2024 the best ebike for the money review
Price: $409.99
(as of Oct 28, 2024 16:24:08 UTC - Details)
Additional Information
ASIN | B07MG76XWC |
---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #309,036 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors) #1,024 in Adult Electric Bicycles |
Date First Available | January 11, 2019 |
From the brand
Ebike Conversion Kits
Conversion Kits with Battery
Memory Foam Bike Seats
Torque Arms
Other Accessories
Easily convert your bicycle to an electric bike. Ebike Conversion Kit is ready to install with an aluminum double-walled rim and hub motor already attached. All you need to do is to transfer the original tire to the electric bike kit and enjoy your brand-new ebike!
Ebike Conversion Kit includes all necessary components for installation; the wheel hub motor, controller, display, throttle, brake levers, pedal-assist system, torque arm, and cable ties. Please, note that in this Electric Bike Kit, BATTERY & TIRE ARE NOT INCLUDED!
Upgrade your ebike with the LCD Display in the conversion kit. It shows all the essential information such as battery percentage, speed, total and single trip distance, wattage, PAS levels, and error codes for easier troubleshooting. Basically, it is your I in the tire!
Continue to pedal: Pedal Assist Sensor (PAS) allows you to ride your electric bike kit without a throttle response. You may operate your electric bicycle either way. Avoid uncomfortable wrist positions and simply pedal anytime, anywhere.
We offer a 1-year warranty on hub motors and batteries. All other components are under a 3-month warranty. We provide technical support and hassle-free returns, full refund, or replacements. We strive to ensure your satisfaction with our service and products. Note: Please ensure you select a specific variant from size and style. By default, the first variant of each option will be selected.
Reviewer: Kal
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great kit overall, but do your homework and don't expect much in the way of customer support...
Review: Great overall kit for the money, but be ready to figure things out on your own. Once it works, it works great... exceeding my overall expectations. I had reservations buying this kit but was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality. Fast delivery. I can scoot along at 35 mph on the flats easily.SOME THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR THAT CAUSED ME HEADACHES INCLUDED:Packaging - Overall was good, but the LCD arrived with a deeply scratched display panel. I figured that IF it worked, it would get scratched anyway, but disappointing to see it arrive that way.Instructions - Were pretty sketchy overall. Be ready to try and "figure things out" on your own. There are a lot of video's on Youtube, but you will not find everything you need and will spend quite a bit of time searching for the answers.Customer Support - Tried reaching out through e-mail and via phone. Didn't get a response, so just kept plugging away trying to find the answers. Error code 6, error code 9, motor wouldn't work (at all), etc. Luckily I did a lot of research to find answers by Googling around. Don't plan on spending just one hour on a quality installation because it won't happen in an hour... it will take longer (or, at least it will LOOK like you only spent an hour).Colored Plugs - I figured that colored plugs would solve a lot the guessing. WRONG! Murphy's law... just know that all plugs that are colored alike should NOT necessarily go together. I my case, the 4 orange plugs (2 male and 2 female ends), were reversed from the correct setup... they fit, but they shouldn't go together. After getting out my microscope and carefully reviewing the pictures, I noted that they were reversed. That problem was solved, then I had to solve the biggest problem...Main Power Plug - The console worked, so I figured that everything must be connected properly... NOT! My biggest challenge was trying to figure out the reasons for Error Codes 6 and 9. Come to find out, the main power plug was not fully seated. Many descriptions of the problems with these kits describes checking the plug connections. I finally noticed that the main plug was not seated to the tiny stop line. I tried everything I could to push that sucker together (without damaging the wires) and could not get it to seat. After spending 15 minutes trying (unsuccessfully by hand) to get this plug pushed together, I finally figured out that I could use 6 zip ties (two tightly wrapped around the wire near the plugs and 4 zip ties strategically placed on each side around the two wires to "cinch" the plug together... one... click.. on... each... zip... tie... at... a... time. I carefully and methodically worked my way around the plug until it was fully seated. VERY DIFFICULT TO SEAT THIS PLUG PROPERLY WITHOUT DAMAGE! I tried several types of lube, with no luck until I figured out the zip tie trick.Challenges for my particular bike included (no fault for the manufacturer) included:PAS - Most bikes come with a "lock ring" on the bottom bracket (picture #4)⦠mine has a sealed bottom bracket without a lock ring. With no way to "lock" the PAS pick up sensor, I had to innovate a mount. I ended up drilling a tiny hole in the frame and grinding/filing/cutting/angling/tapping the hole for the sensor attachment to directly attach to the frame. A lot of eyeballing and guess working to make it fit properly, but got it done. Since there was no lock ring for the BB, I also didn't have enough clearance for the PAS magnet ring behind the pedal crank to go back on the bike, without rubbing on the frame. I put about 5 wraps of Plumber's Teflon Tape on the BB in order to offset the crank arm just enough to leave room for the ring... time will tell how long that lasts.Not to badmouth a good kit, just know there are challenges that will take some time and patience to figure out. If you have a mechanical mind, or a handy buddy to help you, then you will be better off.
Reviewer: CaptainCalculus
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very functional, easy to use and install
Review: I had an older after market ebike kit fail on me - some fly-by-night company made it, or so it would seem. I went up a steep hill and either the motor or controller burned out. So this ebikeling kit was the replacement. And what a great replacement! Prettier color, more usable interface, no hokey speed guage magnet dongle thing, tons of convenient configurable parameters. The documentation was pretty easy to figure out, and it's nice to know that they're based in the US (Chicago) if I need to pester them for support or parts. I can tell that the connectors they used will be pretty water proof, and I imaging the motor housing and controller are pretty water proof as well - which is key if you intend to ride for a while in uncertain weather, or happen to ride through a puddle or sprinklers on a bike path. Great kit, love it!
Reviewer: Tim Diller
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: At 5000mi still works well, but some parts seem cheap, and the manual needs help
Review: The motor hub and motor controller appear to be well-made. I like the included torque arm. Installation was straightforward. I have the 500w kit installed on 700x42c tires.Some of the parts are disappointing in their build quality. For instance, the thumb-lever to control the motor speed has a mold part-line right on the thumb pad, and the mold is not well aligned. While it's not particularly problematic, it feels and looks really cheap and has me wondering how soon I'm going to have to replace that piece. Also, the LCD display panel has a mounting clip that has to be stretched open to fit over the handle bars. There is an adapter to accommodate handlebars of a smaller diameter, but on my bike, the provided screws are too short to attach the clip with the adapter in place and the clip is too big to secure the LCD without the adapter in place. In any case, when trying to adjust the display later, part of the clip snapped off (I think the plastic is cheap), and the unit is now held in place on one side by friction. The customer service representative agreed to send me a new unit.Another disappointment is the user manual. The box arrives with a note saying to find installation instructions on the website. I found that fine, and installation was straightforward. However, there is no help for the motor controller and display. I figured that I would plug it in, and it would just work and be self evident what to do. (Apple seems to get away with this approach just fine.) When I flipped the switch on my (separately purchased) battery, nothing happened. No response. No lights or beeps. No nothing. I double-checked the installation instructions. I disassembled everything and reassembled everything; measured the battery voltage; re-crimped the connectors; pressed the buttons I could find, and still nothing. Disappointed, I tried calling the support number but didn't get an answer (it was late Friday afternoon in central Texas) and then sent a note to customer service. On Monday, the customer service agent wrote me back to suggest that I press and hold the "M" button on the Pedal Assist Sensor control for 6 seconds to turn the unit on.I could not find the user manual for the S830 LCD display on the eBikeling web site. (It turns out it is there, at the bottom of the installation page, but the website search tool did not turn it up.) I found it elsewhere in an online search. On the last page of that manual, there is there is this: "Turn on/off the LCD Panel: When the display panel is operating, long press 'M' and it will be turn off, otherwise it will be turned on." This really should be restated in a Quick Start section at the front "To power up your e-bike, switch on the battery, then press and hold the 'M' button if the display has not already lit up."Setup and installation aside, the kit is nice to use for commuting. There are a number of different ways to use the motor. I find the thumb-level to useful for navigating intersections and blind sections of trail. However, for long straights, the cruise-control feature is quite nice. One setting on the LCD allows you to monitor current draw, so with the cruise control set, you can contribute by pedaling and see how much assist you're getting (or how much current you're saving with your pedaling).One interesting quirk is that the LCD odometer only measures distance that the motor is energized. That means the motor's odometer is not a replacement for your regular cyclometer since the motor spins down when coasting.On a related note, I found that having the motor energized interfered with the signal from my wireless cyclometer. I ended up replacing it with a cyclometer with a wired sensor.**800-mile update**I am into my fifth week of commuting 35 miles (round trip) most days of the week and have put about 800 miles on my bike with this kit.So far it is holding up well, and I have a few observations:- I can cruise at about 25mph on a straight with the PAS set on 5. On certain downhill sections, I can touch 30mph. The same section in the other direction, I can go about 20mph. PAS level 4 is useful in school zones, where the speed limit is 20mph. I don't use the other settings.- The torque is pretty significant. At stop lights, I usually end up beating the first cars through the intersection once the light changes. There's a noticeable kick when I press the thumb lever, even at speed. It's fun!- There is a short lag between pressing the thumb controller and getting torque. I believe this is inherent in the design of any free-wheeling geared motor. By now I am used to it and have learned to time my accelerations, but it takes some getting used to, particularly around corners or when navigating bumps, curbs, etc. If you hit the brakes when the cruise control is set and immediately press the thumb lever again, you will have not quite a second's lag time before the torque kicks in again.- Setting the cruise control (a very useful feature!) requires a button press of about 2 seconds. If the road is bumpy, sometimes my finger will come off the button and the "cruise control" long button press will be interpreted as a "lower the PAS level" short button press. A minor irritation, but if the engineers at eBikeling are listening, then they should take note.- I predict that the mode of failure on this kit will be the rubber button covers on the controller. Those buttons (especially the down arrow and middle button) get a lot of use during my daily ride, and I'm concerned the rubber will tear and/or the switch underneath with stop responding. Because of the way it is connected to the LCD panel, The whole panel will need to be replaced when that happens.- I fitted a light (I recommend using a motor-cycle style light with its own switch; some even have horns integrated) and connected it directly to the battery's power cables. The eBikeling-provided connector is made by Julet, and Julet connectors (while high quality and waterproof, etc) are not available in the US for individual purchase. I could not find a light with a two-conductor Julet connector for sale anywhere. If you want to use that connection and control it through the eBikeling controller, you'll need to find another weatherproof connector at the local auto parts or home improvement store. In any case, I was never able to measure voltage at that cable, no matter what I did with the controller- Finally, and this is minor, the motor tends to make a fair bit of noise. In addition to the whine of the gear set, I notice when it's almost up to cruising speed, it starts to sound like my disc brakes are rubbing (sching-sching-sching), although the noise disappears immediately when I disengage the motor. It doesn't always make that noise either. I'm not on stealth missions, so it's really not an issue.**1600-mile update** [2100 miles on my cyclometer, 1600 miles on the eBikeling trip computer]The motor is still holding up well, and my initial worries about the build quality of the control buttons have abated somewhat.Two complaints have surfaced in colder weather:- The PAS control buttons are hard to use with cold weather gloves. Use of the cruise-control function is more or less a necessity on long commutes; mine is about an hour - (16 miles) each way. It is not feasible to hold the thumb lever for that long. The buttons are small enough that it is tricky to press just one through gloves that are warm enough in the winter.- Once the battery level gets to about 25-30%, the cruise control becomes very finicky about whether it wants to hold the speed. That is, it frequently shuts off, and use of the motor requires the thumb lever. I find this to be pretty annoying since this often happens on a hill when I need the boost the most. The battery tends to fade faster when the weather is colder, so this is also largely a cold-weather phenomenon.- Also related to the cruise control but not cold weather, it seems to be sensitive to bumps or vibrations. Sometimes when accelerating, if I hit a bump in the road, the cruise control shuts off. This typically happens when a red light has turned green, and with accelerating cars around me, I'd rather have a consistent boost.**5000-mile update** [5000 driven miles on the eBikeling trip computer, corresponding to something like 7000 miles traveled] This motor has been a workhorse and is still running solidly. I have to say that despite my initial assessment of the part quality, the only problem I've had was with the mounting bracket for the LCD display. Everything else has held up well, including the thumb switch I had such doubts about.- About a year ago, I opened up the hub to check the gear train inside and re-grease it if necessary, but it was in fine shape.- A few times now, I have had questions for the staff at eBikeling, and they have been really good about answering technical questions quickly. Most recently this was to check whether I could use a 48V battery to replace the 36V unit I originally installed but has lost capacity after 400 or so charging cycles.
Customers say
Customers like the ease of installation and quality of the cycling wheel. They mention it's pretty straight-forward as far as installation goes, has OK initial instructions, and the wiring is very simple. Customers are also satisfied with the power, display quality, and value for money. However, some customers have mixed opinions on functionality, build quality, and speed.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews