“Besides the price, most buyers ask me why one bike is more expensive than another bike,” said Kevin Lau. “My usual answer is the type of drive/motor system and the parts of the bike.” High-end bicycles are vehicles, just like high-end cars and motorcycles. They have more expensive components, with lighter, stronger materials, made with tighter tolerances and more precise machining.
$2,000 is about what we’d expect to spend on a durable, high-quality electric bike. However, if you don’t want to spend that much just to see if you can fit an electric bike into your lifestyle, we have a selection of electric bikes under $2,000.
Can You Lift an Ebike?
Photo: SixThreeZero Bike Co.
If you’ve never ridden an ebike, it’s important to know that some ebikes are really heavy, like upwards of 50 pounds. “So many people come through the door spending $3,000 or $4,000 for an e-bike and they’re not strong enough to walk it up the stairs of their apartment or maneuver it around their garage,” Oseland said.
“For some customers, lifting the bike in a car or on a car rack may be a factor,” added Lau. “Some bike racks are not strong enough to hold an e-bike.” Before Oseland sells an e-bike to a customer, he makes sure they have a way to safely transport it. “If you have to put your bike in the car, you might break it.” With that said, electric bikes can be a safer way for many people with limited mobility, and older riders can see huge benefits from more exercise. We have options for electric bikes for senior riders here.
How Far Do You Plan to Ride?
The next top priority is addressing the customer’s “scope anxiety.” Range anxiety is the fear that the bike will run out of battery before the end of the ride. Every bike has a stated range, but many factors can increase or decrease it, Lau said, including the terrain, the air temperature, the weight of the rider, the smoothness of the tires, how much assistance is used of the rider (most ebikes have at least three levels of assistance), and how big the battery is. When all these factors are considered, a typical ebike’s range can be anywhere from about 30 to 65 miles, Lau said.
Bosch, a leading manufacturer of ebike systems, has an online ebike range calculator. Before any ride, cyclists can enter their weight, cadence, average speed, mileage, terrain, wind speed, and other factors to get a near-accurate estimate of how long their Bosch battery will last. Many electric bikes also have the option of adding a double battery. This will double your range, but will also add weight to the bike.
How Do You Charge and Store the Battery?
Photo: Adrienne So
In 2023, ebike battery fires resulted in 268 incidents, causing 150 injuries and 18 deaths, in New York City. In the early days of ebike manufacturing, many batteries were made overseas and the US did not have strict UL certification requirements. (UL certification is considered the safety gold standard; a third-party organization independently verifies that the battery meets local and federal safety standards.)
