# Anyone have an ebike? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656 "2020-04-12T22:32:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/1 "2020-04-12T22:32:48Z")
I rode a few and they were nice but outside my budget. I am hoping to spend around $1200 and the ones I rode were around $2k. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/2 "2020-04-13T00:14:32Z")
They have ones in your price range, especially used. I don’t have one yet but I have ridden them and have looked into buying one. What do you want to use it for? There are lots of different styles. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/3 "2020-04-13T04:59:53Z")
I’ll get back to you in a couple months as we’re strongly considering adding e-motors to our old BikeE semi-recumbents. That’s always been an option - retrofit power to an existing bike. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/4 "2020-04-13T12:43:22Z")
just going to use it for around town. I noticed you can buy an ebike for $12k. 🙂 Most seem to be $2k and up. Maybe prices will come down this year if the economy is still down. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/5 "2020-04-13T22:21:47Z")
There are budget ones new for less than $1000. I have someone trying to sell me a decent used one for $500. The one that I really want is the Juiced Camp Scrambler at $1599 new. It is supposed to be the most fun one available but it isn’t old enough to have many used ones on the market. There is also a City Scrambler model. ---
**Author:** ![albino\_manatee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/albino_manatee/32/2_2.png) [@albino\_manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albino_manatee)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/6 "2020-04-15T15:12:59Z")
if you’re looking for alternatives … might consider an **euc** _(electric uni-cycle)_ … versatile and some models can go amazingly fast. **inmotion** sells a model for $1100. > **[Inmotion V8F, 518Wh Battery/1000W Motor - ewheels.com](https://www.ewheels.com/product/new-inmotion-v8f-518wh-battery-1000w-motor/)** > > Latest edition to the Inmotion line-up, the V8F is an upgrade to the best selling V8 with 21.7MPH max speed, more powerful motor, pedals, other improvements [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OUw8JQdljSk/maxresdefault.jpg "Msuper Pro Fast Trail Riding (Extreme Electric Unicycle)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUw8JQdljSk) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/7 "2020-04-16T03:40:42Z")
Costco had a pretty decent looking one: [https://www.costco.com/genze-sport-%2526-recreational-electric-bike%2C-black.product.100424981.html](https://www.costco.com/genze-sport-%2526-recreational-electric-bike%2c-black.product.100424981.html) a little outside of your price range but seems to address the key complaints I have with mine. My issues: - fucking heavy and can’t realistically pedal without power - rear tire is impossible to change myself A used one might be good for you. Take a test drive and if the battery is good, seems like a good approach. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/8 "2020-04-16T07:10:44Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > just going to use it for around town. I noticed you can buy an ebike for $12k. 🙂 Most seem to be $2k and up. Maybe prices will come down this year if the economy is still down. When I was looking to buy mine, I talked to a very old friend who used to be a bike mechanic. He told me that for a decent e-bike, the parts themselves are very expensive - for something that goes that fast, you want really good brakes. And the battery all by itself is a large proportion of the cost. He advised spending at least $2k to get something safe and reliable. And my current bike mechanic said the same. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/9 "2020-04-18T12:57:53Z")
Do you own a reasonable bike already? If so, the best thing to do at that price range is order the battery and motor and retro-fit it (like RioRico mentions above). You can fit it yourself if you’re handy with the spanners, but if not you could just ask your local bike shop (some have a lot of e-bike experience nowadays) to quote you a price. They could order and fit one for less than 1K. If that’s not an option then it’s a question of buying something bad like those linked above, but they’ll serve OK for scooting around town. You need to know the score wrt regulations in your state, it differs a lot - some places no one is arsed (yet), others have developed regulations for the various classes of ebike. Something with a throttle, for example (goes without you pedalling) wouldn’t be classed as an electric bicycle where I live. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/10 "2020-04-18T14:51:24Z")
I have been looking into used ebikes but there are very few available near me. I might do the conversion of a regular bike. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/11 "2020-04-21T00:56:21Z")
I am going to a local bike shop Thurs and I will ask them about conversions. I assume they would rather sell me a new bike but it doesn’t hurt to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/12 "2020-04-21T01:08:20Z")
I want an e-bike so bad. Would love to tool around the park area and reservoir ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/13 "2020-04-21T09:28:42Z")
I purchased an e-bike for my wife two months ago. We spent the equivalent of USD2300 to buy a [Sinch Jaunt EZ 2](https://sinchbikes.co.nz/collections/comfort/products/jaunt-ez-2). It’s a NZ specific manufacturer, but I really liked what they make. She wanted the deep step-through, and the EZ 2 has sufficient motor power and battery life for her regular commute to work (once lockdown ends). I rode it for a bit getting it home without the battery being charged, and it’s heavy but not impossible. With only eco boost it gets really easy. My wife absolutely loves it - she has gone riding almost every day during lockdown. She can go further and explore more, and is really, really pleased. I’ll possibly convert my bike in future to an e-bike with a mid-drive conversion kit - or just sell it and get a Sinch. I’d also love to e-cycle to work (about 30km each way) but there is no safe and easy cycling path that would allow maintaining 30km/h all the way. Also, having worked from home for a month during the lockdown, I may never go back to the office (if my manager allows it). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/14 "2020-04-26T15:11:36Z")
bought a nice bike for $2500, it was normally $3500 but on sale due to being last years model. It’s a specialized turbo. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2020, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-ebike/851656/15 "2020-06-08T00:34:05Z")
I really enjoy the bike. I mainly use the motor on uphills where it helps a lot . Don’t need it on flats or downhills.