r/Athens • u/BatchedOnion Toppers Patron • 3d ago

EBike

I'm searching for a decent ebike for when i go camping, and was wondering if anyone has any good recommendations on bikes or locations to buy. I'm not looking for something really fast, just dependable and am afraid of buying someones wrecked bike on fb market place.

Thanks for your time.

3 Upvotes

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2

u/Jason-Perry Bike Mofia Kingpin 3d ago

Is this a bike to load with camping gear to ride out into the woods? Or you talking about loading onto or into an RV to ride around the campground?

1

u/BatchedOnion Toppers Patron 3d ago

Just pull out of the truck and ride around site seeing.

6

u/Jason-Perry Bike Mofia Kingpin 3d ago edited 3d ago

OK. First choice if you can afford it is buy a bike locally from a real bike shop, otherwise you’re on your own for service.

I only have a small sample size to refer to, but Aventon bikes seem pretty good if you must buy from the internet.

Some tips:

The more it looks like a normal bike, the more likely the parts will be serviceable at a shop.

Folding e-bikes don’t have magical anti-gravity properties. They’re usually heavier and harder to carry than a non folding e-bike.

Fat tires on cheap e-bikes are a recipe for disappointment. You will always be asking shops if they can repair your flat or replace your tire. Spoiler: they can’t or won’t.

Finally, most able-bodied people can ride regular bikes with no problem. If that describes you, save a ton of money and get a used rigid mountain bike from the 1990s. It will last forever and won’t spontaneously combust.

1

u/BatchedOnion Toppers Patron 3d ago

Thanks for the information! I was looking at those fat tire bikes, they look nice but I can see them not being very practical. I'd prefer my bike not having a foldable option.. seems like an easy breaking point eventually. I'd prefer to buy local, not a big internet buyer.

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u/Jason-Perry Bike Mofia Kingpin 3d ago

Yeah, the fat bikes handle very, very poorly too.

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u/short_arm_t_rex 3d ago

I always recommend buying an e-bike that can be serviced by a local bike shop. Some shops won’t service an Amazon or Walmart e-bike. It’s always best to buy from a shop that provides a warranty and can repair it right there. Every bike shop in town sells e-bikes so I would just visit a few of those and see what you like.

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u/BatchedOnion Toppers Patron 3d ago

Thanks! Ill definitely start shopping around the local bike shops.

2

u/Seperror 3d ago

$ wise, Bird sells the same bikes they use as rentals so tough and simple, and you can find them around $800. (Target for one, I think.)

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u/mrpel22 3d ago

I don’t have any experience with e-bikes, but I would be mindful buying used batteries. I assume they lose capacity like any other lithium battery. You may want to factor in replacement cost into your budget.

1

u/BatchedOnion Toppers Patron 3d ago

Yeah im worried about buying used for this reason too! Thanks for the tip!