Originally Posted by
2old
1) IMO, the problem bike shops have with bikes like those produced by Radpower is they didn't make any money on them. Every bike shop owner has complained about DIY too.
2) It's ridiculous to talk about taking an e-bike on a plane since the batteries (unless < 100 wh are illegal.
3) I have a Haibike for off road as well as a Diamomdback with $200 direct drive system for errands. The hub drive is perfect for road riding as long as you're not dealing with San Francisco's steep hills.
1) It depends on the shop. I'll probably get an ebike in the Fall and am currently figuring out options with my LBS. If I opt for a conversion he said he's happy to do it. Most ongoing profits are from labor so as long as people keep getting their bikes serviced they'll be fine.
2) Batteries can be ground-shipped a few days ahead. I'm mostly concerned with the 50pd Amtrak limit and other issues with public transit.
3) A Haibike trekking model is one of my top considerations, though they're still pretty heavy. As I said, while hub drives are functional I just don't care for them. I don't like accumulating stuff, so want a good model that does many things reasonably well.
We'll see what the new ebike offerings are in the Fall. I'll probably get either a Raleigh Redux IE, 28mph Haibike trekking model, or get a Kona Sutra frame and build it up with a Banfang kit. Right now I'm leaning towards the conversion since I won't be wedded to an ebike if I ever want to use it as a standard bike.