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I'm curious what is the cheapest decent ebike you can get is. I think you hint that $500 is possible, which would be awesome, curious if you have recommendation

I'm curious what is the cheapest decent ebike you can get is. I think you hint that $500 is possible, which would be awesome, curious if you have recommendations. I bought my current bike from Walmart for about $150, and would be interested in updating to an ebike if they were in the $500 range.

bserge 5y ago
Under $500, you can update your current bike to an e-bike. In fact, that's the best way to do it. Get a good bike and modify it into an electric. You get much better customization and quality for the price. But that's not for everyone. Perhaps someone with access to funding can start a chain of conversion shops... but honestly, Swapfiets is cheaper.
- tonyedgecombe 5y ago
  I did that but the result was underwhelming compared to the Bosch based bike I ended up with.
hotpotamus 5y ago
https://slickdeals.net/f/15559585-swft-volt-ebike-w-32mi-max-operating-range-19-8-mph-max-speed-black-swft-volt-blk-499-99?v=1&src=SiteSearch https://slickdeals.net/f/15559585-swft-volt-ebike-w-32mi-max... Actually just bought this one. It's obviously made to a price, but quite rideable and has gotten me out riding again and a little more excited to exercise.
- ckdarby 5y ago
  Looks like this is $1k USD and not $500
  - hotpotamus 5y ago
    Well, I paid $500. For what it is I would not pay $1000. Certainly it shows that a $500 eBike is possible.
analog31 5y ago
Just a note that right now might be a rotten time to try figuring out bike pricing, because of the shortage. If you can wait for prices to come back down to earth, you might get a better indication. Also, there are folks who expect a flood of used bikes to hit the market. As with conventional bikes, the pricing of cheap bikes is affected by the pricing and availability of used bikes. A new bike has to be priced cheaper than repairing an old one.
notjulianjaynes 5y ago
Walmart sells an ebike for $400. Theres definitely some corners cut to hit that price point, but it works perfectly fine and the battery locks into the frame which also houses the controller/wiring. It's definitely Wal-Mart quality, but it's less than even the price of a conversion kit with battery. Edit* full disclosure: I owned one of these and returned it because I decided I wanted something a bit more high performance, but only because I lucked into a free Bosch battery pack.

bserge 5y ago

Under $500, you can update your current bike to an e-bike. In fact, that's the best way to do it. Get a good bike and modify it into an electric. You get much better customization and quality for the price. But that's not for everyone. Perhaps someone with access to funding can start a chain of conversion shops... but honestly, Swapfiets is cheaper.

tonyedgecombe 5y ago
I did that but the result was underwhelming compared to the Bosch based bike I ended up with.

hotpotamus 5y ago

https://slickdeals.net/f/15559585-swft-volt-ebike-w-32mi-max-operating-range-19-8-mph-max-speed-black-swft-volt-blk-499-99?v=1&src=SiteSearch https://slickdeals.net/f/15559585-swft-volt-ebike-w-32mi-max... Actually just bought this one. It's obviously made to a price, but quite rideable and has gotten me out riding again and a little more excited to exercise.

ckdarby 5y ago
Looks like this is $1k USD and not $500
- hotpotamus 5y ago
  Well, I paid $500. For what it is I would not pay $1000. Certainly it shows that a $500 eBike is possible.

analog31 5y ago

Just a note that right now might be a rotten time to try figuring out bike pricing, because of the shortage. If you can wait for prices to come back down to earth, you might get a better indication. Also, there are folks who expect a flood of used bikes to hit the market. As with conventional bikes, the pricing of cheap bikes is affected by the pricing and availability of used bikes. A new bike has to be priced cheaper than repairing an old one.

notjulianjaynes 5y ago

Walmart sells an ebike for $400. Theres definitely some corners cut to hit that price point, but it works perfectly fine and the battery locks into the frame which also houses the controller/wiring. It's definitely Wal-Mart quality, but it's less than even the price of a conversion kit with battery. Edit* full disclosure: I owned one of these and returned it because I decided I wanted something a bit more high performance, but only because I lucked into a free Bosch battery pack.