If you built your own e-bike, you’ll probably be fine getting support from most local bike shops for everything EXCEPT the battery, controller and motor. You’ll be on your own for those things, which is probably OK since you can order and install the parts you need to make your e-bike function again. But if you’re like everyone else, you probably saw a deal you couldn’t pass up and ordered your e-bike from a store on the internet. Ride1UP, Gen 3, RAD (not RAT), Aventon, Magnum, and MANY others offer great products, sometimes even at affordable prices.
The issue is many of these e-bikes use proprietary components and non-standard specs. For example, does your e-bike, assuming it has a rear-hub motor, use a standard crank bearing set? Probably not. Some things will be standard and easily replaced with off-the-shelf parts, but some will not. This is the conundrum your local bike shop faces. Lacking standards that they’re trained to support, and lacking access to parts used on many e-bikes, they’re unable to provide adequate support. So it’s likely they’ll turn you away if it’s not a product they sell and support. And this could be a problem!
Your local bicycle shops, and what support you can expect for your e-bike:
Trek Bicycle Spring House (was the Trek shop in Doylestown)
1105 N Bethlehem Pike , Unit C
Lower Gwynedd Twp, Pennsylvania, 19002
Comments: They’ll service your e-bike, “except for the motor”. I expect that proprietary battery systems might be excluded also, otherwise you should be in good hands.
139 S. Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Comments: Closed Monday and Tuesday. They’ll do basic bicycle repairs, but won’t work on motors, batteries, or other e-bike components on e-bikes not sold in their shop.
208 N. Sycamore Street
Newtown, PA 18940
Comments: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Same as the Doylestown location, except I took my new Sutto hub motor and wheel to the Newtown shop and they were very willing to dish the wheel for me (I explain the reason for this in my Build #4 post). Excellent work and very reasonable charge. This shop is on my ‘preferred’ list now!
Pedego Electric Bikes Lambertville
13 North Union Street
Lambertville, NJ 08530
Comments: They sell and support Pedego (which includes a 5-year warranty), and will service other e-bikes but not motors, controllers, batteries, electrical cables, etc. that are specific to that e-bike.
Lawrence Shopping Center, Unit 13
2495 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Township, NJ
Comments: Princeton eBikes services the brands that they sell (currently Aventon, Gazelle, Magnum, & Bintelli). If you contact the shop for service on another brand, you will likely be referred to RoadMaestro Bicycle Service. RoadMaestro is an independent mobile bike repair service. Brian Clissold serves as both the mechanic for Princeton eBikes and the owner/operator of RoadMaestro.
(908) 735-5451
info@clintonbicycleshopllc.com
Comments: Not open Monday, so will call back later in the week.
153 South Main Street
Dublin, Pennsylvania 18917
vortexperformancecycles@gmail.com
Comments: No answer. I’ll keep trying…
So this is what I have come up with so far. If you know other ‘local’ repair resources for e-bikes please let me know in the comments section below.
** Update **
I recently discovered another local e-bike resource I’d like to tell you about. This appears to be something similar to what Princeton E-Bikes is doing – offering people new to e-bikes an opportunity to try various models out before purchasing their first e-bike, and a place to purchase and get support for their e-bike. This new shop is Redline E-bikes in Chalfont, located at 3169 County Line Rd., Chalfont, PA. Their website says:
Open by Appointment 7 Days a Week
We welcome walk-ins also but please call or text 267-576-2545 before visiting us to see if our showroom is open (or visit their website to be sure).
This is a great local resource for new e-bikers, so check them out!