Fair price for Giant Twist Freedom Hybrid?

alins

100 mW
Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Messages
39
What would be a fair price for a clean and working used Giant Twist Freedom Hybrid, probably a 2008 or 2009 model? It goes for $1700 new now; has a lithium battery and 250W motor. Specs: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/twist.freedom/7334/44073/

Thanks
Paul
 
I would pay $5 usd.
 
I would feel ripped off buying that for $600 used. $400 and I would take it with some protest. $200 I would snatch it up to resell at $400.
 
Find your nearest Giant dealer and make sure he can order more batteries, as that is quite often the reason a 3-year old E-bike is being sold. The batteries are starting to sag at a lower range than before, and everyone advises the owner that his packs days are numbered, and will die soon. Time to upgrade to a nicer E-bike!

I am told the original packs were 24v and 6.5 aH. The upgrade was to buy two of them for greater range, and for a while the dealers could order a single 9aH pack. Quote from one of the links:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/522-battery-giant-twist.html
"...Just for everyones info, my Giant contact has been told there are no more 9Ah batteries in stock. Apparently this is because the batteries are now supplied by Sanyo and not Panasonic, and they are only doing the 6Ah version..."

It looks like NYCeWheels in New York carries new packs for $700 each, but they don't list chemistry or aH (NiMH?) for the replacements. For the stock packs when you are buying a new bike they list: 1 Battery: 57 lbs. 2 Batteries: 62 lbs, Lithium Ion w/Charger
http://www.nycewheels.com/giant-part-twist-battery.html#pictures

Are you comfortable hacking a battery and installing your own generic pack?

I have seen the Giant Twist in person, and it has a high level of fit and finish. Bicycle components are mid-grade to better. No part appeared to be cheaply made. It was a good looking and professional product. The stock controller is 24V, so...it wouldn't be as simple as just slapping on a 48V pack to get more power.
 
Here is the ad for it:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/2488203346.html

The seller inherited the bike from his dad. I asked him for more details and his reply is below. Seems like a nice enough and honest guy. Was just wondering what a fair price would be if I were to buy it.

Thanks for writing. I can't say for certain how many miles my dad put on the bike. He passed in May and was too sick to ride for probably the last year of his life, so it sat in his garage in Omaha most of the time. I know he rode a bit when he first got it, but I wouldn't imagine this was more than a couple of times a week. I believe he bought it new, but don't know this for certain since I've been out here the entire time he had it. I brought the bike out in late May and rode about 20 miles one day on Whidbey and to/from work one day here in Seattle (about 3mi total). Cosmetically, the bike looks really clean. Everything works perfectly to the best of my knowledge. I thought the brakes were a little soft, but this seems to be more a function of the bike and weight thereof rather than a mechanical issue. The power assist controls and motor work flawlessly and it really is fun to ride.
 
$1,150. Ouch! I can definitely build a better (functionally speaking) bike with that amount. On the other hand, I would never be able to make it look as clean, as elegant. Tough decision.
 
Another ad for the Giant Lite:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/2489625075.html

My guess is that all of these guys are asking for too much.
 
I rode one and it didn't freewheel very good. And I helped a friend at a ebike store that off the rear wheel it was so hard to twist the special ring that held on the rear wheel. It took 2 hours. A joke. Plus a lady come in and got a chienise ebike, because of the gaint ebike in her garage.
 
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