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I review ebikes for a living — these are my three favorite ebikes for 2024
(www.tomsguide.com)
"I review eBikes for a living" and these are what he chose?
These bikes are all nightmares. Please don't buy those (well, the Yuba is legit, but not the top 3)
These are all consumer direct brands that you buy at department stores. People who put these together are generally not detail oriented. The parts spec (Altus derailleur?) is the cheapest shit possible that was not designed for an eBike application. The weight and torque of the bike is more than the parts are designed for. It will need servicing and the cassette/ chain will be roached every 500 miles or so.
Therein lies the kicker: most mainstream shops won't service these. No name motors (maybe Bafang if you're lucky) and batteries that are prone to catching on fire if you overcharge them means a shop won't take the chance. With all the proprietary parts and propriety firmware for the motor a shop would have a hard time even if they did take them in. I turn these bikes away from my shop every week and a lot of them are built by fly by night companies that fold or don't support the bike 2 years after you buy it.
If you are considering going the eBike route, get something with Bosch, Shimano, Fazua, TQ or similar MID DRIVE motor as opposed to these hub drive bikes. Hub drive bikes have weird cables that you dare not risk ripping out or nicking while taking out the 30lb rear wheel to change a flat and all that weight near the back of the bike makes for a shitty handling one.