merckx_rider

So far every time I've posted a thread about my ebike there is always a "doubting tomass" with "IT COSTS TOO MUCH!". EVERY TIME!!

This past vacation, real life experience taught me you truly get what you pay for. Those of you that feel my bike costs too much need to re-evaluate your values.

We - I met some new friends also with e-bikes, 6 of us in all, we all went on a weekend camping trip with the ebikes up into the Sequoias. I've been there many times before and know some very scenic fire roads. Mostly hard pack dirt and easily accessible by car., so all the bikes could easily ride on them.

One of my traveling companions brought a small gas powered generator so recharges were taken care of at the end of the day... at least for me.

First day outing...
We got there in the late afternoon so by the time all the tents were up, air mattresses inflated and tables put out is was after 7. Still a couple hours of day light, I decided to go for a ride to see the local fawna & flora. Some of the others wanted to go too so a few of us set out. I thought it would be fun to get above the tree line to see the sunset (duh, wait for it...). We go about 7 miles out these fire roads from camp and find a really nice place to relax and have a little break as the sun was setting. We watch the sun set and decide to head back to camp to settle in for the night.
(Here it is) I"m the only one with a head light!! I guess when they were saving all that money riding at night wasn't considered. I also was the only one with a light up dash board... why so important? I was keeping track of where we had to go and which roads we turned on. Not a problem in the day light but at night all the roads look the same... I became the instant leader. And my expensive bike saved our azzez.
We get back to camp and everyone is scrambling to charge their bikes... I barely used up two bars of five.

Next day:
Since I knew my way around I became the "guide". I was asked to lead the ride to the swimming hole, aprox 10 miles in each direction. These are nice roads, hard packed clay/sand, easy rolling. There were some steep hills and a couple with lower powered bikes had to walk up them. I easily pedaled up anything in my way those fat tires of mine made the ride smooth. We get about 3/4 of the way there and 4 of our six say they can't make it. They are afraid they are going to not have enough power to get back and turn around and go back to camp. Of them were some of the other bike brands that I've hears so much about on this forum... It's starting to get real. Cheaper bikes just don't cut it. I carried on with one other rider, he said he'd just pedal back if he ran out of power. BTW, I still had 4 of my 5 power bars showing on my dash board. We made it to the swimming hole and had a dip and some food - hung out for a while and figured we'd better start back and check on the others - make sure they got back OK.
I was cruising along, maybe 12 mph, I look behind me and the other rider is no where to be seen. I stopped and turned around, went back, there he was pedaling trying to get up a small hill. He was out of power and doing all the work... I still had 3 of my power bars showing...
Where I could, I'd get on his right side and push him along with my bike, my left arm on his back, we were doing pretty good. Wasn't much farther down the road we came across the couple with the cheap bikes pedaling along... out of power. So we all took a nice easy ride back to camp at like 6 mph - IT TOOK FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back at camp: 5 dead ebikes and then mine with 2 bars to spare.. Everyone else was done for the day. Burned out from pedaling an ebike back to camp. For me the day was still young and I headed off to use up what was left of the day on my bike.
I came back a couple hours later to hear everyone ask me where I went? I went down to the other end of the road (15 miles) and enjoyed some alone time. It was nice to ride into the night on the way home with no one to have to slow down for.

Next morning: we had planned to go for a picnic but some of the others were too used up from the ride the day before so only 3 of us went. Nice trip, I only had to slow down for them for the last part of the ride, all 14 miles of it.
My bike easily did 50 miles on a charge on those roads and never let me down. Was equipped from the factory with everything it needed to make sure I got back safely from each ride.
My bike looks cool, rides like big cushy luxury car, and goes farther than any other bike I've ever seen offered commercially. I can only say to those that keep stating it costs too much that they just don't know what they are talking about. My Equalizer Electric Fat Tire Bike TOTALLY ROCKS!!!!!!!!

350htrr

Cool story bro... So what were those "other" E-Bikes? Factory kits, Factory bikes, Home built, throttle only, PAS, both... What were they "supposed" to be able to do? How much difference in price?

merckx_rider

The other bikes:
All bought, factory ebikes with claims of 25 - 30 mile range. So a 20 mile day in the woods should have been a breeze.

one couple, man & wife rode folding ebikes, they had the worst time... small wheels, small motors, small batteries. Sorry I blanked on the name of their bikes...

Then there was the other couple on Pedegos, or Petegos and the guy on a big cat fat tire bike. All had throttles and I'm pretty sure pas. As for prices, mine was the most expensive - no doubt. All the other bikes were no where near the quality of my bike. Seems they all went about the same distance maybe 15 or 16 miles before they went dead. There were some long hills that did them in.

They also had a bad time of balancing with the batteries being top heavy on their bikes. Several times I saw them almost fall. I felt bad for them.

I did my home work before I bought my bike. After posting here and having to hear my bike was overpriced I started to doubt my purchase... it was causing me some anxiety to be truthful. Now I know those that posted "it costs too much" don't know what they're talking about and are just not that informed on what things cost.

Everyone of the others that went said they regretted not getting a bike like mine.

CharlyAlfaRomeo

6 mph after 15 miles of not pedalling? Sounds like they need motorcycles not ebikes.

350htrr

Every time I put out suggestions here as to what people may need for their E-bikes I strongly suggest to never ever skimp on batteries... Always get more battery than you "think" you need/can get away with. Two reasons. 1; Sometimes you may need to go farther or the hills may be bigger, or you may want to pedal less, or travel faster, or you battle big headwinds, or you go on a bike outing weekend with merckx_rider, or... 2; Some people who KNOW they only need/want to go certain routes like 20 miles to work lets say and they can re-charge at work buy a battery that can take them the whole 20 miles, great they think... But, it uses up 90%+ of the batteries capacity, generally speaking anything over 80% used battery will degrade big time over re-charges & time, and a battery that was supposed to last 600 charges fails at 300... and they wonder why.

EBikeFL 

+1 on 350htrr's comment.

15rms

Your bike seems really neat with the geared 48 volt motor. I am wondering how fast it will go? I know with my eco-speed the speed you are traveling makes a big difference on range. If I putt around 15 mph peddling I can go much farther than when I am wide open on the shoulder of the highway.

2old

All the fanboy shilling for this bike hasn't convinced me. Maybe those other individuals really had poor representative offerings, but that doesn't change the fact that you paid way too much for a cruiser. Sorry, but that's the way I see it. One can purchase a lot more bike for a few additional bucks.
However, you (or your company) are the only ones who need to be satisfied, so I'm happy for you.

rick kimura

+1 bob , I couldn't have said it better myself . I watched a tube on a "stealth bomber 52" and if its not about cost, for a bit over double that , give me the stealth anyday . Your cruiser is a beautiful looking bike but Its a 48v cruiser with nice grips and seat , comfortable riding position , and yes I love cruisers . But for the money the stealth wins hands down , a 57mph beast , an industrial looking , technological work of art .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEdETIjfngo

powell

350htr ,
excellent comment , spot on.

350htrr

I don't really think it's THAT expensive of a bike for what you get... Can you get "better"? Maybe in a different type of bike, but this one is quite a specific/type of bike, so it's hard to compare...

2old

350, respect your opinion and you have much more experience than I do. However, this "factory direct" $3500 or so bike is almost spec for spec with a Motiv that my local dealer sells for $1795 and makes a generous profit.

speedy25

Despite the naysayer and others, merckx ridergot something that works well for him and performs as he expected. I cant challenge that, but some of you seem to be. You can spend a little or a lot and you MIGHT get what you want.

I know e-bikes will get better and the prices will come down. For now they are an expense and some get something good and others seem to get a piece of crap. I'm still watching and when the economy of the ebike becomes favorable, I'll be opening a shop to sell/service them.

-SP

350htrr

Yea no problem 2old, Just that you can always get things cheaper that are supposed to be just as good. Sometimes it's a maybe yes but most times it's a probably not in my experience... Every time I chince out and don't get something that I just know would be exactly what I want I always regret not spending the moneys as I always feel like I am just making it work and not getting the full benefit, like warranty, quality, local support, product actually working as I was lead to believe... Many times I too was told I spent too much money on my BionX kit for my bike and I do realise I could have gotten other set ups, some for 1/2 of the price but I wonder how happy I would have been with them compared to the BionX which does EVERYTHING I want in an E-Assist...

merckx_rider

I've seen cheaper bikes... I've now ridden with cheaper bikes... I've saved the azzez of those with cheaper bikes...
I hope you that buy cheaper bikes, have someone like me around when your cheaper bike fails to get you home.

I can see from the posts that the ones that scream the loudest "costs too much" truly have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE! AND I'm suspect to their motives for posting such.

I'm NOT here to address them (falls under NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT)... but to those of you that understand what was said about cheeping out: I've done the same and gotten bitten in the butt everytime.

This thread: I just wanted to share my experience on that weekend so others that are in "MY POSITION" don't get convinced that they spent too much or plan on spending too much. Ultimately saving them the anxiety I was put through here.

I took a chance... maybe... but now I'm here to say my bike and it's company is truthful in it's ads and on it's website. They deliver up to and beyond their claims. My bike is mid priced in this current ebike stage of evolution. This bike is well made and should last me many years.

I hope that you all enjoy your ebikes like I do mine.
Thanks for all that posted that appreciate my efforts to be informative.

ALL that said:
I whole heartedly agree about the biggest batteries, and buying what makes YOU feel good!!

BTW: there were those that told me "I spent too much on my EDDY MERCKX... $3200, in 1989 - that I still have and looks like new with well over 100,000 miles on it.

merckx_rider

Thanks!!

Speed limiter kicks in at 22.5 mph. I cruise along easily at 20 mph in PAS 4 of 5. All or most of my local rides are in that speed and power, and I always get excellent range per charge.

I agree that going a little slower increases my range / run time per charge.

2old

Since you chose to call anyone who disagrees with you names, I'll state the reason for my response to your multiple threads. Primarily I didn't want individuals new to ebikes to think they needed to spend $3500 for a cruiser to get started. My Dillenger kit for $700 functions perfectly after about a year of use and was an excellent way for me to learn about this discipline. However as pertains to your seven speed derailleur system, generic 500w motor, and Samsung battery the cost is high (IMO). It seemed to me and others have commented in private emails that you're just a shill for the company. I have no problem paying for quality and think that BionX is a great alternative; only reason that I don't have one is the speed limitation.

merckx_rider

I must work for Eddy Merckx Too since I'm a shill....
You proved your intelligence in your posts... all of them.
You and your kit bike Hahaha both a joke.

Seems the "costs too much" folks always have a kit bike and chip on their shoulders.

Never argue with an idiot... they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!!

I like my bike... I know what is out there and this is a good bike for what it costs. Deal with it. Hahaha Yes I am laughing AT YOU.

2old

Guess you think that added value means something is worth what you paid for it; just keep being deluded since you're not smart enough to reason. However you're good at five year old name calling. That's expected since it's the only recourse for you.

InTheRain

You have a pretty nice bike. I like a lot about it. Huge battery. Disc brakes.

Everyone has there preferences, but I'm sure everyone would prefer to have a lot more range on the electric bike... something your bike excels at. For me, I'm the proud owner of a Bionx kit... $2300... on a $2000 touring bike - so "cost" wasn't the issue. I couldn't find a factory built e-bike that I liked nearly as much as the bike I already owned. Bionx seemed the way to go. A lot of people are happy with what they purchased, but it seems like we're always looking for improvement. For me, I want disc brakes... cantilever rim brakes just don't seem to cut it with a bike that is now about 18 lbs heavier.

I'm glad you love your bike. But don't assume that there are not many happy e-bike owners out there... there are.

2old

ITR, I've never heard of anyone with a BionX who wasn't happy with his conversion. After having a 20 mph bike for a year, seems like the next step (FOR ME) is 30 - 35 mph or that would be my next purchase.
I just should have stated about Equalizer that it would seem that they are competing with premium products (lower end Specialized, Stromer, Ohm, Trek Haibike and others) while they have a bike with pretty generic specifications based on their web site. I'm removing my nasty comments since there's nothing wrong with Chinese products. Let the OP continue to rant and name call.

merckx_rider

First, thank you for your input. My bike is loaded with features that make it a wonderful and fun ebike.

I make no assumptions that others don't like their bikes. Just the opposite, I hope you do like your bikes. I enjoy this experience and like sharing experiences with other owners.
I apologize for grouping "kit bike" owners but you don't have a chip on your shoulder.

Please understand that the trolls on here ruin it for a fun interaction amongst rational people. Someone called them thread turds... very appropriate.

The only reason I continue to post here is, this is where I first found out about this bike. I feel that the others that showed interest in this model and continue to contact me deserve to know more about it. You spent more than I did. You deserve to be treated like someone that likes their bike. I like my bike. It was the best one I've found that fit my needs and riding style. Plus I was about to purchase one this year anyway.

My first experience with ebikes was back in 2008 when a close friend bought one and taught me all about them. I'm now at a point in my life that made sense to get one for myself. I enjoy my bike and feel that my input might not only entertain my fellow e-cyclists but also inform them.

I think if we skip over the haters/trolls this is a fun thread.

The disc brakes on my bike are almost too good... I have to brace myself in panic stops because the bike stops faster than I do. Unfortunately I don't think you can add disc brakes to a bike. The fork and frame have attachment points for them.

merckx_rider

I can't imagine why someone has so much hatred for this company**********?
Here's a pic off their site of my display.
It clearly shows the quality of their products.
I can attest that the picture is accurate.

It clearly show the power management system, the voltage of the battery, battery power remaining scale, speed, distance.... etc...

My bike is a 48 volt system, with a full charge my battery has 54 volts.

This is just one more reason NOT to argue with idiots..............

2old

Since all you've done is argue, I agree with you and won't be visiting this thread again. You might try to improve your vocabulary to find some new terms for those that aren't in complete accord with you, and maybe stop saying the same banal things. Goodbye (name deleted because you know what you are)!

InTheRain

Actually disc brake tabs can be added to a steel frame bike. I have the tabs ordered (back ordered), now it's just a matter of the frame builder finding the time to do the work (I don't have the expertise myself.)