I used to think e-bikes were about doing less effort. Now I think they’re about removing excuses. Bad weather? Still ride. Tired? Still ride. Long commute? Still ride. It feels like e-bikes don’t reduce cycling—they just make it more accessible every day. Do you agree or disagree?
Went out for our first cruise yesterday and it was so fun. The bike was super stable and comfortable. Only went about 25km as it was a bit cold but the battery percent only went down 2%? I’m thinking as the battery percentage goes down, the faster it starts dropping?
Hi Reddit,
I’m from a bicycle factory that’s been building for major international brands since the 90s. Our brand has been active in the B2B world for decades, but this year, we finally decided to try something new: selling direct to riders. This month, we went live on Amazon UK with our first two models.
Since we have a 30-year reputation to protect, we did things the "old-school" way. We spent a year on R&D and insisted on TÜV Rheinland for safety testing. If you’re in the industry, you know their labs are way more expensive than others, but we wanted that peace of mind for the frame and overall compliance.
But here’s the real talk:
Our pricing is mid-range, but the math is brutal. When you add up the high-spec components, those expensive TÜV fees, UK warehousing, shipping, and Amazon’s cut, our net profit is only around 10%.
We see e-bikes selling online for prices that wouldn't even cover our raw materials and logistics. As makers, it’s confusing for us. We know exactly what has to be "sacrificed" to hit those rock-bottom prices—usually safety or longevity—and we just won’t do it.
I’d love some honest advice from the UK community:
What do you actually want? For those of you riding in the UK, what’s the one thing most brands get wrong? Better rain protection? More torque for hills? Better local support?
Does quality still matter? In this economy, does a 30-year factory history and TÜV safety backing actually mean anything to you, or is "the lowest price" all that matters now?
How do we get noticed? We’re builders, not marketing experts. How does an old-school factory stand out without being spammy or looking like just another generic seller?
We’re not here to drop links or push sales. We just want to know if there’s still a place for a brand that values safety and fair pricing over being the absolute cheapest.
Thanks for reading.
Mid-drive vs hub-drive e-bikes: why a hub motor might actually be the better choice for you
Online advice often leans toward mid-drives for their efficiency and natural feel, but after five years around e-bikes, I’ve seen where hub motors are objectively the better choice. It goes beyond the lower upfront price.
The biggest advantage of hub-drive ebikes is drivetrain longevity. Mid-drives push motor power directly through your chain and cassette, leading to faster wear and frequent replacements. In hub motors the drivetrain components only handle the power from your legs, not from the thrusts of a mid drive motor. For high-mileage commuters or anyone hauling cargo, I've seen savings in maintenance and parts add up quickly.
Hub systems are also mechanically simpler and more forgiving. They don't require perfect shifting technique under load and provide consistent power in stop-and-go traffic, especially when using a throttle. While mid-drives reward technical riding, hub drives are harder to misuse and generally stay on the road longer between services.
Mid-drives have their place, but hub systems get an undeserved bad rap -likely thanks to some very effective marketing from the competition. If you want a bike that just works without the finicky maintenance, a hub-drive is often the smarter long-term move.
Keen to know from other hub drive fans, why this system is your choice.
what do I need to know? what are some good learning resources for this and are there any solid YouTube tutorials? what brands and parts should I look out for?
The image was the display when I already fixed it. Luckily I found the issue when inspecting all the connections first but my fault was ordering a speed sensor in advance. Now I have to receive a speed sensor that I don't need anymore.
I’ve had my bike for 6 hours (picked it up today). Brand new and now the throttle isn’t working. I have 30% battery (it came with ~50%), so that isn’t the issue. Is there a kill switch or something?
Does anyone here know if the batteries might or might be region locked? I am not sure if something like this is possible but I was curious if I can somehow can a get battery from the EU.
is it possible to upgrade ur ebike that was bought on Amazon. Google been telling me all I need is kit. I have a 500w rear motor, 48v battery idk what the controller is. I was asking if I could just buy 1000watt motor and new controller with a new display to get up to 35 I don't really want to go faster than that
I say "new" in quotes because while I've only used an ebike for about 18 months, it's already got 2k miles and I've replaced the brakes and tires twice.
Anyway, I've been a long distance biker for as long as I could ride. The minute my parents let me leave the block I was headed to the next town over, after I was ungrounded I went two towns over so I could get the most out of the next grounding. That was 30 years ago, I've done RAGBRAI eight times, I make little "next town hops" about once a week just for the love of the ride.
But oh man I have put my entry-level Jasion to its limits and I really want to go about twice as far. Maybe head over to the nearest state park and do a bike camp, but that's about 50 miles and there's no way that thing can make it. It's legitimately easier to cover that ground on one of my old road bikes but I'd rather it be an after lunch ride than an afternoon ride, just going five or six MPH faster with PAS makes those day rides so much more appealing and I crave the horizon.
So my asks are these:
I'm mostly looking for anything that is capable of extended (at least more than "commuter" level) range
Something with decent quality parts (hydraulic brakes would be nice but not necessary)
Something notably comfortable over time. I'm quite tall so I've already potentially ruled out that Deepower chopper-looking thing just for that but the style and dual batteries are kinda exactly what I really want. If that had adjustable seat height and readily replaceable handlebars I wouldn't be making this post.
My current solution has been strapping a Bluetti power bank onto my rack and stopping every couple hours for a picnic while it recharges. This is actually really pleasant, but that only gets about 20% charge before I'm itching to get back in motion and beat the sun to the next town... plus my bike is audibly falling apart for most of the ride if I go more than two hours without a maintenance break anyway.
Cosmetics and amenities are optional. My favorite distance bike doesn't even have a kickstand, I'm Spartan as hell. I just want to add a dozen more small towns to my weekday afternoon rides and make a weekend bike camping trip a more practical option.
Good afternoon all.
This is my first post here so I’ll keep this brief.
I’m presently researching for a foldable bike and hope some of you can assist.😊
My use will be occasional, four or five times a month. This will be more or less a beach bike travelling no more than say 10-15 km per use here in Canada.
So many bikes out there, been looking Hiboy’s but not sure what I should be looking for. Don’t wish to spend to much, again this is just very much for weekend Use.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated from you that I’ve been using eBay for a while.
Thanks
Hello, I have an e-bike (GT73 Pro) that I recently received a replacement motor wheel for. Frustratingly on what should be a simple step, when I put the washers on, one side takes it and it fits, and the other side gets stuck on the shoulder of the axle. When I try to mount the wheel on to the frame, the side with the rotor has the washer fitting goes into the dropout no problem where as the freewheel side does not and ends up outside the frame, due to not being able to fully go through the axle, and basically getting stuck on the shoulder. I'm not sure if I need a replacement washer or different size, or if mine is incorrect, or if I'm doing something incorrect, but I need any help/advice I can get. Once im able to get the washer on both sides and into the frame and dropout then I just use the nuts and tensioner and things should be pretty easy going forward. I will show pictures which should hopefully help explain if my explanation was lacking. Thank you so much.
Wife and I are shopping for ebikes.
Based on what's available locally I've narrowed my choice down to 3 bikes, but would like some input/advice on which would be better.
Bergamont E-Horizon Elite 6 Belt
This will be my first ebike. Will generally be riding roads and paved trails. Mostly flat, with a few small inclines here and there. Hauling a kid's trailer (Thule Chariot Cab) about 50% of the time. Quite wet/rainy area. 3-8 miles one way will be the typical journey.
I'm used to riding a road bike.
Between local shops all 3 bikes land relatively close in price. So just looking for some insight from folks with more experience, please and thank you.