Your Questions About Bike Dealers and E-Bike Shopping, Answered by Our Expert
So, you’ve decided that bicycles with electric motor support sound like a great idea that can potentially transform your life—we couldn’t agree more (and here’s why)! You’d like to test out some e-bikes before committing to anything, so naturally, the next step would be to visit your LBS.
Any bike shop can hand you a new set of wheels. The right one, however, will be able to land you your dream e-bike and keep it on the road for many happy years to come. But even the most experienced, supportive, and helpful dealers out there are not trained to read your mind. Therefore, it’s important to have an idea of what questions you’d like to ask, and know what to look for when visiting a bike shop. It will not only help you find a bike that suits all your biking needs, but also secure a dealer who you know will have your back.
To help you prepare for your visit to the bike shop, we’re answering some questions you may have. Our in-house expert Arleigh Greenwald (known online as Bike Shop Girl) will explain why these questions are important, as well as offer her own suggestions. Arleigh knows all the ins-and-outs of running a bike shop, herself having been the owner of a successful cargo bike shop who’s helped—and continues to help—countless folks replace car trips by bike. Read on to see what she has to say!
Contents
Get to know the dealer
What are some tips to spot a good dealer?
A dealer who’s passionate about getting more people on bikes will likely be active in their community, holding and participating in events like bike workshops and community rides. They may also be active online, offering friendly advice, answering rider questions, and sharing information on various social media platforms. Look for a dealer that’s involved in the community, and has either great word-of-mouth or online reviews (or both!).
How would I know if the dealer is a good match for me?
The very best thing you can do is ask friends for referrals and visit the shop. Do you like how the interactions are? Does the dealer take their time to thoroughly answer your questions? Do they understand the type of biking you are doing first hand?
What’s the benefit of choosing a dealer located nearby, rather than a dealer located hours away who may be offering enticing deals?
If you’re looking for a bike to replace car trips with, you’ll want a dealer nearby to help with any small thing that can come up from service or warranty. Additionally, supporting the local shop will also support local bike advocacy and help get more people on bikes right in your neighborhood.
I’m new to cycling and feel the newbie nerves when visiting a bike shop. What are some things I can do to better prepare for my visit?
One thing I really recommend is to bring a friend or bike buddy if you are super nervous! The other thing you can do is research and come up with a list of questions (like the ones mentioned in this article) to not only ensure the dealer is a good fit for you, but also to help you shop for the right bike.
How will a bike shop continue to support me, post-purchase?
A good bike shop should be well-versed in the service and maintenance needs for the bikes they carry. They should also be helping to keep their customers riding through events, education, and good marketing.
I live further away. How would a good bike shop support me?
While owning a shop, I routinely had customers buying bikes from 3 - 12 hours away because I was the sole cargo bike shop for many states. For these customers, I would help teach them basic but crucial maintenance skills that’ll allow them to keep their bikes running smoothly in between appointments, and work with their local Bosch-certified bike shop to service or fix any warranty issues. In some cases, I even arranged online video appointments through FaceTime or Zoom to help my customers, which may not be common practice, but is worth asking your dealer if you have to move mountains to bring your bike to the shop.
Learn about test rides
What are the procedures for test-riding an e-bike?
Every good test ride begins with a bike walk-through to teach you the basics of how to operate the e-bike safely. The dealer should also help you adjust the bike to find your best fit, and talk through the route you’ll be test-riding on. Some shops will even ride with you the first time you head out.
How can I get the most out of a test ride session?
A good dealer will ensure you are getting the right feel for the bike by letting you ride without passengers or cargo first. Find a good straightaway and a decent hill to try the bike on, and take some tight turns. Then, if your biking needs include carrying passengers or cargo, they’ll help you load up a passenger or add some weight to your bike, and let you do the route again with a loaded bike. That way, you can really understand how the bike handles.
I want an e-bike for carrying my children, but I’m not sure if I can handle a loaded bike. Can a test ride help me understand?
Absolutely. Always, always, always start a test ride without a passenger. Then, add one passenger and do the ride again, and then a second passenger if it’s a two-passenger cargo bike. The dealer should also have the bike set up with the right passenger-carrying accessories and provide helmets to ensure everyone’s safety during the test ride. If you’re super nervous or if the test ride area doesn’t feel safe for riding with kids, ask the dealer to add some weight instead of loading your children onto the bike. I had a 30-pound slime bucket that I often put on a cargo bike for test rides!
How would I know if an e-bike will fit into my everyday life?
It may be difficult to get a good feel of whether the bike will fit into your everyday life if the test ride session is brief, or if your usual riding route is very different from the test-ride route around the shop (e.g., hilly vs flat). Some dealers offer rental-based test rides that allow you to bring the bike home to test using your usual routine, with the rental fee waived if you end up purchasing the bike. This is a great way to fully understand if the bike is a perfect fit for your lifestyle and meets all your e-biking needs. Ride to school, to the grocery store, and wherever else you may need to go, and try locking it up at work.
What are some things to pay attention to while test riding an e-bike?
Power boost: When climbing hills, do you feel like the motor is providing sufficient support?
Riding modes: Does switching between riding modes feel smooth or abrupt?
Bike fit: Is it easy for you to get on and off the bike while keeping it balanced, both with and without cargo or passenger(s) loaded? Do you like the riding position?
Build quality: Does the bike make any weird noises or act funny? A demo ride is your view into how well the bike shop maintains its bikes.
Accessories: Are you able to test ride the bike with accessories like a front rack, child seat, or panniers installed? What accessories did you like or not like?
How would I know which motor or battery size is right for me?
The best way to determine which motor or battery size is right for you is test riding the bike on your usual bike routes if possible (by renting the bike, for example), keeping in mind that your riding style, travel distance, riding terrain, and cargo or passenger weight each play a factor. If it’s not possible to test ride the bike on your usual bike routes, rely on local knowledge from your bike shop and others that bike in your area.
Ask the questions that are often overlooked
Is this e-bike tested and certified for safety?
Has the bike been tested and certified for electrical safety and mechanical strength? Which main components are covered? To help you have a better idea of major safety standards and certifications used for e-bikes, check out this article.
What are the weight limits for the bike?
This question is particularly important if you plan to use your e-bike to carry cargo or passengers. Bikes come with a maximum gross vehicle weight (MGVW), which includes the weight of the bike and the rider, plus any accessories, cargo, and/or passengers. To ensure safety, the weight of your total load should not exceed the MGVW, so it’s essential to look for a bike that has a large enough MGVW for your carrying needs.
What service plans are available?
A good dealer will offer a range of service plans that suit the budget and maintenance needs of different riders.
What bike accessories are available?
Whether you plan to only bring the bare minimum or are looking to haul cargo and passengers around, the bike shop should be able to recommend accessories that help you carry what you need, safely and efficiently.
Are there recommended bike routes for me?
Your local bike dealer should be knowledgeable in bike routes around that area, and can suggest different routes for you to try out. For example, they can recommend routes that avoid busy traffic or hills, or routes that have proper bike lanes, if that’s something you’d like to explore.
What’s the benefit of buying an e-bike from a dealer when I can get it for way cheaper online?
You almost always end up paying the difference in the end. I like to explain to people the longer-term investment. Will that bike be serviceable in 5 - 10 years? How long is the warranty? That is typically very telling of how well the brand stands behind the product.
And then there’s always the issue of online scammers posing as dealers. If the online listing for the bike is too good to be true, you may want to ask yourself this: “Is that website selling cheap branded e-bikes real?”
Visiting a dealer to search for your dream e-bike can be exciting but a little stressful, too! We hope that after reading this article, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect when visiting a bike shop, and know what questions to ask to help yourself find the perfect e-bike and dealer.
Happy e-bike shopping!