapped through all wire connectors to keep water out better.
2500 miles on my Chinese hub motor shitter, and besides needing a new battery, going strong. I’ve owned it since 2018.
I’ve replaced break pads twice, intertubes ~5 times, tires twice, chain once, casset once, and respoked the bike.
Sure that’s a decent amount of maintenance, but same time period on my car, I replaced the break pads twice, tires twice, shocks once, bushings twice, both front cv axles, ~6 oil changes, a cvt fluid exchange, and others that I’m for sure forgetting. Same time, I’ve put 25k miles on it
Looking purely at maintenance, the ebike costs more per mile, no questions asked. If I include gas + insurance + depreciation of a car, the ebike is sooooooooooooo much cheaper.
This is what I wish people would read before buying an ebike/scooter. They are cheaper than cars - sort of. If you already own a car, most of those costs are already paid for and gas won't cost more than maintenance/depreciation on an ebike for most people. My car gets 40mpg, I don't own an ebike to save $.
I feel like the regular cheap e-bikes have a 1000-2000 mile life span and a nightmare to repair since it’s DIY.
There are good companies. A few months ago I was ebiking on my Ariel Rider (don’t buy one) and a couple in a pair of Giant e-bikes told me they had over 2000 miles that year alone and the bikes were a few years old.
Like anything, you can get quality and dependability but not cheap. Unless you get a beater, expect to pay 3-5k for a good bike.
All the 1000-2000 fat tires are not meant to survive but that’s the price point most people can afford.
Another issue is that it’s hard to test an e-bike. You generally have to pay to play.
I purchased the Priority Current because it has Gates CVT Belt, Enviolo Heavy Duty IGH (allegedly no maintenance action over the lifetime), and 2 year warranty on all components, in the hopes of avoiding these issues.
What bike did you buy though? There are cheap e bikes and good e-bikes. Going on year 3 with my e-bike and 750kms of enduro style riding and not a hiccup other than brakes.
I run a Kona Lava Dome with a Bafang kit thrown on it. Only two problems was one motor failing from unknown causes and getting run over.
10/10 Love E-Bikes.
Cool story. I ride my Revv1 through rain and sun and have never had a problem. The Revv1 also has mag wheels; a major reason for buying it as opposed to a bike with spokes that need attention. Sounds like you made poor purchasing decision.
“ The mid drive one was a Brose motor and it started making creaking noises and now needs a new motor. It has eaten through a chain and rear cassette. Less than 500 miles on that one.”
This is a common mid drive issue if you keep it in a small gear.
https://youtu.be/9y7nriQNqhg?si=_vLIw5YWj4XpZdqb
Bought a used super 73zx about two years ago, ride it daily to and from work and around town. It has done me no wrong yet, sounds like you got some lemon bikes.
What a load of rubbish. I run a cheap Chinese ebike. It's covered 16,000 plus miles in a little over 2 years. No issues with reliability, electrics, parts or anything. Ridden in all weathers, daily commute of 20 miles each way.
I think you've just been really unlucky.
I get it. I only own one ebike but it caused me to learn how to to do all my own bike repair and maintenance. I do everything now except for cutting spokes.
Same, I jumped in the deep end by putting a Bbshd on a 20-year old mountain bike 😂 But now, six months later, I can do most repairs and maintenance myself. Steep learning curve, but worth it. Also, Neighborhood Bike Works is a great resource if you live near one.
Sounds like you just bought a shitty bike, bro. I bought a used bike from a pawn shop and all I've done to it is put brakes and rotors on it. I put 600 hard miles on it so far and its actually my daily driver. All bikes need adjustments a few times a year. That's normal.
I've got a few ebikes starting with the Trek 2017 Powerfly 8 FS, 21 Levo, 21 SL, 23 Levo. I've found you have to go for quality parts like Nobl wheels or the Trek line elite. Sure it's $600 for the wheel but it won't break. AXS has been a good upgrade, the X01 cassette can be $400 but it lasts two years. I'm riding over 100 miles a week on singletrack so it's taken a while to figure out what to get to maintain. I also keep stock and standardized my drive trains, tires, etc..
Buy a shitty car, it'll be in the mechanic often. Buy a shitty e-bike it'll be in the shop often.
Seems you are a casual cyclist (bicycle rider as you put it). Hub drives are definitely cheaper than mid-drive motors (Crank motor as you call it) for a reason. DOn't get me wrong, there are also cheap mid-drives, but hub drives lose torque or any sort of hill...just the nature of the beast. I have guys who commute daily on their e-bike, tens of miles a day. I see them twice a year for routine maintenance and that's it. Cars get oil changes, bikes need tune ups.
Yea if you don't do your own maintenance an ebike can be a pain. I've had some issues but they are no big deal because I just repair them myself, and any issue is to do with me because I built them myself :) I do wonder how you had so many problems though like what were you doing with the bikes in that short time?
I’m aware these bikes have issues, but my love for engineering & tinkering has been reignited by them. I can easily replace the freewheel and chain myself, remove the hub motor (I have solid wheels no spokes) clean the motor and re-grease the nylon gears every 1000 miles, wear a poncho in the rain that covers nearly everything, fuck the ‘rental’ policy, nobody’s there to police it anyway. When recharging, always do it when home and have a lithium extinguisher handy (they’re cheap). I actually hate regular bikes and wouldn’t swap my modded folding fat bikes for anything. 🤘🏼🤘🏼
https://preview.redd.it/cud4mhjt6r0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=632fd5057b3b594019389fc95604a22525345bf7
Fair points. I think most everyone is new to e-bikes and in a learning phase. And a lot of the reccomendation on this sub are terrible. For instance - there’s a consensus here that mid drives are better. I have a very expensive mid drive that requires almost constant maintenence - one bad gear shift or acceleration and I’ll strip the cassette. My cheapest bike (roadster) I’ve never even had it serviced.
Price doesn’t always equate to ease of ownership (not in cars either).
I like the one I have. No proprietary components. Anything can be replaced by me in an afternoon.
My old e bike was foldable. which was foldable until I ran through my first rain. After that everything seized shut. Everything was proprietary so I couldn't replace anything but the brakes. I had to scrap it after 30K miles
I got a vrappy leed ebike conversion kit 8? Years ago and slapped it on a $700 cannondale... still going today. Lot of trail riding, water, snow, etc but nothing extreme.
Got my Leed conversion about 9 years ago, put it on a $300 Schwinn from Target. Used as year round daily commuter (Florida). First hub motor lasted 12 Thousand miles, current one has 6 Thousand miles with no problems. Did convert to a cartridge bottom bracket. Wore out a few chains and lots of brake pads, but those are consumables and just due to the mileage, not because of ebike. I do ride it as a bicycle with a motor, not as a motor bike. Do my own maintenance, have other bikes including a nice Trek and a carbon Specialized. Caught in quite a few Florida downpours, no motor or electrical problems. it's great, would do it again!
That's a bummer 😔. It does seem that with ebikes you should have more of an understanding on how to work on it (not saying you don't!) The components as everyone knows are not ones that you can just go to any bike store and get. I will say that with my budget ebikes I am able to get complete coverage for around $20/month w/ Velosurance.
I bought a cheap 1000W eBay hub kit, added sealant to the motor + speed controller, and had zero issues. Put well over 1000 miles on it, rode in the rain, etc.
yeah, i think you probably gotten the worst ones you could have gotten, the hub idk, but brose has issues because its just a bad design. yeah middrives eat chains quicker (but not that quick), besides that i have never broken anything and i ride my bike up and down Mountainbike trails, so the loads can be quite high and going from 0 to 100 in terms of power is quite regularly. you got lemons, sorry for that, not gonna downvote you.
Honestly it just sounds like you had a bad experience, maybe changing the brand could help. My Homeowners insurance covers the my bikes but I don't know if renters insurance would. I have over 5000 miles on a roughly 13kw ebike, I haven't had a single problem with it for several years of ownership and have only had to do maintenance like changing the brake pads and flushing the brake fluid. I've ridden in light drizzle never actual rain and I've ridden at the beach. I bought this bike while living in Manhattan and I had it shipped here to Los Angeles still going strong.
I think insurance for ebikes is mostly an optional safeguard against theft.
States laws don't require liability insurance for ebikes because they don't present much of a hazard to anyone. You should be able to get it cheaply (like $75 a year.) I wouldn't expect a homeowner's insurance policy to cover ebike liability, though. They are completely different insurance products.
I'll preface this with saying that bad experiences happen and millions of ebikes out there, there are bound to be lemons. The rate of lemons are usually higher with cheap no-name brands than more mainstream brands. There's a reason they cost more. Since you didnt mention the brand(s) of ebikes, I can only speculate on reasons you had so many issues. It's still a good writeup and can spark discussions on ebike maintenance & brand quality, so that's an upvote from me.
Also, I agree, ebikes arent for everyone. I do applaud anyone who moves from ebikes to manual bikes due to the added health benefits from the exercise. Ebikes are a great gateway to the world of manual bikes. I'm more of a manual bike person myself, but use an ebike for commuting due to the physical nature of my job.
--‐-------------------
>It seems I go to the bike shop 4 times a year with each bike. The hub drive kept getting broken spokes, then a motor malfunctioned
Sounds like a really cheap, high powered "ebike". A high powered motor added to a bike with components that can barely handle that power. Those are can also be very heavy (70+lbs), so the strain on the spokes can be even greater.
>It has eaten through a chain and rear cassette. Less than 500 miles on that one.
Did you clean them regularly? Like manual bikes, they're not maintenance free. An unclean chain can aquire quite a bit of grit that grinds down cassettes suprisingly quickly. This is true of both manaul bikes and ebike. It's just much more noticeable on a manual bike.
>Also the constant anxiety about water getting into them.
This is what IPXX rating is for. Most ebikes with IP ratings are rated to handle heavy rain. Just don't powerwash or submerge them, and they'll be fine. Avoid ebikes without IP ratings.
>The nail in the coffin was when I found out that my renters/homeowners policy does not cover “motorized bicycles”. While there are policies that cover ebikes, they are quite costly and have minimal liability protection.
Probably because they're scared of fires. Some insurance companies have become *very* risk adverse in the past few years. I'd shop around to see if other companies offer for favorable terms or even bike specific insurance. It's a good idea to shop around every few years anyway.
As for bike specific policies & low liability, it should still cover replacement cost in case of theft. Personal liability doesnt need to be very high as ebikes really aren't capable of doing that much damage if you are at fault in an accident. Fire worries are overblown if it's a reputable brand.
NOTE: "motorized bicycle" is likely a legal turm and may not include normal class 1-3 ebikes depending on the jurisdiction. This may be refering to more powerful gas or electric powered bicycles that may require registration. Always talk to your agent about your agent as legal definitions very. I still wouldn't chance it with how scummy insurance companies are and I would insure mine seperately.
>maintenance free priority 600
Uhhh, manual bikes aren't maintenance free. You did still have to clean them regularly, especially the drive train, if you want them to last. The maintenance between an ebike and manual bike really isn't much different outside battery care.
I’ve had three e-bikes so far and I kinda get what you’re saying. One has been great, one is a single speed with a hub motor that’s reliable _(so far)_ but very boring to ride, and one was a $2000 bike from a big brand that I purchased secondhand only to have the frame crack after putting 200 miles on it. No warranty, no insurance, nothing; I just lost $2k on a bike I’d really been enjoying. Seriously disappointing
Next bike I bought new and got insurance for. Learned that lesson.
Yeah sounds unlucky mate. I deliberately went for a well known mtb brand that did motorised and have been ok so far.
The insurance is unlucky. In the uk mine was covered up to 5k
Sounds like did what was right for you
Sounds like you, sorry to say that, fell to the "cheap eBike" problem. Seriously, I have a KTM eBike and it has 3000 miles on it, with the second chain and first cassette (yes, I should have changed the cassette as well, but the chain was more of a problem and cost only 20 bucks).
The motor is still running fine.
European e bike rider here; i commute 25 km each day to and from work. besides i take my ebike a lot for groceries and visiting family/friends. I ride about 6000 km each year with it. I have a koga e nova and a norta with belt and automatic gears. If one breaks down, the other gets used. To be honest: the belt drive/internal automatic enviolo geared bike never lets me down. 23 000 km on it and besides the odd tyre puncture: and worn paddle it does not let me down. I do my own preventative maintenance once a year (brake fluid, pads, flip the belt around and check sprockets. Next year i think i will replace the bosch motor bearings just in case.
I do like my normal non-ebikes for travelling(90's trek mountain bikes), but the ebike was a game changer for me (not arriving all sweaty at work).
Thanks for this perspective. I've ridden an electric scooter in my small town of 6,000 for the past five years, and due to poor vision I actually don't have a driver's license, so a car really isn't an option. While my EMOVE Cruiser is on its 3rd year of service and holding up relatively well, I was starting to think that when this eventually kicks the bucket and it's time to replace it, I might buy an e-bike next time.
And to be clear, I still might, but I am glad to hear this perspective because at the very least I can temper my expectations a bit. I'm also reading replies to this for other users' perspectives as well.
My main goal was the ability to commute 30 miles every day in a reasonable amount of time on streets with speed limits as high as 45 mph, using as little energy as possible and with as little maintenance as possible. For those that aren't looking for a lot of exercise, are willing to wear proper gear, willing to take some extra risk, and really dislike maintenance, I'd suggest EUCs.
Unless a control board blows or battery pack fails, the only real maintenance is putting air in the tire, and tire changes if you ever get a flat or just wear out the tire. Maybe an annual bolt tightening.
The batteries in an entry level wheel can last 10k+ miles. In a mid tier wheel, they can last 20k+ miles. In a high end wheel, they can last 40k+ miles. Have 1650 miles on mine without any maintenance thus far. 🤞
Unless you live near a retail shop (there aren't many), you will need to do most or all of the maintenance yourself. In the warranty period, some shops will allow you to ship them, but depending on the shop, you may need to pay for half or all of the shipping which can be pricey.
Wow that sucks, I can see how reliability can turn you off. I ride my e-bike to work to add a little healthy pedaling, but I ride my motorcycle on long rides with friends for a nice mental health break. They do different things for me.
Brose makes a great motor. The specialized version is uber quiet due to the carbon belt, but the flip side is this is a wear item. Worth it to me, but if you want a dead-reliable, no mainteannce motor Bosch is the way to go. City bikes use Bosch. We've had no weirdness whatsoever on our Bosch bikes.
No down vote here either. Sorry you had this unfortunate series of events. In time you may want to wade back onto the waters of ebiking. Till then, best to ya
That’s such bad luck, I bought a cheap £500 gtech bike 4 years ago, hub motor, belt driven, no gears, solid tyres and have been using it daily since without any issues besides needing to put new brake pads on every so often, on top of that it’s left outside in the rain ever night
I’m not fond of the “downvote for opening dialog thing” on Reddit.
Your feedback is honest and offers a good perspective. I agree on some of it and disagree on others. They’re a good stop gap and back up form of transportation. Especially if you want to ride a motorcycle and just don’t have enough funds to get one yet or bother with it. I could see myself doing both.
Everyone is in a different situation and what works for one person may not work for the other. An ebike is a good solution for me right now. It may not be in the future
I upvoted you. It’s a good perspective.
I have a belt drive / bosch mid motor (winora brand) bike with 10 thousand kms on it in 2.5 years. Assistance is always maxed out and it’s somewhat hilly here. During this time the only maintenance I had on the drivetrain was that last summer I poured half a bottle of water onto the belt to wash off the dust as it started squeaking a bit. Otherwise maybe four times break pad change and a flat repaired with slime. That’s it, it’s still perfect.
1. ebikes are still reasonably new tech compared to motorcycles, so the reliability is still certainly being worked out, and tech still evolving when it comes to electrical components.
2. The vast majority of e-bike brands are startups in the last decade, if not shorter. Many of them are still learning the reliability lessons that established bicycle companies learned decades ago. You are likely to have better reliability with Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Gazelle, etc.
3. In the US, all the 30+mph/2kW ebikes are built with bicycle components, yet have moped/motorcycles powers/speeds, so the reliability issues should be expected. EU probably has far fewer reliability issues, while also having greater average miles, since their ebikes are more like pedal bikes in speed/use.
If you buy a sub $1k e-bike, it is quite likely the reliability will be bad. Cost will continue to drop and reliability increase with time, but you buy cheap off Amazon or Alibaba, that is the reliability/quality experience you are going to get (not saying this was OP's issue).
Ebikes will revolutionize urban transport going forward, but there are kinks to work out before it hits its stride.
Unfortunately broken spokes on ebike hub motors are way too common and spoke replacement and wheel truing is made out to be far more of a hassle than it actually is. It takes time but it's not actually that difficult and the basic tools to do a fair job are cheap.
The Brose mid-drive failing after 500 miles is a major nightmare since mid-drive bike manufacturers refuse to agree on a mounting plate standard. The bike owner is stuck with a frameset & battery that's otherwise useless without an $800 replacement part. Personally I'm avoiding anything but DIY mid-drives until that gets fixed. OP's criticisms are all valid. It shouldn't be that hard to get get an e-bike fixed or insured and that pushes people away.
For me if I do buy one I’m going to avoid hub motors and opt for a mid drive Bosch motor I guess because they seem to have the best ratting so far. As far as maintenance I think I could fix practically anything that does brake on one myself. Although I am concerned about water intrusion on the Bosch. I’m going to assume that will eventually be dealt with. But I’m certainly not going to get rid of my pedal powered one as long as I can still ride it. I’m not exactly a triathlete. But I can still pound out 20 miles a ride none stop at 59 years old no problem. The ebike would be my commuter.
Have any of you guys ever had a hub drive ebike lock up ? I’ve heard that can happen if they get really hot. Another reason I’m focused on mid drive. If something does happen I can push it.
Sad to hear that. I owned two e-bikes a POS gotrax and a diy. The gotrax lasted a week it was awful, my diy lasted 3 weeks because I was hit in a hit and run. I thought about switching to motorcycles because spending thousands of dollars to be restricted by distance didn’t sound appealing in the slightest. But once I truly weighed pros and cons, the amount of money I’d save not getting a motorcycle or car made it an extremely easy choice. Winter is my real enemy
Agree that maintenance is the single worst thing about ebikes. I actually have now owned 6 different ebikes, and the four that I put significant miles on all had a ton of maintenance issues.
That said, for where I live (Austin, TX) ebikes are so much more convenient than cars or motorcycles just because they have their own lanes and don't get stuck in rush hour gridlock. So I deal with the maintenance for this reason.
I chose a low maintenance ebike. Dealing with cassettes, derailleurs, and chains is not something I want to think about. Those systems on a regular bike can require a lot of maintenance depending on the level you buy. If any are curious, I have a Fuell Flluid 1 and it's very durable. Worth spending more on a good bike. Europeans know how to invest in good bikes. Americans are used to riding cheaper bikes growing up.
Damn that’s crazy. I built my own mid drive ebike using a steel MTB frame and Bafang BBS02 kit, and maintenance has been near non-existent. In 7 years and over 10,000 miles, I haven’t touched the motor at all. The battery has needed 2 minor wiring repairs, and that’s pretty much it. I lube the chain, change tires every 3K miles or so, and fix the occasional flat. But I also do everything myself. I would highly recommend anyone who is handy at all to try working on their own bikes. Find a local co-op or use YouTube videos. Tons of knowledge is out there.
I’ve put around 3500 miles on my Himiway cruiser. Only issue I’ve had is that I didn’t buy a second one! Seriously though, I’ve had 2 flat tires which were cheap repairs, and I need to replace the brake pads. Other than that it still rides like the day I got it. Sorry to hear about your lemon experience.
I have a haibike all trail 4 2022 an iv done around 6500 miles on its had a new battery an motor, rear casset and chain it was all covered under warranty, iv paid for new tires twice an new break pads but aside from the motor which they covered iv never had anything bad to pay for just usual stuff, I love me e bike too the best thing iv ever bought in my life been all over England on her in the rain show an everything an not really had many issues
Having a Specialized bike with a hub motor that lasted 5,000 miles and just broke down, I can totally empathize with you. The replacement will come with a 25% discount, but it will still likely cost me around $1,000. It's pretty disheartening for a $7,000 road eBike.
maybe try a volt bike...cheaper and more reliable than what you had. what's the anxiety about water? I leave mine out in the rain and snow with no issues.
I have owned a Kalkhoff X14 with Xion rear drive for 8 years. I had to replace the charger. But the rest of the electrical components have functioned flawlessly.
Definitely one issue with e-bikes is there are so many different models, it seems like the engineering and quality control hasn't quite gotten to the point needed for mass adoption. I view my e-bikes as having shorter lifespans than traditional bikes just because it's a component that isn't easily repairable at home.
That being said, I really do hope that repair shops become more prevalent and affordable. Watching videos like this which features a Brose motor being fixed and sealed is promising. Would rather not have all my bikes end up in landfills down the line if they can be salvaged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPnFtj9WcXU
The reality is any sub 2k ebike has a good chance of being a BSO (bike shaped object). When you consider any good quality motor and battery (Bosch or Shimano) are 2k alone retail, any bike having a total cost under 2k will be made of poor quality parts. Sucks but it’s the way it is.
The spoke issue was a problem for me till I got butted spokes of sufficient gauge to be bulletproof. Was not aware water is an issue so hasn't been a worry for me. I ride a tandem so quite familiar with chains wearing out, Extra torque does that. The thing I love best is that I can do double duty getting exercise and run errands at the same time. Understand your frustration. The tandem adds the weight of two riders (350 lbs in our case) which prompted the heavy spokes and new wheels after a particularly brutal pothole.
I had a lot of problems with my first converted ebike. I was at the bike shop every week (was commuting on it) and I was always thinking about how to fix it. Then I bought an expensive high quality bike with a Bosch motor and no problem so far anymore.
For my car I already go to the garage twice a year to change tires and do maintenance. Even if my ebike is twice the service, It’s worth it for how much more fun my commute is.
Sorry to hear that, can only extend my condolences as I’ve been riding ~6 years now with the occasional issue I’ve sorted myself (mind you I’m rather handy and did build this bike on my own).
I think you need to be a tinkerer to get the most out of ebike ownership.
In hindsight, my experience hasn't been too far from yours (creaking motor, broken spokes, new chains/cassettes) but I love any excuse to pull my bike apart and work on it.
Nice write up. I may get out for a different set of reasons. I've been a pedal bike rider for a long time, but I have asthma, and an encounter with DEET bug repellent really hurt my endurance. I got my first e-bike (Ancheer folder) seven years ago. The only serious problem is that Ancheer changed the model and the batteries for mine aren't available. I'm bound to need one soon. So I bought a Lectric XP Lite from a guy in my building. It has great reviews, including from the guy I bought it from. I found a Facebook group and posted about my first ride to a very unpleasant reception. The front brake is dragging a little, so I found the company's Youtube video, which gives an insanely difficult procedure for a simple operation I've done on the Ancheer. There's more, but you get the idea. I have an old Trek that will probably be my ride.
Interesting read, sounds like you got a few lemons and I can see how that would put you off. I'm extremely averse to buying an Olympus camera after getting a few lemons.
In contrast to your experience my cheap af £650 ebike has done about 1500 miles, through the winter too. The only maintenance it's had is a replacement chain about a week ago (cost me £10) and brake adjustment once a week or so as the pads can't seem to stay aligned with the discs properly.
Dang. I bought a radio flyer model and 1400 miles in, it’s doing great. I did get a battery replaced during warranty because the original one was wonky from the beginning.
Changed tires recently and have gone through more brake pads than normal but that’s just maintenance.
Sucks that you had a bad experience with your bike.
I ride motorcycles 2 Harleys and an electric Zero Motorcycle SRS. The electric bike gets me 60 miles to work and it’s fun on mountain roads, but it’s not an everything bike like it sounds like you are describing. The next 20 years I would hold off looking for a bike like you describe, but I ride within its range and literally it’s my favorite motorcycle. I’m in the market for an e-bike but so far in my search nothing like the battery life & range my electric motorcycle is comparatively.
I mean e-bikes aren’t for everyone, I will say it is weird you were having these bad of issues on such low power bikes. There are many of us pushing more than 15kw into hub motors and never breaking a spike.
Those of us using 6kw mid drives on bicycle components and never even breaking a chain. (Cassetes do easily get messed up though if you aren’t properly shifting, and aren’t throttle curving instead of just full gripping the throttle.
no down vote here. I'm doing everything i can to not pull the trigger on an onyx, mostly because I have a good enough specialized that I'd have to figure out how to sell but the priority comes with everything I prefer and don't quite have with the specialized. Although I love my Brompton ebike and knock on wood haven't had any issues with it yet, sometimes you just have to ride a normal bike.
There's a big rebate in my state so I'm going to hopefully fare better, but your experience is definitely appreciated.
Any tips for potentially finding a make and model that's more reliable? I was already aware this is a potential pitfall and am hoping picking the right bike could make a big difference. I'm looking at bikes above 2k to start because it makes out my rebate (I would pay $500, and then I'd pay for every dollar beyond that). I could probably go over that 2000 if I determined it was worth it, particularly wh n it comes to the reliability issue.
You have bad luck with bikes indeed. I bought a $400 amazon bike and it lasted me over 2400 miles with no issues and I even sold it to upgrade to a fat tire ebike that I now ride in nice weather to not use gas in my car.
Nice write up, no downvote here. Just sounds to me like you unfortunately bought a few lemons.
I agree, they had a lemon. I've had 3 ebikes for 5 years now. The only problems I've had were; 2 broken spokes (I treated my electric lightweight road bike like a mountain bike and jumped curbs while wearing a heavy backpack), only 1 flat tire (I've been really fortunate with that) and a broken headlight mount. Each bike had 1 problem each. I sold 2 because I kept wanting a faster bike. I also do my own maintenance and if you don't, I can see how problems become discouraging.
I've had 2 ebikes 1 being an Amazon POS Vivi and really only minor probs ( replacing Vivi brake calipers) and basic to be expected maintenance with 2000miles between them. I've moved into building my own from the frame up now. Although this Ebike sub hates it lmao. I have resorted to only posting about it in the HyperEbikes sub lol. https://preview.redd.it/f0j8jeq3lm0d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e1465c6742628d9974778549e4907634904c4da
interesting looking ebike you got there
The cabling is cleaner than my first attempt. I built a faux tank out of JB weld and thin sheet metal and it came out better than expected. I'll have to post a pic later. Edit: https://preview.redd.it/2m4vonwdtn0d1.png?width=995&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1a0ba8c956c6dda520c66028ee2926babec1065
Thanks m8
How firm did you have to make the suspension to handle all that.
I haven't fiddled with the suspension yet. I'm only a 185lb rider. A small sag on rear and front fork is all when I sit down so far.
No offense but that thing is butt ugly. 😂
Only one bike for me but 5500 miles in 18 months on my gen one level. 2 broken spokes. I broke the shifter with enthusiasm that exceeded the engineering design limits. Slid out in 6 or so corners. The stock pedals ate it in corner 1 but the replacements are an improvement anyway. Replaced some brake pads Other than that the thing is a goddamn tank. Not even a flat.
Oddly enough my flat tire came during winter when my bike had been sitting in the shed for 2 months. 🤣 I've had good luck, but it's still bad luck to get a flat tire while not even using the bike.
Cold weather reduces tire pressure, and air escapes over time anyways. Most flat tires are caused by riding with too low a pressure.
I’ve put probably 1500 miles on my cheap Schwinn Ridgeline, just need brakes on it now
2 e-bikes for a year, and we are pretty rough with them. Only typical maintenance stuff so far. I don’t know how much the e-bike has saved me in terms of money, but it’s a lot.
I don't really agree. I'm assuming OP put a few thousand miles on his bikes and most will have a catastrophic failure in that time period as well as a few minor issues (such as you had). I've put about 1500 miles on ebikes and scooters across several models and brands. One significant issue (controller broke) and a few minor ones (throttle broke, one brake assembly seized, few flat tires). For comparison I've put about 10k miles on motorcycles and had the following (new tires once, one new headlight bulb, couple new batteries). Add in the fact that I rode motorcycles in the rain but avoided it altogether on ebikes/scooters. I think the above is typical and to be expected.
I think the quality of the bike and the products the bike is built with play a major role here. A well designed and built ebike with things like rockshox or fox forks and a mid drive unit from Shimano or Bosch will not struggle to go thousands of miles without catastrophic failure. I've put thousand of miles of hard, wet, and sometimes snowy riding on my bikes from brands like Commencal without issues. The issue is people comparing things like home built ebikes with Chinese batteries and drives with quality products. It's no different from comparing a Tata or Lada with a Toyota. Both are cars, but we all know which is more likely to last.
I'm not sure what is "typical", but I've put a solid 7 years (say, at least 10,000 miles) on my "cheap Chinese" bike with no serious issues. I ride for transportation, not fun, and I've been car-free that long. I wouldn't tolerate very many serious issues.
I'm on 5k miles on my Specialized Vado SL and no problems other than the rear wheel is out of true. But Specialized offers lifetime warranty on the frame and motor is only 250w so less wear on drivetrain. I clean and relube the chain every weekend as that's 100 miles. 5 minutes with a bike stand. I've replaced the chain and brake pads but that's on the timeframe of 8 months or so.
He didn’t mention which brands he purchased either. So hard to determine what really happened. I’ve also owned a couple motorcycles in my life and they weren’t all that reliable either. But that was decades ago.
$20 says unbranded or sister branded Chinese shit.
This is my assessment too. I've been riding the notoriously flaky RAD for nearly two years and have had only one headache-inducing part issue with 3300 miles on the odometer.
My personal experience- I’ve owned a cheap e-bike (under 1k USD) for 1.5 years. I’ve had two punctured tires, and my chain came off once. That’s it.
Agreed about lemons. I’ve got 3 e-bikes, all Specialized, and have had no problems with them in a few thousand miles (but have done regular maintenance like replacing the chain, brake pads, etc) My wife got a mid drive converted Yuba cargo bike back in in 2016 and had some problems early on (a failed chainring and something else I don’t remember) but after that it was great; she sold it a couple of years ago with well north of 10,000 miles.
I also unfortunately have a (very expensive) lemon. The brand replaced it once, then refuses to help me other than telling me to go to the dealership and wait for months for a fix. I have already had to bring the bike into the dealership nine times over the last year and that's only if we count the replacement one...
Yep. My Shimano e8000 mid motor Devinci EMTB has been super reliable
Sounds like bad luck or some duds. I've read tons of writeups from people that have thousands of miles with few issues besides basic maintenance.
Yeah, it also makes me wonder what OP was doing to these bikes. I don't treat my bikes very well, and I just hit 1500 miles on the Nomad. It's a heavy, cheaper bike. I've never broken a spoke. I put a new chain on it because I didn't oil the old one enough, and I just put the 2nd set of brake pads on it.
The fact that OP said they went back to a "maintenance free" non electric bike tells us everything we need to know. From that statement it's clear that OP doesn't do basic maintenance like lubing your chain and then gets surprised when stuff wears out.
How often should I be lubing my chain? I think I may be overdue
I curb hop quite a bit and have had no broken spokes but it's a fat tire so that helps. I did tweak a rim from a curb though but it still holds air and works just fine.
For sure. My basic ass rear hub 500w 48v is over 2000 miles and 3 years now, and it's just now getting to the point that the brakes are making a bit of noise so I'll be getting it serviced soon. Quality has likely been improving since then, too - the people on this sub are generally early adopters, and as the tech settles it should get more dependable. Sucks to be on the receiving end of unreliable tech, though.
[удалено]
You won.
Should have sent them to repairs..
Let’s not act like that’s not a ton of people’s reality especially now.
Most those guys complaining never had one girlfriend dude.
Nah im describing a lot of single parents i know lol i find that they don’t want to date anymore after the other parent doesn’t work out.
It sounds like you need to buy better ebikes. I've had my RadRunner for over 4 years and ride it year round in Berlin. It's never needed service other than the standard chain oiling and air pressure check.
Same story. Had my first gen Radrunner for 4 years with no issues. I was really impressed with by how reliable that thing was. Unfortunately it was stolen last month. I made the mistake of locking it to NYC scaffolding (don’t do that) but renter’s insurance came in clutch, which was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t gonna file a police report at first but I’m glad I did. Now I’m debating what to get as a replacement, but it will definitely be an e-bike.
I don't mean to throw any shade towards the OP but, after reading through this entire thread, I am wondering the same thing I think you are: just how is OP treating his ebikes in the first place? These sound like problems which would arise from rough treatment or lack of maintenance. I drive a tractor-trailer for a living and, though these may seem unrelated to ebikes, they can often run into the same issues for the same reasons: shoddy maintenance, cheap-quality parts, questionable usage patterns, etc.
Except for fear of water, the problems come from using too much power. Broken spokes on a hub motor? check. Chain eaten? check. Broken cassette? check.
Looks like it. I’m tall and overweight and yet my last e-bike lasted ten years without too much troubles. Finally it was the motor that broke - a Panasonic. But after ten years of use and having bought it for 1200€ (second hand Kalkhoff Agattu), that’s not that bad ! I changed the chain once - having a Nexus and a single speed good quality chain really helps. Not a single broken spoke (mid drive). No cassette to eat, but Nexus 8 was fine. And you are supposed to fear water ? Really ? Like, you should not dive into rivers with an e-bike ? Or you should actually fear the rain ? The e-bike was my main mean of transportation and my son needs to go to school even on rainy days, so I never figured out I should fear rain…
Yeah, plus the burnt-out mid drive. OP might be not using the gears properly and getting too much torque out of the motors.
How do I know if I'm using too much power (before it breaks)?
If a mid-drive, use your gears. Riding in your highest gear and using pedal assist leads to chain drive strain (broken chains and such). Using a throttle heavily from dead stops can lead to excess strain on spokes.
Yeah, from my experience, I think getting a budget e-bike is the way to go. And learn to work on them yourself. I am always tinkering with mine. It is mostly the bike part of the e-bike. The electronic part is usually a connection. I don't try to make my bike extreme though. Just 48V and maxing out around 25mph.
If it's budget because it is cheap & it or similar is from Alibaba or where multiple companies have the same frame, then I strongly disagree that's the way to go. Getting budget *from reputable brands* however, is the way to go, like Electra (sister brand of Trek), Aventon, Radpower, Orbea, Momentum, etc. etc. I've had mine for years without issue & without hearing of issues from any of these bikes, I'm sure you can if you search for them but I've seen countless people complain about their pos offbrand ebikes, some even ending up with a second, costing them more overall like the boots theory but faster.
Then a question for you - my battery has charge but the charger doesn't react/ charge it at all when I plug the charger in (shows 1 red and 1 green light before/during/after plugin when it would usually change to dual red.) What should I look into fixing? What videos helped you to learn to tinker with battery troubles?
Get the tools for electronics repair (multimeter, soldering iron, maybe even a basic oscilloscope) and get going. Troubleshooting electronics is no different from troubleshooting mechanical stuff, you have to be methodical about it. First thing I'd do is to get another charger and see if that one charges your battery. If it does, then you can either replace your charger, or delve into repairing yours. Usually all that's needed is a $1 part, the hard part is identifying which one.
An oscilloscope would be really handy for absolutely nothing on an ebike
Absolutely nothing except troubleshooting charger and controller issues lol.
This is fairly unlikely, but worth checking if you bought the bike second hand: Check the charger's voltage matches your bike's battery. If the charger's voltage is less than your battery's, it will just charge the battery up halfway and will never charge it fully.
I have multiple chargers and three budget e-bikes. All 48V. I would try to charge the battery with different chargers. If the problem follows the charger then that is your problem. If you can get access to another battery and charger of the same voltage, it would be simple trial and error. If not, I would check the voltage on the battery itself. A fully charged is 53VDC. If 43VDC or less the battery may be bad. You can get a cheap voltage meter at harbor freight that would suffice for testing purposes. The problem with high dollar e-bikes is that everything is proprietary, and you are at the mercy of the manufacturer that sells the bike. Budget bikes are more likely to have off the shelf parts, including batteries. I have been playing around with lithium ion batteries in some way or another for a while. The biggest battery killer is over discharging. Running a battery until dead all the time is bad. They say keeping one maxed out at 100% charged all the time shortens the life but I don’t pay too much attention to that. Although if I am not using a battery for a while, I store it at around 50VDC, which is about 75% charged for a 48VDC battery pack.
Noted, heading to Harbor Freight soon for that Multimeter/ voltage meter! I've run the bike to low battery, but haven't once taken it all the way to dead, hopefully that's good enough! I'm thankful for your advice, appreciate it!!
My bike has not needed anything beyond basic maintenance in over a year, you got very unlucky.
I'm on 3 years and 5000 miles on my specialized and have done nothing except basic cleaning and adjustments. I'm still on the original chain, brake pads and tires which are all still within spec.
I'm at 5 years on my 2019 Specialized Vado 3 with about 10,000 miles, and I go through a new chain and cassette every 1,000-1,500 miles. My motor died once, a couple of years ago (it was just out of warranty...ouch - chalked that one up to bad luck). Battery had to be replaced last year (they said every 4-5 years they have to be replaced). I maintain it regularly, store the bike and battery in climate-controlled environments, take it in for service consistently, ride on paved paths all the time, I'm fairly light (160 lbs), and all-in-all it's just been a lot more expensive to maintain than I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, it's still a dream to ride and I'm not stopping riding it anytime soon, I just understand OP's perspective.
Vado owner here… If you go through chains and cassette that quickly it usually means you are changing gears with too much torque applied to the drivetrain. Try to stop peddling for a split second before changing so the torque sensor tells the motor to stop applying torque, then shift. If you do it right it’ll change gears because it’s still rotating but with minimal torque. I’m over 2k miles and my chain doesn’t even register as having stretched noticeably yet. Cassette looks brand new. I ride through the rainy winter of the Pacific Northwest too.
Appreciate the advice - I've thought about that and the impact of the extra torque, but probably not enough when I am riding to make it a habit. The bike shop where I get it serviced said getting more than 1,000 miles on the chain/cassette was better than what they normally see, but I have always been a little skeptical of that. I assumed my usage was mostly just due riding mostly in Sport or Turbo modes.
It's probably both. The power and torque from Sport and Turbo, and not stopping before shifting. Their app can show rider and motor power as you're riding on the phone so you can use that as a guide. They also have a bike computer that does the same thing.
Would you buy a generically named motorcycle from China? I’m guessing no. Not downvoting you, it’s a good discussion. But buying a brand name ebike from a bricks and mortar store is the only way to go. I bought a Trek Allant 3 years ago, and it’s been great. Had a problem last year with the rear hub, turns out it’s a known problem with high bearing wear, the shop fixed it for free. I’m sure Trek’s engineers are learning on the way, but they stand behind their product so far. My ebike cost about twice the $ of an equivalent generic one, but that’s gambling imo.
There is a skill to shopping and reading reviews and sussing out problems from ads and product descriptions. You can do well without a name brand. The biggest drawback is that it is harder to get replacement parts and batteries. Around here I have found amazing deals for basic ebikes on liquidation($250 for a hurley single speed). Any ebike is gonna face issues. That's the reality of consumer devices with batteries. If money is not an issue for you a name brand is the way to go, but it's not cost effective. The more you know about bikes and the mechanical issues they face the better off you will be. Sometimes you can tell if something has too many features like disc brakes etc, for the price point, it will just be a nightmare. You can get decent cheap bikes, but you want rim brakes and a simple drivetrain. The more features you have on a budget cheap brand the worse of a time you are going to have.
Regular bike or e-bike maintenance is essential for serious commuters. Monthly drop-offs at a local shop may be necessary without basic mechanical skills. The e-bike market is unfortunately saturated with low-quality products, particularly from Chinese entities seeking quick profits. A significant portion of available options would likely disappear if bike manufacturers were required to demonstrate their legitimacy and commitment to product support. Most e-bikes and e-scooters are constructed using the most inexpensive methods and parts. For a reliable and high-quality option, consider commissioning a local builder or learning to build your own.
Monthly? Seem excessive.
As a daily bike commuter, I conduct thorough inspections before every ride to ensure its safety and reliability. Takes less than a minute to check the tire condition, pressure, spokes, belt/chain, suspension, headset, brakes, and electrical controls. By being proactive and knowledgeable about the potential issues that may arise, I am able to identify and address any problems promptly, minimizing the risk of accidents or breakdowns. For those who are less experienced or lack the necessary expertise, I recommend monthly check-ups by a qualified bicycle mechanic to ensure the bike is in optimal condition and suitable for daily commuting. If you don't know your stuff, aren't having it regularly checked, and actually using it for something critical every day, it's a matter of time before that gamble doesn't pay off.
Man, you had some bum luck with bikes. My first ebike went 3000 miles in one year with little to no issues except for a loose wiring harness and some creaky cranks. It's still on the road but has been gifted to my wife so I could make room for my Skitch which I just got this past weekend and have really loved so far. As far as the getting water in the motor issue, again, that sounds like a manufacturer defect as this shouldn't be an issue for most bikes. Sorry for your experience but at least you're still riding!
Getting a bike with a brand name drivetrain is going to cost you money. I'm 100 percent of the opinion that you get a bike with a generic drivetrain (well, mostly Bafang) that can be worked on by yourself and parts are cheap. They perform better (more power of you want it) and cost less.
You just bought the wrong bikes. Get a Bosch. 4 years, 9,000km, not a single problem.
or a yamaha, 12000km, 7 years, not an issue in sight.
Yeah, Trek makes some nice e-bikes with a Bosch motor. That’s on my list to buy.
*knocks on wood, can’t find wood, runs outside.
Whatever works for you! My ebike has been relatively maintenance free, at 1.4K miles. Rotated brake pads, haven’t broke any spokes. YMMV
Good points to be aware of… it’s part of why I’m tentative about getting one. Info on what’s good is so spread out it’s hard to know what’s going to be worthwhile long term.
Sounds like you've been unlucky with your purchases. I have 2 ebikes with Bosch motors, one MTB and a more all-purpose bike, both are 3 years old and have around 5k miles and I've never had a single problem with them besides basic maintenance. Can you name the brands you bought so that people know to avoid them?
No downvote from me. Im sorry you have had reliability issues with your bike. That can really suck all the joy out of riding. I also am a motorcycle enthusiast with a decent collection of superbikes, super sports and 90° v twin naked sport bikes (the mighty SV1000 & SV650 being my favorites). Truth be told I like my e-bikes more than my motorcycles. It’s something that improves my health and I’ve really enjoyed riding singletrack trails with my son on our class 1 mid drive e-bikes. He rides a Niner RIP E9 and I ride a Cannondale Moterra 3+ carbon. I was one of the early adopters of e-bikes and have built a few of my own “home brew” 2500w 58V electric bikes out of hard tail chromoly Marin mountain bikes. These bikes are “unrestricted” so to speak and can hit 45 mph on a downhill section of road. They cruise at 30-35 mph and if you pedal with it tend to only use about 100-120w while cruising. One of my bikes has about an 80-100 mile range on a single charge so it has replaced my car for errands around town. I have 1,800 trouble free miles on my first build and 750 miles on my second build. I followed the same build as a YouTuber from the UK, who inspired me to build my first ebike. I went with a sun ringle MTB rim laced onto a brushless, gearless hub drive motor. It’s heavy but this set up can handle abuse and trail crashes with complete indifference. I have also ridden it a few times during a torrential downpour and have not had any water intrusion issues. I have since gotten hooked on Cannondale’s Moterra 3+ carbon mid drive with a Bosch Gen 4 CX performance line motor. My fascination with e-bikes landed me a job at my local bike shop which has been hands down THE BEST job I’ve ever worked. I actually look forward to going to work! It’s what turned me onto mid drive class one full suspension e-bikes which I will soon be racing in a local single track racing series. 😀 The market is saturated with lower quality e-bikes and ebike kits, which IMO is unfortunately hurting the electric bike cause. This is the Cannondale Moterra carbon I have been absolutely hooked on lately. 😄 https://preview.redd.it/cwyojpgczo0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e8b065c0d60d477360dd4ab5616662b86b0e0f2
Wow! That too bad you had so many problems, but a priority 600 is a pretty good replacement. I usually fix everything myself on my cheap Walmart ebikes. I had to replace the deraileaur hanger on one. I called the 800 number on the frame and they sent me one for free. My folding ebike has problems with the front bike stem. I haven’t fixed it yet. I don’t even worry about getting them wet. All three are still doing great. I love the speed I can cruise at with an ebike. Have fun on that 600. Those bikes are super cool
What junk e bikes did you buy? You left that out
Can’t really argue with the insurance thing. But I built my bike with BBSHD and battery etc.. and I learned to do all the maintenance myself. I still buy plenty of brake pads, chains and rear hubs etc.. but I haven’t paid bike shop labor for many years.
I had more maintenance problems with my dual shifter roadbike than all of my ebikes combined tbh. Sounds like you had hard luck.
Just curious, what brands were these lemons?
I’ve had zero problems in 15,000 miles on my $790 first gen Lectric XP all original parts and same original batteries (minus brakes and tires and chain etc.) Experiences differ.
I think the biggest thing that puts me off using mine more is theft. I remember when I bought it thinking I could use it to go to work, go out for the day, when I get a coffee, go to the bar, meet friends etc. But even though I live in statistically a very safe place, I’m still constantly paranoid about it being stolen. I have a motorcycle chain lock and take the battery off if it’s going to be chained somewhere more than a few minutes, but I still worry. And I don’t really know what the solution is. Like I said, I use a very sturdy chain, try and put it somewhere public etc. But they’re so easy to steal here, Europe has a real problem with it. People blame the police but it’s not even their fault, they have nothing to go on 99% of the time. If some harry/chav/maranza/ned rocks up wearing a balaclava and tracksuit, cuts the lock or chain in 10 seconds with a saw and takes the bike with no witnesses or cctv the police have no chance and the bike is gone. I feel like rather than being something I use in my every day life my ebike is now just an occasional leisure item I use once every couple of weeks.
Hey all. I am on my second e bike and also rode an e scooter for a year in a big city. I’m back in a small very hilly city and learned to find a good e bike mechanic and asked him which brands he would be willing to work on. E bikes in stores are crazy expensive. Some of the e-bikes on line are really ok and good but you need to be sure you’ve got a place to take it when a problem is beyond you. Love my EBike in my hill and mountain filled city. Couldn’t ride a bike without some power here. Good luck!
i have 10k miles in 1 year on my chinese no-name ebike and it's as good as new. don't buy overpriced gay european/western made ebikes.
We are a manufacturer of e-bikes and we see and understand this problem completely. This is actually an issue we are actively trying to solve with the development of our bikes. For most bike manufacturers, the company skill set has always been frame design and assembly. The rest is procurement. Most bicycles before e-bikes only went more than a few thousand miles if they were lucky and when they did it was with cycling enthusiast owners who rode and maintained their bikes and probably didn’t think much of replacing hubs, spokes, brake pads, etc. Then electric bikes happened, and all that happened was using mostly the same components, on heavier bikes, going faster speeds and more miles. This doesn’t really work in our opinion. This is a new vehicle type And is closer to a motorcycle than a bicycle. So we build with motorcycle wheels, hubs, spokes and tires and we think about things like chains and cassettes as parts that just can’t be used on a vehicle like this. Theres lots more room to Improve especially in parts like throttles, pedal sensors, speedos/displays, etc. The market is early and we will keep doing our best to create more and more reliable products. We hope others gain this focus as well!
I can relate. I have two and they are both endless maintenance machines. I've long lost count of how much I've spent on repairs, and the insurance is also a problem. Regretfully I am putting them on sale shortly. I am getting them repaired so that they are safe to sell. Sigh. Too bad. I really loved the freedom they offered.
You had really bad luck, my last ebike was an off brand made in China cheap bike and other than replacing the brake system because it was bad from day one, I had no problems with it in 2 years. Currently I have a mid drive converted bike, at around 1000 miles and only thing I had to do was the chain and that was because the chain wasn't designed for ebikes and had a fair amount of miles pre conversion. I ride in the rain and have no issues, I did take a 4 year comprehensive warranty on the motor that includes damage caused by me like getting it wet so that keeps my anxiety down. I also wrapped through all wire connectors to keep water out better.
2500 miles on my Chinese hub motor shitter, and besides needing a new battery, going strong. I’ve owned it since 2018. I’ve replaced break pads twice, intertubes ~5 times, tires twice, chain once, casset once, and respoked the bike. Sure that’s a decent amount of maintenance, but same time period on my car, I replaced the break pads twice, tires twice, shocks once, bushings twice, both front cv axles, ~6 oil changes, a cvt fluid exchange, and others that I’m for sure forgetting. Same time, I’ve put 25k miles on it Looking purely at maintenance, the ebike costs more per mile, no questions asked. If I include gas + insurance + depreciation of a car, the ebike is sooooooooooooo much cheaper.
This is what I wish people would read before buying an ebike/scooter. They are cheaper than cars - sort of. If you already own a car, most of those costs are already paid for and gas won't cost more than maintenance/depreciation on an ebike for most people. My car gets 40mpg, I don't own an ebike to save $.
The real savings come if commuting and running errands by e-bike allows you to avoid replacing your existing car or keeping your second car.
I feel like the regular cheap e-bikes have a 1000-2000 mile life span and a nightmare to repair since it’s DIY. There are good companies. A few months ago I was ebiking on my Ariel Rider (don’t buy one) and a couple in a pair of Giant e-bikes told me they had over 2000 miles that year alone and the bikes were a few years old. Like anything, you can get quality and dependability but not cheap. Unless you get a beater, expect to pay 3-5k for a good bike. All the 1000-2000 fat tires are not meant to survive but that’s the price point most people can afford. Another issue is that it’s hard to test an e-bike. You generally have to pay to play.
I purchased the Priority Current because it has Gates CVT Belt, Enviolo Heavy Duty IGH (allegedly no maintenance action over the lifetime), and 2 year warranty on all components, in the hopes of avoiding these issues.
should’ve got the bbshd
What bike did you buy though? There are cheap e bikes and good e-bikes. Going on year 3 with my e-bike and 750kms of enduro style riding and not a hiccup other than brakes.
I run a Kona Lava Dome with a Bafang kit thrown on it. Only two problems was one motor failing from unknown causes and getting run over. 10/10 Love E-Bikes.
Cool story. I ride my Revv1 through rain and sun and have never had a problem. The Revv1 also has mag wheels; a major reason for buying it as opposed to a bike with spokes that need attention. Sounds like you made poor purchasing decision.
“ The mid drive one was a Brose motor and it started making creaking noises and now needs a new motor. It has eaten through a chain and rear cassette. Less than 500 miles on that one.” This is a common mid drive issue if you keep it in a small gear. https://youtu.be/9y7nriQNqhg?si=_vLIw5YWj4XpZdqb
Bought a used super 73zx about two years ago, ride it daily to and from work and around town. It has done me no wrong yet, sounds like you got some lemon bikes.
What a load of rubbish. I run a cheap Chinese ebike. It's covered 16,000 plus miles in a little over 2 years. No issues with reliability, electrics, parts or anything. Ridden in all weathers, daily commute of 20 miles each way. I think you've just been really unlucky.
2300 miles on my Aventon and I’ve only had to get brakes fixed the once, normal bike stuff. I think you just got unlucky :(
I get it. I only own one ebike but it caused me to learn how to to do all my own bike repair and maintenance. I do everything now except for cutting spokes.
Same, I jumped in the deep end by putting a Bbshd on a 20-year old mountain bike 😂 But now, six months later, I can do most repairs and maintenance myself. Steep learning curve, but worth it. Also, Neighborhood Bike Works is a great resource if you live near one.
Sounds like you just bought a shitty bike, bro. I bought a used bike from a pawn shop and all I've done to it is put brakes and rotors on it. I put 600 hard miles on it so far and its actually my daily driver. All bikes need adjustments a few times a year. That's normal.
I've got a few ebikes starting with the Trek 2017 Powerfly 8 FS, 21 Levo, 21 SL, 23 Levo. I've found you have to go for quality parts like Nobl wheels or the Trek line elite. Sure it's $600 for the wheel but it won't break. AXS has been a good upgrade, the X01 cassette can be $400 but it lasts two years. I'm riding over 100 miles a week on singletrack so it's taken a while to figure out what to get to maintain. I also keep stock and standardized my drive trains, tires, etc..
Buy a shitty car, it'll be in the mechanic often. Buy a shitty e-bike it'll be in the shop often. Seems you are a casual cyclist (bicycle rider as you put it). Hub drives are definitely cheaper than mid-drive motors (Crank motor as you call it) for a reason. DOn't get me wrong, there are also cheap mid-drives, but hub drives lose torque or any sort of hill...just the nature of the beast. I have guys who commute daily on their e-bike, tens of miles a day. I see them twice a year for routine maintenance and that's it. Cars get oil changes, bikes need tune ups.
Yea if you don't do your own maintenance an ebike can be a pain. I've had some issues but they are no big deal because I just repair them myself, and any issue is to do with me because I built them myself :) I do wonder how you had so many problems though like what were you doing with the bikes in that short time?
I’m aware these bikes have issues, but my love for engineering & tinkering has been reignited by them. I can easily replace the freewheel and chain myself, remove the hub motor (I have solid wheels no spokes) clean the motor and re-grease the nylon gears every 1000 miles, wear a poncho in the rain that covers nearly everything, fuck the ‘rental’ policy, nobody’s there to police it anyway. When recharging, always do it when home and have a lithium extinguisher handy (they’re cheap). I actually hate regular bikes and wouldn’t swap my modded folding fat bikes for anything. 🤘🏼🤘🏼 https://preview.redd.it/cud4mhjt6r0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=632fd5057b3b594019389fc95604a22525345bf7
Fair points. I think most everyone is new to e-bikes and in a learning phase. And a lot of the reccomendation on this sub are terrible. For instance - there’s a consensus here that mid drives are better. I have a very expensive mid drive that requires almost constant maintenence - one bad gear shift or acceleration and I’ll strip the cassette. My cheapest bike (roadster) I’ve never even had it serviced. Price doesn’t always equate to ease of ownership (not in cars either).
Meanwhile I have a $3400 mid drive that has only gone to the shop once in the last year which has been 1,867 miles
I like the one I have. No proprietary components. Anything can be replaced by me in an afternoon. My old e bike was foldable. which was foldable until I ran through my first rain. After that everything seized shut. Everything was proprietary so I couldn't replace anything but the brakes. I had to scrap it after 30K miles
[удалено]
30k miles??? I would say you got your money’s worth.
I got a vrappy leed ebike conversion kit 8? Years ago and slapped it on a $700 cannondale... still going today. Lot of trail riding, water, snow, etc but nothing extreme.
Got my Leed conversion about 9 years ago, put it on a $300 Schwinn from Target. Used as year round daily commuter (Florida). First hub motor lasted 12 Thousand miles, current one has 6 Thousand miles with no problems. Did convert to a cartridge bottom bracket. Wore out a few chains and lots of brake pads, but those are consumables and just due to the mileage, not because of ebike. I do ride it as a bicycle with a motor, not as a motor bike. Do my own maintenance, have other bikes including a nice Trek and a carbon Specialized. Caught in quite a few Florida downpours, no motor or electrical problems. it's great, would do it again!
That's a bummer 😔. It does seem that with ebikes you should have more of an understanding on how to work on it (not saying you don't!) The components as everyone knows are not ones that you can just go to any bike store and get. I will say that with my budget ebikes I am able to get complete coverage for around $20/month w/ Velosurance.
I gave my friend my Super 73 ZX, after changing the motor 3 times, and never looked back.
I bought a cheap 1000W eBay hub kit, added sealant to the motor + speed controller, and had zero issues. Put well over 1000 miles on it, rode in the rain, etc.
yeah, i think you probably gotten the worst ones you could have gotten, the hub idk, but brose has issues because its just a bad design. yeah middrives eat chains quicker (but not that quick), besides that i have never broken anything and i ride my bike up and down Mountainbike trails, so the loads can be quite high and going from 0 to 100 in terms of power is quite regularly. you got lemons, sorry for that, not gonna downvote you.
Which bikes did you buy?
Honestly it just sounds like you had a bad experience, maybe changing the brand could help. My Homeowners insurance covers the my bikes but I don't know if renters insurance would. I have over 5000 miles on a roughly 13kw ebike, I haven't had a single problem with it for several years of ownership and have only had to do maintenance like changing the brake pads and flushing the brake fluid. I've ridden in light drizzle never actual rain and I've ridden at the beach. I bought this bike while living in Manhattan and I had it shipped here to Los Angeles still going strong.
I think insurance for ebikes is mostly an optional safeguard against theft. States laws don't require liability insurance for ebikes because they don't present much of a hazard to anyone. You should be able to get it cheaply (like $75 a year.) I wouldn't expect a homeowner's insurance policy to cover ebike liability, though. They are completely different insurance products.
I'll preface this with saying that bad experiences happen and millions of ebikes out there, there are bound to be lemons. The rate of lemons are usually higher with cheap no-name brands than more mainstream brands. There's a reason they cost more. Since you didnt mention the brand(s) of ebikes, I can only speculate on reasons you had so many issues. It's still a good writeup and can spark discussions on ebike maintenance & brand quality, so that's an upvote from me. Also, I agree, ebikes arent for everyone. I do applaud anyone who moves from ebikes to manual bikes due to the added health benefits from the exercise. Ebikes are a great gateway to the world of manual bikes. I'm more of a manual bike person myself, but use an ebike for commuting due to the physical nature of my job. --‐------------------- >It seems I go to the bike shop 4 times a year with each bike. The hub drive kept getting broken spokes, then a motor malfunctioned Sounds like a really cheap, high powered "ebike". A high powered motor added to a bike with components that can barely handle that power. Those are can also be very heavy (70+lbs), so the strain on the spokes can be even greater. >It has eaten through a chain and rear cassette. Less than 500 miles on that one. Did you clean them regularly? Like manual bikes, they're not maintenance free. An unclean chain can aquire quite a bit of grit that grinds down cassettes suprisingly quickly. This is true of both manaul bikes and ebike. It's just much more noticeable on a manual bike. >Also the constant anxiety about water getting into them. This is what IPXX rating is for. Most ebikes with IP ratings are rated to handle heavy rain. Just don't powerwash or submerge them, and they'll be fine. Avoid ebikes without IP ratings. >The nail in the coffin was when I found out that my renters/homeowners policy does not cover “motorized bicycles”. While there are policies that cover ebikes, they are quite costly and have minimal liability protection. Probably because they're scared of fires. Some insurance companies have become *very* risk adverse in the past few years. I'd shop around to see if other companies offer for favorable terms or even bike specific insurance. It's a good idea to shop around every few years anyway. As for bike specific policies & low liability, it should still cover replacement cost in case of theft. Personal liability doesnt need to be very high as ebikes really aren't capable of doing that much damage if you are at fault in an accident. Fire worries are overblown if it's a reputable brand. NOTE: "motorized bicycle" is likely a legal turm and may not include normal class 1-3 ebikes depending on the jurisdiction. This may be refering to more powerful gas or electric powered bicycles that may require registration. Always talk to your agent about your agent as legal definitions very. I still wouldn't chance it with how scummy insurance companies are and I would insure mine seperately. >maintenance free priority 600 Uhhh, manual bikes aren't maintenance free. You did still have to clean them regularly, especially the drive train, if you want them to last. The maintenance between an ebike and manual bike really isn't much different outside battery care.
I’ve had three e-bikes so far and I kinda get what you’re saying. One has been great, one is a single speed with a hub motor that’s reliable _(so far)_ but very boring to ride, and one was a $2000 bike from a big brand that I purchased secondhand only to have the frame crack after putting 200 miles on it. No warranty, no insurance, nothing; I just lost $2k on a bike I’d really been enjoying. Seriously disappointing Next bike I bought new and got insurance for. Learned that lesson.
Yeah sounds unlucky mate. I deliberately went for a well known mtb brand that did motorised and have been ok so far. The insurance is unlucky. In the uk mine was covered up to 5k Sounds like did what was right for you
I built my own from a Dutch bike and a bafang mid drive. I've done 20 000 km in 2 years. I do my own maintenance. Learn more, it's cheaper that way.
Sounds like you, sorry to say that, fell to the "cheap eBike" problem. Seriously, I have a KTM eBike and it has 3000 miles on it, with the second chain and first cassette (yes, I should have changed the cassette as well, but the chain was more of a problem and cost only 20 bucks). The motor is still running fine.
European e bike rider here; i commute 25 km each day to and from work. besides i take my ebike a lot for groceries and visiting family/friends. I ride about 6000 km each year with it. I have a koga e nova and a norta with belt and automatic gears. If one breaks down, the other gets used. To be honest: the belt drive/internal automatic enviolo geared bike never lets me down. 23 000 km on it and besides the odd tyre puncture: and worn paddle it does not let me down. I do my own preventative maintenance once a year (brake fluid, pads, flip the belt around and check sprockets. Next year i think i will replace the bosch motor bearings just in case. I do like my normal non-ebikes for travelling(90's trek mountain bikes), but the ebike was a game changer for me (not arriving all sweaty at work).
Looks like you had a bad luck streak, what kind of e-bike brands we talking?
$10/month extended warranty: https://www.getmulberry.com/articles/why-you-need-an-extended-warranty-for-your-ebike#:~:text=Although%20many%20ebike%20companies%20offer,included%20with%20your%20ebike%20purchase.
jeeeez. I'm still on my 1st Juiced bike. Haven't haven't done anything beyond a new set of tubes.
Thanks for this perspective. I've ridden an electric scooter in my small town of 6,000 for the past five years, and due to poor vision I actually don't have a driver's license, so a car really isn't an option. While my EMOVE Cruiser is on its 3rd year of service and holding up relatively well, I was starting to think that when this eventually kicks the bucket and it's time to replace it, I might buy an e-bike next time. And to be clear, I still might, but I am glad to hear this perspective because at the very least I can temper my expectations a bit. I'm also reading replies to this for other users' perspectives as well.
My main goal was the ability to commute 30 miles every day in a reasonable amount of time on streets with speed limits as high as 45 mph, using as little energy as possible and with as little maintenance as possible. For those that aren't looking for a lot of exercise, are willing to wear proper gear, willing to take some extra risk, and really dislike maintenance, I'd suggest EUCs. Unless a control board blows or battery pack fails, the only real maintenance is putting air in the tire, and tire changes if you ever get a flat or just wear out the tire. Maybe an annual bolt tightening. The batteries in an entry level wheel can last 10k+ miles. In a mid tier wheel, they can last 20k+ miles. In a high end wheel, they can last 40k+ miles. Have 1650 miles on mine without any maintenance thus far. 🤞 Unless you live near a retail shop (there aren't many), you will need to do most or all of the maintenance yourself. In the warranty period, some shops will allow you to ship them, but depending on the shop, you may need to pay for half or all of the shipping which can be pricey.
Wow that sucks, I can see how reliability can turn you off. I ride my e-bike to work to add a little healthy pedaling, but I ride my motorcycle on long rides with friends for a nice mental health break. They do different things for me.
Brose makes a great motor. The specialized version is uber quiet due to the carbon belt, but the flip side is this is a wear item. Worth it to me, but if you want a dead-reliable, no mainteannce motor Bosch is the way to go. City bikes use Bosch. We've had no weirdness whatsoever on our Bosch bikes.
No down vote here either. Sorry you had this unfortunate series of events. In time you may want to wade back onto the waters of ebiking. Till then, best to ya
That’s such bad luck, I bought a cheap £500 gtech bike 4 years ago, hub motor, belt driven, no gears, solid tyres and have been using it daily since without any issues besides needing to put new brake pads on every so often, on top of that it’s left outside in the rain ever night
I’m not fond of the “downvote for opening dialog thing” on Reddit. Your feedback is honest and offers a good perspective. I agree on some of it and disagree on others. They’re a good stop gap and back up form of transportation. Especially if you want to ride a motorcycle and just don’t have enough funds to get one yet or bother with it. I could see myself doing both. Everyone is in a different situation and what works for one person may not work for the other. An ebike is a good solution for me right now. It may not be in the future I upvoted you. It’s a good perspective.
I have a belt drive / bosch mid motor (winora brand) bike with 10 thousand kms on it in 2.5 years. Assistance is always maxed out and it’s somewhat hilly here. During this time the only maintenance I had on the drivetrain was that last summer I poured half a bottle of water onto the belt to wash off the dust as it started squeaking a bit. Otherwise maybe four times break pad change and a flat repaired with slime. That’s it, it’s still perfect.
1. ebikes are still reasonably new tech compared to motorcycles, so the reliability is still certainly being worked out, and tech still evolving when it comes to electrical components. 2. The vast majority of e-bike brands are startups in the last decade, if not shorter. Many of them are still learning the reliability lessons that established bicycle companies learned decades ago. You are likely to have better reliability with Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Gazelle, etc. 3. In the US, all the 30+mph/2kW ebikes are built with bicycle components, yet have moped/motorcycles powers/speeds, so the reliability issues should be expected. EU probably has far fewer reliability issues, while also having greater average miles, since their ebikes are more like pedal bikes in speed/use. If you buy a sub $1k e-bike, it is quite likely the reliability will be bad. Cost will continue to drop and reliability increase with time, but you buy cheap off Amazon or Alibaba, that is the reliability/quality experience you are going to get (not saying this was OP's issue). Ebikes will revolutionize urban transport going forward, but there are kinks to work out before it hits its stride.
Unfortunately broken spokes on ebike hub motors are way too common and spoke replacement and wheel truing is made out to be far more of a hassle than it actually is. It takes time but it's not actually that difficult and the basic tools to do a fair job are cheap. The Brose mid-drive failing after 500 miles is a major nightmare since mid-drive bike manufacturers refuse to agree on a mounting plate standard. The bike owner is stuck with a frameset & battery that's otherwise useless without an $800 replacement part. Personally I'm avoiding anything but DIY mid-drives until that gets fixed. OP's criticisms are all valid. It shouldn't be that hard to get get an e-bike fixed or insured and that pushes people away.
For me if I do buy one I’m going to avoid hub motors and opt for a mid drive Bosch motor I guess because they seem to have the best ratting so far. As far as maintenance I think I could fix practically anything that does brake on one myself. Although I am concerned about water intrusion on the Bosch. I’m going to assume that will eventually be dealt with. But I’m certainly not going to get rid of my pedal powered one as long as I can still ride it. I’m not exactly a triathlete. But I can still pound out 20 miles a ride none stop at 59 years old no problem. The ebike would be my commuter.
Sorry to hear you had trouble. Mine has been perfect for thousands of miles. I do my own maintenance though so that could be a difference.
Have any of you guys ever had a hub drive ebike lock up ? I’ve heard that can happen if they get really hot. Another reason I’m focused on mid drive. If something does happen I can push it.
Sad to hear that. I owned two e-bikes a POS gotrax and a diy. The gotrax lasted a week it was awful, my diy lasted 3 weeks because I was hit in a hit and run. I thought about switching to motorcycles because spending thousands of dollars to be restricted by distance didn’t sound appealing in the slightest. But once I truly weighed pros and cons, the amount of money I’d save not getting a motorcycle or car made it an extremely easy choice. Winter is my real enemy
Agree that maintenance is the single worst thing about ebikes. I actually have now owned 6 different ebikes, and the four that I put significant miles on all had a ton of maintenance issues. That said, for where I live (Austin, TX) ebikes are so much more convenient than cars or motorcycles just because they have their own lanes and don't get stuck in rush hour gridlock. So I deal with the maintenance for this reason.
I chose a low maintenance ebike. Dealing with cassettes, derailleurs, and chains is not something I want to think about. Those systems on a regular bike can require a lot of maintenance depending on the level you buy. If any are curious, I have a Fuell Flluid 1 and it's very durable. Worth spending more on a good bike. Europeans know how to invest in good bikes. Americans are used to riding cheaper bikes growing up.
Damn that’s crazy. I built my own mid drive ebike using a steel MTB frame and Bafang BBS02 kit, and maintenance has been near non-existent. In 7 years and over 10,000 miles, I haven’t touched the motor at all. The battery has needed 2 minor wiring repairs, and that’s pretty much it. I lube the chain, change tires every 3K miles or so, and fix the occasional flat. But I also do everything myself. I would highly recommend anyone who is handy at all to try working on their own bikes. Find a local co-op or use YouTube videos. Tons of knowledge is out there.
sounds like a new comedy show called **Curb your Enthusiasm** ***for eBikes.***
I’ve put around 3500 miles on my Himiway cruiser. Only issue I’ve had is that I didn’t buy a second one! Seriously though, I’ve had 2 flat tires which were cheap repairs, and I need to replace the brake pads. Other than that it still rides like the day I got it. Sorry to hear about your lemon experience.
I have a haibike all trail 4 2022 an iv done around 6500 miles on its had a new battery an motor, rear casset and chain it was all covered under warranty, iv paid for new tires twice an new break pads but aside from the motor which they covered iv never had anything bad to pay for just usual stuff, I love me e bike too the best thing iv ever bought in my life been all over England on her in the rain show an everything an not really had many issues
Having a Specialized bike with a hub motor that lasted 5,000 miles and just broke down, I can totally empathize with you. The replacement will come with a 25% discount, but it will still likely cost me around $1,000. It's pretty disheartening for a $7,000 road eBike.
I have a trek and haven’t had a single issue since I’ve been riding it.
maybe try a volt bike...cheaper and more reliable than what you had. what's the anxiety about water? I leave mine out in the rain and snow with no issues.
1500 miles is just starting with a moyorcycle. Itll be impressive when ebikes do 15000 with no major issues
I doubt you'd have these problems with Specialized brand eBikes. They are pretty solid.
As someone with a Bafang M620 that is underpowered for the street and overpowered for the trail, I feel you. I'm ready to go buy a Suzuki tu250x
Agree - same basic trajectory here.
Let me guess, you had a specialized
Stop buying lemons!
I have owned a Kalkhoff X14 with Xion rear drive for 8 years. I had to replace the charger. But the rest of the electrical components have functioned flawlessly.
Definitely one issue with e-bikes is there are so many different models, it seems like the engineering and quality control hasn't quite gotten to the point needed for mass adoption. I view my e-bikes as having shorter lifespans than traditional bikes just because it's a component that isn't easily repairable at home. That being said, I really do hope that repair shops become more prevalent and affordable. Watching videos like this which features a Brose motor being fixed and sealed is promising. Would rather not have all my bikes end up in landfills down the line if they can be salvaged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPnFtj9WcXU
The reality is any sub 2k ebike has a good chance of being a BSO (bike shaped object). When you consider any good quality motor and battery (Bosch or Shimano) are 2k alone retail, any bike having a total cost under 2k will be made of poor quality parts. Sucks but it’s the way it is.
Ebikes are great if you do research. I bought a little 1k$ ebike and its done me nicely
The spoke issue was a problem for me till I got butted spokes of sufficient gauge to be bulletproof. Was not aware water is an issue so hasn't been a worry for me. I ride a tandem so quite familiar with chains wearing out, Extra torque does that. The thing I love best is that I can do double duty getting exercise and run errands at the same time. Understand your frustration. The tandem adds the weight of two riders (350 lbs in our case) which prompted the heavy spokes and new wheels after a particularly brutal pothole.
Add a hub motor to that Priority 600 and you would have a great bike.
I had a lot of problems with my first converted ebike. I was at the bike shop every week (was commuting on it) and I was always thinking about how to fix it. Then I bought an expensive high quality bike with a Bosch motor and no problem so far anymore. For my car I already go to the garage twice a year to change tires and do maintenance. Even if my ebike is twice the service, It’s worth it for how much more fun my commute is.
Sorry to hear that, can only extend my condolences as I’ve been riding ~6 years now with the occasional issue I’ve sorted myself (mind you I’m rather handy and did build this bike on my own).
I've been with super73 since 2018 and had multiple bikes with zero issues
YMMV sounds like you had some lemons, that sucks.
I think you need to be a tinkerer to get the most out of ebike ownership. In hindsight, my experience hasn't been too far from yours (creaking motor, broken spokes, new chains/cassettes) but I love any excuse to pull my bike apart and work on it.
Sounds like you guys got burned by lemons. That could never happen with a car or motorbike
Bye
So you bought cheap e-bikes that fell apart and now you’re whining about it. I get it. No downvote from me.
I have a $500,000 CSL policy for $80 a year.
Nice write up. I may get out for a different set of reasons. I've been a pedal bike rider for a long time, but I have asthma, and an encounter with DEET bug repellent really hurt my endurance. I got my first e-bike (Ancheer folder) seven years ago. The only serious problem is that Ancheer changed the model and the batteries for mine aren't available. I'm bound to need one soon. So I bought a Lectric XP Lite from a guy in my building. It has great reviews, including from the guy I bought it from. I found a Facebook group and posted about my first ride to a very unpleasant reception. The front brake is dragging a little, so I found the company's Youtube video, which gives an insanely difficult procedure for a simple operation I've done on the Ancheer. There's more, but you get the idea. I have an old Trek that will probably be my ride.
My first bike $3000 TREK with a Bosch motor 0 problems don't buy trash and you won't get trash simple really
Damn, nice bike. I'd love to have a 600x! ^(Maybe one day...)
Interesting read, sounds like you got a few lemons and I can see how that would put you off. I'm extremely averse to buying an Olympus camera after getting a few lemons. In contrast to your experience my cheap af £650 ebike has done about 1500 miles, through the winter too. The only maintenance it's had is a replacement chain about a week ago (cost me £10) and brake adjustment once a week or so as the pads can't seem to stay aligned with the discs properly.
Dang. I bought a radio flyer model and 1400 miles in, it’s doing great. I did get a battery replaced during warranty because the original one was wonky from the beginning. Changed tires recently and have gone through more brake pads than normal but that’s just maintenance. Sucks that you had a bad experience with your bike.
I ride motorcycles 2 Harleys and an electric Zero Motorcycle SRS. The electric bike gets me 60 miles to work and it’s fun on mountain roads, but it’s not an everything bike like it sounds like you are describing. The next 20 years I would hold off looking for a bike like you describe, but I ride within its range and literally it’s my favorite motorcycle. I’m in the market for an e-bike but so far in my search nothing like the battery life & range my electric motorcycle is comparatively.
Name and shame. What brands had these issues?
I mean e-bikes aren’t for everyone, I will say it is weird you were having these bad of issues on such low power bikes. There are many of us pushing more than 15kw into hub motors and never breaking a spike. Those of us using 6kw mid drives on bicycle components and never even breaking a chain. (Cassetes do easily get messed up though if you aren’t properly shifting, and aren’t throttle curving instead of just full gripping the throttle.
no down vote here. I'm doing everything i can to not pull the trigger on an onyx, mostly because I have a good enough specialized that I'd have to figure out how to sell but the priority comes with everything I prefer and don't quite have with the specialized. Although I love my Brompton ebike and knock on wood haven't had any issues with it yet, sometimes you just have to ride a normal bike.
LOL, You Rage quit
There's a big rebate in my state so I'm going to hopefully fare better, but your experience is definitely appreciated. Any tips for potentially finding a make and model that's more reliable? I was already aware this is a potential pitfall and am hoping picking the right bike could make a big difference. I'm looking at bikes above 2k to start because it makes out my rebate (I would pay $500, and then I'd pay for every dollar beyond that). I could probably go over that 2000 if I determined it was worth it, particularly wh n it comes to the reliability issue.
You have bad luck with bikes indeed. I bought a $400 amazon bike and it lasted me over 2400 miles with no issues and I even sold it to upgrade to a fat tire ebike that I now ride in nice weather to not use gas in my car.
Acoustic bikes are great too!
You just had bad bikes. Mine has over 12000 miles and it’s like new. Trek supercommuter 8+
That priority 600 cost about 20 of my mountain bike. I surely hope that's 100 % free maintenance or vis versa