Dschaffer

Doc_Wui

The Ecotric is a smaller motor and lower voltage. Might hit 20 mph on 36V. They claim 23. The limit for a class II is 20 mph anyway so the Voltbike is also locked into 20 mph unless you mod it. You get the cool little holes in the rim on the Ecotric. Do you get them on the Radrover? Both have a basic Shimano Derailleur and Tektro mechanical disks. My experiece with those Tektros is good.

Bigger battery on the Voltbike. 48V 14AH. Multiply those two numbers to get watt-hours (WH). Voltbike is 672 WH while Ecotric is 432 WH. Now 672/432 = 1.55, so you'll go 50% farther. If 432 WH is enough for your basic ride, well that may not matter. Expect to burn 20-25 WH/mile riding a fatbike at 20 mph w/o pedaling. The Ecotric battery is easy to find as a third party unit. I would expect the same of the Volt, but they might have played some tricks to keep buyers inhouse.

The Voltbike has a front suspension. The Ecotric is solid fork. That's a matter of taste. You used to be able to buy a suspensiob fork for about $100-120 ffor the SOndors fatbikes. Basic cheap fork, same as in Voltbike. Really good forks cost $500 or more.

I have a fatbike. Similar motor. No shocks. Mine is comfy w/o them. Came with cheap, heavy, noisy tires. Spent almost $400 on 4 better ones. Tires make all the difference. I have a 52V battery, but I don't ever ride it fast. My typical speed is around 14 mph on pavement and I use about 10-12 WH.mile in pedal assist.

You need to be a sometime bike mechanic and maybe an electrician at times to be happy with either. If you read the reviews, controllers break. Batteries die. Motors don't spin. Volt, I hear, will send you that stuff if you convince them it's their fault, and you have to put it in. WIth Ecotric, who knows. I don't think so.

Me, I would buy the Ecotric if my fatbike got stolen, because I can replace anything on a fatbike. I'll take the price savings and risk the odds of more work.

Someone else, new to ebikes, the Voltbike is a good choice, just for the longer range, and history says they return emails.

2old

91% of Amazon purchasers (44 reviews) gave the Ecotric four or five stars, so seems like a good deal for $900 (10% off now). Also, Radrover has been rated consistently high when I've read reviews. If I had $1500, Rad, $only $1000 Ecotric. Might sound cryptic but I think the Ecotric is a good deal, but the Rad is worth $500 more.

Dschaffer

veganbikes

Radpower is generally pretty terrible and their customer service is rough at best. Both look like great deals and really cheap and they are really cheap in all senses. All the online bikes that come through the shop need a lot of work and a lot of aftercare and frequently come broken. Hub drives are also a nightmare in themselves dealing with rebuilding wheels and replacing spokes frequently and generally not feeling as good as a good mid-drive system.

Find a shop nearby and try some good e-bikes and save up a little money, you will be happy you did and especially so if that shop can provide service and warranty help because good luck getting it from Amazon or other online sellers and then finding a shop that can work on it. Bosch, Brose, and Shimano STEPS is easy to find a shop to work on it but a random China motor is going to be harder.

People don't like to spend money so I tell them SPEND THE MONEY!!!!!!!!! Seriously either spend the money now and have a bike you can ride and that will work and require less service or spend little now and spend a lot more later. Generally the idea of saving money initially falls very flat but if you consider long term costs, reliability and durability you will pay a bit more at the beginning but a lot less in the end.

Generally for an e-bike look around at least the 2k mark but generally 2500 is where you really start getting something of good quality that will last a while and have quality parts.

Doc_Wui

Careful on the M2S, Dshaeffer. You're creeping up and up..

I looked, and the Ecotric is selling for $888. Does amazon collect sales tax for 3rd party sellers in your state? Not in mine.

https://www.amazon.com/ECOTRIC-Wheel...ywords=ECOTRIC

It's got the same or similar quality in the bike parts: brakes, derailleur, grips, wheels. I think the motor and electronics are comparable too. Pictures indicate they use a similar LCD display. Tires on the Ecotric are probably cheap/heavy, but I've read where Voltbike owners get rid of their tires too. I think 2Old has a good take on it. It's a good deal, but he and I are no stranger to ebikes.

If you know how to work on bikes, and have some electrical skills, you could probably keep either bike running for a long time after any warranty period (if any) has run out. If not a bike mechanic or no electrical experience, you need an indy ebike shop. I don't think there's any money in that business yet.

The main thing is .... what happens if it stops running when riding, If it's dangerous to be stranded, or you have to be at work every day on time. then it's worth spending the money.

CodyDog

I own a 2017 RadRover. I have found that their customer service is very responsive and helpful when I have called them for assistance or questions. My Rad Rover has been problem free.

There are two type of sensors on electric bikes, cadence and tourque. The Rad Rover has a cadence sensor. My wife rides a Specialized Como 3.0 which has the torque sensor. I much prefer the torque sensor and if I could do it all over again, I would have purchased a different bike for that reason.

With that being said, the Rad Rover is a good value for $1,500.00. The components are going to be on the lower end in that price range. Unfortunately electric bikes are expensive and $3,000.00 and up is where you will get the better quality components and features. The Rad offers one of the largest batteries in the market which is important. The 750 watt hub motor is pretty powerful and responsive. The Rad has the throttle feature which can come in handy for quicker starts at intersections or just cruising around. The Rad is pretty heavy at about 65 lbs.

I changed out the front suspension fork and replaced with a Surly Ice Cream rigid fork which cut about 5 lbs off the bike. I think a suspension fork on a fat bike is over kill. I changed out the tires as well to a more friendly street tire. I also reconfigured the computer by simply using the face plate controls and reset the top motor speed to 24 mph.

I think a lot of folks believe these bikes can go where mountain bikes can go. That's not so. These two bike are meant for pavement and dirt roads not mountain bike trails. Believe me, I know.

Between your two choices, The Rad Rover is by far a better bike than the Ecotric.

Go to electricbikereview.com for video/written reviews on electric bikes. The have hundreds of reviews, pictures and videos.




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2old

Thanks; your comments mirror what I've heard from others about the Rad. Solid bike and good deal when used within its limits. I think fat tires look cool but aren't that practical unless the paths, streets whatever you ride on are eroded. We pay about a $1 premium for gas in CA, but at least have good roads and lots of bike paths (still not worth the expense though).

Dschaffer

MikeDD

I have a Rad and a Specialized e-bike. I agree the Rad will be good on gravel roads but single track may leave you wanting. I have not had any problems with either bike.