At MMC, we love Electric Pedal Assist bikes, or more commonly, E-Bikes. In fact, several of our own staff ride E-Bikes for the fun they deliver in keeping up with faster friends and family, riding longer and farther, having a little extra boost up our hills, going to the grocery store or any number or other reasons to get out and have fun on our bikes.
Unfortunately, there is also a bit of confusion regarding E-Bikes, and we would like to help clarify that just a bit. At MMC, we think primarily of “Pedal Assist” bikes as E-Bikes. That simply means that you have to pedal your bike to go anywhere. There are two levels of these pedal assist bikes, Class I and Class III. Class I E-Bikes are the most common that we have at the shop. They will assist your pedaling up to speeds of 20 mph and are commonly acceptable where normal “Analog” bikes are found. Class III E-Bikes are also pedal assist bikes, but have a top speed of 28 mph. Class III E-Bikes are more common for folks that want to get there fast, such as commuters. Because of their fast speeds, Class III E-Bikes are less likely to be acceptable on trails and bikeways. Neither Class I or Class III E-Bikes have a throttle that enables you to cruise around town like you were on a moped.
Those type of E-Bikes that have throttles are called Class II. They also have a top speed of 20 mph. You do not have to pedal a Class II E-Bike. Class II E-Bikes are awesome, but it is in this class of E-Bikes that we at MMC and the bike industry, in general, struggles. The challenge isn’t with Class II E-Bikes, the challenge is with the quality of most Class II E-Bikes. To put it simple, all E-Bikes are not created (designed and manufactured) equal.
Major bike companies like our Trek, Specialized, Pivot, and Electra spend considerable time and money on the research, development and design of their E-Bikes. They work with companies like Shimano, SRAM, Bosch and others to develop the components and drive trains necessary to produce high quality and, most importantly, safe E-Bikes. It is for those reasons that we feel very confident in representing, selling and servicing these bikes.
Unfortunately, there are hundreds of E-Bikes (mostly Class II with throttles) available on-line, at your local hardware store, at Walmart and just about everywhere you look that are not backed by that same level of research and development and quality of build. These bikes are often much less expensive because they are manufactured with lesser quality materials and outfitted with lesser quality components that may or may not be designed for the added weight and stresses of an E-Bike. The drive trains, electronics and batteries may or may not be dependable or serviceable.
We DO NOT provide service for these types of E-Bikes at MMC and there are almost no bike shops that do. We understand that it can be frustrating for an owner of an “on-line purchased” E-Bike not to be able to get their bike serviced, but it is even more of a frustration for us to work on these bikes. Something simple like fixing a flat is NOT simple. Once we agree to work on a bike, we are responsible for that bike. If we take a wheel off to fix a flat and can’t reinstall it properly because of poor componentry, because the frame material is poor quality and the drop out is worn or if the electronics simply don’t work after we had to disconnect and reconnect to remove the wheel, it becomes our responsibility. If the under engineered brakes fail on the bike after we work on it, it becomes our responsibility. If, heaven forbid, the battery catches fire after we work on the bike, it becomes our responsibility. These type of issues are all too common with these, mostly on-line, E-Bikes.
We are confident in taking that responsibility for the major brands that we sell at MMC, such as the Trek, Specialized, Pivot and Electra. In addition, there are other great brands such as Giant, Cannondale, Orbea and Pinarello that make great Class I E-Bikes. We gladly service the brands we sell and often are able to provide non-electronic service on the other major brands as listed. We know that those bikes are engineered and built with high quality standards and we know that those companies will stand behind their products, both from a liability and quality standpoint. We simply cannot take that responsibility and liability for lesser quality brand E-Bikes.
If you or a friend or family member is interested in an E-Bike, our advice is simple. Check out the different classes of E-Bikes and pick the Class that best suits your needs and spend a few extra dollars to buy a high quality E-Bike from your local bike shop. Not only will you have a great bike that will give you endless hours of fun, but you will have a bike that is dependable, reliable and serviceable at MMC and most all bike shops.