What E Bike to get
Posted by Rayney-Days@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 37 comments
So my parents are getting my little brother and I E BIkes. He’s turning 15 next month and I’m 17, just got my license.
Any recs? Budget is under 1k but I’m still saving so I can go a little over.
My state requires these
Low-Speed E-Bike (Class 1/2): Pedal-assist or throttle, maximum speed 20 mph.
Class 3 E-Bike: Pedal-assist only, maximum speed 28 mph.
Class 1: Pedal-assist only, motor cuts off at 20 mph.
Class 2: Throttle-assisted, motor cuts off at 20 mph.
Class 3: Pedal-assist only (or with throttle capped at 20 mph), motor cuts off at 28 mph.
Srry if it’s the obvious idk if it’s for every state or not so I didn’t want to confuse anyone.
I’d appreciate it if off road bikes were also recommended, buts okay if not.
Tysm!
InsideYork@reddit
I got a cheap one and mod it, I'd build one from scratch since you don't get good stuff unless you know what to look for. Get a good lock though! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKInoufWZi0&pp=ygURYmlrZSBsb2NrcyB0ZXN0ZWQ%3D
Fat tires waste more battery, get ove with a sine wave controller or learn to put in a VESC, and if your school is 40m away, you might want to consider gas or buying a spare battery for your budget depending on how many miles away it is. Watch Fortnine, funny enough there was a video about a motorcycle just for teens in Europe to comply with laws. I'd start with 52v and up voltage you might be able to get away with one 20ah battery, and it needs a 1500w hub motor. If you don't mind 20mph any of the 36v and up will give you that with a 250w motor that says 500w or 750w.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Oooo I’ll watch it rn! Tysm! Theres a ton of info about these things I had no idea about before comments came in! This is very helpful! Thanks again!
InsideYork@reddit
I got a very small weak 14in 250w ebike and I added a sine wave controller, once you go over 20mph you get a lot of wind drag and you need to square or 4x your power for more and more speed.
i got gloves with palm sliders, a full face motocross helmet and maybe the co2 vest if you're very safe. Ask me if you need anything specific info
jms1228@reddit
All of the teenagers in my area have the mopeds & they all seem faster than 20.
I have a Class 2 Trek FX + 1 & it’s capped at 20mph. I feel like it’s slow on a bike path all by myself, but they have it programmed so you can’t adjust the speed.
I’d say for you, maybe go to Costco or REI & see if they have anything decent for $700-800. The biggest issue is finding a bike shop that will work on them when you get a flat tire. Because without tire protection, you’ll get a flat tire pretty quickly.
CaliCloudz@reddit
Good tires make a huge difference. Im running continental contact pure 27.5 x 2.4 tires. Ive had one flat in 2.1k miles. I know its part luck because some things will puncture any tire.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
So I should be extra careful of the tires bc of that?
Hashtag_Labotomy@reddit
Yeah. Most come with thin tires that leave a lot to be desired. For one the sidewalls don't have any rigidity to most of them. So if you are on concrete and gonna cut off into the dirt, gravel, grass if you don't go at a pretty steep angle, like a 45° they will slide down the sidewall and can cause ya to crash. I eventually went with actual motorcycle tires on mine. We got a lot of subdivisions that are expanding around here and my daughter loves to take her mountain bike to them and ride up and down the big hills and stuff. It was murder for the stock tires. Motorcycle tires are heavy as can be though but I haven't had any thing even think of puncturing my tires or tubes since. Just yesterday evening we did 9 miles through some pretty gnarly crap that has little sticks, stumps, sharp flint, pokey rocks and who knows what else. Even with the groves that had washed out by rain we never had an issue
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Ohh I had no idea about this! I’ll be more aware and careful of that! Tysm!
Hashtag_Labotomy@reddit
Most seem to run "flat out" in their tubes and also run liners that help prevent punctures. And that works very well. Especially the flat out. Great product. Since I dash with mine and I really hated changing a tire,tube etc in the side of the rode I finally found and went twitch shenko motorcycle tires. Ain't cheap and they ain't light,so I lost some acceleration, but I ain't had to worry about a dang thing so far. Plus I really like having an actual sidewall.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Would you consider it high maintenance?
Hashtag_Labotomy@reddit
Nah not really. With some tire liners and flat out you can survive pretty much anything life can throw at ya.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
That seems very reasonable. After all, nothing is the easiest to deal with or goes on with issues atleast once.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Ohhh okay. Thanks so much I’ll definitely head there
Silverback_S5@reddit
Fiido T1 was my first ebike & was perfect for everything, was well built, had decent components, could ride someone else on the back, or use it to carry stuff, actually used to with a off-road bike trailer with suspension to go bike packing 😂
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Lmaoo that’s really cool! I’ll check it out!!
Smooth-Buy-4085@reddit
I bought a ebike last year from tamobyke they came out with a new one called tamobyke t73promax Has double motor and double battery cost is $1150 with discount code. Max speed is 37 mph. But can set levels on the bike to make it go a certain speed overall it's been a good bike I've got 3000 miles on it up to this date and I've only had to change was brake pads and a motor cable that accidentally broke off from taking my bike downstairs.
sanjosethrower@reddit
Not legally an electric bicycle in Illinois where you seem to live mor the vast majority of the US.
Smooth-Buy-4085@reddit
I'm in the city of Chicago aint much of restrictions here yet. Only in surrounding suburbs.
sanjosethrower@reddit
Here’s a bicycle advocacy group in Illinois that provides the links to the relevant state law that say your bike with over a single 750 watt motor is not an electric bicycle in the state of Illinois.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
I’ll check it out! Tysm!!
Smooth-Buy-4085@reddit
Np customer services is responsive as well. They get to you a day or 2 later but will respond
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Alr, I’ll just send an email. Ty again.
TopRepulsive4766@reddit
I would check Amazon. They do have some inexpensive ebikes there. If you find one that seems to have the features you like, be sure to research it with sites besides Amazon. Some of the Amazon ebikes are good deals. But others are complete garbage. So, like I said, be sure to investigate before buying.
We live in Wyoming and it's probably the most relaxed state regarding ebikes. I see kids riding Sur Rons with no pedals around town and nobody pays any attention whatsoever. They ride way faster than 28MPH too. If your state is strict on ebikes, make sure you are careful riding the off-road types.
As for specific recommendations, I really don't know enough about your preferences to make a valid suggestion. Again, checking Amazon would be a good first step.
And now my parental instinct is kicking in: Please be sure to wear helmets when riding.
MuchVacation3638@reddit
Parents are getting you an ebike? Cool You’re a teen? Cool Budget 1k???
https://i.redd.it/8ak8r2zfqkug1.gif
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Lmaoo. What should it be then? 1500-2000?
thephotoman@reddit
That is a price range where I think you’ll be happier with what you get.
But also, remember that Upway exists.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Oh okay. I’ll be sure to stay in that lane then. Tysm!
MuchVacation3638@reddit
You seem to be new to this sub op. I’ll give you a rundown though. so never ever buy any e-bike under 5 million USD because it’s guaranteed to be a fire hazard and unsafe. Remember, if you have enough money for a car buy an e-bike! /s
CaliCloudz@reddit
This man speaks the truth!
CaliCloudz@reddit
I've been happy with my aventon level 3. They are just solid bikes and take a beating. Mine has fallen out of the back of a truck twice and was fine. They have a fat tire bike i really enjoyed riding also. If youre primarily riding streets then get a slick style tire. You'll have way more fun on the street and since its a fat tire you will be fine in mild off road.
Get something with 750 watts that does 28mph so you wont be bored. Get something with adjustable speed for trails with limits.
Be safe. Wear your helmet, I was in a coma for a week because I didnt. And hoon in appropriate places so you dont ruin it for the rest of us.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Tysm! I definitely will! Stay safe!
rvralph803@reddit
What do you hope to do with the bike and where?
For example, are you going to do trail / Greenway riding?
Is it for commuting to a job?
That sort of information would be helpful. Then we can try to suggest bikes that fit your need / wants but also fit your local laws.
That said, take a look at Aventon / lectric and see if you see any you like on their sites. They are some of the best value propositions. Not the cheapest, but also more reliable than a drop shipped bike.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
It’s for both school and a job. My school is 40 minutes away from me and I work nearby my house. I don’t mind pushing the budget higher by a few hundred if necessary
rvralph803@reddit
40 mins by car might be a big ask. 40 mins by bike and you're good.
Personally if I were you I'd look for a 48v 500w-750w hub motor bike with racks so you can add panniers (bags). That wattage level is enough to climb pretty much any hill slowly with minimal assist from you.
Fat wheels are pretty common today, but they are not necessary. For your use you'd be fine with thinner tires. 1.5-2.5 inch wide would be great.
For your use case I would suggest a 15-20+ ah battery to ensure you have range to get to school and back.
Torque sensing is great if you are a true pedaller, but cadence sensors are cheaper. They are just all or nothing to a given speed level so you can end up "ghost pedalling". Torque sense increases as you pedal harder.
Honestly the Aventon Pace 500.3 seems like a great deal for all that. There are some listed around your price point.
Rayney-Days@reddit (OP)
Thanks so much for the help!! I’ll check it out!
CaliCloudz@reddit
I didnt see you are actually going to put some miles on the bike commuting when I made my comment!
Dont get fat tires! They are sluggish maneuvering in traffic, slow down acceleration because they're heavy and kill your range. Especially at high speeds. I think they're fun. But I would be pissed if I had to ride one for a week doing 20-50 miles a day.
BodSmith54321@reddit
Lectric Xpress 500w