How to Buy an Electric Bike (2024): Classes, Range, Repair
“Apart from price, most buyers ask me what makes one bike more expensive than another,” says Kevin Lau. “My usual answer is the type of drivetrain/motor and the components on the bike.” High-end bicycles are vehicles, just like high-end cars and motorcycles. They have more expensive components, with lighter, more durable materials, built to tighter tolerances, and more precise machining.
$2,000 is about what we expect to spend on a durable, high-quality electric bike. However, if you don’t want to spend that much just to see if you can fit an electric bike into your lifestyle, we have a few options. electric bikes under $2,000.
Can you lift an electric bike?
Photo: SixThreeZero Bike Co.
If you’ve never ridden an e-bike, it’s important to know that some e-bikes are really heavy, weighing in at over 50 pounds. “I’ve seen a lot of people walk in the door and spend $3,000 or $4,000 on an e-bike and they’re not strong enough to carry it up the stairs of their apartment or maneuver it around the garage,” says Oseland.
“For some customers, getting the bike into a car or a bike rack can be a factor,” Lau adds. “Some bike racks aren’t strong enough to hold an e-bike.” Before Oseland sells an e-bike to a customer, he makes sure they have a safe way to transport the e-bike. “If you have to put the bike down in the car, you can damage it.” With that said, e-bikes can be a safer way for many people with limited mobility to get around, and older cyclists can see huge benefits from the extra exercise. We have options for electric bike for seniors This.
How far do you plan to go?
The next big priority is addressing customer “range anxiety.” Range anxiety is the fear that the bike will run out of battery before the end of a ride. Every bike has a stated range, but there are many factors that can increase or decrease that range, including terrain, air temperature, rider weight, tire smoothness, the level of assist the rider uses (most e-bikes have at least three levels of assist), and battery capacity. When all of these factors are taken into account, Lau says, the range of a typical e-bike can range from 30 to 65 miles.
Bosch, a leading manufacturer of e-bike systems, has an online website ebike range calculator. Before any ride, cyclists can input their weight, cadence, average speed, distance, terrain, wind speed, and other factors to get a rough estimate of how long their Bosch battery will last. Many e-bikes also have the option of adding dual batteries. This will double your range, but also increase the weight of the bike.
How will you charge and store the battery?
Photo: Adrienne So
2023, electric bicycles battery fire resulted in 268 incidents, resulting in 150 injuries and 18 deaths, in New York City. In the early days of e-bike manufacturing, many batteries were manufactured overseas, and the United States did not have strict UL certification requirements. (UL certification is considered the gold standard for safety; a third party organization has independently verified that the battery meets local and federal safety standards.)
