Are ebikes "worth" it?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Article are ebikes worth it?

Are e-bikes worth it? Real costs, benefits, and when buying one makes sense

[QuarterMillionMan]

I liked how he talked about cadence vs torque motors. And with traditional bikes a fit and conditioned rider could be pumping along at 10 - 15 mph then a granny on an ebike blows past at 20 mph without any effort what so ever could be demoralizing, lol.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Wiring diagram of building an ebike. Good luck should anyone aspire to build it from scratch.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Some other observations on my new ebike;

1) The power stays on if I forget to turn off the power vs my old ebike automatically turned off after about 5 minutes of inactivity.
2) The rear brake seemed to stay stuck at times slowing down the speed or making peddling difficult. I confirmed this by touching the rear disc brake rotor which would be very hot. So I just replaced the brake caliper with the $15 Bucklos brake which I have yet to road test tomorrow when I go to the beach. If it works good (ie, doesn't sqeek, has good stopping power, doesn't stay stuck, etc), I'll buying more to be ready for future use.

[QuarterMillionMan]

The Bucklos brakes work very well. The brakes that came with my new ebike was locking slowing down my ride and causing the rotor to be very hot. I took it off and trashed it and replaced it with the Bucklos brakes which works like a champ and doesn't lock, has good stopping power, and doesn't squeak. Ordered another $15 Bucklos brakes to have ready when needed.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ordered this new $319 ebike today. My other new $359 and only 2 months old ebike died which I sold on Facebook market place for $80. 3x's the power while riding the power would completely shut off then maybe after waiting 1 hour the power would come back on. Yes I know that is the chance I take with these cheap ebikes and these things happen.

VARUN Mountain Ebike 20MPH 500W Peak 36V 24in Adults Commuter City Electric bike | eBay

[kork13]

Ordered this new $319 ebike today. My other new $359 and only 2 months old ebike died which I sold on Facebook market place for $80. 3x's the power while riding the power would completely shut off then maybe after waiting 1 hour the power would come back on. Yes I know that is the chance I take with these cheap ebikes and these things happen. VARUN Mountain Ebike 20MPH 500W Peak 36V 24in Adults Commuter City Electric bike | eBay

Not to say I told you so .... Buuuuut.....

Have you not paid the same (or more) over time on all of those different, crappy bikes & parts & hassle? You don't have to buy top of the line to get a quality bike. You can get a great mid-range e-bike for $1500-$2500, and it'll last you for many years if you take care of it. As my family has always tried to convince my father, there's a vast difference between "cheap" & "frugal"

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ha-ha, I knew someone would chime in about it. It's the chance that I take with these cheap ebikes and I'm okay with it. With the $1500 - $2000 ebikes all it would take is one crash or it gets stolen in an instant and there went a lot of money. With my cheap $300 ebikes, I have 5 - 7 more chances at breakages, being stolen, or crashes, etc.

[QuarterMillionMan]

My preliminary review of the new ebike, rec'd box today at 10 am, got assembled by 11 am, and rode it at the Hermosa beach. Good but noticeable lack of power being a 36V vs my previous 48V. Low end torque is paltry and high end speed tops out at about 15 mph. This new 36V doesn't have an LCD screen w/mph, nor odometer. It has a plain 3 dot LED lights for low, medium, high. Going up hills I have to assist the battery by peddling. The 48V needed no effort going up hills. Overall, I'm satisfied but I miss the power of the 48V. Hope this new 36V lasts longer than the 2 months 48V ebike, lol.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Accessories that I wish didn't come with my new ebike which increased the price (phone holder, cable lock, air pump, bell, etc). Also not pictured are included tools such as Allen wrenches, open end wrenchs, screwdrivers, etc. Tomorrow will be the real test in Tijuana where I'll ride the ebike for a total of about 6 miles.

[QuarterMillionMan]

After riding the new 36V ebike for 6 miles yesterday it rides good but slower vs the prior 48V ebike. I fully charged the battery prior to the ride at 5 bars. At the end 1 bar remained. The prior 48V ebike would be at 4 bars in the end. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would give this 36V ebike a 5.

[james.hendrickson]

After riding the new 36V ebike for 6 miles yesterday it rides good but slower vs the prior 48V ebike. I fully charged the battery prior to the ride at 5 bars. At the end 1 bar remained. The prior 48V ebike would be at 4 bars in the end. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would give this 36V ebike a 5.

QMM, why not just get regular bike? Regular bikes give you more exercise and are likely to last a lot longer becasue the mechanisms are simpler.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ha-ha James, I could never go back to a traditional bike. It's true that it takes more effort on a traditional bike and you'd get more exercise but once you've ridden an ebike the effortless power of the battery makes it so alluring. It's like using a hack saw vs a reciprocating saw, no comparison.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Since you got me started James, I'm already looking at maybe buying this 48V ebike for $320, and selling my 2 days old 36V ebike.

[james.hendrickson]

Ha-ha James, I could never go back to a traditional bike. It's true that it takes more effort on a traditional bike and you'd get more exercise but once you've ridden an ebike the effortless power of the battery makes it so alluring. It's like using a hack saw vs a reciprocating saw, no comparison.

Um, what if the temperature drops, or the rain gets in the electric motor and runs it? Are ebikes reliable?