From transforming daily commutes to bridging the gap for non-cyclists, e-bikes are the most significant evolution in cycling since the mountain bike—and that’s a win for all.
I got an Aventon earlier this year and it’s been great. Two of my friends in another state coincidentally also got Aventon bikes, each a different model than mine, and they also love them.
However my wife’s family got some cheaper Chinese-made small fat tire folding e-bikes and they’re also pretty good, and cost a lot less.
Rad Power is what I see the most when I’m out riding around.
When I was researching, some folks said “buy from your local bike shop so you can take it back there for maintenance” which seems like good advice for folks who aren’t comfortable doing their own maintenance. I also watched a lot of videos on YT for models I was interested in, and videos by the same person so I could get a sense of what they said about bikes at all. I’d be particularly skeptical of people who never have anything bad to say.
This biggest concern I have with my ebike is theft, and that concern is keeping me from doing everything around my area with my bike that I would do if my family had a second car for me to take out instead. I find myself waiting u til our one car is available to do things where I would have to leave my bike out of view for very long.
When I was researching, some folks said “buy from your local bike shop so you can take it back there for maintenance” which seems like good advice for folks who aren’t comfortable doing their own maintenance.
As someone that used to work as a bike mechanic, that’s incredibly silly advice. Your local shop should be able to do maintenance on any bike for a fee, and unless they offer some sort of servicing plan, won’t do it for free just because you bought from them (unless it’s a warranty issue).
I think the bigger issue was more about being able to go local for warranty service, instead of having to ship your bike somewhere far away, which would be costly and be a PITA.
But you’re absolutely right about regular maintenance. I gave the wrong idea about the reason in my last comment.
(And now I’m sitting here thinking “omg, I sound like ChatGPT.”)
A good u lock and a cable for the wheels is enough to prevent theft. Unless you mean there aren’t any bike racks to lock to
It takes 27 seconds to cut a ulock with a battery powered angle grinder. https://youtu.be/hjYXD9pyupg
That being said, I do use a ulock and cables when I lock up my bike. It stops opportunistic thieves, but not determined thieves.
uLock New York lock and an air tag hidden under the seat or somewhere else sneaky. Take photos of your bike and serial number. Register it with your renters insurance or homeowners insurance. Park it in public, visible spaces. Go ride your bike! People will steal anything if they really want. All you can do is deter them
