Electric Bikes - Bought Ezip, returned it next day. Saying "No" to ebikes.

Just thought I would share my experience with the Ezip, as it seems to be the most popular ebike around, probably due to its low price.

I bought it because I found it at my local Toys R Us for $300 on clearance for the 2009 model. I'm a moderately experienced mountain and road biker, but I've just recently started communting to work, so I thought an electric would be in my future to get me there a little quicker with less sweat.

I don't know what I was expecting for $300.... You get what you pay for. The Ezip is a very poor quality bike. It's a walmart bike with a motor on it. And as an experienced biker, I always tell people to spend a little money on a bike. If you buy a Walmart bike (any bike under, say, $400) you won't like it and therefore won't like biking. Besides weighing 75 lbs, (any good non-ebike will weigh a third of that or less) it has the worst components you can find that work very poorly when brand new and will last a very short time (I know, I've seen family members go through tons of these kinds of bikes). The motor, charging system and battery seem fine, although the battery is quite big and heavy. I know that some, more powerful batteries weigh half as much.

So I got on the road and clunked it up to speed. This bike is not fun to use. It feels like you're hauling around a bathtub. The motor engages well and pulls the bike along fine, I guess. Top speed, at around 15 mph is slower than it seems on paper. I realized that I bike much faster than this on my other bikes just pedalling slowly and moderately. With a good amount of extra pedal power you can coerse the bike into getting a bit faster, but you're limited by the top gear of the bike. To get top speed on this bike WITH the electric assist going, I figured I needed to work twice as hard as on my other non electric commuter bike.

So after a long test run, I figured, "what's the point?" I'm not one of those road bikers that train everyday, I don't own any spandex, or anything like that. I think I'm in reasonably good shape but not top of my game good or anything. For someone like me that knows what a good bike feels like and isn't very out of shape or overweight, there's no reason to own a bike like this. It sucks the fun out of the whole experience.

I can see how people who are VERY out of shape, or overweight (although keep in mind, the posted weight limit is 240 lbs) might like the added elecrtric assist, and they might even find it gets them in shape seeing as you really do need to give a good amount of effort if you want to save the batteries or go faster than a snails pace.

But if you don't fall into that category and you're considering one of these, please please please go to a bike shop and test ride a good bike instead. They'll go faster with less effort and just feel so much better. They'll be fun and agile and will last a lifetime if maintained. Plus you'll get the exercise and feel good about yourself for using pure human power. I paid $300 for my Trek Soho single speed in mint condition off of my local craigslist. I would take that ANY day over an Ezip.

I was curious about electric bikes, but I see now there's a reason why people still ride without batteries.

I can appreciate your opinions, however...

No bike assembled by a stock boy will EVER be tuned properly.
Did you tune up the bike before riding it?
- Lube the chain,
- set the brakes correctly,
- adjust the seat to your height,
- check for bad bearings in the hubs and crank,
- check the rims for true,
- set the tire pressure correctly,
- adjust the derailleurs if necessary

I'm not saying that your opinion is wrong, just that a lack of accuracy in reporting ends up sounding like a knee-jerk reaction.

I am running an old '90's mountain bike with a kit and very heavy batteries. My crank and head are worn my derailleurs are out of wack a bit but as long as I perform the above monthly maintenance the bike still rides well.

I let some neighbors and friends check out my rig and they all concluded that it feels heavy initially but that the battery and motor weight was not significant when pedaling without throttling the motor.

That being said I have indeed run across a number of crap bikes that feel like pedaling "bathtubs" Crestwood, Huffy and some others and there was NO hope for adjusting anything on them to improve them. The shifters stick, bearings were slow period, the rims were already bent, etc. Adding a kit to these or buying a similar one with a motor reminds me of the phrase "If you put a pig in a dress, it's still a pig."

My advice is buy a bike you enjoy riding and get a kit. Spend the extra money if you've got it on the LiFePo batteries. I am having nightmares with my SLA batteries and will buy LiFePo's and a charger kit as soon as I can scrounge the money together. (I am trying to cut costs an learn something. So I have recycled SLA batteries. So my opinion on and experience with SLA batteries may be wildly different that other's.)

I find that for flat terrain riding, there is absolutely no point to an electric bike... for me.
But for climbing grades on my daily work commute in order to maintain 15 miles per hour the ebike kit is a God-send. I ride every day that isn't pouring rain in the morning and ride well into November.

Edit: That's 15mph UP the hill. Riding in top gear with the motor at full throttle most of the rest of the way, I maintain 25mph. (20mph with just the motor)

Yep, did a full tune on it. Everything you mentioned except repack the bearings. It's still a terrible ride. It's essentially a Huffy with a motor. Like you said, its still a pig.

I could maybe see getting a kit and putting it on a good bike to be more enjoyable, but then you're weighing down and modifying a perfectly good piece of machinery that's been designed and tuned to carry a rider, not a battery pack and a motor.

So if you're in a very hilly area or really out of shape, I can see the benefits. Otherwise, forget it.

You are comparing all electric bikes to the bottom of the barrel dregs.
A FisherPrice Hammer is not the same as an EastWing.

Hauling is another use for them by the way.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/XtraLite/XL3.jpg

Whats wrong with Ezip? I had one and I enjoyed it. I actually commuted for few months before deciding to upgrade to a faster setup. And this is coming from a guy that never had any bike that cost less than $1000 bucks.

Its not the bike. Why do people always blame the bike or attribute things to a bike. Granted, cheap bike will have a cheap components but so what... You didn't pay lot of money, so ride it till it falls apart.

And you can't compare used bike from craigslist to Ezip. Thats like comparing Soho to Townie beach cruiser. Its now closer in price but still not the same. If Ezip didn't have a motor, it would be a $90 bike - so not quite close to $300 Soho. And in the world of "good" and expensive bike, Trek Soho isn't that much above Ezip quality.

So if you didn't like it - so be it. But don't blame the bike. I have many expensive bikes and although I no longer have Ezip, it brought lots of smile and I think lots of current/previous owners will agree.

Maybe you should try more expensive Ebike? Mine does near 40mph.

http://www.pimobility.com/

Its not the bike. Why do people always blame the bike or attribute things to a bike. Granted, cheap bike will have a cheap components but so what... You didn't pay lot of money, so ride it till it falls apart.

Maybe you should try more expensive Ebike? Mine does near 40mph.

I AGREE! It sounds like you're already familiar with more expensive bikes and should have known a $300 bike (electric or otherwise) wouldn't ride or feel like a higher quality machine. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the EZIP is loaded with low quality parts and is very heavy to ride.

Not the bikes fault - you were expecting too much and should have known better. Want a nice e-bike? Pay more than $300...

The 36V 20AH LiFePO4 pack I use cost twice as much as the eZip, and that's just the battery. I can't imagine a $300 eBike, not even a $300 bike period. Not being snobish but $300 won't get you very much of anything these days.

$300 US will just about get you a hub motor kit that you can put on a decent quality bike. My daily driver is a craigslist frankenbike- a mid 1980's Miyata ridge runner rebuilt as a commuter with a random mix of newer components. It set me back $200.00, and with it's long wheelbase, slack steering tube angle and lugged steel frame it's a nice riding bike on it's own that can easily handle the weight of the motor and lead acid batteries (as long as I check all of the rack bolts every couple of weeks!). Motor is a Wilderness Energy BL-36 that was $320.00 delivered three years ago. I've looked at the low end e-bikes and have been scared away from THEM, not electric bikes in general. A cheap crappy bike is never going to any fun to ride or work on. Start with a good quality bike you like to ride and add a conversion kit. Almost as cheap, and a lot more enjoyable to ride.

Its not the bike. Why do people always blame the bike or attribute things to a bike.

And you can't compare used bike from craigslist to Ezip. Thats like comparing Soho to Townie beach cruiser. Its now closer in price but still not the same. If Ezip didn't have a motor, it would be a $90 bike - so not quite close to $300 Soho. And in the world of "good" and expensive bike, Trek Soho isn't that much above Ezip quality.

So if you didn't like it - so be it. But don't blame the bike.

Why wouldn't I blame the bike? If the bike is garbarge, and it made biking unenjoyable for me, I think its a nice thing to blame. It most certainly is the bike.

And I can assure you the Trek Soho is miles above in quality and enjoyment. It's a $600 bike compared to $90 bike. And I think you can compare used bikes in here, because I bought the Soho with 5 miles on it for half the price of retail and LESS than the Ezip. But that's my point: It's not that much more expensive, but so much more fun to ride.

If someone enjoys riding their Ebike, even the cheapest ones out there, so be it. I just wanted to give my story in case someone was curious, and wanted a counter-opinion.

I am not particularly shocked you returned it. I am a little shocked you bought it in the first place given you knew it was a cheap bike, that family members have have troubles with these kinds of bikes, that as an experienced rider you encourage others to buy $400+ bikes, etc.

I agree that a good electric could weigh 1/3rd as much; it would also cost 3-4x as much.

My eZip meets my proletarian bike needs. I do have a decent (albeit old) hybrid bike I can ride if I want.

Why wouldn't I blame the bike? If the bike is garbarge, and it made biking unenjoyable for me, I think its a nice thing to blame. It most certainly is the bike.

And I can assure you the Trek Soho is miles above in quality and enjoyment. It's a $600 bike compared to $90 bike. And I think you can compare used bikes in here, because I bought the Soho with 5 miles on it for half the price of retail and LESS than the Ezip. But that's my point: It's not that much more expensive, but so much more fun to ride.

If someone enjoys riding their Ebike, even the cheapest ones out there, so be it. I just wanted to give my story in case someone was curious, and wanted a counter-opinion.

Here's why it dosn't jive and using wrong logic doesn't make it so.

1) Soho is - for all intended purpose, is a road bike with a flat handlebar (lighter side of hybrid). Sure it uses some MTN components but its designed to be light and for city/urban ride.

2) Ezip - is a cheap bike that try to mimic a Mountain bike. Sure it looks like a MTN bike, but it sure isn't.

So would you compare that Soho to a Townie Beach Cruiser that is comparable in cost? I bet that you'll complaint about the Townie too. Let see... 1) its not light, 2) doesn't have enough gears, 3) handles like a truck, 4) has basket in front, etc.

How bout this - compare to my Colnago, that Soho is piece a #$@. Is it fair? Heck no, its a different bike and with a different purpose. I think Soho is very nice bike but just as I wouldn't compare with Colnago, I wouldn't compare it to Ezip either.

It is the bike!!! Last year during my annual Vermont bike trip, my Specialize Swork broke down. So I've borrowed the Inn keeper's kids bike, which happens to be a Huffy. With that bike, I went on a 40 mile, 7000 calorie burning ride and enjoyed every single moment. Did I missed my bike? Yes I like having a perfectly fitted bike, especially with a good working brake while cruising down the mountain at 40+mph. But when it comes down to it - its a bike! and that Huffy didn't have any problem going fast or slow.

Lastly - didn't you inspect the bike before buying it? You know what kind of quality Walmart has (even if you didn't see it, you should of known). Just saying.

Edit - just to let you know, even in ebike, things can go quite high. My A123 battery is nearly couple of grands - to put it in perspective.

Don't base your opinion of eBikes solely on the eZip from Wal-Mart.

I'm using a $250 Canadian Tire bike with a $400 Goldenmotor electric kit and I'm having a blast! There are many kits out there for all types of different riding needs, not to mention all the various voltages, controllers and types of batteries to choose from to make a bike that works for you.

As for the comments that only people in hilly areas or people who are out of shape should consider an eBike, that just doesn't make sense. I commute 10km to work in a shirt and tie and use this bike as an alternative to a car. I prefer this to straight biking so as to not get soaked in sweat.

Unfortunately I cannot bike year-round, as I have a short summer season, but I save HUNDREDS of dollars in gas commuting with this bike to work and don't get there with soaking wet clothes.

My USA-made Tidal Force cost me Can$4000 bought in Kelowna, BC Canada.
It is 4-years old , 13,300km on second battery and this thing lasts , motor/controller is rock solid and very high quality comparing with Chinese crude hub motors. I opend motor at 10,000km - no one speck of rust inside, pristine clean. USA labour costs more , USA engineering cost more but last.
I like measure price of ebike in tanks of gasoline.
My van fills for 70dollars average, you do the math, my TF paid for itself and health benefits, they are priceless!!
Could I buy 2-3 crappy ebikes during this period?
Possible.
MC

Have to agree and disagree with the OP.

I grew up in my dad's bike shop. He was a champion road racer and I raced road and mountain bikes for years. I was also a master bike tech. I am used to riding in a proper position, on the right sized bike, with a responsive, reliable, snappy machine working beneath me.

I was curious about e-bikes as a commuting alternative. I work in health care, and can't ride to work and get sweaty, so I thought an ebike might be fun. I plan to get the workout on the way home.

I followed some advice on these boards to throw a kit on a cheapie bicycle, so that's what I did. But let me tell you something: RIDING ONE OF THESE CRAPPY BIKES IS PURE MISERY.

I just did a 10km test ride of the completed machine. It was kinda fun .. the thing goes well over 40km/hr without pedalling, for the $500 I invested in the 48V 500W kit and a new Canadian Tire cruiser bike. But the bike was starting to fall apart beneath me. It wavered and clunked and rattled and skipped. The store stocked only one size of bike - some kind of pitiful 'medium' that is far too small for me and too large for my wife - that is just sinister! Evil! I will not ride it again. I might be fine as a grocery getter on very flat terrain, but we have serious hills here and the motor won't take me up them, but neither will the crappy bike while pounding on the pedals. I will not ride it again!

I'm not giving up on the ebike idea. I will throw this kit on one of my good mountain bikes, now that my rigid fork arrived. If I enjoy using it, I will probably upgrade to a high-end electric kit soon enough. Quality is usually worth the price. It is a real thrill flying along at 40+ with nothing but the sound of wind in my face.

Hi Rex,

I had a similar story about the Schwin AL1020 from Canadian Tire (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=440775). Now that bike was a deathtrap.

Like many have posted here, I agree that if you intend to have a performing ebike, you must spend a bit more. :crash:.

300 bucks is the motor alone :p.

Case in point, my ebike does at least 50 kph, gets me to work in no time 15 km commute, 32 minutes overall time, yes I do stop at red lights (that's the reason behind all this). Mine costs now about $2500, started as a $100 MTB from Walmart. It's a sinn, I know But I just love my bike. (Can i just plug in my setup here? errrm.. it's a 72 volt monster (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=551035), :D but it's so cool.. I'm yet to show photos, but I will soon ! )

I had a friend enquring about the Izip from Walmart, I tolds him: buy at your own risk. I nudged him towads putting together his own setup. If you're a DIYer and don't mind getting your hands greasy, it's the way to go. Please don't hord me, that's just my opinion, based on personal experience.

I think bikers, regardless of electric assist or not, is mostly a culture of fix it yourselfers. You start with adjusting your brakes, then you get into truing your wheels before you know it you're rebuilding your own wheel and if you went electric, you'll end up soldreing and learning about mosfets and bobafets and all sorts of stuff :D

It's really all cool And the money you spend? I consider it money spent on a hands-on course (man, i blew components, yikes, I better view it as a learning experience otherwise I'll have a mental hernia). Once you've got it all right, and the bike lasts... it's all worth it. :love:

Ok I've said enough. Cheers and ride on buddy :thumb:

We all have bad experiences from time to time with many different things and people. Do you condemn them all because of that one bad experience? No.

You're effectively saying that the rest of us that like our electric assist bikes, (and I would assume most of us pedal and just use the assist) are stupid for our decision because you made a bad one.

.....I was curious about electric bikes, but I see now there's a reason why people still ride without batteries.

I'm sorry, but your comments about electric bikes and their suitability -- or otherwise -- would have to be one of the most pointless posts I've read for a while!

In fact I'm not quite certain as to why you actually used so much bandwidth for your little dummy spit? Okay; you bought an el-cheapo electric bike, apparently against your better judgment, and subsequently found that it didn't suit your purpose, and, more generally that you didn't like the concept of power-assisted bikes as a viable means of transport.

That's fair enough; we're all entitled to our personal opinions about everything -- including bicycles -- but you then launch into a diatribe about how useless and inappropriate for purpose electric bikes are. Why?

And to make matters worse (which is what caught my eye!) you say.....


I can see how people who are VERY out of shape, or overweight might like the added electric assist, and they might even find it gets them in shape seeing as you really do need to give a good amount of effort if you want to save the batteries or go faster than a snails pace.

Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but not all (any?) of us that choose power-assisted bikes are "very" out of shape, or "overweight"! In my case, at age 63 and with pinched sacroiliac nerves, I simply can't sustain unassisted cycling for any reasonable distance. Your comments could then be seen as fairly patronising, and not constituting any real commentary about electric bikes per se. You seem to reach the (false) conclusion that only fat, unhealthy slobs choose to ride power-assisted bikes.

You even -- laughably -- self-contradict yourself when you say that power-assisted bike riders may find that "it gets them in shape". Uh... isn't that one of the major reasons a lot of us ride these bikes -- to get fit by utilising "a good amount of effort" (as you say)?

Incidentally, I don't think you fully understand the nature of the beast when you imply that it's difficult to go faster than "a snail's pace" without any pedalling by the cyclist. Many electric bikes (depending on the wattage of their motor) can maintain speeds around 40km/h on the flat without any input by the rider. I'm guessing all the snails in your neck of the woods must be supercharged and run on nitrous!

Anyway, the fact that electric bikes "suck the fun out of the whole experience" for you is fine as such, but please don't judge the bikes and their riders solely on your perceptions. They may just be wrong.

Cheers :)

ouch $300 for a ebike:notamused:

i wish it was that cheep:D

Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but not all (any?) of us that choose power-assisted bikes are "very" out of shape, or "overweight"! In my case, at age 63 and with pinched sacroiliac nerves, I simply can't sustain unassisted cycling for any reasonable distance. Your comments could then be seen as fairly patronising, and not constituting any real commentary about electric bikes per se. You seem to reach the (false) conclusion that only fat, unhealthy slobs choose to ride power-assisted bikes.

Just to add to your point, only a small percentage of our customers are actually "fat" or "unhealthy". I would say 60-70% of our customers are older folks who just don't have confidence in their ability to comfortably ride a bicycle like they used to. They want to get outside and be active, but they're worried they don't have the energy - or can't keep up with the grandkids. An electric bike gives them this confidence and allows them to be active like they haven't been in years. We get customers back in our shop all the time who are just thrilled about all the fun (and exercise) they're getting...

Then there's the other 20% who are younger customers: daily commuters, wives trying to keep up with their husbands, "green" or tech junkies, college students, etc. Very few of these people are out-of-shape.

Another 10-20% of our customers are people with injuries or chronic pain. Knee problems seem to be the most common issue. Electric bikes allow them to be active again and help get the blood flowing to these problem areas. Very theraputic...

Finally, there's the small percentage of "fat" and "unhealthy" people (maybe 4-5%?). But guess what... they're trying to be active! To me, if there's a product that will help people get off their couches and out of their cars, it's a WIN WIN for everyone!

Why wouldn't I blame the bike? If the bike is garbarge, and it made biking unenjoyable for me, I think its a nice thing to blame. It most certainly is the bike.

And I can assure you the Trek Soho is miles above in quality and enjoyment. It's a $600 bike compared to $90 bike. And I think you can compare used bikes in here, because I bought the Soho with 5 miles on it for half the price of retail and LESS than the Ezip. But that's my point: It's not that much more expensive, but so much more fun to ride.

If someone enjoys riding their Ebike, even the cheapest ones out there, so be it. I just wanted to give my story in case someone was curious, and wanted a counter-opinion.


The same reason you don't fault the rake because it can't dig a hole. You blame the guy who bought the rake with the intention of digging a hole.

Your rants about "what I could buy" are just ridiculous.
Why would I buy a Trek for $600? I can buy a used car for $600 and it will carry four people and go 90mph. That Trek must be a POS.

Whatever... I'm not defending the ezip. I assume it's low-quality, just from the store you purchased it from. My problem is your post and reasoning.

I think it may be best if this one is put to bed.

Just my two cents on the eZip. (I had started writing this before Allen closed it, so he was kind enough to let me post). I bought one last year from Walmart. I think I paid $350. I knew almost nothing about ebikes, but I knew there were too many hills in my 14 mile (1-way) commute for me to do it regularly - I'd get exhausted & sweaty (too exhausted to do the return trip the same day), and it took too long. Since I really didn't know if an ebike would work for me, I wasn't about to plunk down $1000 for one. I figured $350 was worth the experiment of using an ebike, and if it REALLY didn't perform as advertised, I could return it because Walmart lets you return anything. My husband thought I was making a big mistake - he didn't see how a $350 ebike could possibly get up the hills or generally get the job done. But soon he admitted he was wrong and he even borrowed it a handful of times to commute himself.

Yes, it's heavy, and not the highest quality bike. This year I'm moving up to a better bike, mostly because the SLA batteries are too heavy for me (I learned that in order to not destroy the battery by draining it far down, I need to use two). BUT, $350 was well worth it for a year (well, not in the winter) of commuting, a LOT of gained knowledge about what's possible and what I want in my next bike, and now my nephew has the eZip and is thrilled. I am not overweight, lazy, or in terrible shape. I do have hills, and the motor helped A LOT. The 450 watt motor is actually more powerful than many Li-ion bikes and kits.

So yes, it's not a high quality bike, but for someone who just wants to see what the whole ebike thing is all about, it's a low-cost way of getting your feet wet.

well done Cathy :thumb:

Whats wrong with Ezip? I had one and I enjoyed it. I actually commuted for few months before deciding to upgrade to a faster setup. And this is coming from a guy that never had any bike that cost less than $1000 bucks.

Its not the bike. Why do people always blame the bike or attribute things to a bike. Granted, cheap bike will have a cheap components but so what... You didn't pay lot of money, so ride it till it falls apart.

And you can't compare used bike from craigslist to Ezip. Thats like comparing Soho to Townie beach cruiser. Its now closer in price but still not the same. If Ezip didn't have a motor, it would be a $90 bike - so not quite close to $300 Soho. And in the world of "good" and expensive bike, Trek Soho isn't that much above Ezip quality.

So if you didn't like it - so be it. But don't blame the bike. I have many expensive bikes and although I no longer have Ezip, it brought lots of smile and I think lots of current/previous owners will agree.

Maybe you should try more expensive Ebike? Mine does near 40mph.

I think one thing that concerns me about buying an E-bike is there in your post. You had one, what happened to it? by your suggestion the OP should expect a product that weighs 75 pounds, has a motor and battery, and is mostly plastic.

For a few months of poor performance it gets to take up the space of a dishwasher in some landfill?

incredibly poor use of resources at any dollar price, these things should be discourages in every way.

and the Trek Soho is much higher quality than any city bicycle at a box store. You get a much smoother ride, a lighter bike and reliability with minimum servicing. For years of riding further and faster than a box store bike.

I think one thing that concerns me about buying an E-bike is there in your post. You had one, what happened to it? by your suggestion the OP should expect a product that weighs 75 pounds, has a motor and battery, and is mostly plastic.

For a few months of poor performance it gets to take up the space of a dishwasher in some landfill?

incredibly poor use of resources at any dollar price, these things should be discourages in every way.

and the Trek Soho is much higher quality than any city bicycle at a box store. You get a much smoother ride, a lighter bike and reliability with minimum servicing. For years of riding further and faster than a box store bike.

Herein lies the problem - making generalization and/or comment on wasteful resource is a piss poor way to argue or make a statement. This type of statement makes no sense as there are many ways to take this or prelude to pissing contest about who is more green, less wasteful or have a bigger member if you want to take it to that level. So to satisfy your green credential, here's my statement:

1) I love bike and I have 10+ bikes at any given moment and sell/buy/trade all the time. Its my hobby - so are you going to make a general statement about my lifestyle now? How wasteful to have 10 bikes for just 1 person?

2) I buy cheap (less than $10) to expensive (over $5000) bikes. So what its cheap or expensive! Who made you a resource god and say cheap walmart bike is waste of resource. Tell that to a poor kids where we collect and donate these "cheap" bike. If you ever saw their face as they ride these cheap bikes, you would of never posted this.

Its good to say something politically correct but don't mean nothing if its not valid. By the way, ezip is still doing being enjoyed by my friend/kid.

I have not read this thread, other than the opening post.

The Currie people are making, selling, low-end product--starter bikes.
They are bugs to bite 'ya...and see if the infection takes root under your skin.
You, lucky you, are immune, and also a cheapskate. But, too, I'm dollar-skimping whenever possible.

That's how I got into ebiking; ENTRY LEVEL, to see if I would catch the good disease.

I, naturally, because I'm a mechanical smartie pants, modded and tweaked,
and rugged-ized my Currie Mongoose Retro Cruiser, three years ago.

This is what it became, seen below. It was heavy, and SLA batteries are not good for ebikes.
But I could bomb over curbs and rough terrain, and never, ever break that bike.
It is basically well engineered, but built to a modest price point.

Jeeze, we could not even get decent, plain bikes, new at the LBS, for a mere three bills, hardly, say, fifteen years ago....thank goodness for China and underpaid, enforced labour.

KWYADAWYADI

As it was then, Friday, 24 Dec. 2006. Note the simple mods: Thud Buster. Big Hank Slicks.
20W halogen in retro-style head light shell. It was on SLA power: not good.
Adding a third brick soon after this shot, made this a 25mph ebike.
Special cooling, forced air-over the very well engineered MY-1018 OEM gear motor, was required.
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/2520/screenshot299gr2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Biscayne Bay, at the foot of Matheson Avenue.

-----

The bike has now gone the way of all metal flesh, it no longer exists.
I've got a better bike now, one I "made" myself. LiFePo4 now.
About sixty pounds for the present ebike,
instead of about ninety pounds, that this blue beauty weighed.

After working out all the bugs, it was a strong, durable bike.
I did give up on it after realizing that A) the frame would never be "straight"; jig-welded cockeyed,
could not be fully straightened. B) SLA sux.

Over. One man's experience. You get what you pay for, and either whine, or fix the whines yourself.

YES, with a cheaply produced bike YOU MUST know/teach yourself how to adjust/clean cup and cone bearings of 1885 style (for that is what they are) and you MUST learn how to adjust and keep free-sliding, Mr. Bowden's 1890s, brake and or shifter cables....

again: KWYADAWYADI , or hop on over to the LBS every month, and pay them their bare, living wages.


_______________
HUMOR BREAK: THE BEST BIKE GREASE AND MORE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXWO6mL_l6A

Yes, I did get caught on Ebike bug but its no different than when I was a weight weenie where spending $600 for a component to save few grams was no big deal.

Before I really caught the Bike bug, I had a huffy for over 10+ years for occasional use and it served its function fine. Because it was cheap and was not up to someone's standard doesn't mean its a waste. If someone is using a bike, no matter the cost/quality, thats a good bike.

Yes, I did get caught on Ebike bug but its no different than when I was a weight weenie where spending $600 for a component to save few grams was no big deal.

Before I really caught the Bike bug, I had a huffy for over 10+ years for occasional use and it served its function fine. Because it was cheap and was not up to someone's standard doesn't mean its a waste. If someone is using a bike, no matter the cost/quality, thats a good bike.Mea culpa. I am not always a nice guy, like leamcorp above.

Apologies tendered now to the thread starter. I have been somewhat rude, for a point,
but that does not make it right to use harsh language. He's only a regular guy, a human.

I am human, but irregular and living with a not-alterable flashpoint lower than that of chemical ether.

We cannot alter personality; we can only modify, by asking forgiveness when we know we've done any wrong, or left anyone feeling diminished in any way.

back to topic, again; apologies to page one, number one.

r.

Herein lies the problem - making generalization and/or comment on wasteful resource is a piss poor way to argue or make a statement. This type of statement makes no sense as there are many ways to take this or prelude to pissing contest about who is more green, less wasteful or have a bigger member if you want to take it to that level. So to satisfy your green credential, here's my statement:

I couldn't care less about your opinion of whether I made a generalization. These cheap, throwaway bikes are wasteful and useless compared to most any alternative, e-bike or not, there isn't any contradiction to that statement that you can make that will hold water. That's why you aren't happy with my post.


1) I love bike and I have 10+ bikes at any given moment and sell/buy/trade all the time. Its my hobby - so are you going to make a general statement about my lifestyle now? How wasteful to have 10 bikes for just 1 person?

No, I'm talking about the one bike, the cheap box store e-bike that was made to be thrown away, not ridden & repaired & ridden again. Even cheap huffy bicycles can and are repaired, and are used for years. Not so with these throwaway scooters that can't be pedaled by anyone without a "wide stance". Where did you get the idea it mattered how many bikes you have? Just looking to brag?


2) I buy cheap (less than $10) to expensive (over $5000) bikes. So what its cheap or expensive! Who made you a resource god and say cheap walmart bike is waste of resource. Tell that to a poor kids where we collect and donate these "cheap" bike. If you ever saw their face as they ride these cheap bikes, you would of never posted this.

I'm going to refer you to yourself on this;
And this is coming from a guy that never had any bike that cost less than $1000 bucks.

What they hell, you got the schizo or are you just in a frenzy at hearing that E-zips are cheap, wasteful and wrong. such a frenzy that you forgot who you are what you have and what you buy?



Its good to say something politically correct but don't mean nothing if its not valid. By the way, ezip is still doing being enjoyed by my friend/kid.

There isn't a section of this forum that has bikes only meant to last a few months and not made to be repaired, except here. Cheap e-bikes are a wasteful gimmick, sometimes it seems they are made to entice fat people, which is nice, except THE BIKE WON'T SURVIVE FAT PEOPLE.

How's that for politically incorrect?

After reading around I can see there are some e-bikes of some limited merit, especially the assists though I've yet to hear of any of these being produced with any longevity in mind either. But that doesn't give a free pass to these uber-shabby bikes. Maybe you're cool with promoting something that literally doesn't work, but then again you're cool with pretending things from one post to the next, lying to yourself and others. So wht does your opinion of my opinion matter?

Not a thing.

Youuuuu're kidding right? You still don't get what I and other have wrote?

You are thick... next time, think about how time moves on. Yes I bought expensive bikes in the past, but I've also bought some really cheap bike recently (26" Univega comfort bike for $45 and Roadmaster for $12. It was actually free but I gave them what I had at the time).

So that is start of your argument? You actually searched what I wrote previously (and on different thread) to make your point? You could also search me on Endless too - maybe you'll actually find something more damaging - I'm scared! Don't worry, although probably highly enlightening, I won't search your previous posts.

10+ bikes? its not a brag, its a fact. I also own 3 cars and 8 chair dining room set. I even have not one, but 2 cats (gasp!). Its not a brag, but a fact. Again, that's your argument?

Yes, my opinion don't matter to you or shouldn't for others but I would never trash a bike because its doesn't. I used to think just like you NOT that long ago. Actually I was worse - I thought if you didn't spend at least certain figures or is not below certain weight for roadie, its crap. Then I got involved with some local kids program and got humbled. Mind you, I still like nice bikes but price nor perceived quality is the determining factor.

Here's the thing - Someone paid good money for their Ezip and many people are enjoying what it offers (and few who didn't, which is okay). It certainly isn't top quality bike but who cares, as long as they enjoy it and get a benefit out of it. Who are you or me to say its wasteful (See below for your illogical argument about quality). Read the entire Ezip thread and see how many people are enjoying their bike. Obviously you never had or even seen Ezip close. Again, people who make an argument without knowing anything about the bike is dumb (or worse, going by hearsay. Too late for you to say you had one).

By the way, Ezip is not a scooter. Its a bike with an external motor. You could remove the motor quite easily (few screws), and you have a Huffy. A bike you said can be maintained fine!!!! So where's your argument?

Won't survive fat people? What do you consider fat? For argument sake, lets just throw a number - say 300-350lb. I would say Ezip, which is built on a Steel frame with heavier gauge spokes will do better in the long run than a Soho, which had an Alex rim (now cheap Bontragel?). Again, did you ever seen Ezip? Trust me, Alex rim isn't that nice on your "quality" bike. Here's thing about weight capability... the frame material/gear/pedal system or whether its hybrid/road/mountain style don't make a damn difference for Clydes/Athena. The most important factor is the wheel. Nealy all bikes can handle quite a bit of weight but the wheel is different. Did you know that? Didn't see it on your post. You probably will suggest 10 spoke Rolf wheel for Clyde since you probably think its Quality.

Why do you keep saying it will only last few months or only use few months. AGAIN, have you ever seen or ridden Ezip? You think Soho is a higher quality bike? Why? Every part that could be upgraded on Soho could be upgraded on Ezip (even though it uses threaded).

Would you pay $500-600 for a bike that will need to be trued in few month? Unlike you, I (my wife) owned Trek 7200, which is similar to Soho. Now she is 110lb and after 4 months of light usage, I had to get the Alex/Bontragel rim trued, then again, 2 months later. I ended up replacing it with Easton wheel at $200 and haven't had problem since (which now became $800 bike). I didn't have to get my no name ezip wheel trued after year of very Very heavy usage. Still think Soho is better?

Just to put things in perspective about Soho, I would of said -nothing since I don't have one. I could mention little about 7200 since its close, but would of said nothing!!!!!!!!! Here's your version - Soho is a wasteful bike as it uses disposable and cheap parts. I think bike like XXX that cost $xxxx is much better since it uses Deore XT/XTR or Ultegra/DuraAce or else it will go in the landfill. By the way, I don't have or seen any these bikes but can tell by what others are saying so its true. Sigh - I just say Internet is great.

I'm done with this thread and you can have your last say - so you win!!! And if you keep saying it, someone might even believe it. Now I'm off to Ebay to see if I could score a nice titanium road frame or Clyte 5404.

China is filling garbage dumpsters of the world fast.
Wastage it is!!
MC

Rex81,
You should not judge all ebikes by IZIP.
It is surprising how easly people would pay/take loan for 20000 dollars car.
And expect ebike for even say 500dollars to be good.
MC

I believe this thread has run its course.
If anyone wants it back open, PM or report this post and a mod will unlock it.