Which bike to buy

Darryldayton

New member
Local time
6:07 AM
Joined
Dec 21, 2023
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Location
Cottonwood Arizona
New to your forum and currently don’t own an electric bike. Forgive me as a newcomer. I am sure this type of question has been asked many time and dont know how to use your search feature or even if I am in the right section.
Looking for something in the $500. range. Would be used in town only for work commute. I weigh 160 lbs. Would like to have a light, fenders and the ability to add a carrier or side baskets.
I have been looking on Amazon.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Darryl
 
DarrylDayton,
Welcome to the forum. I am sure there will be plenty of people offering advice.
Let's fine tune your request so you get the best responses. (everyone secretly believes their bike is the best).

You did a great job of giving many important characteristics.
You probably have to flesh out things like:
Total range you intend to travel between recharges. More distance means higher Amp Hour capacity batteries.
What speed will you likely be travelling. Higher speeds eat power stored in the battery at a faster rate.
Is the ground mostly flat where you live. Significant hills may mean spending more for a mid-drive bike.
Are you going over hardball surfaces (concrete/asphalt). Or, will some of your commute involve trails. This impacts elements like suspension.
A critical one is How tall are your, how long is the inseam in your pants. So many cruisers don't work out well for people who lack altitude.
Are you wanting or disliking a folding bike.
Are you pretty handy and can fix your stuff when it breaks (if not, then the potential for tech support is important).
 
DarrylDayton,
Welcome to the forum. I am sure there will be plenty of people offering advice.
Let's fine tune your request so you get the best responses. (everyone secretly believes their bike is the best).

You did a great job of giving many important characteristics.
You probably have to flesh out things like:
Total range you intend to travel between recharges. More distance means higher Amp Hour capacity batteries.
What speed will you likely be travelling. Higher speeds eat power stored in the battery at a faster rate.
Is the ground mostly flat where you live. Significant hills may mean spending more for a mid-drive bike.
Are you going over hardball surfaces (concrete/asphalt). Or, will some of your commute involve trails. This impacts elements like suspension.
A critical one is How tall are your, how long is the inseam in your pants. So many cruisers don't work out well for people who lack altitude.
Are you wanting or disliking a folding bike.
Are you pretty handy and can fix your stuff when it breaks (if not, then the potential for tech support is important).
All hardsurface roads (in town) some medium type hills, 5’ 7” tall. Mechanically inclined. 20 mph is fine. 3 miles round trip to work. No need for a folding bike.
 
Okay, at 5 foot 7 inches, you are at the limits of minimum height for most 26inch fatwheel bikes. So you will want something with more classical sized tires if you want 26 inch wheels. The eBikes with the 20 inch wheels will be easier to mount, especially if it is a step-through design.

Your short distance means that virtually any bike will be able to cover that distance. You will find any bike with an 11 to 15 Amp Hour capacity more than enough to do the round trip assuming it is a 48 Volt battery. Hard surfaces means you won't need a fancy dual suspension.
Medium hills probably indicates a less expensive hub-motor will work for you as well.

I do suggest getting a bike which comes with a rack, as most sellers gouge you on buying them as an "add on" part (for a fee). The same with fenders. Get long fenders, not short demi-fenders. Those shorter fenders are largely for show.

I find having a written "wish list" when I am looking online at bikes allows me to rapidly discard choices which do not match ALL the desired features. Your most limiting selection will be cost.

I got a bike for my wife which checks all your boxes. It came with headlight, tail light, brake light, rear rack, 750W motor, 15 Ah battery, front suspension, Good torque for climbing, full fenders, but it set us back about 900 dollars. It is a folder, as a smaller storage space was important to her (at the time of purchase). She uses that feature less with time. It was an "ACTbest Knight".

I am sure there are others here with direct experience purchasing bikes in the 500 dollar range, and I sure hope they chime in on what they found. Lacking that, now that you have parameters, finding an ideal bike should be fairly easy. Once I narrowed down what my spouse wanted, it took only a few hours to zero in on a specific choice for her. She has since added a rear basket, and loves it. I am more of a saddlebag kind of guy (I like my stuff out of sight).

Picture of our bikes:
Both bikes scaled.jpg
 
Okay, after a quick search I found the "Rattan". I have heard mostly good things about this bike, but my ear has not been on the ground about it. Search the forum for "rattan" and see what others are saying. The price with fenders, front AND rear baskets, rear rack and headlamp tips the scale at $599.99. Another possible detractor is the minimum seat height is 33.5 inches above the ground. Make sure you can comfortably straddle a seat that high and have meaningful contact with the ground. The ACTbest Knight minimum seat height is 30.5 inches.

This is a bit over your budget, but after having bought a steel basket for my spouse's bike, I am aware how pricy baskets are of durable materials.
Rattan Bike Amazon
 
Links to Amazon may include affiliate code. If you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase, this forum may earn a small commission.
Okay, after a quick search I found the "Rattan". I have heard mostly good things about this bike, but my ear has not been on the ground about it. Search the forum for "rattan" and see what others are saying. The price with fenders, front AND rear baskets, rear rack and headlamp tips the scale at $599.99. Another possible detractor is the minimum seat height is 33.5 inches above the ground. Make sure you can comfortably straddle a seat that high and have meaningful contact with the ground. The ACTbest Knight minimum seat height is 30.5 inches.

This is a bit over your budget, but after having bought a steel basket for my spouse's bike, I am aware how pricy baskets are of durable materials.
Rattan Bike Amazon
Thank you very much for this info. I will check it out.
 
Links to Amazon may include affiliate code. If you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase, this forum may earn a small commission.
Welcome

$500 that is cheap, really low cost

A decent conversion kit mid drive costs twice that, and a known decent not cheap Chinese battery is that alone.

I would not want such a low cost bike, save up.
 
If you're looking for an affordable yet powerful e-bike, you might want to consider our Zen Photon. It's designed to offer a balance of speed, durability, and cost-effectiveness. The Photon features a top speed of 28 Mph, a robust 1040 Wh battery for up to 85 miles of range, and a 500W motor with 120Nm torque, making it ideal for both urban commuting and leisure rides.

We currently have an exclusive offer: in the USA, the Photon is available for $2999, down from the original price of $3799. In Canada, it's priced at $CAD 3999, reduced from $CAD 4899. This offer includes free shipping in both countries.

The Zen Photon combines speed and efficiency at a price point that's hard to beat, especially considering its features. Feel free to check it out for an e-bike that delivers both performance and value.


He has stated $500 why are you talking $3000+ totally pointless reply
 
Welcome

$500 that is cheap, really low cost

A decent conversion kit mid drive costs twice that, and a known decent not cheap Chinese battery is that alone.

I would not want such a low cost bike, save up.
+1. Double your budget and you can get something decent. At $500 you're going to be frustrated; you can't even get a decent mBike for that.

In the $1k range, check out the Aventon Soltera.2. I'm not sure if fenders are an option for it, so look into that. Add a Topeak MTX rack and trunk bag and you're all set.
 
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