Zero_Enigma

Ok, I keep drifting in/out of looking into ebikes and this forum from time to time. I've a question about reliablility.

I'd like to know from the collective here what thier experiences with ebikes has been. What worked, what did not work, etc.

I'm thinking of getting an ebike over driving also for groceries as well but I live on a hill. I have have to fight about 4 hills (one major ~35-40 degree and about 1km long and one about 40 degree but about 200 meters). I'll likely be lugging groceries back home thus why I like the extra power as the round trip is ~20-22km for the grocery run. I am ~150-155lbs (it shifts). I do plan on using human muscle to ride as I don't want to lose that fitness aspect. I think probably 25-50% motor and the rest pedaling.

If I had the coinage I'd get a Opti-bike but I don't. >.<;; I like the iZip bikes withthe concealed look to it. Less likely to have someone dogging to steal the battery off me when I park for shopping thinking it's just like a normla bike. I like the concealment look. ANyways, would like to hear what others have and what is reliable. Thanks.

BMCThriller

Do you know what a 40 degree hill looks like?. It all depends on how much your looking to spend the opti bike is obviously one of the if not the most expensive e-bike and the e-zip/i-zip is the exact opposite. Give us a budget and we can help you out

miro13car

E+ ebike the most reliable, although not so many owners on thius forum.
E+ is improved legendary Tidal Force which I own with almost 17,000 km on the odometer throu rain, snow, subzero temp, etc..
AT least you cannot get better motor /controller/inside motor / than E+ , no doubt the best hub in the world, made in USA means all that difference, believe me I owned cheap Chinese bike.
USA-made lasts and it starts with quality of metal used which Chinese have no idea about metalurgy, they have Soviet-era metalurgy, how can they make reliable bike?
Their bolts strips, metal parts bend, etc.
reliable means=$$$.
My TF cost US$3000.
MC

Allen

I have a Giant Twist (the inline motor version built by Panasonic).
It's 6 years old and has 15-20k miles on it.
Runs fine, no problems beyond some wear and tear on the bike parts (brake pads, chain, etc) but no issues at all from the motor.
I did run one battery into the ground during that time but that is to be expected.

miro13car

Panasonic is high quality if you want pedal first and lower power.
1000W E+ is in different category, it is throttle and easly can reach 30m/hour with 150ponds rider.
MC

A2BMetro

I have an A2B metro... You should check them out.

I can't speak for reliability at the moment as I only have had it a month, however I have put 400 miles on it thus far with no problems. Had a chain snapped today but that is standard bike part and I feel it must of been faulty from manufacture. They have sent out a replacement immediatly as is all covered under warrenty.

In the mean time I just removed the snapped link.

The bike has 20 mile range going 20mph without pedalling. Although of course hills will effect it, but if your planning to pedal aswell, the hub motor and you pedalling should glide you up even the steepest of inclines... The battery in hidden inside the frame aswell which is a real bonus.

Should check them out... the company is ultramotor. Let me know what you think

miro13car

A2BMetro - is it silent? or do you feel any shudder at low speeds?
Any whine on acceleration?
MC

A2BMetro

It is silent when running. No shudder or vibrations at low speed. There is a slight whine from the motor when accelerating hard from a stand still. Hope this helps :-)

Sensate

If reliability is a key consideration, I don't know how you could do better than the Panasonic system that AllenG mentioned. Bikes with Panasonic systems have been available in Europe for the better part of 10 years and have a legendary reputation for reliability. (I find it wildly ironic that European bikes are using Japanese motors). I believe the Panny system was available in the United States on Giant bikes until 2006. This year it's become available again in the US on Kalkhoff bikes imported from Germany. (Does anybody know if any other manufacturer is importing bikes with Panny systems into the US?)
Regarding other criteria:
It's a pedal assist, no throttle to speak of.
It's an exceptional hill climber. The motor connects directly to the chain, so is able to utilize the low gears of derailuer / gearing system. I believe Optibike and Kalkhoff were the only ebikes that made it to the top of Pikes Peak last week.
Starts at around $2500, more than an Izip, less than an Opti.
Looks and behaves pretty much like a conventional bike, with the battery behind the seat post giving it a longer wheelbase.
miro13car's right: reliable = $$$

jeckhout

You might also check out https://www.cycle9.com They specialize in eletric cargo bikes. They are in a rather hilly part of North Carolina. If they can't sell you what your looking for them would probably have some good advice on who can.

kauaikit

Hey MC....maybe I can help answer your question as I now own three (3) Tidalforce bikes, with a forth IO cruiser (X police bike) on the way, & also own four (4) EV Global bikes (2-36V & 2-24V) which uses the same heinzman gear driven rear hub as the A2B.

The EV bikes are noisy & there is NO comparison to the USA built "stealth" dead silence of the TF bikes. People you ride up on can hear the bike, where as the TF bikes are quiet. The EV bikes are gear driven & you do feel this torque from start up & are fun bikes that will go 16.5 mph....not very fast top en, but great to run the dogs. Of course the price of thse 10+ year old bikes are cheap ($100-$200) & most in excellent condition as the SLA batteries don't last long & so the bikes just sit. Don't even waste your money on the 24V bikes unless you intend to upgrade the controller & battery pack. You can use SLA batteries, but you really have to upgrade to Lithium Ion for range.

I'm actually planning on using a spare TF hub on one of these bikes & then put a lithium 36v/10ah battery in the battery box compartment. Now, we have an interesting ebike!

With that said, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the A2B bike in excellent used condition in the $750 range, & never @ the $2k retail price, & then use the bike for it's intended purpose, though it can't compete with the TF bikes. The same goes with the discontinued Ultra Motors Europa bikes.

Kit
S.CA USA

Witt78

Golden Motor - Magic Pie II

It boasts a 20 Amp controller that is built into the hub motor itself. This thing regularly overheats on me at about the 5 - 8 mile range, if it's above 60 degrees outside.

I'm building a second bike specifically for reliability. This time I'm running a Crystalyte 5303 with a 35 amp controller. Should be a lot more reliable, though more expensive.

Burton

To an extent I find this post slightly amusing. Shimano, Sony and Bombardier all have manufacturing plants in China. They have access to world class technology and the same raw materials as anyone else. The real issue is quality control and when the plants are run to produce quality components thats exactly what they produce.

The real issue is an extremely large percentage of the North American consumer group that feels that `if it looks the same - it must be the same". So they buy whatever looks the same and is the cheapest.

The response to that kind of market has been an avalance of products that `look the same` but are of inverior quality and are simply very inexpensive and unreliable. And guess what - most of those companies may be based in China - but they`re owned and operated by Americans.

There are a variety of good e-bikes on the market. Some are closer to electric motorcycles and can cost upwards of $12,000 dollars. A lot depends on what you`re looking for. The B2B is a good bike and if the battery isn`t the latest technology, it can be upgraded.

In Canada the top ebile is currently the Velec line which was designed in Quebec, used all Shimano comonents and has a hydroformed frame, motors and batteries that are made in China. The difference is the number of months and years spent working with the Chinese to insure that the LiFePO4 batteries supplied and the electric motors would be up to spec. Currently those bikes have the best warranty I`m aware of.

miro13car

Burton,many Western brands have factory in China.
BY " Chinese" most people on htis forum and other forums would understand Chinese brands which has nothing to do with Western companies.
I didn't write "made in China".
So you don't undertand terminology here.
Norco for example is made in China, but under Norco managament it is not "Chinese" bike at all.
So advice is:
stay away from WALLMART and Canadian Tire sold bikes.
My two local bicycle shops would never touch such bikes for repair, they call them Chinese brands.
They refer to them as "Chinese brands".

Burton

As an example - the brands most commonly found at Canadian Tire would be Shwinn, CCM, Raleigh, and of course their house brand - Supercycle. Unless I`m mistaken, you can trace all of those back to Dorel Recreation. In Canada those are distributed by Dorel Distributing based here in Montreal. They also distribute Cannondale, GT, Mongoose, Iron Horse Pacific. Roadmaste. SURGOI and InSTEP products so unless you want to consider ALL of those brands to be Chinese - I can` t see any reason to call ANY of them Chinese.

joiningtheclub

I was considering an a2b metro but ultimately have decided on an iGo Urban Electric Bike
https://montreal.olx.ca/igo-urban-ele...-iid-104802011

Compared to the A2B:

• it is 20 lbs lighter at 52 lbs.
• it gets 50 km per charge (20 km more than the a2b)
• Top speed 32 km
• Battery is a Lithium Polymer and only weighs 7lbs.
• Battery gets over 1000 cycles versus 500 for the a2b.
• Half the price.

bikeuser

I bought a Velec electric bike this Spring and I've had a lot of trouble with the bike suddenly getting a code 25 and refusing to function. This is not covered in the manual. I've heard that it's a design to stop the bike if something is amiss with the left brake and that you are supposed to flick a connection that contains some bearings. I've spent 30 minutes at times to try to get it to function unsuccessfully and then had to walk home since my knees don't allow me to petal. I think it is frankly dangerous as it could conk out when you are expecting power to get you through traffic.

Scaliboy62

https://www.emaxi.com.tw

Rebaged & sold by RMartin & others in the USA, MIPower has been great to me a gem from Taiwan

danielgmoore

I have come to the conclusion that a comprehensive comparison across the many ebikes available just does not exist. Daily commuters usually have experience with the one they purchased. Some shop owners have experience with one to three brands tops. Add to that many addtional factors like where on the planet various brands are available. What is your intended use for the bike? Is your world relatively flat or do you have big hills and long grades? Do you have temperate weather or rain, ice, snow, wind, etc.?

I am one of those "experience with the one I bought" people. I live in Seattle (wet weather). I have an 18 mile commute that includes hills and long grades. During the winter it is dark both ways. I am over 50 and 35 lbs overweight. Cost wasn't my driving decision maker. A bike well suited to me, my commute needs and my environment is what I was looking for. I did all of the research I could. When I found was I felt was the best available electric bike for my needs, The Pedego City Commuter, I still had a lot I needed to do to it to get it right for me. Everything from storage to lighting to a seat that worked for my behind.

I am very happy with my choice. I believe I selected the best ebike available for my needs. I continue to be impressed with the quality of the bike and the quality of the company. I have been keeping a site with photos and reviews including the various modifications that I made.

Pedego certainly has my recommendation

Burton

This may not what you want to hear, but if your knees don't permit you to pedal - you shouldn't be using a 'electric assisted bicycle'. That they are expected to be pedaled is part of the description, in fact that is the ONLY thing that makes them legal on that catagory.

Velec bikes did have an issue with a new model of sensor that was used to cut the motor when the brakes were applied. That issue was completely covered by warranty, and the issue could be temporarily handled by the customer simply by disconnecting the sensor wire. It was a twist type in-line connection.

So what did your dealer have to say anout the issue? My understanding is that dealer support on those bikes is excellent.