Literally the only criticism I have about my longtail cargo ebike is that the bike shop culture is still dreadful about them. Many flat scoff and tell you they refuse to do ANY kind of work on any ebike that they didn’t themselves sell. It’s so ridiculous. I went to my local shop after accidentally popping a piston out and did a surprise full bleed during a brake pad change and asked if they could just top of me off or loan me a funnel, and they went on a whole rant about “insurance” because of the battery (which is removable you dumbasses) and how “specialty mechanics” tools were needed for that kind of thing. Nope, it was just a $20 kit from Amazon and some mineral oil.
Other than that it is a dream. Fits four fullly-loaded grocery bags in the panniers and could easily be expanded with a front/tail basket, cargo net, passenger/child seats, etc… Easily takes me around town, typically with shorter trips than driving thanks to it being uncongestable and my full comfort with the Idaho stop. I also don’t need to find and pay for parking, aside from the occasional place that makes it remarkably hard to lock up your bike through unintentional hostile design choices.
Anecdote aside, I can basically do all necessary service work on it myself, in the climate controlled living room. And the good eBike brands have very responsive customer support, in my experience.
For $2 grand all in, I have a vehicle that serves me better than the car rotting in my driveway. I often go months between cranking the ignition on it. I’d even be able to get lumber on the ebike if I got a cargo trailer if not for the fact that you have to take sidewalks for much of that route because it’s on an insane stroad.
The problem is they don’t only get people with their cargo bikes trying to do the right thing, they will also be getting dickheads with unregulated imports that go >50km/h and have subpar electrical design. If there were import controls and regulation on electric bicycles to ensure that people don’t have access to dangerously fast house-fire machines there would be more shops willing to work on them.
Anecdote != Evidence but, I work with a guy who bought his kid an insanely fast electric motorcycle that is technically an electric bicycle because it has tiny cranks. He’s asked me several times if I would do work on the bike and I always say no, it’s a deathtrap for the rider and a hazard to motorists and cyclists.
Literally the only criticism I have about my longtail cargo ebike is that the bike shop culture is still dreadful about them. Many flat scoff and tell you they refuse to do ANY kind of work on any ebike that they didn’t themselves sell. It’s so ridiculous. I went to my local shop after accidentally popping a piston out and did a surprise full bleed during a brake pad change and asked if they could just top of me off or loan me a funnel, and they went on a whole rant about “insurance” because of the battery (which is removable you dumbasses) and how “specialty mechanics” tools were needed for that kind of thing. Nope, it was just a $20 kit from Amazon and some mineral oil.
Other than that it is a dream. Fits four fullly-loaded grocery bags in the panniers and could easily be expanded with a front/tail basket, cargo net, passenger/child seats, etc… Easily takes me around town, typically with shorter trips than driving thanks to it being uncongestable and my full comfort with the Idaho stop. I also don’t need to find and pay for parking, aside from the occasional place that makes it remarkably hard to lock up your bike through unintentional hostile design choices.
Anecdote aside, I can basically do all necessary service work on it myself, in the climate controlled living room. And the good eBike brands have very responsive customer support, in my experience.
For $2 grand all in, I have a vehicle that serves me better than the car rotting in my driveway. I often go months between cranking the ignition on it. I’d even be able to get lumber on the ebike if I got a cargo trailer if not for the fact that you have to take sidewalks for much of that route because it’s on an insane stroad.
sounds like there exists a niche for an ebike mechanic that’ll work on stuff judgement free
The problem is they don’t only get people with their cargo bikes trying to do the right thing, they will also be getting dickheads with unregulated imports that go >50km/h and have subpar electrical design. If there were import controls and regulation on electric bicycles to ensure that people don’t have access to dangerously fast house-fire machines there would be more shops willing to work on them.
Anecdote != Evidence but, I work with a guy who bought his kid an insanely fast electric motorcycle that is technically an electric bicycle because it has tiny cranks. He’s asked me several times if I would do work on the bike and I always say no, it’s a deathtrap for the rider and a hazard to motorists and cyclists.
These kind of products should never make it into Canada and the people who sell and ride them should be fined. They are full blown vehicles intended for use on roads (example): https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2023-New-EEC-Model-15000W-Powerful_1600988110312.html