Confusing array of e bikes

[RufusChucklebutty]

I'm looking for a step through e bike and it seems like there are multiple confusing brands but the bikes all look like the same one, from £700 to £1500 ?

Are they actually better or worse or is it just paying for a real brand name and warrenty back up rather than straight from a China ?

 

[All uphill]

I'd suggest buying one with a motor that can serviced and repaired, and with a battery from a reputable company. That way you avoid the risk of having a bike that is scrap in twelve months and possibly dangerous before then.

My ebike has a Shimano motor and battery, and my son's has Bosch. His has been used in all weathers for four years and is as good as new

 

[wafter]

I'd suggest buying one with a motor that can serviced and repaired, and with a battery from a reputable company. That way you avoid the risk of having a bike that is scrap in twelve months and possibly dangerous before then.

My ebike has a Shimano motor and battery, and my son's has Bosch. His has been used in all weathers for four years and is as good as new

This has been one of the few pieces of advice I've been giving to a mate... it seems that anything not running standardised components from large, reputable companies is at best scrap in waiting, inviting disaster at worst.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have had several bikes with motors

Current on is a Raleigh Motus with a Bosch motor
it went over 12,000 miles recently and is still going strong
battery range is starting to drop a bit but overall it has lasted far far better than the otehrs I have had

Problem with Bosch motors is that anything going wrong and you have problems
for example - I needed a new speed sensor
I asked the LBS to change it as they have the necessary software to connect to it and do it
because if the central system realises that you have disconnected something then you need the proper software to tell it that it is OK

even for a simple speed sensor that just counts the revs of the magnet on the wheel!


On the other hand - they seem to go wrong very very seldom

Previous ones had problems - mostly due to battery things
our folder is out of action because the battery no longer charges in spite of being careful to charge it and use it properly

First one (I started on them in 2011) went through 3 batteries over time
on the same point - if I get a new battery for the folder it will cost about £150
new one for the Bosch - more like £500


Overall the Raleigh has been good and the Bosch system has been great

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Like many things these days, it's easy to get out of the loop of what's considered a bargain, if you don't keep your finger on the pulse.

I was incredibly lucky, when on the verge of ordering a ~£1900 Van Rysel road ebike https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/electrical-assistance-road-bike-e-edr-af-105-2x11s-red/335142/m8654837 , I came across Pauls Cycles and RM Cycles selling GT gravel ebikes for the cost of a typical GRX drivetrain gravel bike (£1250).

There's no way I'd chance an AliExpress special, I was always going to buy a "big brand" with support in the UK. Albeit I'm not quite sure what happens with my Paul Cycles bike if something went wrong within the G'tee period, if I'd bought the Van Rysel, I could have simply taken it to the store in Southampton city centre.

 

[steveindenmark]

Start with a Bosch motor, step through and fitted with a rear carrier. All the bike shops are set up for Bosch motors. That should get rid of a few on the list.

 

[oxoman]

I've recently been watching Timmy Mallet ex children's TV presenter who's got a giant step through ebike, not sure of the model but he's done 20 thousand miles on it as he's toured throughout the UK and Europe. I think the best thing is to go mainstream manufacturer and steer clear of aliexpress or temu specials. You will pay more but you'll get peace of mind that if it does fail it should be repairable unlike the cheaper ones. I've seen a fair few Thorn and also Reise and Muller bikes used for touring although probably overkill for yourself.

 

[Mike_P]

Giant mid drives normally use Yamaha motors, which LBSs should be equally familiar with. My 6 year old Giant ebike has one and I have had no problems with it. It was said they were better at hill climbing than Bosch ones.

 

[Mike_P]

One thing to consider is chain v belt drive. A main issue is how easily or not is it too fix a puncture with a belt drive. The other thing I find strange with belt drives is the lack of any way of seeing what gear you are in.

 

[mustang1]

Iirc, Yamaha has the least number of faults, does closely by Bosch. At least that was the case a few years ago. If I was buying today, I would still only choose from these two brands.

 

[RufusChucklebutty]

The Crazybird Jumper seems like a good buy to me.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

At a 2min look, this Lapierre eMTB doesn't look bad for £1500.

https://www.rmcycles.co.uk/bikes/electric-bikes/lapierre-overvolt-ht-45-high-2025__24485

 

[gbb]

My thought process was always, buy the best you can afford but do not skimp. There's a reason theres a price difference, quality of components, battery motors, wheels, bearing quality, tyres, brakes etc etc. Cheap is only cheap once, when you buy it. It becomes expensive after that because you will either be replacing it far far sooner than a quality bike...or you'll be chasing and.paying for spare parts long before you would on a quality bike.

 

[Mike_P]

To get a good bike cheap it's often the case that looking at previous years versions still being sold will save £££, especially if the current version is only a minor change. My ebike should have been c £2100 but as it had been replaced by new version I got £700+ off.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I'm looking for a step through e bike and it seems like there are multiple confusing brands but the bikes all look like the same one, from £700 to £1500 ?

Are they actually better or worse or is it just paying for a real brand name and warrenty back up rather than straight from a China ?

It is absolutely worth paying the extra for warranty and backup.

I'd suggest buying one with a motor that can serviced and repaired, and with a battery from a reputable company. That way you avoid the risk of having a bike that is scrap in twelve months and possibly dangerous before then.

This has been one of the few pieces of advice I've been giving to a mate... it seems that anything not running standardised components from large, reputable companies is at best scrap in waiting, inviting disaster at worst.

What they said. I've had many, many people wheeling the remains of a Chinese made ebike to our shop in the hope of getting it fixed, only to be disappointed when we can't do anything.

The first problem is that most shops only deal with Bosch and Shimano motors, so if your no-name Chinese motor breaks after six months, you're on your own: believe me, the Anazom seller won't be interested in helping. Even if it doesn't, you can't update the software, and if your display shows an error message no-one will be able to find what it is.

But that's just the start: the "cheap" bike you buy online won't just have a no-name motor, the hydraulic brakes will be non-standard, so your local shop can't maintain them, because we won't know what brake fluid to use, the brake pads will be a funny shape, and they won't want to take the risk of liability. Wheels are often non-standard sizes to make the tires look "cool", so you may not be able to get a new inner tube. If the (non-standard) kickstand breaks (which is quite likely) and the bike falls over, you won't find a replacement gear hanger that fits... it goes on and on.

Unless you're lucky, you'll have a very heavy piece of scrap lurking in the shed for far longer than you ever rode it. Buy a bike with a motor that will be serviced locally to you, preferably from a local shop, and if that's too expensive, spend the 750-1000 gbp on a good normal bike: it'll still be working in twenty years.