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  1. Great article. As an experienced multiple brand ebike owner there is one major Con I wanted to add: Support and Service. It’s difficult and very expensive to find a bike shop that can and will fix many ebikes unless you bought it from them. My buddy here in Los Angeles is having a very difficult time getting his German Spitzing M1 bike fixed and I am selling mine while it works well. I spent $450 to have the gears inside the motor replaced on a nice Surface604 Oryx Carbon Fiber by a local ebike shop, that just happened to have one set of those from another bike with defective motor but good gears. If they didn’t have the part, I would not have found it easily. Bafang BBSHD and BBS02 mid drive custom made bikes are the lowest cost and best solution in my experience. You get the best of all, speed, throttle, customized pedal assist 5-9 levels, low cost batteries and motor/controller are easy to swap, tons of free online support groups on Facebook. It’s like open source.

  2. another Con is that replacements for for warranty related claims for batteries are nearly nonexistent. Ebike manufacturers are extremely reluctant to provide batteries when they can use them on ebikes they sell.

  3. One rather prolific bike thief commented, “There isn’t a bike lock that I haven’t figured out how to defeat in under three or four minutes”. The common automotive hydraulic jack can easily break open the best “Kryptonite” locks in just a few minutes. If thieves risk being caught for sub-thousand dollar conventional bikes, the really expensive electrics are even more attractive targets. I lost a bike to a thief who broke into my apartment, ignored my flat-screen, stereo equipment, guitars hanging on the walls, and only took my bicycle. Bike thieves these days are specialists. They know that disassembling and selling the individual parts is more lucrative and harder to prosecute should they be apprehended. Still, cops rarely even try to catch bike thieves as the crime is so far down on their list of priorities. A friend of mine saw his stolen bike for sale on the local “craigslist”. He positively identified it because of his own personal modifications, a custom leather bag, a unique seat, and stick-on graphics. Even with that, he could not get the cops to accompany him to the seller’s house to view the bike and claim it as his own. He went with a friend following him, asked if he could take the bike for a short spin to try it out, then met his friend a half-mile or so away. He essentially “stole” his own bike back from the thief.

  4. I have owned a few quality electric bikes within the last 10 yrs. I am 70, female. Been unhappy with the throttles (and the brakes). As we age, some of us have arthritis in our hands and even wringing out a washcloth can bring a bit of pain. Constantly using my thumb or other fingers for the throttle and pulling the brake levers is not fun. I am not happy, because the longer I go without riding a bike, the less comfortable I am about my skills. I don’t want to give up that thrill of throwing my leg over the ‘saddle’ and taking off with the wind in my face!

  5. I have 3 different ebike brands. All have needed warranty service. This service was performed by a local bike shop with no problems. Parts were sent by the manufacturer and my costs reimburse. Just follow manufacturers procedure for submitting claim.

  6. I Folks I’ve been riding BIONX SINCE 2010 Several Bikes Same G2 System Since 2012 Over 50,000 miles of Experience.
    Presently I Have 2 E-Bikes in My Corral Both have Over 12,000 miles. PL350 Free Wheel Motor Hub is the most robust.
    My Other Motor from 2012 with over 18,000 miles finely worn out bearings. Still Powers Up I Just have to replace the bearings):
    Lastly BIONXS Systems is one of The Few E-Bike Motor System that Has Regenerative Charging Whilst Pedalling.. At Minus Assist Level at least 10 MPH
    *Also The Regen can be used like a Jake Brake when going down hill to slow the bike down and recharge the battery .
    As Well as Braking *if Your Rear wheel and brake adjustments are centered. You probably won’t have to replace Your REAR Brake Pads Caliper or Disk.

  7. Nice article. I bought an electric cargo bike back in 2019. I love it, but yes, it is overbuilt and weighs in at a hefty 74 lbs (33.56 kg), but, I also bought the racks which brought the weight up to 85 lbs (38.55 kg) THEN, I added a heavy-duty cardboard box on the back rack to carry my tire pump, and heavy-duty motorcycle alarm lock (130 dB!) plus, I always carry a liter bottle of water with me wherever I go. So yeah, my bike weighs a lot. I am in my late 50s and have a bad back and knees and, I have to lug my bike up and down two flights of stairs! Not a happy back, that’s for sure. But, I still love my electric bike. I can ride it all the way to Santa Monica from my home in Torrance, California which is a 23-mile jaunt on an 11 Ah battery. Yes, I have to go to my favorite coffee shop where I have to sit for about three hours to recharge the battery, but hey, I like coffee … a LOT! Hahaha!

    All that being said, I wouldn’t trade my electric bike for anything … well, except for, maybe one of those jet pack pads you stand on and can fly OVER everyone. You know what I’m talking about, right? You’ve seen that guy on YouTube flying through the desert 60 or 70 feet above the ground zipping along at 50 or 60 miles per hour? Right? Other than that, I think I’ll keep my electric cargo bike.

  8. I own a Giant 2019 Fastroad e bike that I just enjoy immensely. I can go assisted for about 120 km max on a full charge on the 400 wt battery with both hilly & undulating ground when using the 1st & 2nd level of assistance. I always come home with a smile on my face & a feeling of being better for the experience. Battery life is a issue that I think about ,so I try to look after the battery by charging it to around 65-70 % of its capacity and keep it in a comfortable room temperature of around 22 degrees when not riding the bike. This is not something that I would stress about but like all things you can get benefits by being thoughtful about how you treat anything in life. The bike just allows me to ride further than I would normally ride without assistance & to explore areas much further from home. You can always turn off the assistance if you want to work harder. An off road model e bike would probably open up even more opportunities for adventure with getting out on the dirt trails. Just a really nice experience to enjoy by yourself or with friends.

  9. I concur with the first comment. I have been riding homemade ebikes for 20 years. The number of people who design, repair and support them has diminished each year. I have two really nice bikes but I cannot find anyone who will help me. I advise against getting one for this reason. I have been thinking about Bafang though and may try to see whether I can find someone on Facebook or YouTube. Support for Bionx etc. is a no go. I have a LiPing LifePo battery that is pretty good but need help with cables. I started when I was middle aged and there were plenty of people from the Human Powered Vehicle community who were passionate about these things. Now the old guys are gone it is just sell the bike and go away.
    I needed and still need assistance on hills in my New England setting. Haven’t been able to ride much this year because the local bike shops couldn’t get tires for my Nomad recumbent trike built by the late Bill Darby. Now I think I can get tires I need help with the electric stuff and can’t find anyone. Such a bummer

  10. I have found that by turn my indicator to zero when I am ready to get off my bike I don’t worry about my throttle accidentally going on. I also do that when I am ready to ride. I hope I am not doing so I wrong. I am an older rider, over eighty.

  11. I have found that by turning my indicator to zero when I am ready to get off my bike I don’t worry about my throttle accidentally going on. I also do that when I am ready to ride. I hope I am not doing so I wrong. I am an older rider, over eighty.

  12. If there were a reliable way to secure my e-bike, I would enjoy taking it so many more places. My bike cost way too much to leave unattended for any length of time with available lock mechanisms.

  13. Thank you for explaining that electric bikes are easy to ride. My husband and I have been thinking about going on a bike tour when we’re in Hawaii this summer. We’ll be sure to look for something that offers electric bikes.

  14. It was captivating when you wrote that electric bikes can be a way to make some special experiences that can be one of the unforgettable memories. This got me thinking to try an electric bike. It’s best if there is a supplier near my place that offers quality electric bikes.

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