Allow Myself to Introduce . . . Myself

[Senior_Cruiser]

So I'm 60 years old and planning to retire in just 16 months at the age of 62, ( I started working at the age of 10). Despite that, I have very little in the way of savings and I'm SERIOUSLY Considering replacing my car with an E-Bike. Knowing that in just 11 Years all cars on the road will have to be Electric, and given the current average price of E-cars is around $60,000, the prices of E-cars 11 years from now will probably be double that!

The car I'm currently driving is a 2000, (yep, 23 years old) Volkswagen Jetta that I was barely able to purchase 5 months ago for $3,000. So far the engine, transmission and drive train are holding up well, but two weeks ago I had to take it in for 4 minor problems and it cost me a Whopping $1,049! Hell, I could have bought an inexpensive E-bike for that, which got me thinking about replacing my car with an E-bike.

I live in Ithaca, NY (google it) in an apartment building for seniors only, and I'm right on the main drag within easy riding distance of all of the big box stores, restaurants and grocery stores, my bank is just right across the street. The main part of Ithaca is flat as a pancake, it sits at the base of the lake surrounded by some steep hills which I would never really have to go out of the city under normal circumstances, but if I had a Dr. appointment, I can get Free rides through Medicare, and there is a bus stop right in front of my building, plus Taxis and Uber etc. The E-bike would just be for getting around town for groceries, bank and post office.

I've been watching lots of Youtube videos and have decided I want a small Cargo/Utility Bike, such as the "Radrunner 3", or the "Fiido T1", or the "Velotric Go1", so far I'm leaning towards the Go1 as it is UL Certified, and the least expensive of the 3. I haven't decided if I should go ahead and buy one now as there are a lot of "Black Friday" Deals, or wait until spring since we are basically in winter right now. I want to be sure I get a good bike from a reputable company that has been in the business for a while and is NOT going to go out of business soon.

No Chinese Junk off of CRAPAZON for Me, Thank You!

if you can recommend any other models I should take a look at (from your own experience) please reply here.

Thanks

 

[DieselTech]

Welcome to the group! I thought all new rad power bikes coming from the factory were now UL certified.

 

[HumanPerson]

Hey, Welcome to the forums!

 

[Senior_Cruiser]

Hey, Welcome to the forums!

I like your nic HumanPerson

 

[Senior_Cruiser]

Welcome to the group! I thought all new rad power bikes coming from the factory were now UL certified.

I think I just saw a YouTube video yesterday that right now there are only 3 currently certified, and they are working on getting the rest certified.

 

[HumanPerson]

I like your nic HumanPerson

Thank you.
Do ya think Aliens may be future Humans?

 

[DieselTech]

Thank you.
Do ya think Aliens may be future Humans?

Maybe Humans are ancient aliens!

 

[Senior_Cruiser]

Thank you.
Do ya think Aliens may be future Humans?

Believe it or not, Yes. And I came up with that conclusion some 35-40 years ago long before 'Ancient Aliens' and other shows became popular.
I've had 2 UFO encounters back in the '70s and both sightings were witnessed by other people.

 

[Battery Powered]

Welcome to the forum. I don't know if waiting for spring or black Friday would be better?
We were in Binghamton a few weeks back and noticed a few ebike shops with end of season clearance sales going on, I know that's a drive from Ithica, but it might be worth calling local shops in your area and see what they are offering.
I think it's great if you can get rid of the car and do as your saying. I know we use our ebikes as much as we can instead of our truck.

 

[Hi Proof]

Welcome to the forums. Aliens? Beam me up Scotty

 

[Smaug]

Welcome, from Wisconsin!

Get rid of that old VW before it costs you more money. Germany no longer makes cars that are good to keep past about ten years. They will break you on parts cost alone.

If you want to avoid Chinese junk, you should avoid Velotric and Fiido. Rad costs more because they have US-based support that will actually help you in case of problems. Rather than save money on a cheaper brand, how about getting an older model of Rad that is still current? Rad 3s aren’t a good value.

In your situation, you might find a folding bike like Lectric XP 3.0 to be handy. You can easily bring it up to your apartment and fold it for easy storage. (Though they ARE heavy, at 65 lbs) It comes with a sturdy rack and fenders and a powerful electric system. This is often cited as the best value eBike for under a grand. Good American company.

Ride1up just introduced a competitor model, which is on sale for $900 right now. It’ll most likely go back up to $1k after Thanksgiving. This brand has a good reputation.

Either of the above two models had multiple mechanical speeds, so hill climbing isn’t out of the picture. You can downshift and help the motor out.

If you really are going to avoid hill climbing, I recommend the Lectric XP Lite, which only weighs 40 lbs. It’s a single speed, so it’s simpler. Doesn’t normally come with the rack and fenders, but I believe the current promotion does include them all for $750. On mine, I replaced the knobby tires with street tires, replaced the stock seat with the comfort seat + shock seat post and added the fenders. Great Bike.

 

[Senior_Cruiser]

You can easily bring it up to your apartment

OMG I live on the 14th Floor! Thank God my building has an Elevator!!!

Why do you think Velotric is Chinese junk? From the company's website
"We are Velotric, led by hardware co-founder of Lime, Adam Zhang. Our team members are the brilliant minds from iconic brands such as Lime, Giant, Specialized and Decathlon."

I've watched close to 100 different YouTube videos on many different cargo/utility bikes including the ones you've mentioned, and all of the Velotrics models get really good reviews.

Of all the forementioned bikes the Go1 has the most features in its price range, and the shortest overalls length which with fit in my elevator nicely, and it's UL certified . The Radrunner3 Plus is so far the only other model I would consider, but it's more than I care to spend.

 

[Smaug]

OMG I live on the 14th Floor! Thank God my building has an Elevator!!!

Why do you think Velotric is Chinese junk? From the company's website
"We are Velotric, led by hardware co-founder of Lime, Adam Zhang. Our team members are the brilliant minds from iconic brands such as Lime, Giant, Specialized and Decathlon."

I've watched close to 100 different YouTube videos on many different cargo/utility bikes including the ones you've mentioned, and all of the Velotrics models get really good reviews.

Of all the forementioned bikes the Go1 has the most features in its price range, and the shortest overalls length which with fit in my elevator nicely, and it's UL certified . The Radrunner3 Plus is so far the only other model I would consider, but it's more than I care to spend.

Maybe it’s shallow, but it’s owned by a guy named Zhang, and in my experience, Chinese cannot be trusted. They have a saying that translates as: “If you can trick someone, do it.”

I’ve no personal experience with them. So take it for what it’s worth.

You can’t rely on specs though; execution and QC are huge factors, which cost money.

Do you feel the reviewers are truly independent? Are they being gentle so they can get future review samples?

Just some things to think about.

 

[Rambo_Of_PA]

Here's a recommendation and its right in your neighborhood (I think):

Gorges Cycles - Ithaca, NY

7 reviews and 2 photos of Gorges Cycles "Ever since BikeRack in Collegetown closed, there really haven't been any bike shops near Cornell/Cayuga Heights in Ithaca. I was really happy to see that a new place had opened in the Triphammer Mall. Went in on a weekday afternoon and the owner, Tom...

www.yelp.com

stop by, try out some of the utility e-bikes they have and get a feel for how they ride....if they're a stand-up business they shouldn't have a problem letting you try them out or even rent one for a day.....that way you get an idea of what's out there and what might work for you....then you can make a better decision when you're ready.....

 

[Senior_Cruiser]

Here's a recommendation and its right in your neighborhood (I think):

Gorges Cycles - Ithaca, NY

7 reviews and 2 photos of Gorges Cycles "Ever since BikeRack in Collegetown closed, there really haven't been any bike shops near Cornell/Cayuga Heights in Ithaca. I was really happy to see that a new place had opened in the Triphammer Mall. Went in on a weekday afternoon and the owner, Tom...

www.yelp.com

stop by, try out some of the utility e-bikes they have and get a feel for how they ride....if they're a stand-up business they shouldn't have a problem letting you try them out or even rent one for a day.....that way you get an idea of what's out there and what might work for you....then you can make a better decision when you're ready.....

Here's a recommendation and its right in your neighborhood (I think):

Gorges Cycles - Ithaca, NY

7 reviews and 2 photos of Gorges Cycles "Ever since BikeRack in Collegetown closed, there really haven't been any bike shops near Cornell/Cayuga Heights in Ithaca. I was really happy to see that a new place had opened in the Triphammer Mall. Went in on a weekday afternoon and the owner, Tom...

www.yelp.com

stop by, try out some of the utility e-bikes they have and get a feel for how they ride....if they're a stand-up business they shouldn't have a problem letting you try them out or even rent one for a day.....that way you get an idea of what's out there and what might work for you....then you can make a better decision when you're ready.....

I just checked their website, all of their bikes are $3,000 to $12,000

 

[Battery Powered]

I would check them out anyway, get a look at whats out there. Maybe they can work a deal or have a gently used one.
The shop we purchased ours at had demo bikes they would sell at a discounted price.

 

[Rambo_Of_PA]

I just checked their website, all of their bikes are $3,000 to $12,000

You're in the investigative not purchasing phase.....rent one first so you gain an understanding of what's available and what may suit you....no one here is telling you to buy right away....

 

[pagheca]

So I'm 60 years old and planning to retire in just 16 months at the age of 62, ( I started working at the age of 10). Despite that, I have very little in the way of savings and I'm SERIOUSLY Considering replacing my car with an E-Bike. Knowing that in just 11 Years all cars on the road will have to be Electric, and given the current average price of E-cars is around $60,000, the prices of E-cars 11 years from now will probably be double that!

With all due respect, this is a widespread but baseless cliché that we should avoid repeating.

In the U.S. certainly things may be a little different, but what are considered in many European countries to be high performances electric vehicles cost no more at all than an EQUAL PERFORMANCE vehicle with an internal fuel engine. See for example here (retail price not including Government contributions and discounts).

In addition, many low-end vehicles costing around $15K are beginning to appear on the market, such as the Dacia Spring, Fiat 500E, and the upcoming Renault 5. Certainly the U.S. market loves SUVs, huge trucks etc. but I hope in the future you will start to adapt. Together with my wife, with a Kia Picanto 900 cc. two years ago almost made it to Nordkapp (Norway) starting from the Canary Islands and returning from Estonia: 13,700 km traveled aka 3 times Los Angeles - NYC (plus 150 hours of ferries), 13 borders crossed, spending really very little and having a lot of fun. We never suffered from the size of the car, and if it were up to us we would have no problem pushing even further but I had to return to work.

Moreover, what determines the cost of electric vehicles is in addition to the amortization of the investment required for their development that is still ongoing, is the cost of batteries, which have been falling rapidly for decades. So it is possible that the cost of electric vehicles will DECREASE in the future, rather than go up. Not least because otherwise it would be suicide on the part of European and U.S. manufacturers, and a gift to the Chinese.

 

[Smaug]

pagheca, it's a different culture in the USA. Most of us drive EVERYWHERE, as cities and suburbs usually are maintained with zero consideration to bikes or public transit.

In the last couple years, all car makers have stopped importing subcompact cars, so not only do we not have a 900c Kia Picanto, we don't even have the 1.2 L one, nor any Picanto at all. Honda has stopped the Fit, (1.5L) which was excellent. Toyota has stopped the Yaris. Hyundai Accent is no longer available in a hatchback. Chevrolet even stopped importing its Spark, which was a good little car.

In fact, hatchbacks are getting pretty rare, having been replaced with crossovers. (small SUVs) Everybody wants to sit higher, which hurts economy and handling.

Americans who would choose to drive a 900 cc hatchback are considered odd ducks or poor. Sensibility has given way to entitlement. Our choices of government are either too far left (liberal, giving "free" handouts and allowing too much immigration) or too far right. (favoring the rich and big business over all else, including the environment)

We are really going downhill, due to lack of education.

Proliferation of eBikes is the one bright spot.

 

[pagheca]

pagheca, it's a different culture in the USA. Most of us drive EVERYWHERE, as cities and suburbs usually are maintained with zero consideration to bikes or public transit.

I am aware of that. In fact, I wrote "certainly things could be a bit different".

But the culture can change if people start pushing and/or if external conditions change. However, there are plenty of fairly large vehicles in the list < $50,000 that cost like an equivalent internal combustion engine. The problem is that people compare large, expensive, luxury, high performance electric vehicles with cheap internal combustion vehicles. You do not need to buy a huge F150 to "go EVERYWHERE". A VW ID.4 (40335 €) with a range of 285 km will allow you to do 99.9% of your errands and some long trips thanks to charging stations.

(I deliberately avoid getting into political discussions here... )