We’ve built bikes for big brands since the 90s. We just started selling direct to riders, and we honestly can’t match the "ultra-cheap" prices online.
Posted by Impressive_Ring3833@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 71 comments
Hi Reddit,
I’m from a bicycle factory that’s been building for major international brands since the 90s. Our brand has been active in the B2B world for decades, but this year, we finally decided to try something new: selling direct to riders. This month, we went live on Amazon UK with our first two models.
Since we have a 30-year reputation to protect, we did things the "old-school" way. We spent a year on R&D and insisted on TÜV Rheinland for safety testing. If you’re in the industry, you know their labs are way more expensive than others, but we wanted that peace of mind for the frame and overall compliance.
But here’s the real talk:
Our pricing is mid-range, but the math is brutal. When you add up the high-spec components, those expensive TÜV fees, UK warehousing, shipping, and Amazon’s cut, our net profit is only around 10%.
We see e-bikes selling online for prices that wouldn't even cover our raw materials and logistics. As makers, it’s confusing for us. We know exactly what has to be "sacrificed" to hit those rock-bottom prices—usually safety or longevity—and we just won’t do it.
I’d love some honest advice from the UK community:
What do you actually want? For those of you riding in the UK, what’s the one thing most brands get wrong? Better rain protection? More torque for hills? Better local support?
Does quality still matter? In this economy, does a 30-year factory history and TÜV safety backing actually mean anything to you, or is "the lowest price" all that matters now?
How do we get noticed? We’re builders, not marketing experts. How does an old-school factory stand out without being spammy or looking like just another generic seller?
We’re not here to drop links or push sales. We just want to know if there’s still a place for a brand that values safety and fair pricing over being the absolute cheapest.
Thanks for reading.
Impressive_Ring3833@reddit (OP)
Wow, I didn't expect so many comments so quickly. I should be honest about one thing: I did use AI to help with my English. It’s not my first language, I’m sorry if it felt a bit robotic, but the thoughts are 100% mine.
I wanted to be specific about the "10% margin" I mentioned. We just put the MTB on Amazon for £599 and the moped for £989. After we pay for the TÜV testing, decent components, shipping to the UK, and all the fees, that’s literally all that’s left. I'm sharing these numbers because I genuinely don't understand how some brands go even lower without compromising safety.
Anyway, I really just posted this to vent a bit before sleep. It’s midnight here, so I’m going to head to bed and will check back in the morning to reply to everyone properly. Thanks for being straight with me.
novasilverpill@reddit
those prices are extremely competitive?
paxtana@reddit
There are some that go lower by breaking the law. We have seen this with tariffs; they export using a shell company and falsified records, if they get caught they just switch to another shell company. This has been done for years with bikes and batteries, and increasingly it is even done with fake certifications. They can easily change the entire name of the company if they need to, change the names on the product, the exporter, anything they want. There is no enforcement against this within the country of origin, so the country they are going to is always one step behind.
The only way forward is to have strong brand recognition; most of these 'brands' will not exist beyond a year or two, as soon as they get caught and disappear. If your brand is known for quality, support, and so on, then perhaps you can build up a following and capture the premium market. But you're never going to be able to compete on price.
DuckAxe0@reddit
Stress the positives, for example: quality, longevity, customer support, availability of replacement parts, attention to detail, resale value, fit, and finish. Perhaps you might include a catch phrase, "The Rolls-Royce of bikes."
novasilverpill@reddit
that would immediately turn me away
Nova_Hunter@reddit
If you make a claim like you're the Rolls-Royce bikes you better be the most luxurious or else people are going to climb on you so I wouldn't go that far maybe like Lexus or something
DuckAxe0@reddit
Rolls-Royce manufactures the Ghost model, priced at just over a meager £239,000. That is just chump change compared to what one might pay for a Rolls-Royce Phantom.
StringPrevious9110@reddit
“Ages like your momma” better.
DuckAxe0@reddit
LOL!
"Your momma rides her brand-X bike, wearing combat boots."
LopsidedGiraffe@reddit
I would definitely be highlighting the safety too. Not catching fire from faulty wiring or battery charger is a major win.
tomcatx2@reddit
Don’t chase all the business. Establish a market and customer base that you can maintain.
There will always be a cheaper price somewhere on the internet. You arent selling prices. You are selling quality and service. Tell that story.
dlinders10@reddit
There are a lot of people who want to try out an ebike for first time. They go with the really cheap option. Either it ends up braking and they don't want to buy yet another ebike at a higher price, or they don't use it as much as they thought and they are glad they didn't spend more on one. I think that's part of the issue.
Montecristo905@reddit
it’s business. if you can’t make a profit, if you want, attempt to make changes to make a profit.
but if you cannot, get out of this specific business.
RosieDear@reddit
Most folks here don't seem to understand a major issues.
Over supply!
There is a great market for eBikes of mid-level quality at the 1K price point - or, say $1000 to $1500. No, this is not the top of the line, but it's what many more people would be willing to spend for a "fool around" bike. It's different if you commute 15 miles each way every day, etc.
BUT, there are plenty of companies addressing these markets. Trek, Giant, Tenways - and many other decent brands have to slice up the 1K to 2K market.
My guess is that numbers sold dive big time over 2K....and under 1K (or under $600) the numbers are massive...but there is little you can do about it. Trying to compete or even sell against those bikes is a waste of time and energy.
In any case, those big brands are not going to cede big slices of the pie to companies who don't have massive customer bases, big bucks for marketing and so on.
scifigirl1979@reddit
Customer support and local warranty fixes would be my two main things if u could have them… instead I just learned how to fix things but not every one is mechanically inclined or has the time
Delbane1@reddit
You have to stop selling on amazon and sell on your own website amazon is where all the margin is going😂
ArcherStirling@reddit
I take nothing that is written by AI seriously. This is a AI slop post.
LayerOdd1798@reddit
How does one differentiate between a garbage AI post and using AI to improve the readability of your draft?
ArcherStirling@reddit
The lack of personal editing to remove sentences like "here's the real talk" and the use of em dashes is how I differentiate any writing I'll take time to read or not.
Diver_D6@reddit
"But the math is brutal"
Yup. Sticks out like a sore thumb once you notice it. It's like you're reading a commercial. Why put any effort into responding to it? I've started fighting fire-with-fire, by responding to AI with AI. It's dumb, but it makes my day a little.
LayerOdd1798@reddit
That’s why they call you Dutchess.
I can see that now. The manufacturing plant is likely in Taiwan. If it exists at all.
ExcelsAtMediocrity@reddit
You pretty much answered it yourself. “In this economy” you aren’t sustaining a business selling only “high end” bikes. Your model can be unwilling to make sacrifices and that admirable, but that isn’t going to make you money. Warranty is a good idea but if you are already way over costs with thin margins a warranty will just further eat those away. Also in 2026 I need to be able to trust a company will be around in 5-10 years, and a company who JUST started selling to the public isn’t gonna be that for a lot of folks. Most of your consumers aren’t going to be people who have been closely following the ebike scene for three decades and recognize you as a supplier. They are gonna see ANOTHER random name pop up that costs twice as much as one from china.
Diver_D6@reddit
Appreciate the transparency on margins and the TÜV certification choice. That's a real cost that most buyers never see reflected in the price tag, and it's worth explaining more loudly.
To your questions honestly though: the post reads a bit like a soft brand pitch, even if that wasn't the intent. The "we're just humble makers who don't know marketing" framing, combined with perfectly structured talking points, tends to make Reddit's radar go off. If you want genuine community engagement, raw specifics land better than polish — what models, what motor, what battery, what actual problems did you hit during R&D? Cyclists love that stuff and it builds real credibility fast.
On your core question — yes, quality still matters to a meaningful slice of the UK cycling market, especially post-Halfords-era disillusionment with cheap e-bikes that die after 18 months. But "30-year B2B history" is a hard thing for a consumer to verify or care about without a face behind it. The brands that have broken through recently did it by being almost annoyingly specific and transparent — component sourcing, real-world range figures, honest warranty claims. If the product is genuinely good, that's your marketing. Let engineers or long-term customers do the talking rather than the brand voice.
StringPrevious9110@reddit
Sound like bud need some street credit. Yt channels reviews will do it. Better have your Lexus all polished…
Diver_D6@reddit
Idk. I saw that this post was likely written by AI so I fed it into an AI and had it write the comment I posted above. Figured if it's an AI post it should get an AI comment.
ellipticorbit@reddit
The mass of the public has very little understanding of bikes and very little willingness to learn about them. Those few people who do are a very small minority. So you are always going to have to negotiate this dynamic. You have to provide the market with a value proposition, but which is typically done through reputation and support, as well as design, engineering and price. But if you're involved in a race to the bottom, don't be surprised when you get there.
Mr_B_e_a_r@reddit
Where I live I see too many converted bikes going very fast with terrible brakes. I assume quality is not priority for most of these riders. Where I work many alot of people cycle to work and I looked today in our bike hanger 90% of the bikes were still analogue bikes, no big brands, but cheap nasty bikes that will get you to a-b. I think people just want a bike where the battery will last for a couple of rides and maintenance free and is the cheapest bike on the Internet the day of purchase if you not a serious cyclist.
goa7@reddit
== Twist and Go == Most brands don't offer twist and go legally. Either they offer it illegally - so the bike can be seized by the police, or they don't offer it to save on compliance costs.
Some people, particularly those with disabilities, would value a good value twist and go ebike.
Compliance here means type approval - you can Contact the Vehicle Certification Agency to find out how to do it. (I can't figure it out - but I think it means getting the bike tested in the UK and having a UK representative.)
The UK government consulted on changing this rule, so the need for type approval was removed for twist and go, but decided to do nothing.
== Folding ebikes == Other products I don't see are good value ebikes that aren't too heavy, and unwieldy when folded. The undisputed champion here is Brompton, but they're unaffordable for most people.
Folding ebikes have a benefit in that they're the only ebikes allowed on public transport in London. Regular ebikes are banned.
If money was no object, and security wasn't a problem I think electric bromptons would be the most popular bike.
== Cargo Bikes == Cargo box ebikes are all quite expensive. I think people buying bikes for carrying children, among other things, are going to be more appreciative of TÜV testing.
== Stairs == A lot of ebikes are too difficult to get up stairs, for people who live in flats. Some of this is a problem with the buildings - wheel gutters would help, but even with them, something is missing in the ebike design to help.
== Security == === Grinders === Bike theft is rampant - and very poorly policed. The menace is battery powered angle grinders - a bike that has is easy to secure and is grinder proof would be great. inspiration?
=== Tracking === People might be interested in trackers. Both a GPS tracker and/or a place for an airtag. Generally these are hard to fit afterwards in a way that's secure. The existing car GPS trackers are probably fine (a solved problem with good economies of scale), the problem is they don't fit in bikes securely - and still have radio reception.
Preinstalling a tag securely could be attractive, and promoted as "Find my... Bike". Like the Bike is an accessory to the phone.
== Charging & Batteries ==
These are poorly standardized. A ruggedized USB PPS connector could make at least the charging side universal, and in the mean time, a USBC PPS charging port. As a quality product this should support USBC properly, and support charging in both directions.
== Amazon Tax ==
I think if you stand out enough, you don't need to sell on Amazon. I know their fees are very high, and I'd rather not be paying them.
== Marketing ==
You could try a "group sale" or preorder type system, the idea that you are offering both great pricing and a great product (which you don't get with the cheap stuff on Amazon). Presumably this saves on warehousing and logistics.
There are a few brands that seem to have made that work. Swytch (it was successful, but the company seems to now be in trouble).
Kickstarter is another thing - it would let you experiment, and see what people will actually pay for, and perhaps establish the brand.
JizzyMcKnobGobbler@reddit
I'm in Canada and I've owned a manufacturing business for 20 years. Harsh lesson incoming: as soon as Amazon starts selling something you're making you need to back the fuck out of that product and unload your inventory asap. That 10% margin today will be -10% this time next year. You'll never win.
Customers say they want the best quality for the best price. Purchasing habits show they just want the best price. And consumers have also changed. In your case, they don't even want a bike to last 10 years. Would you want a 10-year-old ebike? I wouldn't. I own three ebikes. One of them is six years old and I'm looking forward to it dying (hopefully this year) so I can buy a new one with cooler features.
People - in spite of what they say - like disposable things at disposable prices. Of course you may see comments contradicting this statement below and of course there are exceptions, but take it from a fellow manufacturer...price is the only thing that matters on the aggregate versus the few people that want - and, more importantly, will pay for - quality.
And for people who want quality? They're not buying an "Amazon bike."
My suggestion is to wind down or lower your quality to lower your price and increase your margin or you're dead in the water.
There are items you can buy for $6 each on Amazon today that I sold for $30 each in 2005. I've discontinued entire product lines once Amazon starts selling them. They're a juggernaut they will eat you for breakfast. You cannot compete.
Sorry about that. It sucks, but it's reality and you don't want to fall into the sunk cost fallacy trap.
StringPrevious9110@reddit
My spirit animal. Me 28 making 20 hr caregiving and parents small business. Want to sell online to get me a Porsche gt3 after taxes. Whats an exponential market to get up from ground.
nobodysawme@reddit
I think you’re right, but I would ask- amazon isn’t making their own bikes. Are they buying cheap from a manufacture, and will their bikes be good, or is it one amazon basics isn’t entering?
Right now there are brands that are Chinese with names that don’t matter consumers, vs making a good product that competes with the competitors. It’s one thing if the products are easily better vs the competitors and another where everything is about the same. If the products are obviously different, maybe it’s still possible to stay with the product selling?
JizzyMcKnobGobbler@reddit
Amazon isn't even buying anything. It's just a marketplace. I've sold (and still sell) on Amazon. It works for a while, but ultimately if you have a successful product on Amazon someone else is going to come along and undercut you. Then someone will undercut them. There is always a manufacturer out there with a lower-cost structure, based in a lower cost of living place, cutting more corners, paying their people worse, stiffing their suppliers to lower costs beyond what math would tell you is possible, etc. etc.
For Amazon, I ship my stuff to Amazon for Prime customers and some of my larger items I ship direct to consumer. In both cases, Amazon isn't out anything - they didn't pay for my inventory; I paid for my inventory and paid them to hold it for them to distribute (which is fair, BTW...they're handling storage and logistics and it's not unfair to pay them for that, let alone for use of their platform).
I think there are probably similar challenges for UK-based OP and Canada-based me. We're both in first-world countries with first-world labour rates, expensive (relative to a competitor in, say, China) rent, etc. Don't know about OP, but I pay my staff a living wage, I pay for supplemental dental and medical coverage (we have universal healthcare in Canada, but not dental and the benefits I give them mean cheaper medications and a bunch of other health perks). I pay them an annual bonus and I just generally want my people that I look in the eye every day to do well. That philosophy is inconsistent with how success on Amazon works. Do I want to start chopping benefits, lowering wages and cutting corners to keep Amazon viable with the other guys chasing it to the bottom? No, I don't.
Now, I have made arrangements with some Chinese manufacturers that make some of my products. I like my partners there and they do a good job. I still manufacture a lot of stuff inhouse, but we've pivoted to more custom stuff that can't be made in bulk. It is a constant game of whack-a-mole, though. Discontinuing products once they get into the mass production pipeline and looking for new untapped markets to hit.
OP has it tough, though. He sells ebikes. I can't imagine how many ebike manufacturers come and go in a year across the globe. I imagine he's selling a fantastic product, but people what cheap, disposable products. I'm not saying it's impossible for him to succeed in this space, but I'd bet anything he won't succeed with this business on Amazon. I don't believe it's possible.
I may sound pessimistic, but even just 10 or 12 years ago I was way more gung-ho on 'buy Canadian' and 'Made in Canada' and 'Support Local'. Swap all those 'Canada' references for 'UK' for OP. It doesn't work. People will say, 'I want to support you, but man, your prices are crazy.' No, my prices are very good; you just prefer cheap items made by slave labour. And I'm guilty of it, too. I don't go around looking for the best stuff around my area. I click on "buy now" on Amazon just as often as the next guy.
sawsaxxx@reddit
You will never compete on price so forget it. Look at similar brands that share same ethos you would like ie dualit toasters, Morgan cars, Barbour jackets or even Brompton bikes. Look how they market themselves. I'd focus on British made, safe, legal bikes with no dodgy batteries. Servicing will also be important so that needs to be in place.
SadHighlight7044@reddit
Doesn’t even mention the brand/bike name…
StringPrevious9110@reddit
US here I saw a reels’ with canopies for your bicycles while riding. It could help cover the hardware.
Ohm_Slaw_@reddit
Not in the UK, but I do have an opinion :)
I would partner with local bike shops. A local shop will stock your bikes and will service them. I think that some people will get turned off by the ultra-cheap stuff that's online. When they start looking for something better, it will be hard to make your bike stand out online. But many of these people will go to local shops to get something that isn't junk.
nivaOne@reddit
Just sell at market value. What are people prepared to pay for it.
Compare it to a Honda CB125F. Msrp 2999 euro. That’s a Honda motorbike!! One of the best investments with only 1,5 liter/100 km fuel consumption. How can an e-bike cost so much compared with this motorbike. A fuel engine, heavier steels frame, suspension…. A lot of e-bikes 2000 to 3000 euro. A normal bike 500 euro…
canadrian@reddit
I think for the most part people are only looking at price, and maybe aesthetics. From my experience with friends/family considering building/buying e-bikes, the main questions are: - Where do I get it fixed if it breaks? - Where do I buy replacement parts? Are they standard/interchangeable, or is it something where if the company disappears, I’ll have to buy a whole new bike because one part is broken? - How do I know this battery isn’t going to explode?
If you can address those in any way, you may have some advantage.
stormdelta@reddit
Plenty of us do look for quality still, even as someone who primarily does DIY.
I built mine originally eight years ago, and when I rebuilt it for upgrades last year I continued to use the same vendors I did before as both have 15+ stellar reputations in the enthusiast community despite being a bit pricier (Grin Tech and EM3EV, though the former has been pretty screwed by tariffs this year).
godver3@reddit
My impression from this subreddit is that in general the absolute lowest price wins. There are probably three distinct groups: riders who want the cheapest bike, riders who pay for legacy brands, and riders who want e-motorcycle style bikes. You'd first want to check what group you are actually selling to - it sounds to me like you are catering to the second group and will need to compete against the legacy brands. That should help set your selling strategy.
Tarquinflimbim@reddit
I wanted a real mountain bike which was augmented by a motor. So no I'm not commuting, and it's a toy that enables me to go riding with fitter/younger friends. That's a fourth category. My bike was *expensive*.
godver3@reddit
Right - commuters who use legacy brands and trail riders who use legacy brands. I rode a Specialized for three years and am now using a Scott - love mountain biking on an eBike.
Hungry_Freaks_Daddy@reddit
Look up what Lexus did in the 90s to build their reputation. You want to market yourselves as the Apple/premium product with stratospheric customer support and overall reliability and longevity. Strong marketing and more importantly stronger word of mouth is how you’ll succeed. All those first Lexus customers were loyal for life based on the experience and support they received from the company. If anyone’s Lexus had a problem, they sent a mechanic to the persons house to fix it within a day or two
smx501@reddit
You need some way to convey quality.
The D2C brands have anchored the price incredibly low and have impressive spec sheets. You can't win that fight.
Test rides? Maybe a blog page on your site that deep dives into the differences in components, design, testing, warranty, etc?
As a new customer last year, the big brands all felt like they were asking me to pay an extra $1000 for nothing more than access to their dealer service network.
Epledryyk@reddit
maybe this is a european thing, but I've never heard of TUV until this post just now and couldn't tell you what it means, what it tests, or why I'd spend more to have it
if you spent more to get the certification, amazing, maybe that's an education thread you can pull on for marketing: why do I want it? why is it better than the cheapo bikes? etc.
nobodysawme@reddit
Everything can be certified. Consumer devices? UL / etk. Bedding materials (mattress)? OEKO-TEX. Radio devices? PTCRB. European safety? TÜV. US child-safe materials (toys)? CPC and astmf963 or ce mark en71. There’s always a cost and a reason.
For tüv, they’re probably testing ce mark for en 15194 (electric assist and bicycle standards), 50604-1 (battery safety), 550514 (electromagnetic compatibility), en iso 12100 (mechanical safety) - basically that the battery isn’t going to explode, the bike isn’t going to fail, etc. it’s easy to believe a bike should be fine, but testing shows how and how far until it breaks, as opposed to selling a bike-ish (it’s fine! Buy cheap!) until it isn’t.
head_face@reddit
So, those ultra cheap Amazon bikes get bought by kids, but also by the occasional adult who doesn't realise when something is too good to be true.
If you're comparing your brand to Engwe and the like, those get bought by delivery riders who need the cheapest but also most viable option.
If you're going for those markets, you'll need to compete. But if you're aiming to rival Trek, Specialised etc. then you probably already in the right price range.
Personally I think you should stay off Amazon and build your own brand presence through YouTube, social media etc. I never watch Electroheads because I find one of their presenters intensely annoying but that's just me, you might want to get them to review one of your bikes for example. But definitely have your online presence firmly shored up before you do anything like that because it's a lot of exposure that could be detrimental if it hits before you're ready for it.
mickeyaaaa@reddit
I imported ebikes from china but they were not the absolute cheapest: quality bafang motors and high discharge LG cells in the battery - really good stuff!
but I cannot compete on price compared to the bottom feeders. Junk batteries? doesn't seem to matter at the $1000 or less price point - price is king above all. Plus all the kids want a bike that will do 60mph.
Im taking a loss and once sold through im not gonna even try to compete on price point.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
The biggest weakness of most ebikes, after weight, is the drivetrain. The Amazon brands use Tourney, DTC typically uses Altus. Though a few models are showing up with CUES.
A bike offering a 10 speed Deore equivalent with a 10-50t range and clutched derailleur providing smooth shifts would have competitive advantage. At least for those not riding by throttle.
Nova_Hunter@reddit
A regular Joe who wants a throttle bike off the shelf doesn't give a crap if it's got deore-10 speed with a clutch or a 7-speed Shimano tourney. they're not going to be shifting much and they're going to use throttle the whole time so that's a moot point. Unless it's a pedal assist only bike then maybe derailleur quality and stuff can be considered but if I was to make a e-bike which I have I just use micro shift or Shimano tourney parts because again the average customer isn't going to be like " oh my gosh that's a 7-speed and out of 10 speed oh I don't want it", they're going to take it because they can throttle to work.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
Did you totally not read my last sentence?
Nova_Hunter@reddit
I'll admit I did forget that last part but I'm not arguing against you I'm elaborating on your sentiment.
SpinachObjective3644@reddit
My wife and I have HaiBikes We have had them since 2017 and absolutely no issues, the Bosch mid drive is fantastic.. With the Extra battery I paid about 2700 each back in 2017. I was in Walmart yesterday and saw that had ebikes, a guy was there buying 2 of them, they hub drive motors but they looked pretty good, the price under $600, the guy was just going to see if he would like riding and wasnt going to put alot of money into it but it was for him and his wife. If you have a great product people with experience will buy from you.. Like Toyota, Honda, etc... pay a little more but have something that will give you good service.
nobodysawme@reddit
Change off years for tüv-if a bike isn’t changing models for every year in big geometric changes, reduce the cost. Reduce the cost by moving the time over years. You’re asking customers to accept without tüv, or you increase the costs.
Change your warehouse. What’s the cost vs the inventory in stock (how much of a rack or shelves are you using, how much is shipping through/coming in) - I have warehousing 3pl if you need.
10% is not enough. You need to make 20% (napkin calculator)- take your costs, BOM, warehousing, retail costs (and amazon), figure out your price. You cant reduce the price and not make your 20%, it’s a way to bankrupt the business.
Make a good bike. You know why you don’t want to reduce its price, and it shouldn’t become unsafe. You need your %. I don’t care if it’s 20, 25, or you somehow think it’s 30. But you can change your warehouse or your tuv costs (by changing how frequently and samples for cert tests.).
And maybe work out a subscription- people are buying a bike. What are the parts that need changing? Chain, tires, brake parts, on a more or less regular time (tires get hard over time even if the tires have tread, if a chain isn’t oiled, it will brea), just put in on a plan so people are talking to you regularly. Make them friends. Give them places to ride, and how it will be fun. The bike is a cost but it’s not the whole thing. The whole thing is a bike, a plan for maintenance, and where to ride. Sell the whole thing.
KostyaFedot@reddit
Not everyone is willing jump on Alibaba junk. At least not in EU.
Hefaistos68@reddit
I think the mistake people make is comparing ebikes with normal bikes. For a normal bike I would buy something that lasts some years, for an ebike it's s different story. It's an emerging technology, next year things will probably be a lot better, better batteries, better motors, better electronics, etc. So until this is established, I am not going to spend a lot of money on something that will be outdated in 18 months. Normal bikes get upgraded every decade or even less.
Nova_Hunter@reddit
Unfortunately with the way it is in the economy and gas prices and just anything in general that most people aren't even considering mid or high-end grades again most people who have less than $1,000 to spend our gun unfortunately by the crappiest Amazon specials and learn and live with their choices, the only thing you can do is make money on repairing those bikes but a lot of shops are complaining that they don't make enough profit on it but it's a customer's a customer. Me I run a home shop out of my garage so I have no overhead no rent no lease to worry about and I take on all the on chairs and Amazon bikes that I do and tell the people straight up how bad the bike is and how sloppy the tolerances are. That's just the way of the world right now everyone wants a $500 folding fat e-bike with parts that will fall apart In 100 miles.
Recursive-Introspect@reddit
Have you seen the DTTZH line of cheap ebike? I bought the midtier one with a rack for just under $1k all in. Happy with it so far at 108 miles. Suspension squeaks and its definitely not the highest quality welds I've seen and the tires seem, ok. I'd try to repair whatever breaks with upgraded parts. My worry is if the electronics fail in any way that's proabably the end of it. If it makes 2000miles without repairs it will offset its purchase cost in avoided diesel. That's assuming all miles I put on it would have otherwise been on my E350 extended cargo van. First Ebike and I was just going cheap to start, got a better one on order. Going to give this one to my wife for when we go camping.
Nova_Hunter@reddit
Yes that's also a good point some people are testing the waters and not necessarily wanting to dive deep with a 2 k purchase on something they might use 10 days out of the year. So $500 for that odd day of them bike commuting is a positive.
Also to your your point of the electronics failing, that's also a crapshoot because Ive had people ask me to diagnose it but I'm not trying to be versed in 50+ brands and models with different screens and wiring setups. If it's plug and play I can work with that but soldering and making sure the wires are the same color - + is just not in my wheelhouse. At that point it's probably more economic for the customers to buy another one, as a replacement motor controller kit is probably 3/5 the cost of the bike itself.
dunmif_sys@reddit
Are your bikes available on a cycle to work scheme?
Big-Don-Kedic@reddit
Are you not getting any sales at the prices you want? Or you haven’t listed yet? Cheap competition might steal some new riders, but if your bikes have namebrand, quality, components, those with experience will know what they’re looking at and know they don’t want the cheap shit anymore. E bikes aren’t the only ones like this, the entire bike industry has been dealing with this for years and it sorts itself out.
sleeptease@reddit
Lots of people blame the cheap Chinese bikes, but consumers are speaking with their wallets. On one hand it’s great to have so many more types of people riding bikes, commuting, not driving… and it’s also important that bikes are safe.
Good on your for doing the safety testing with a good test lab. It’s more expensive but gives you a level of confidence and lowers your liability… but consumers don’t care for the most part. There is an expectation that if the product is in the market, it’s safe.
I have worked in the bike industry for 20+ years and every company I worked for was pushed out or bought out by Chinese and other Asian countries, it’s just the nature of the industry. We love cheap shit, I think legislation is the only way to compete and that will just raise prices for consumers. Rough. There must be a better way but I’m not smart enough to figure that out.
horncologne@reddit
Hello, impressive! I am a marketer and ebike fan located in Germany. Could you share the price ranges (crap, low, mid, high) you mentioned? I’d like to have a feeling for what you’re describing. I’d also be curious about production capacity and such … but that’s probably not for a Reddit thread :-)
TheTarragonFarmer@reddit
Individual buyers may not have the time and expertise to research safety and longevity, but stores that need to factor in returns and warranty repairs might.
For direct sales, you could try to highlight tangible safety/quality features like fuses and seals. I made a rushed e-bike purchase recently, and overlooked the complete lack of waterproofing on the controller housing. Something shorted and the controller died just from some salty slush splashing up, I didn't even ride in the rain. (This is Canada btw, but I imagine the UK market is similar). At least I bought from a store, not a fly-by-night numbered aliexpress account, so they handled it under warranty at no cost to me.
I'm sealing up the replacement part myself, and I'll be more careful with my next purchase.
VegaGT-VZ@reddit
The cost of those uber low prices dont become apparent until someones house gets burned down. Bike market in general is just in a rough place too. Def worth figuring out a way to stand out marketing wise and maybe build some brick n mortar presence.
DonnPT@reddit
There's bound to be a place for ebikes at price ranges above the dirt cheap. I personally have no idea about TÜV.
Brand reputation sure matters, but it isn't something you can just assert. A lot of people are looking for that kind of thing, but don't know how to assess it. For example 40-50 years ago at the bicycle shop I used to hang out in occasionally, they insisted that Huffy really made some pretty decent stuff and were unjustly despised. I don't know if wider appreciation of this would have saved them, from basically the same economics you're running into, but I know what people thought at the time: OK, half a century in the business, but the cheap kid's bicycles business.
There are consumer goods outfits that do a good job of selling old time values, but it takes a lot of advertising skill, and the product has to pull its weight too. It falls on you to sell an image, complete with education on TÜV.
Potential_Elk_721@reddit
so instead of making your ebikes not shitty, you decide to just sell them on amazon?
Environmental-Post64@reddit
Maybe take a cue from the auto industry, offer bumper to bumper 10 year or 10,000 miles warranty covering parts and labor?
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
That would probably more than double the price. Based on what was stated, would not be viable. Gazelle or R&M might be able to pull something like this off.
Revolutionary_Gas837@reddit
I can share a little of my recent ebike purchase and layout that motivated me.
I was looking for something fun at first and affordable. I bmx'd and mtb'd for years as a youth, I wanted something exciting to get a little wild with my kids. As I started researching, I was BOMBARDED by these chinese drop ship brands that all seem to be producing almost the exact same bike with different labels.
Then, I ran into the fake hype. Over advertised brands that said "we're the best." You look them up on reddit and their 15 posts saying the batteries exploded. Its bots and advertising make these cluds of crap shine like gold.
I continued to dig. What I learned is that I needed to find both a bike I liked that fit my needs AND a company that would be around in a year or two. I ended up going with ghostcat because of their regional presence and customer service reviews. Their prices were not the cheapest, but their parts are quality. And they are orderable and replaceable. All things I can handle and work on myself.
I think for true riders that have some disposable income, it's about quality and brand assurance. The ability to fix if needed.
The problem is this market is absolutely filled to the brim with 16-year-old kids trying to get cashapp donations for an lbx. They want cheap and easy. They dont gaf if it breaks in 2 years bc they won't even be into it then.
This juxtaposition begs the question of what your target audience is. You're not gonna be able to compete with the alibaba crowd, it sounds like, but you'd damn sure be a contender for me had I seen your bikes when I was researching. I hope others can share their ideas here and give you all a good starting point for reflection.
Good luck!
Slight_Nobody5343@reddit
gotta get desruptive and creative or join the winners.