Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
Ching. I hadn't noticed anyone advise the o.p. to take a good look at the front tire. Better still, just change it. Most of those Bullits have e-assist and they are damn fast. They hit the crap that is all over the road harder than anything else. You can't avoid the small stuff because the thing is a locomotive. The added wear adds up. I'll bet everything (except the chassis) on a rig like that has a lowered life expectancy.
And a Ching back to you too. Interesting timing, this topic, what with the recent news articles about E cars wearing out their tires at an alarming rate that few anticipated. Something about more weight and more aggressive driving combining together.
I am glad to be out of the LBS wrenching arena just as e bikes are becoming so popular. Still my small exposure to them and their owners makes me expect more dissatisfaction and unexpected expenses for them. Brake pads, tires, spokes, chains, cogs are all wearing faster on e bikes than on human powered ones. Yet with their higher initial purchase cost (compared to an equal grade pedal only bike) we have seen the owners have higher expectations of "performance", not that they will be needing to replace and maintain their e bike at a higher level they did with their less costly pedal bikes. More money has all sorts of expectations that coat tail a purchase and can blind a buyer to realities. Andy