Electric bikes

[Alan A]

#2 wants one for Xmas.
We live on a fairly long, fairly steep hill and he’s not 50lb.

I’d like to keep it under 2k all in, so no Specialized or bike shop marked up craziness, but I also don’t want finest chinesium.

Anyone have a reco?

[Cajundaddy]

50lb so how old? An e-bike will do zero-20mph in about 4 seconds so choose wisely. "If" he is a very skilled rider on a pedal bike an e-bike "might" be warranted. I would probably set an 80 lbs or Disneyland Autopia ride height before getting one and spend quality time on rules of the road and situational awareness.

E-bikes are a lot of fun but we have seen fearless young boys run out of talent on one and get fairly well messed up.

[Alan A]

He’s 14 and 150#. He’s had an ATV since he was 7 and an electric scooter for the last 3.
I need a bike reco not parenting advice.

[Cajundaddy]

Sorry, the "he's not 50lb" typo in your OP threw me a curveball, suggesting he was about 7 years old. 14 years and 150# is a good age for one.

Now to the bike. What style of riding does he like- BMX, sport cruiser on a full frame, Mountain bike, road bike? Hundreds of choices. Trek, Pedigo, Giant, all make nice ones. We have Giant Momentum sport cruiser style and they have served us well but maybe not ideal for an active teen. The Tuttio electric-dirt-bikes look super fun with full suspension. Definitely not street legal, around $1200.

[Alan A]

It wasn’t a typo. I’m looking for something that’ll get him up the hill without slowing down to a crawl. His scooter was mostly ok 50# ago, now it’ll barely make it up and slows to walking pace.

I figure a level 3 with a real 750W should last.

He’s wanting something to get him to his friends place mostly. I was thinking Aventon Aventure 3 or Lectric Xpeak2 but wondered if there was a better option.

[look 171]

https://arielrider.com/products/x-class-60v?srsltid=AfmBOoq4ielZW30epJ0ovebEmcupx-2NkDrPQGIhgHM7h-Sn5z92cpku

I have their Grizzly. It will do 35 mph with the electronic unlocked. That will hurt him if not careful but most young kids are dare devils. the grizzle has dual motors so it will climb like a mt goat. Their other bikes are more then enough to buzz around in.

Here's my opinion, If you don't look at the Chinese product you are cheating yourself. Even Giant, Specialized are all made there maybe even designed there. When I was in china 7 year ago, the whole damn country was on elect. bikes and scooters as well as larger vehicles. Just don't buy that cheap crap off ebay for 600 bucks.

[cantdrv55]

Look at Lectric bikes. They sell the most e-bikes, I believe. Wife has one and loves it. I have a RadRunner +. I like it a lot but it doesn’t look like a traditional bike. Also Rad is going out of biz so be careful there.

[Baz]

8 pages w/146 posts:

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1119877-ordered-two-ebikes-today.html

[Baz]

Most of the kids around here ride these.......







Can reach 30 mph......

[LWJ]

I know you said no Specialized. Can you do second hand? I bought two Turbo Vado's both under $2K on CL. Both work flawlessly. One was essentially new - had very low charge count and miles.

[WPOZZZ]

What are the laws regarding e-bikes in your city? Here, if it is 750w+, it is considered an e-motorcycle and you need a driver's license, insurance and the e-motorcycle has to be registered/licensed as well.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Alan A

I need a bike reco not parenting advice.

LOL!
This is not parenting advice but - when we bought bikes for our grandkids we priced them based on the not-remote chance that they would eventually be stolen. They were.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Cajundaddy

Sorry, the "he's not 50lb" typo in your OP threw me a curveball, suggesting he was about 7 years old.

I read that as meaning he weighs less than 50 pounds. I threw me too.

[Baz]

Checking the local classifieds isn't a bad idea. I see them for sale on a regular basis that are in almost new condition for considerably less than retail. Many kept in climate control garages.

The good thing about those is you can look at them in person before deciding whether to purchase or not.

All 4 of mine were shipped to me in boxes for me to assemble. I did my due diligence by watching YT videos from people who bought/reviewed them, before ordering.

Craigslist or FB Marketplace usually has a selection.

Also, I wouldn't like the "Made in China" thing bother me. Most of these are made good enough to serve the purpose. Your biggest liability for longevity will lie with upkeep - same kind you'd do with any bicycle. Chain and tire maintenance. Proper battery charge protocol. Etc....

[Tidybuoy]

This is coming from an adult:

If I were to do it over, I would get an e-bike with the smaller diameter wheels. I have a Eunorau eBike and it is huge. It weighs 80 lbs (which most are heavy) but the size is very large and makes it difficult to transport. It barely fits in the back of my truck. As far as power....mine is 1000w motor and it hauls. Last year I took a trip to San Francisco and this bike zipped up the hills faster than most cars.

[Crowbob]

I have this. Got it used. Seems to work well. Lots of power, throttle, cruise, etc.