E-bike recommendations?

Posted by Shadow-Legion-1203@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 22 comments

Gas prices are astronomical! and I can’t currently afford a car atm anyway, I can however, afford an E-bike.

Figured this might be a better alternative than a car or even a scooter since I don’t have to spend money on gas and don’t need a license or insurance (in my state). My budget is $700-$1000. Willing to go cheaper if there’s great cheaper options.

I’d mainly be using it to get to and from work (20mi at most to and from) may even use it to run errands or to go out every now and then. Again I’d only be riding for 20-35miles at a given time.

Looking for something that’s preferably light weight, smooth ride, long enough battery life where I’d have to charge it once I’m home ideally.

Also prefer it to be a class 3 ideally. So what’s out there? I see a Deepower SQ7 being sold on the used market for $550 (class 3 with two batteries) although I hear it’s not such a smooth ride.

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RichGuarantee7482@reddit

TST R002 on the TikTok shop for less than $600. You're welcome: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPHKa6B8UmJdY-yfgQ8/

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FragrantSwordfish381@reddit

You need to up your budget to $1,800. You can get an Aventon level 2.

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Inciteful_Analysis@reddit

You are two generations behind. The Level 4 came out a week ago.

Moreover, the Level 2 was on sale for $999 a couple of months ago. That was an incredible deal. He doesn't need to spend $1800 to get a decent bike.

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Shadow-Legion-1203@reddit (OP)

Seems like a lot for a “only need it to get to and from work” bike that’s only gonna be ridden 20 miles 4 times a day. Don’t get me wrong, willing to save up but $1,800 for something I barely plan to use seems a bit excessive, not my hobby. It’s just a can this thing get me from point A to point B reliably

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rshetts1@reddit

Most would say that 80 miles a week is not barely using it. That's going to add up quickly and a cheap ebike probably will not hold up well. If it were me I would budget at least $1500 to $2000. For example, I currently have a Himiway Escape. I bought it in 2021and it has served me well. I'm considering a new bike though and in my searching I saw that the Himiway D5 Zebra is currently on sale for around $1400. It's normal price is $2200. I'm guessing there is a new version coming out so they are clearing inventory. That's the type of deal you should look for. That or check marketplaces for used ebikes. You can often find a good deal on a quality ebike that way. Anyway, good luck in your search.

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dickeybarret@reddit

IMO you're not looking at this right. 20 miles a day is quite a bit. At 5 days a week, thats 100 miles. At a month that's 400 miles, a year is 4800 miles. For a bike that's quite a bit. If you rationalize it at a dollar a mile, 1800-2000 dollars (really the sweet spot for an entry level, reliable ebike with decent support), that's 6 months of riding. And the support side cannot be understated. You're saying it's ONLY 20 miles now. But you won't when you have a failure on a lower-end bike at mile 2 and have to pedal a paperweight the other 18.

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FragrantSwordfish381@reddit

I use an Aventon Level 2 and apparently they just recently came out with a Level 4. The great thing about the Aventon is the throttle feature. I ride about 2 miles to the metro station and relax on the train which takes me the rest of the way. My main concern is I don’t want to sweat too much going to work which is why I prefer to use the throttle which allows me to ride at 20 mph. If you pedal, you can get up to 28mph

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Objective_Put_1565@reddit

Anything under $1000 is going to lack strong customer support. For myself, im a 33yr old man, and can do the maintenence and troubleshooting myself, so this isn't an issue. The best brand, with the best part, that's in your price range, that I've personally ordered from, is actbestbike.com. For the range you're looking for, I'd suggest the striker plus. When considering Ebikes, cut the "max range" by %50 to get the real world, high pedal assist milage. So if a bike advertises 90 miles on a charge, it'll go 45 miles on that charge if pushing past 80% of the bikes total speed using the electric throttle or the high pedal assist (abbreviated as PAS). You'll also want to factor in things like a tail light, and extra bright head light, rear view mirros, bike racks, and locks and chains. Always use two 16mm+ thick ulocks with 2 heavy duty chains and one bicycle disc brake lock-alarm. Always remove the battery when leaving it parked. Buy a back pack so you can carry your helmet and pump/tire sealant/anything else. If you have any more questions, ill answer them.

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Shadow-Legion-1203@reddit (OP)

Forgive my ignorance and do correct me if im wrong. Class 2 bikes have electric throttle or PAS. Class 3 bikes don’t?

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Objective_Put_1565@reddit

Class 3 bikes have a throttle and pedal assist. The law in Texas (youll have to check your state) is that i can't engage the motor by itself after 20mph, with 28mph being the maximum legally allowed at pedal assist. The law regulates peak motors, so your motor can go over 750w when its speeding up, but for continuous operation, legally at 28mph , it has to stay at 750w. But it can pull from the 1200w peak to get there.

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dickeybarret@reddit

FYI Class 3 is not throttle and pedal assist. The classes are as follows:

- Class 1: Pedal Assist only, 20mph max

- Class 2: Pedal Assist and throttle, 20mph max

- Class 3: Pedal Assist only (most of the time, but a throttle can be an option), 28mph max

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Objective_Put_1565@reddit

Right, so you're saying exactly what I said. A class 3 ebike can engage the throttle until 20mph but after 20mph you can only engage in pedal assit.

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Objective_Put_1565@reddit

Also something to consider. A lot of these bikes have 6-9 hour charge times on the batteries from 0 to 100%. There are brands that offer a fast charging feature, the one I know of is us.engwe.com. specifically their Engwe M20 3.0 has a 0 to 80% charge time listed.

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STIHL_Resolve5198@reddit

Saseikei ebike e7 is not lightweight at all, might be a selling point you would want to have the burden of it weighs battery and me about 290 lbs, and the bike is 80 of it, but its 20 dollars less than your lowest number at your post here, dont know if you need any faster than 35 mph but it goes 35(without restriction taken off an 50 or therein with it off

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Danube11424@reddit

check Upway.com for quality e-bikes. It’s like Carvana for e-bikes.

https://upway.co/collections/used-electric-bike

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Relative-Display-676@reddit

Deepower isn't street legal. So unless you plan on riding on private property or orv trails avoid it.

here are some legal class 3 ebikes in your budget range instead.

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Cock_InABox@reddit

About 400 dollars more and you could get a lectric bike that would be my recommendation

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DWolvin@reddit

^This. If not Lectric at least contact the local bike shop and find the brands they trust/like to work on. 40 miles a day will add up fast enough that you don't want something too cheap.

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Shadow-Legion-1203@reddit (OP)

Well lucky for me I’d only be riding for 20 mi a day. I’d rarely be riding 35 miles if that

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