dpnurse19
New member
There are SO many brands of eBikes now. Many of them are what I call "mushroom brands" out of China. They copy an existing design, build it in China, sell direct-to-consumer, then don't provide good service.
Reading here for awhile, they seem to be a crapshoot. Sometimes good, sometimes not.
Sometimes the brands get bigger and are OK in customer service. Sometimes, they disavow as soon as the package is shipped.
I don't consider myself a newbie any more, but even after riding hundreds of miles on many different bikes and eBikes, I only have experience with a handful of brands, as eBikes are expensive to buy and expensive to sell. (lots of depreciation)
The guys who DO have experience with dozens of brands are usually reviewing bikes for a living and may be in the manufacturer's pocket, hesitant to point out faults or to let them appear as major as they are. One example: My neighbor here at work bought a Himiway Cruiser because his in-laws have them and were happy with them. His came with a faulty seat clamp. Himiway offered to give him a replacement but shipping was $25, and they considered that to be warranty support. If it were a sponsored reviewer (oftentimes paid with letting them keep and resell the review bike) they would of course ship the part for free and ask the reviewer not to mention it. Or if the reviewer mentions it, that's his last free review bike from that company! When you watch professional reviews on YouTube, realize that when they mention ANY type of drawback, it is likely to be worse in real life than the reviewer makes it seem like. They mention it out of a sense of duty, but minimize it out of a sense of self-preservation.
So newbies, if you're here asking about your first eBike purchase, my general advice to you is to ask first how the brand of ebike you're consider is with regards to after-sale support. If you've narrowed down on a bike from a brand that no one's heard about, it's not a good sign:
Tier 1: A brand that no one's heard about and you can't find more than a couple reviews online from what seem to be legitimate buyers. (as opposed to shill reviews posted by company employees) Avoid these, unless you're mechanically and electrically inclined and are ready for a "project."
Tier 2: A brand that we've heard of, but that is not generally known for great quality or after-sale support. (ex. BikTrix, Himiway, heybike) These are not a great value, as they cost the same as a Tier 3 bike; see below.
Tier 3: A brand that we've heard of and that is respected in terms of bike quality and after-sale support. (ex. Lectric, Ride1Up) At the time of this writing, these are in the $800 - 2500 price range. They range from basic but good quality (Lectric XP Lite @ $800) to pretty advanced. (Ride1Up Prodigy V2 @ $2400)
Tier 4: Just like Tier 3, but with local shops/dealers. (ex. Aventon, Rad Power Bikes) At the time of this writing, these are starting to come down to the US $1300-2000 price bracket. With Tiers 3 & 4, it would be good to have some mechanical know-how, but you can probably take them to a shop that is more or less local. (might be a 100 mile drive in some cases) Rad has mechanic vans, for instance. Aventon has local dealers you might not expect; I bought mine from an Indian motorcycle shop, for example. If I had a problem I needed help with, they may have to consult with Aventon, but I'm confident their mechanics could handle anything I couldn't.
Tier 5: A "bike shop brand" that has widespread support and superior quality. (ex. Trek, Electra, Specialized, ) These bikes are without fail more expensive, because it costs the manufacturer money to support local shop who supports you in the long run. Buy with confidence, once you have the money together! These commonly start now at $1800 (for a no-frills hub driven bike) and go up to $14k. (for a high-end carbon road eBike)
Do you happen to know how to fix error code E08 on this stupid thing, I bought it in april for my brother, he moved away and it ran when i first started it then when i turned it off and then back on again it come up with the error code, I have watched every DYI video on how to fix it, no help. the book does not have manufacturer information in it and I can't find what brand it is on the bike. I am at a lost for help. local bike shops here won't fix these kind because they are made in china they say.
thanks for any information, it is greatly appreciated.
