I’ve identified ten buying tips to help find your first e-bike now you have decided e-biking is for you. It doesn’t matter if you are buying from a local bike shop or ordering your e-bike online, I believe these ten buying tips will help you make a better buying decision. They are based on research I’ve done which helped me buy my first e-bike. Answering these questions will help speed up your purchase process and reduce the risk of buying the wrong e-bike.
These buying tips come from reviews of several expert online recommendations and chatting with some folks who work with new e-bike customers every day. To simplify things. I’ve grouped the questions as follows:
- Use of your e-bike
- Cost of buying and maintaining your e-bike
- Special requirements to consider
How do expect to use your e-bike?
This is an obvious question which is the same question you would ask if buying a regular bike. However, unlike a regular bike, your investment is much higher. In fact, two to three times higher than buying a regular bike.
Just look at your local Kijiji or Facebook Markeplace site to see examples of buyers who didn’t answer this question. Many of the postings are from folks trying to sell their e-bike for a loss after a couple of months because they bought the wrong bike or weren’t clear why they bought it.
To avoid making this mistake, review the following ten buying tips before ordering your bike online or arriving at the bike shop.
1. What type of riding you want to do?
Are you sticking to city bike paths, commuting to work, regularly travelling on gravel roads, or climbing mountain slopes? The answer to this question determines the features and style of e-bike you will buy.
Clarifying this now will help you narrow down the many choices in e-bike styles, motor and battery requirements and additional features to consider. This is an important first step to help you buy your first e-bike.
2. What have you done in the past?
If you are uncertain how you will use your e-bike, consider what you have done in the past. If you never go biking in the country, are you likely to ride on rugged bike trails? Or if you normally ride your regular bike for an hour or two, is it likely you will ride for four or five hours on your e-bike?
Your past behaviour and preferences can help you narrow your choices based on what you are likely to do to ensure a great experience.
3. Should you buy only for what you want today?
As e-biking is contagious, you will ride more often and be willing to try new experiences. It makes sense to buy the bike based what you expect to use it for today. However, this is the time to think about how else you will use your bike.
For example, a city bike with narrow tires is perfect for urban paved bike paths. However, if you want to take it camping where there are gravel roads, this type of bike may not be the best choice. A hybrid bike is a better fit as it provides the flexibility to increase the range of biking you would like to experience.
4. Who will you be riding with?
The great thing about e-biking is you can ride on your own or with your partner and friends. If you are riding mostly on your own, it is likely that a bike with more speed and range would be a good choice. However, if you are riding with your grandkids or others who don’t have an e-bike, having the most powerful motor or battery isn’t a priority.
How much do you want to spend to buy and maintain your bike?
The Electric Bike Review website claims they have tested 1069 e-bikes! This means you have a lot of choice when it comes to buying.
Furthermore, a quick Google search indicates the price range for e-bikes in Canada is from $1000 to over $16000. It is helpful to have a pretty good idea how much you want to invest in your bike – both for the initial cost and ongoing maintenance costs.
5. Brand name versus off brand bikes.
Established e-bike brands like Trek, Specialized, Pedago, Giant and others are generally higher priced than lesser known brands or new e-bike suppliers. Buying a proven e-bike brand provides peace of mind regarding the quality of the bike and ability to get it serviced.
However, buying a lesser-known brand or an online bike will likely save you some money when you buy it. But there is a downside as many have a reputation for poorer quality and no post purchase support.
When buying this type of e-bike, it is important you ask more questions about reliability, customer support and ability to have the bike serviced at local, independent bike shops It is also critical to get more details on key parts such as batteries, motors, braking systems and understand what warranties are provided as they can directly impact your riding experience.
Getting your e-bike at a lower price but not being able to service it is no bargain. Check owner reviews and online forums to read what the experience has been with specific e-bike brands and distributers. Several Facebook pages for older e-bike users is a great place to interact with current owners of all brands.
As many of us do to start a product search, we search Amazon to get a idea of costs. Good place to start in your search but don’t be afraid to broaden your search
6. Online bike distributors
The market is inundated with online suppliers of e-bikes, some of whom are using Kickstarter programs to raise money before they actually produce their bikes. Their pricing is often very attractive so they can build up enough sales to be able to manufacture their bikes.
If you go this route, be aware there is a risk that you will not get your e-bike for months or at all. It is important to question the distributor before ordering your bike. If you are unable to get answers to your questions, move on to another bike supplier.
7. Quality of parts and materials
As a new e-bike buyer, evaluating different bikes by price alone can be confusing. What is the difference between a $1500 bike versus a $3000 bike?
The biggest difference in price is the quality of the parts used, materials used and quality of manufacturing. For example, a quality, branded battery costs between $500 to $1000 depending on the voltage. If a bike costs $1500, it won’t include a quality, name brand battery. As a result, it won’t perform as well and finding a replacement battery may be difficult or even impossible. If this happens, you may end up with an expensive, unusable bike.
It can be difficult to assess quality of online products. If you choose this route, find as many reviews as you can to help you evaluate the suitability a brand.
Do you have any special needs or requirements?
Finally, decide if you have any special requirements for your bike to be able to really enjoy the benefits of owning it.
8. Storage of your bike
Many people live in condos or homes without a garage or space to securely store a bike. If you don’t have a readily accessible storage place, a good alternative is a foldable bike you can store in your home or vehicle.
9. Transporting your bike
As e-bikes are heavier than regular bikes your existing bike rack can’t safely be used. This means an upgraded bike carrier for your vehicle will need to be purchased if you plan on taking your bike on road trips. These carriers typically run between $800 to $1000 though it is possible to buy used ones on sites like Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace.
Also if you plan on transporting it, make sure you can lift your bike. E-bikes can be heavy and different brands and styles can vary in weight by as much as 10 kg. It would be disappointing to have a bike you can’t lift onto your bike carrier.
There are several brands of hitch style bike carriers available but I have found Thule carriers to be well made and designed.
UPDATE: Since writing this post, I have encountered some safety issues with Thule T2 Pro we use. I would not recommend this model. For details, check out my post on bike carriers.
10. Health and fitness limitations
I know it can be uncomfortable facing our reality of getting older. My back injury limits my ability to get onto certain styles of bikes. Its a reality that affects what type of bikes are comfortable for me to ride. It is why I have chosen a step through model. Very easy to mount and dismount compared to a bike with a bar.
If you have an injury or physical limitation, it is important to make sure your e-bike style accommodates your needs. It is one of the reasons test riding your bike wherever possible is important to get the most from your purchase.
It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of getting your new e-bike. Based on my own experience, I am confident these buying tips will help you to buy your first e-bike and focus research and thinking about your needs. It is a big purchase, however, doing this pre-purchase planning will help in making the right decision for you.
In an upcoming post, I’ll get into more detail on what to look for when you are ready to buy your first e-bike. Until then, forward any questions or topic suggestions for future posts that will help you buy your first e-bike.