My first

[gernodeb]

I am contemplating my first purchase. I read the post-"which ebike should I buy" and I understand your passion for building. At some point I will probably share it, but for now the important thing is for me to get up and running quickly. I was an avid hiker until early last year when I lost about 50% of my lung capacity. I spent the last 9 months with no exercise, trying to get the problem resolved with no luck. I have been looking for something that will get me out with the option of choosing how much exertion I can expend, and I stumbled across ebikes. I am 60 with more money than time, as I still work.
I am thinking about a Prodecotech Phantom X as a first purchase. Does anyone have any comments about this? I may use it to do a short commute from home to train, and then train to work if I can get it on the train easily. I would like to take it camping in the places I used to hike to. And if I fit in well with this sport, I will be building my next bike, I am skilled in metalwork. It looks like this forum is the place to accomplish that.
Also, what other essentials do I need to get started, other than a helmet? Should the bike come with a charger and other electronics (voltmeter, etc)?

[Ykick]

Search "prodeco" yields 22 pages...

search.php?keywords=Prodeco&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

[dogman]

If you have the cash, they seem to get some decent feedback. Most here would agree that you can do quite well with a good kit from a good vendor. Either way, good kit or production ebike, they should come complete or state that you need to add the charger to the battery purchase. Better kits come with a Cycleanalyst, but a voltmeter and a soldering iron are often needed, if not immediately then eventually.

Where you are located can make quite a difference which advice we give.

[Frog]

Hi I know I'm new but I'll give you my advice I have been reading the forums for a few months. I'm also am not ready for my first build and want to buy box bike or BSO Bicycle Shaped Object. I'm also looking at buying from Prodeco as well. First off they seem to be on the shady side when it comes to delays and not telling costumers when the bikes will be ready. People have been waiting for months for the Phantom X 2 and been told many times that they will be getting their bike soon. Latest news from Prodeco was it's going to be late April before the bikes are ready. I could care less what bike you buy but if you got the cash my advice get the Phantom X 2 for $100 or at least get the upgraded 5ah charger so you don't need to wait 8 hours to charge. As for essentials mine will be helmet, thorn resistant tubes (long valve) with slime in tubes small bicycle tire pump that you can carry with you (your going to need this anyways) and a $80 head light. Your looking at $1500 to get on the road with this bike. Oh and if you want the bike by summer you might put in a down payment soon. Hope this helps and don't forget Save the frogs

[dogman]

Hmm, pay now get bike eventually would turn me off immediately. Do they have anything you can buy now, and they ship now? Something in stock?

Always buy from avaliable stock, not from "we'll get one", vendors

Might look at the better IZip bikes, the ones with hubmotors.

[miro13car]

Frog,
standard charger provided with Prodeco needs 8 /!!!!/hours to fully charge battery on Prodeco, really?
So it is one-trip-a-day ebike, right
MIro13car

[Nehmo]

I am contemplating my first purchase... I lost about 50% of my lung capacity...I am 60 with more money than time...I am skilled in metalwork.

You are asking in the correct place. However, you'll have to filter out all the junk replies because lots of people will answer even when they are more in the dark than you. And there are also plenty of people with vested interests. I'm not going to recommend an e-bike or a company; I'm just going to recommend a Endless member, who is participating in this thread, who you should listen to: Dogman.

[LegendLength]

I'm rooting for YKick

[Nehmo]

I'm rooting for YKick

Maybe, but Dogman is in a similar age and physical predicament. Besides, YKick's provided link, ES's lame phpBB search for the bike, is not encouraging. A Google site search would give better results. And a new poster would have trouble making sense of all that, anyway. But don't misunderstand, I'm certanily not trying to disparage YKick for being helpful, and YKick does seem knowledgeable from what I've read. I'm simply explaining why Dogman is the better for OP, and I was attempting to simplify for OP. For a new poster, it's hard to decide who is worth listening to.
In any case, the thread is dead now, and OP hasn't added a new post. So, maybe this is all moot.

[Ykick]

No disparage taken Nehmo and you're certainly welcome to express your opinion. Dogman's an awesome, well spoken and tireless contributor! I don't believe this is a contest, I enjoy ebikes and like to talk, often too much!

But your mention of the "google" search is kinda my point - do you think there just might be quite an incentive for products to be found (search engines) posted on ES? Feel free to PM me if you would like to hear more of my conjecture.

[LegendLength]

Sorry Nehmo I didn't mean to sound rude but I can see how it did possibly!

I agree with the google thing too, that link should be made a sticky on every sub-forum. i.e. the site:endless-sphere.com search-term format.

[Philistine]

Sorry Nehmo I didn't mean to sound rude but I can see how it did possibly!

I agree with the google thing too, that link should be made a sticky on every sub-forum. i.e. the site:endless-sphere.com search-term format.

I thought it was classic Legendlength . The laconic Aussie humour tends to get lost in translation with the Seppostanians, best saved for our Pomgolian and Kiwi brothers. I did the same thing myself on another thread today. I think the text based format of threads doesn't express the nuances of Aussie communication well, there is never enough emoticons. There needs to be an emoticon that represents that one is entering into laconic Aussie mode, maybe it would be an image of Paul Hogan's face or something.