Finally joining the ebike club (hexbear.net)

submitted 3 days ago by happybadger@hexbear.net to c/urbanism@hexbear.net

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I commute about 16km~ daily on a cheap bike. The components are bad, it sucks going up hills, and even with good cycling infrastructure I don't want to ride across town or carry more than a backpack. Next year the prices on ebikes in the US are going to start going monkey in response to both Biden and Trump's tariffs on China this seems like it's my last cheap chance to minimise my car use. I went with a Lectric Xpress which seemed to be the best urban commuter at a low price. Good enough to last but not nice enough to steal over the bikes next to it.

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[-] Des@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

fuck i hate this tariff shit there are a few things i want like an e bike and parts to build a new PC and it's making me so nervous

this is like inverse FOMO but trying to stay ahead of this. i usually take months to research before any big purchase it keeps my ADHD impulsivity in check and helps us save money

there's no way i can safely drop the cash and do the research before Jan 1st

[-] happybadger@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

From what I was reading it seems like the window for sales is largely October-January. If anything you'd get a better deal than I did around New Years Day. This is definitely a purchase to research heavily and invest in. I ruled out so many models where they cheap out on brakes/throttles/safety features/batteries/motors, basically any of the <$1000 dropshipped ones on Amazon. A lot of brands either lack service centres entirely or didn't have local ones for my potential 30kg deadweight. Most normal shops either charge a premium for ebike repairs or can't service them due to the battery. It took me a week of obsessively comparing what I could get at $1300 versus the $1000 or $2000 models left, which of the different classes would be the best compromise between my needs, and which was most likely to last at least 5 years without a costly repair. From my research my Xpress 750 model is like the bare minimum of what you should aim for in terms of price/features/quality/support/chance the company will stay in business post-tariffs. The only better options I found were $1800-2100.

[-] Des@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

yeah so far i've only really just browsed some subreddits and those astroturfed "top 10+x budget e-bikes for 202x" sites

i could probably swing up to 2k but that will literally tear my soul from my body clicking that purchase button. so nervous right now trying to protect our meager assets so we can survive the coming Great Depression 2

but thanks maybe i will see if i can get something locked down by Jan. if everything goes to shit (including my car that needs foreign import parts) i live near a 2 small towns i can ride to and could always transfer to a store there.

for a while i was researching conversions but they seemed really annoying to do.

[-] happybadger@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

This youtube channel has great in-depth reviews where they run all the bikes through the same trials: https://www.youtube.com/@ElectricBikeReport . I kept going back to them for every bike I was considering. Converting was an option but my current bike is a $450 super basic commuter that I got at the start of COVID anticipating those supply shocks. The price would be about the same if I got a conversion kit and replaced the components that give me trouble at lower speeds than the 45kph I'd be biking at. Plus if the electrical components fail I'm out of a bike entirely. Instead I'm keeping that bike as my backup/rainy day/guest option.

[-] Des@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago

been browising through some of the videos and im like lenin-heart on this one the "titan"

i could go long distance backpacking with that thing

[-] happybadger@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago

That's more or less what I plan to upgrade to eventually if I get a lot of value out of the one I just bought. There's so much great camping within an hour's drive, and minus the lack of bike lanes it seems like it'd be much more fun to bike those canyons than do the really stressful drive.

[-] Beaver@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago

Enjoy! It will really help on hills. There are a lot of rack accessories you can get - even just having a basket for your backpack is nice. For locks, I'd recommend getting one of those really long ulocks that are meant for mopeds, it will give you more flexibility with the bulky body tubes.

[-] happybadger@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago

I ended up going with this level 15 ulock with a secondary steel cable until I can afford one of the really nice angle grinder-resistant ones: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M6HST7G . That, a hidden GPS tracker, and an alarm system were all immediate purchases. I'm mainly banking on being secure by parking next to more expensive bikes though. That has kept me safe with my current bike and a basic ulock since 2020.

[-] buckykat@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago

One thing I like about my electric unicycle is that it's small and strange enough that when I just bring it inside with me I get "woah what's that?" rather than "you can't bring that in here"

[-] RNAi@hexbear.net 8 points 3 days ago

So, how do you like it?

[-] happybadger@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

No clue yet. It's still shipping since I could only get a payment plan if I bought it online from them.

[-] FloridaBoi@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago

I just got an e-scooter for my commute. It’s fantastic

[-] happybadger@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago

E-scooters seem like so much fun, but like the skateboards and hoverboards I wouldn't feel safe going as fast I already do with a manual bike (25-30km/h). That's the minimum speed I need for commuting. The e-bikes aren't much more expensive for something I can comfortably ride at 45km/h over uneven paths with hydraulic brakes and shock absorbers.

[-] FloridaBoi@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

I agree with that. Bigger wheels are much better for stability and comfort. I can go about 26 km/h with a range of about 35-40 km on a full charge

[-] buckykat@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

Electric micromobility contraptions are great, love some superior Chinese vehicle technology. I commute on an Inmotion V11 electric unicycle.

[-] jack@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago

I got an urban arrow family for hauling my kid and sometimes wife around and it's amazing.

[-] beef_curds@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

I realllly want to get an ebike and a toddler trailer for it so I can haul groceries. It sucks to try to do a big grocery run on a regular bike or just on foot, imo.

We're kinda broke but you're right that buying one later will probably be even worse. I dunno, maybe we can stretch it now.

[-] happybadger@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

A few of the webstores use Affirm as a payment processor with 0-7% APR. My 6 monthly payments work out to like $240~ on that $1300 bike, $35 in interest, for the best compromise between cost and features/quality/customer service I could find <$1500. Still super expensive, but even minor repairs to my car cost enough that I think I'll genuinely save money from the investment if it cuts my car use down to a couple times per month. Everything car-related is also skyrocketing in price so I'm dreading sinking any more money into that unnecessarily.

(https://lectricebikes.com/products/xpedition-single-battery-blue) This cargo series seems super nice and utilitarian. I was really considering this model (https://blixbike.com/products/packa-electric-cargo-bike) but the only payment plans are at 15% APR so it's $133 in interest over 12 months of $144 payments.