Electric bikes are here and they are a blast! You may have seen people riding around on them in your area, or know someone that has one and they’ve told you how great it is. Now, it’s time that you get one of your own but there are so many choices and you want to pick the right one.
Ask yourself these 9 questions before you buy your first electric bike and you will have an excellent head start and hopefully pick the ebike that will be the best fit for you!
Here’s what you need to Know before you buy an electric bike –
- #1 – Why do you want an Electric Bike?
- #2 – What are your riding goals?
- #3 – Where are you going to store it?
- #4 – What kind of battery range do you need?
- #5 – What is your rider weight?
- #6 – What is your budget?
- #7 – Can you buy locally or do you need to buy online?
- #8 – Can you do repairs yourself?
- #9 – Do you need one right away?
There are a lot of different kinds of electric bikes out there and the prices can range all over the map.
I have been selling electric bikes for the last 6 years and I’ve helped many people achieve their electric biking goals. Picking out the wrong electric bike can be frustrating. With the limited supply of ebikes and demand skyrocketing, you want to pick the right one from the start.
Electric bikes are changing lives every day! There are really only 2 complaints I generally hear from customers after they buy an ebike –
- They wish they had bought one sooner 🙂 or,
- They underestimated how much riding they’d be doing and picked out the wrong one 🙁
(no worries, you can always upgrade later)
Keep reading to go deeper into each of these questions and let’s make you a master of all things ebike. Let’s get you the right electric bike from the start!
#1 – Why do you want an electric bike?
Now, there are many good answers to this question. You may want an electric bike to –
- Get back into shape
- Commute to work or school
- Replace your car
- Ride with your partner
- Explore your area
- Loose weight
- Start riding again
- Save money on gas
- Go greener
- Feel younger
I have an entire article on fantastic reasons to want an electric bike, click here! Just figure out what your personal reasons are and this may help motivate you.
When you realize all the things an electric bike can help you do, it can remove some of the doubts you may have about buying one. Figuring this one out will also help with your potential ebike budget too.
You may be willing to spend a little more and get a better electric bike if you know all that it can do for you!
#2 – What are your riding goals?
This one is very important, allow me to explain. You will want to figure out what you plan to do with your electric bike once you have it. Here are some questions I ask people at the shop about their riding goals –
- Will you need one that can do some off-roading?
- Will you be bringing it on camping or RVing trips?
- Would you like one with front suspension? Or full suspension? (comfort is King!)
- Do you want to be able to sit upright?
- Do you have steep hills you will be riding up, regularly?
I know, more questions, right? But if you can quickly answer these it will help you narrow down your search and find an electric bike that will fit all of your needs.
This will also give you an idea of what to expect, budget-wise, when you go shopping. See Tip #6 about budgeting.
You don’t want to make a quick purchase, only to find out that your new ebike doesn’t like to get dirty or doesn’t have the power to get you up a hill.
#3 – Where are you going to store it?
You will want to have a spot where you can set up the charger and easily be able to charge your new ebike when you are done riding. This can be in the garage, inside your house or apartment, in the shed out back, or just outside locked up.
If you have very limited space you may consider a folding style ebike. There are many ebikes that can be folded up to fit in much tighter spaces. Just keep in mind you may not want to have to fold and unfold your ebike every time you want to go for a ride.
You can also hang your ebike from the front wheel. Even though ebikes are heavier than regular bikes there are good bike hooks these days that can support the weight with ease.
This is a great way to store your ebike and save some space. I hang my ebike up every night in a storage area at my apartment.
Just remember, if you will be hanging your ebike up, make sure you will be able to lift it up. Also, make sure that the hook you are using is strongly secured!
For the fat tire ebikes you buy online, this will not be a good idea.
Just have a good, dry space that is secure so you can have peace of mind that your new electric bike has a happy home 🙂
#4 – What kind of battery range do you need?
Plan out what your average ride may look like. Electric bike range can vary from bike to bike and rider to rider. I weigh 220lbs and will get far less range than someone that weighs 150lbs.
Make sure that the ebike you select can actually go as far as you need it to. Some ebikes can only get about 15 miles on a single charge while others can go as far as 80 miles. This will also depend on how much you plan to pedal or if you will be using a throttle most of the time.
I just had some customers come into the shop that already knew they wanted to be able to ride at least 40 to 50 miles on their ebikes, this is very good information. Helps out in choosing the right bike.
Some ebikes have a feature on the display that will tell you how many miles remain on the battery. (Range feature) Test ride one of these for a couple of miles on a full charge and check the range in each assist mode. This will give a good idea of what range you should expect.
#5 – What is your rider weight?
Different ebikes will have different limits on how much weight they can support. If you are a bigger guy like me, make sure you get a good sturdy bike. Lighter riders can pick out whatever they like.
I weighed 290lbs when I first started ebiking and with the bike’s weight, and my normal commuting gear (clothes, tools, lunch, etc.), my total riding weight was almost 375lbs. I was riding a bike rated for 285lbs max. If you ride gently on a good quality ebike, it can be done.
Electric bike motors also come in a variety of overall power levels. For bigger riders with steep hills, make sure your ebike can handle it. If you are unsure, then I recommend you test ride an electric bike locally, and see first-hand if it is capable. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy! 🙂
#6 – What is your budget?
Seems like a no-brainer, but just know, when it comes to ebikes you get what you pay for. I have had many people come into the shop with a certain price in mind, but after test riding different ebikes, that price can change.
In Tip #1 I went over some of the reasons you may be wanting an ebike. Take the time to truly answer this for yourself and see what it is really worth to you.
Buying a cheaper electric bike just to save a little money upfront is not worth it if the bike is not reliable down the road. Many bike shops will not work on cheap ebikes that were purchased online, due to liability issues.
You will want your new ebike to be trustworthy as you explore the world. We like to call it the “Buy once, Cry once” policy.
Choosing a good-quality electric bike from your trusted local dealer will always be the best option. It just won’t be the cheapest.
#7 – Can you buy locally or do you need to buy online?
As I mentioned before if you can shop locally, at least try it first. Your local dealer may not have what you are looking for or may simply be out of your price range. But trying out a few ebikes first never hurt anybody, it’s free and it’s fun!
This will also give you an idea of what is out there in case you choose to upgrade later. You can also ask them if they’d be willing to work on your online ebike if buy one.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have an electric bike dealer nearby and you may have to buy an ebike online. Choose a reputable brand and read reviews about their customer service first. You will probably be using it.
#8 – Can you do repairs yourself?
This may be the best question to ask yourself before adding an ebike to your cart online. When you buy online you may have to fix your own flats are replace your own brake pads and such.
For some peace of mind, you should check around for someone to help you with these things first. That’s unless you love to do it yourself, then just go for it. I applaud you!
I have had many people bring in their Rad Power Bikes, Aventons, or Lectric ebikes with flat tires. Let me tell you that even with a bike stand, air compressor, all the tools, and years of experience it can take me 30 minutes to an hour to change a flat on the rear tire of these.
Don’t expect the components of a really cheap ebike to last very long either. Things will break, but don’t let that break you.
#9 – Do you need one right away?
The reason I put this question on the list is that I work in the bicycle industry and know all about the supply issues.
There are simply not enough electric bikes in the US to meet the demand. If you need to have an ebike by a certain time, this could limit your options.
I would recommend you start shopping early and get on a waiting list at your local shop right away. The best electric bikes will be scarce and if you want to be sure to get one, it’s best to get an early start.
If you wait till the last minute, you may not get what you want or simply be forced to buy something that is not the best fit for you.
Patience is the word of the day! It’s winter right now as I am writing this and winter is a great time to look for an ebike. Supply has started to trickle in and most people will wait till spring to do their bike shopping.
So shop smart, shop early, shop patiently, and you will be able to Purchase With Power!
At the End of the Day
I hope this article will help make it easier to pick out the best ebike for your needs and not just confuse you even further 🙂
A quick summary would be to figure out –
- Why do you want an electric bike?
- What do you need your electric bike to do?
- How much you can spend?
- Where are you going to put it?
- Who do you want to buy one from?
Then just get to it. May your ebiking adventure begin and Keep on Riding!