Is the old saying, you get what you pay for true in ebikes?

[blakeman62]

Is a bike that sells for $3250 better than a bike that sells for $1600? case and point Specialized Como 4.o IGH vs Aventon Pace 500.3
I realize these are 2 different systems, but I'm just wondering is one really that much better than the other one? Can someone please shed some light on this subject matter. I'm just a bit perplexed by the wide range of prices for ebikes. So many choices, so many things to think about in buying a new ebike. Anyone else feel this way.

 

[DieselTech]

I think a lot of the price of the ebike comes down to what specific components they put/use on the bike when its built.

I'm sure there is a million other reasons too.

I finally got sick of looking & just pulled the trigger. I bought a china bike & the company is trying to make a name for themselves.
So far it's been a great bike. More moped actually!

I do think some company's are price gouging, just because of their name.

I'm new to this ebike game as well & along for the ride.

 

[smritte]

I Have both an Aventon and a Specialized. Not the two you listed though.

Both bikes are built well. If you compared with one of the lesser names, now you have a difference. If you compared my two there's a huge difference with the Specialized being considerably lighter, very good suspension and very easy to upgrade down the road.

Support for both is good, quality is good. You can also buy something comparable or lower quality then the Aventon for 2X the cost. I believe for what you get Aventon has the market at that price and some that are higher priced. Theres also cheaper ones that may not last.

Out of the two you chose, I would go to the Aventon.
The differences are slight with the Aventon being less money. On the other hand if you wanted to easily upgrade parts, then do the specialized.

So to answer your question about cost and quality, no, you cant tell quality by cost. As was mentioned above, there's quite a bit of price gouging in the E-Bike market right now.

 

[fabbrisd]

You have done good research - and you have kept your head focussed on what you want from your new eBike - both rigs are good choices. 1.Look - its Sunday niight - the Como is On Sale tonight for $2500 direct from Specilaized - you need to JUMP FAST becuase the Como at this Price Today will Sell Out.
2. Aventon Pace 500.3 $1600 3. Velotric Nomad 1 $1400 4. Senada Saber $1400 if you want 1000w FatBike

depending on Color Combo chosen Frame Sizes are Limitesmall size mall Frames sold out already - especially Are you aware the Como in Medium

 

[Penfield E. Farthing]

Is the old saying, you get what you pay for true in ebikes?​

No.
And any warranty from an EBike company, ANY, ain't worth the paper it is printed on.

 

[fabbrisd]

Au Contraire - if I am not mistaken both Trek and Aventon offer Dealer Warranty Service. There have neen reports that Velotric has been accessible and responsive. Senada is too soon to tell.

 

[addertooth]

I prefer figuring out the "sweet spot" in prices versus features. It seems like once you get above the sweet spot, the gains are small for each additional hundred dollars spent.

Sometimes you catch a fire-sale, or a new company wanting to establish itself. You can get some bargains.
You can sometimes just get a low price which defies logic, much like high prices which defy logic.

As an example, my wife's new eBike was exceptionally inexpensive. Less than a kilobuck. But had a decent 750W motor, 15 AH battery, 28 MPH, solid design, good welds and paint. I didn't hesitate long before I pulled the trigger on it.

But, like all bargains, let the buyer beware. Examine the pictures carefully; often the devil has taken up residence in the details.

 

[Hootz]

I sympathize with anyone searching for an ebike. There are so many choices out there and prices are all over the place. I don't think that price automatically indicates value...some are simply overpriced. And opinions whether good or bad are simply opinions...what one likes another dislikes. If a buyer is not willing or able to tinker the only choice they have is a local vendor that can service the bike if necessary. In this time we are fortunate to find almost any information that we seek...the buyer can educate themselves and seek the best choice for them.

 

[Rambo_Of_PA]

@Hootz - said all that needs to be said about E-bikes and any kind of purchase!! Fail to do your research and like the OP stated: "You get what you paid for." We're not in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's anymore. There's plenty of information online if one takes a few minutes to look it up.

 

[JerryB]

I agree with Rambo.....do some research! I bought my Lectric XP 2.0 a year ago this past June......price was right......well built....came assembled.....I have over 750 miles on the bike......great ride.....no significant issues thus far.......lots of good ebikes out there.....big prices don't make them better.

 

[Tomm Williams]

Tough question to answer……. So much of “is it worth X dollars?” Really depends on the buyer’s outlook on cycling. I’m undergoing back surgery in two weeks and am at the age where the recovery time won’t be as quick as I’d like. I purchased a Pivot E Vault as I still do a lot of dedicated acoustic cycling and intend to return to such when I’m recovered.
The Pivot allows the motor and battery to be removed thus becoming a perfectly normal bike which is how I prefer to ride it. There will be a day I’ll use the motor much more but not quite yet.
The cost of this dual- functionality was steep but (imo) worth every penny.

 

[biknut]

I think it's possible to get what you pay for, you just have to have a good grasp of what you expect for your money.

Example, let's say I'm a typical nubie eBiker, and not even that good at working on a regular bicycle. I don't know a controller from a display, but I've got the bug for an eBike. My choices are, spend 3 to 5 thousand at a local brick and mortar shop that offers repairs and maintenance, or pay thousands less by purchasing online, but getting hope and prayer anything warranty.

The popular thing of course is, buy online, and complain later about the poor to non existent customer service.
The question is, is it worth it? I think the answer could be yes even with zero customer service.

Look at all the $1000 eBikes, and pick one. If it lasts a year, consider you got your money's worth. It it lasts longer than that, that's icing on the cake. Theoretically you could buy a new bike every year for 5 years and always have a new bike, instead of having a 5 year old bike after 5 years.

I call this the Bic lighter approach to eBikes

 

[m@Robertson]

... and if that $1000 ebike can be repaired or upgraded by posting a question online in a forum like this or a Facebook user group, then the value extends still further. BUT you have to be comfortable holding a wrench and working on a bike on your patio. If you just want to write a check and make everything but riding someone else's problem, then step up and expect to pay the big bucks.

The one fly in the above ointment is cheap bikes have cheap parts, and they hold up best with only occasional or light duty recreational riding. If you are really going to be riding a lot, and depending on the bike as a piece of transportation (i.e. daily commuting), then you need reliable and quality components... not-sexy stuff like crankarms, brakes, hubs, derailleurs and wheels. Buy the cheap DTC bike with the bottom-of-the-line parts and you can expect to upgrade a bit here and a piece there. In time you will spend (possibly a lot) more than what the nicer bike would have cost, and no matter how much more you spend on it, some stuff cannot be upgraded (like the frame).

EDIT: I am not a proponent of buying dealer-serviced, proprietary-parts ebikes though. Not even a little. I build my own, frame-up, to get the quality parts for a long-lived bike you can depend on, without getting locked into overpriced and under-performing proprietary electrical bits. Price a Bosch or Specialized replacement battery. Go to the bathroom first before you hear the cost for the size you are getting.

 

[blakeman62]

Thank you all for your responses. keep them coming.

 

[blakeman62]

You have done good research - and you have kept your head focussed on what you want from your new eBike - both rigs are good choices. 1.Look - its Sunday niight - the Como is On Sale tonight for $2500 direct from Specilaized - you need to JUMP FAST becuase the Como at this Price Today will Sell Out.
2. Aventon Pace 500.3 $1600 3. Velotric Nomad 1 $1400 4. Senada Saber $1400 if you want 1000w FatBike

depending on Color Combo chosen Frame Sizes are Limitesmall size mall Frames sold out already - especially Are you aware the Como in Medium

I couldn't find the Specilaized como 4.0 igh for $2500 on they're web site, but thank you!

 

[pagheca]

In my humble opinion, there is ALWAYS a positive correlation among price and quality, like in this sample image, maybe more scattered in this particular case. Imagine x-axis represent something related to the cost, and the y-axis to the quality:

Sure, as in the plot, there is always a possibility that a cheaper product is better than a dearer one. However, for my peace of mind, I prefer to pay a bit more and choose something better than the cheapest one or the dearest one.

Actually, I really HATE complaining, sending items back, or stuff like this. So, I prefer to pay a bit more as a sort of insurance.

I do my saving in another way: I prefer to avoid buying 3 items of the same kind (like 3 cell phones, or 3 ebikes) and focus all my resources on just one single product, meticulously select the best one suited for my requirements, buy it and forget about how much I paid. Moreover, once I decided which model I NEED, I search for the lowest price available, while discarding the "too good to be true" offers because usually it is NOT true...

And I have noticed that this policy "usually" pay back, although sometime, but rarely, may not. But it never happened to me to buy an expensive item and having problems with it. Recently, a friend of mine purchased a cheap ebike at Decathlon, joking with me about how much I paid (actually, I got quite a discount on my Trek because I got the one-year older model). Result: I never experienced a real problem (pinched tires apart, but this is another issue), while my friend had to send it back because the motor sometime doesn't start.

Maybe I am just lucky, maybe not...

 

[fabbrisd]

Apologies : CLICK HERE TURBO 3.0 IGH $2500

 

[HillAversion]

There's no absolute answer to this question, of course. If you measure quality in terms of reliability, lots of people are very happy with their $1,200 bikes, and most are very happy with their $3,500 bikes as well.

The difference is mainly in components. If you want a bike with a high-torque mid-drive motor, torque sensor, belt drive and CVT transmission you'll need to pony up a lot more dough. You'll also be more likely to get better quality tires, a better shifting derailleur, better quality disc brakes and little goodies like a suspension seatpost on a more expensive bike. Do all those goodies add up to a better bike? Maybe. For a lot of people they add up to a better riding experience. But then a lot of people just don't care about that stuff.

For many buyers this comes down to how they want to ride. For a rider who just wants to casually throttle around the neighborhood and never change gears, a mid-drive motor, torque sensor and high-end derailleur may add no value. For other riders, those are critical components. As they say, your mileage may vary.

I think a prospective buyer should ride a variety of bikes at a variety of price points with a wide range of features before buying. Lots of people buy their first ebike without ever having ridden one, which I think it's kind of crap shoot. Ride a bunch of bikes. Borrow, rent, test ride. Otherwise, you'll never know. Reading about this stuff is one thing; experience is another. Ride a bike with a torque sensor and another with a cadence sensor and you'll know which one you prefer,

Maybe you'll never miss the goodies. If not you can save a lot of money, but I think it's usually better to make informed decisions.

 

[Smaug]

Yes and no.
It’s diminishing returns.
You don’t want to go cheaper than Lectric or with an unknown Chinese brand.

With Specialized, you’re paying for the design and execution. One example? Front fender on commuter/city bikes goes down in back far enough to protect your shoes. The rear racks don’t need the front stabilizing bars, as they use the fenders for that job. Top quality tires too.

I have an Aventon for my high quality bike and I couldn’t quite justify paying double for Specialized, but if you have the money? Go for it.

I think you’re best served by asking questions on specific bike comparisons, rather than generalizing.

 

[Rambo_Of_PA]

In my humble opinion, there is ALWAYS a positive correlation among price and quality, like in this sample image, maybe more scattered in this particular case. Imagine x-axis represent something related to the cost, and the y-axis to the quality:

Sure, as in the plot, there is always a possibility that a cheaper product is better than a dearer one. However, for my peace of mind, I prefer to pay a bit more and choose something better than the cheapest one or the dearest one.

Actually, I really HATE complaining, sending items back, or stuff like this. So, I prefer to pay a bit more as a sort of insurance.

I do my saving in another way: I prefer to avoid buying 3 items of the same kind (like 3 cell phones, or 3 ebikes) and focus all my resources on just one single product, meticulously select the best one suited for my requirements, buy it and forget about how much I paid. Moreover, once I decided which model I NEED, I search for the lowest price available, while discarding the "too good to be true" offers because usually it is NOT true...

And I have noticed that this policy "usually" pay back, although sometime, but rarely, may not. But it never happened to me to buy an expensive item and having problems with it. Recently, a friend of mine purchased a cheap ebike at Decathlon, joking with me about how much I paid (actually, I got quite a discount on my Trek because I got the one-year older model). Result: I never experienced a real problem (pinched tires apart, but this is another issue), while my friend had to send it back because the motor sometime doesn't start.

Maybe I am just lucky, maybe not...

Way too much analyzing just for a bike....if we were talking big ticket items like a home, a collectible car, a personal jet or helicopter then I can see going through all that trouble....not for a bike.....