I just got an email from Aventon saying that their prices will increase on 11 April in response to the trade war. Almost all elements of ebikes in North America come from China and the price jumps from various vendors are probably going to be extreme.

Having bought one last November, I've ridden it 800km and have only used my car three times since. They solve all of the problems that kept me from wanting to bike commute before and really connected me to the landscape of a city I can now explore without the stress of driving. It's the best purchase I've made, even with a low end model that cost me $200 per month or $1400 total. That's one year of my car insurance and registration fees or one minor repair to my car.

Here's the important consideration. The used car market is fucked and much more expensive than it was a few years ago. The parts for almost every model of car are globally-sourced. Insurance is pulling out of risky markets and raising premiums on everyone else, with mine jumping 25% in a few years. If your car shits the bed during this economic crisis, it's going to be a lot harder to secure reliable transportation and the costs of repairing/maintaining/replacing car parts are going to spike across the board.

I'm anticipating things getting worse for at least a couple years and buying a cargo ebike to fully replace my car and give my partner a backup before that happens. If you're thinking of making the switch this is probably the last week for a while where you can get a decent price. Highly highly recommended.

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[–] happybadger@hexbear.net 10 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Upway is another great option if you aren't picky: https://upway.co/collections/electric-bikes . They resell unused or lightly used models as recent as 2025 at a huge discount, and at least here it's usually $49 in shipping costs with a one year warranty. I almost bought through them instead of Aventon's website but they didn't have the specific model I wanted.

Only get a model that has a torque sensor, not one with a cadence sensor. That's the key component for making them enjoyable. The torque sensor multiplies your pedaling power by 50-500% so it feels very natural but like you're a superhuman. The cadence sensor gives you a flat amount of power at each setting so it feels jerky and like the bike is riding itself. Hydraulic brakes over mechanical are a must, and a belt drive over a chain is great if you can find a model with it (Lectric ONE is probably the cheapest I've found new at $2300~) because ebikes are harder on both. 26" tyres feel much better than 20" ones unless you buy a cargo bike in which case you want the 20" ones for the lowest centre of gravity possible, while avoiding fat tyre models because they're harder to pedal if your battery goes dead. Folding ebikes have a weak hinge point that will break long before anything else on the frame does so I'd avoid those unless you need to do mixed-modal commuting or store it in an upstairs apartment.

I'd also only buy from the largest brands right now. The ebike industry is really constricting and brands like Rad and Juiced are going bankrupt. In terms of longevity and component quality I'd only buy from Specialized>Aventon>Lectric>Engwe>Velotric. Anything better than that and it risks being stolen, with only Aventon offering good security features at a low price point, while anything cheaper probably has components that aren't good enough for the extra stress on the bike. Lectric and Engwe have the best value.

[–] buh@hexbear.net 4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

what's upway?

[–] Meh@hexbear.net 5 points 1 day ago

Not much, how about you?

[–] comrade_pibb@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago

not much, what's upway you?

[–] happybadger@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago

They're an outlet store with physical locations in New York and California. They take overstock bikes from dealers and lightly used personal sales, inspect them, and sell them for like half off the sticker price. Sometimes the shipping costs are too high for a particular bike but they've got a good selection of $49-shipped bikes.

[–] jack@hexbear.net 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Rad and Juiced are going bankrupt

Damn I'm shocked to hear Rad is going down, I see them everywhere

[–] happybadger@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago

They grew too fast in the COVID era and have been doing layoffs for the past year, firing their CEO last month, while they try to pivot to US retail sales in a handful of cities. They've also faced a big lawsuit recently over a teenager dying on one. They seem fun but there's better competition for their moped-style bikes and better service networks with other retail brands like Specialized/Trek/Aventon so I can't see them lasting the supply shock from the tariffs.

[–] SuperZutsuki@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm actually looking at getting a Specialized. I was going to get one last year but started redoing my whole wardrobe, getting laser hair removal, and other trans things after coming out.

[–] happybadger@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago

I was really tempted to get a Specialized Globe Haul but couldn't justify the price difference over an Aventon Abound or the other cheaper models I was looking at. It seems super fun to ride for a cargo bike.