Can you all pick this bike apart for me?

[imagesinthewind]

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Shuangye-2016-new-design-26-inch-250-W-non-folding-electric-bike/2170054_32661845984.html


My son wants to buy this, he wants an ebike to get to his girlfriends house. He's 15 and has ridden the roads with my husband and I for many years.
I just want him to have assist on our hills. He has $1200 to spend and wants an ebike, doesn't want a kit to convert his.

Can you all tell me all the reasons not to buy this one?

Thanks!

 

[ScooterMan101]

I can tell you just one reason that will be enough to not buy from that one.

I was in Costco Recently, they are now selling ones that look just like that, for the same price.
( when you factor in the shipping costs from China ) meaning it is around $ 1,200 or $ 1,300 at Costco.
It is so new to the inventory that I am not finding it listed on their website. Call your local Costco. They are being sold in the Gilroy, California , Costco Warehouse.

They are imported by a company here in the U.S. I think the company is based in Fremont or Hayward , California.
Anyway

By buying what is probably the same thing , with different markings, from Costco,
you can return it if there is a problem, and or contact the company in the SF Bay area that sells them to Costco, to diagnose/fix any problems that might arise.

Another option, and maybe an even better one , is to buy from a local e-bike dealer there in Denver, that has been in business a few years and you think will be in business for the future.
That is your best option. Since most every e-bike is made in China anyway and at that price point they are almost all the same . at least you will get the advantage of better service by buying local.

I just want him to have assist on our hills. He has $1200 to spend and wants an ebike, doesn't want a kit to convert his.

Can you all tell me all the reasons not to buy this one?

Thanks!

 

[imagesinthewind]

They don't seem to sell these in my Costco.
Wonder if it's a regional thing.

Ginny

 

[ScooterMan101]

Could be regional,
However
At the $ 1,200 apx, price point , there are very little differences on turn key e-bikes,
your best option for a ready to ride e-bike , is one of your local bike shops that sells e-bikes.
They will have one very similar to the one I saw in my Local Costco.

When you have a few picked out from your local bike shops, then get us here on E.S. a link to that exact bike then people here can advise.

Really for a basic, ready to ride e-bike , one from one of your local shops is a better deal when you factor in Returns/Repairs/Service/Adjustments ( some shops give the first 1 -3 adjustments for free to the original buyer.
A Teenager is going to need a number adjustments to the Brakes, Derailleurs , and Spokes. Even tube changes if he does not know how to do that himself.
( Your Local Performance Bike Shop has free Classes on the simple items like Tube and Tire Changes. )

They don't seem to sell these in my Costco.
Wonder if it's a regional thing.

Ginny

 

[Ykick]

If you could bump that up to $1500-$1650 w/shipping this is how I would go - http://www.radpowerbikes.com/pages/radrover

 

[craneplaneguy]

Seems like a great deal on a ready to ride entry level bike.

 

[Dauntless]

For $1,200 I think he could do better. But Costco doesn't have the selection of electrics anymore. Here's the best of the three on the site:

http://www.costco.ca/Urban-Ryder-Men%e2%80%99s-7-speed-Electric-Bicycle.product.100029327.html

Better, but more expensive.

There's other options, but you have to sort out what they cost and how good they really are. There are a number on this page, but the two pictured are fairly representative. Keep in mind the 11 hour sale begins the minute you find it on the site.

http://www.saferwholesale.com/Electric-Bicycles-s/2640.htm?gclid=CIjWg--Q080CFYSDaQodxhMF1A



I will still say your best bet is finding some cheap bike he finds that he's comfortable with and then putting either a leafbike.com or Yescomusa.com kit on it. Get something more powerful, a better battery, and it still costs less. Far more likely to find the bike he wants to ride without a motor on it, right?

 

[imagesinthewind]

http://www.eco-wheelz.com/catalog/izip-via-rapido-electric-bike-p-140.php

I found one of these for $500 on Craigslist near me. Talked her down to $450, took the son to look and ride. He liked it so i bought it. I rode it around a bit and its pretty good. Battery is small at 10ah, but o thought i could get a bigger one, like 20ah and make the distance a bit further for him.

Thinking of taking his Gary Fischer and doing a build.

 

[Ykick]

That's a good way to go as well. Trust us, you're most likely to wind up with more than one eBike anyway.

Battery pack being the most important and evolving component. Young person who masters battery technology will have no problem finding employment in the years to come. Hint hint...

 

[nutnspecial]

Can you all tell me all the reasons not to buy this one?

Weeellll, for me at fifteen, the reasons were: "because I said so".
I'd have to give the reasons WHY it was worthy to buy, not the other way around. Then again, I also made 4$ an hour at 15, and only in the summer for 4 hours a day. And I 'had' to save half of earnings until about 17 when I went my own way.

Also, I pedalled a bike 5 miles each way (not flat by any means) to do that job @ 14 and 15 y/o. So there's another reason- growing kids have the most potential to be 'weak' with tech.

But strictly talking ebikes, with some modest skill a kit will far exceed a turn-key entry ebike. Plus (IMO) it's important for men (if not women too) to learn about tools and building/mechanics etc, and build skill.

Not sure if that's what you were after, but hopefully it helps somewhat.

Edit/ I didn't see your buy. Nice deal, and a good conservative ebike to start on at a younger age imo.

 

[imagesinthewind]

That's a good way to go as well. Trust us, you're most likely to wind up with more than one eBike anyway.

Battery pack being the most important and evolving component. Young person who masters battery technology will have no problem finding employment in the years to come. Hint hint...

LOL...he's studying computer tech and is getting into cyber security. He likes the bike, and I rode it 6 miles mostly on hills to see what 250W pulls on PAS on hills.
It's nice extra but certainly doesn't make the hill flat. But the throttle extra does the trick.

I might want an upright of my own. I have a LWB recumbent that I put a kit on. 48V, 1000W with a 20ah battery. I could tour with this conversion...

Not bad for $450 though!

 

[ScooterMan101]

So between your first post at 9 am and this one at 4 pm saying you bought a bike, good job,

I say good job, because you did not buy a eco-wheelz. you bought a I-Zip bike, and a model that is only few a years old , well 6 from what it looks like.. for a good price, it is a basic e-bike so it was a fair price for you and the seller.

I-Zip / E-Zip / Currie Technologies has been around designing/selling e-bikes for 10+ years now, ( electric scooters for 14 + years now ), so you will be able to easily get replacement parts for it.
There are places that sell replacement batteries for Currie Products, However when it comes time for a battery there are better options. Looks like it is a 24 volt pack, not many places carry them these days,
However
There are a couple of places that sell them and have a good reputation .

http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=35 ( em3ev.com custom makes packs for what ever voltage and amperage ( watt hours ) you want.

I believe Grin Techonlogies also does this http://www.ebikes.ca/

most other places just sell what the Chineese pack builders send them. so not much in the way of the newest 18650's from the other places , in a voltage of 24.

For some replacement parts when you need them you can get them from here ...

https://electricscooterparts.com/

http://www.currietech.com/

http://www.eco-wheelz.com/catalog/izip-via-rapido-electric-bike-p-140.php

I found one of these for $500 on Craigslist near me. Talked her down to $450, took the son to look and ride. He liked it so i bought it. I rode it around a bit and its pretty good. Battery is small at 10ah, but o thought i could get a bigger one, like 20ah and make the distance a bit further for him.

Thinking of taking his Gary Fischer and doing a build.

 

[dogman dan]

I actually liked that other bike, but for what you need, you did the right thing buying that other one. Saved about 800, which can now be budgeted to a new battery when it needs it. Build it, of course. Maybe a battery tech job can feed him through college later.

A lot less lost too, when it gets stolen. At 15, I'd eventually leave it in the wrong place, and lose it.

 

[Ykick]

Computer tech and cyber security shouldn’t have trouble finding work either. Good job mom!

Half the battle is getting an eBike. Any eBike is better than none and once a smart someone ventures into hands-on situation, knowledge and skills will likely expand at an exponential rate.

Keep us updated with the journey! Hopefully, many of them...

 

[MadRhino]

It is cheap and weak and has no power nor speed. Those are the reasons that are understandable to a 15 yrs old, as well as to any rider.

PS.: You didn't make a much better choice, other than better service perspectives

 

[imagesinthewind]

Cheap, yes.
No power, depends on your perspective.
I don't want my son going 30mph unassisted.

At a garage sale today, i found this for $20.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1324492134244856&id=100000522477287

It's brand new, had a tag on it and not much wear on the tires.
Gonna build it for my daughter.


36v 800w rear 6 speed with a rack battery.