Cheap electric bikes
Cheap electric bikes are available in many more stores nowadays, but what sets them apart from the bikes that we sell in our store?
Price shopping for electric bikes can be confusing. How can one electric bike be $400 while another is over $3,000? What is the reason for this huge price jump? As one of the biggest dealers of electric bikes in the country, it's important to differentiate our bikes from other cheap electric bikes, although it may be hard to tell just by looking. Here are a few things you should consider when looking at cheap electric bikes:
What kind of battery does it use?
This is singlehandedly the biggest difference between a cheap electric bike and a better quality electric bike. You can power a bicycle with any type of battery, but what is the lightest, longest range battery you can get? All of our electric bikes come equipped with Lithium batteries. These have a 20 mile range per charge, can last for many years, and generally weigh less than 10 pounds. Lithium is the latest battery technology currently available for electric bikes. Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) is a similar quality, weighing slightly more and having slightly less range.
Sealed Lead Acid
In most cases,
cheap electric bikes are using Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries. If you've ever used a lawnmower or a golf cart, you'd be familiar with these heavy black batteries. An SLA battery weighs twice as much as a NiMH or Lithium counterpart, and to power a bicycle, it's pretty common to use more than one. Because of this,
cheap electric bicycles can weigh in at 80 pounds with SLA batteries, compared to 50 pounds using Lithium. There is also a significant decrease in the range of SLA batteries. Depending on the
electric bicycle and motor setup, the SLA battery can probably power the bike for 5-10 miles before it needs to be recharged. This makes a huge difference in the overall performance of the bike, so it's not surprising that Lithium batteries will often cost 1/3 of the price of an
electric bike.
Lithium
Lately, we've seen a lot of
cheap electric bikes using Lithium batteries as well. These batteries are a lower quality Lithium, with a much shorter life span. Many cheap Lithium batteries are also highly unstable, liable to catch fire during battery recharging. Our batteries are UL-approved, guaranteed to be tested for safety hazards before they can be sold.
Where am I buying this from?
In addition to bike shops, cheap electric bikes can often be found in online retailers or local department stores. Ask yourself, what happens when I need to service this bike? Is the online dealer or local department store going to have the parts necessary to repair a motor? A throttle? Even service the mechanics of a bike? Similar to owning a car, an electric bicycle is going to require some care and maintenance every once in a while. Wouldn't you rather spend time with a knowledgeable electric bike mechanic than a place that also sells women's clothing and video games?
An electric bike is still a bike
And that means that, electric system aside, the parts are pretty comparable to a regular bike. Which means you're going to see different levels of quality here as well. Cheap electric bikes are often cheap everywhere, not just electrically. Check out those brakes, tires, pedals. If it looks cheap, that's a good sign it won't last very long. Why buy an electric bike if it can't even handle being a regular bike?
Take these things into consideration - an electric bike is a big purchase, and you shouldn't waste money on something that will give you more pain than pleasure. Sit back, take a look at the options, and pick the best electric bike. If you need help, use our electric bike selector.
Click here to view some good-quality electric bikes available at NYCeWheels
