Having waded through all the videos from the last two posts, here are my ‘Top 5 Affordable E-Bikes’, plus a DIY that probably trumps them all (in order of least expensive to most expensive):
Ride1up Roadster V2 $945 (free shipping)
Reminds me of my bicycle racing days with the Penn State team. I always rode a single speed bike during early season training. Except my training bike was A LOT more expensive than this. This e-bike looks like great fun and nobody is going to know it’s an e-bike. Perfect!
Gen 3 Flex $1,600 (free shipping)
Appears to be a solid package for the price.
RadCity 4 $1600 (shipping extra)
Appears to be an all-round solid package and a good value from a company that has a great reputation for building quality e-bikes. I also like the battery modularity meaning I can swap the battery out for an off-the-shelf battery rather than being locked into a vendor’s proprietary battery design/configuration.
Aventon Level $1800 (free shipping)
Another solid package for a price that won’t break the bank.
Magnum Metro S $1900 (shipping appears to be included)
Another great package at not a too terrible price point.
So with all these great options, why bother adding yet another to the list? Answer: because you’ll notice that every one of these ‘reasonably priced’ e-bikes use rear-hub motors. I don’t really have anything against rear-hub motors because that’s all I have had the opportunity to ride to date, until my mid-drive build is complete. But the reality is, mid-drive motors cost more than rear-hub motors, so if you’re going to build a ‘low-cost’ e-bike, rear-hub motors are the way to go.
Number 6 – you have seen this one before:
Contact JohnnyNerdOut and ask him to build you the Norco Scene step-thru e-bike he built for his in-laws. Including JohnnyNerdOut’s ‘build fee’, the whole thing should set you back about $2100 (plus tax and shipping). For this you get a custom built step-thru mid-drive e-bike that’s lighter than all but Roadster above. Note: JohnnyNerdOut would need to quote the actual price of this build. My number is a best guess, but I expect he would be delighted to build one of these beauties for you…
So that’s it. I really hope these last few posts help you decide which e-bike is best for your needs. Other than the Roadster piquing my interest, I am totally sold on building my own e-bikes. But I know this isn’t for everyone, so buying one already made is the next best thing!
Update: This e-bike from Ride1Up just popped up on my radar and appears to be a really good value at $1,045 (includes free shipping). It’s the Core-5. Check it out…
Update: Here’s another ‘reasonably priced’ e-bike I just discovered. This design is considered a ‘mid-step’ (not quite a step-thru). I like this one because it’s as simple as an e-bike can be. Note though, this is a single speed bicycle which means it’s not ideal for hilly rides. I like it because it’s simple, and for some, it might just be the perfect e-bike. Here it is: The RadMission 1 for $1200.
Need a really well designed step-thru? I would stick with Rad and consider the RadCity Step-Thru 3 Electric Commuter Bike for $1600.
