Buying a used ebike

[JackStraw]

Hi,
Due to limitation on the budget I am looking to buy a used ebike.
I cycle every other day and this would be my first ebike so I don't want to invest tons of money into it to find out it's not for me and go back to cycling.

I come across some Carrera ones but I also red that some of these bikes like Vengeance have issues.
so I am looking for Carrera Subway which seems a reliable model.

Would you recommend anything good in that price range/category?
Thank you

 

[wiggydiggy]

Theres a really detailed Carrera eBike thread here, that's probably got a lot of advice in there for you: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/t...era-e-bikes-thread.272237/page-8#post-7174446

What's your price range?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

ANything with a Bosch system seems to be quite well made and reliable

BUT - if anything goes wrong then they are expensive as Bosch have a "never mind - just replace the whole part - but you have to use one of our dealers" attitude

But mine has nearly done 10,000 miles with only a one Bosch problem (smashed speed sensor) which was simple to fix (but still excessively expensive for what it is!!)

and the range from a full charge is still near the original level - which is something other systems don;t seem to good at as time goes by

 

[Kingfisher101]

If its second hand and there's an issue with the battery Halfords are notorious for being not always very helpful. Just to let you know. I'd go in and ask if they sell replacement batteries etc and how much etc. You don't want to buy the bike then the battery fails and find out you cant buy another.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Batteries are the major weakpoint in used ebikes

They need to be kept properly - and certainly not left at low charge for months at a time

and there is not real way to tell if they are OK or not until you have it and try it out properly

Hence you almost need to buy a used ebike assuming that you will need to replace the battery

 

[JackStraw]

Batteries are the major weakpoint in used ebikes

They need to be kept properly - and certainly not left at low charge for months at a time

and there is not real way to tell if they are OK or not until you have it and try it out properly

Hence you almost need to buy a used ebike assuming that you will need to replace the battery

Thanks Everyone
So do you think buying a used bike from someone who used it all year round makes more sense than buying from someone who rode it only half of the year?
I think this is one of the questions to ask and also how the bike was kept, I reckon if charged frequently then it does not matter where it was kept but if not used frequently ideally an ebike that was kept at home.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Thanks Everyone
So do you think buying a used bike from someone who used it all year round makes more sense than buying from someone who rode it only half of the year?
I think this is one of the questions to ask and also how the bike was kept, I reckon if charged frequently then it does not matter where it was kept but if not used frequently ideally an ebike that was kept at home.

It depends
If it is ridden all year round and charged when it is about 1/4 full then that is OK

If it is ridden - and charged for 6 months and then left alone for 6 months uncharged then this is bad
BUT if teh charge levels are kept at 1/2-2/3 for that 6 months then this is not too bad and the battery can be fine

Also - if it is constantly charged and ridden to exhaustion then this can also be bad


did I say it was complicated???

but the "left at a low level of charged for a long time is the worst

apparently

if you can - and I have no idea how you can do this - it would be bets to take it for a test ride when it is fully charged and ride it until it runs out in order to find its true range
That at least gives you an idea of its range compared to how it should have been when new

however, just to make it more complicated, that would have to be on flat ground and with no wind otherwise you can;t be sure what the range is



anyway - if you can get an idea of the actual range that would be a good idea




As far as I can tell some makes are better at maintaining charge than others
I have a Carrera Crosscity-e folding bike and its range dropped a lot when it was left over winter and only charged every few months
I think it uses an old Bafang system - at least the battery is Bafang

but the Bosch Motus maintains its range very well

 

[bonzobanana]

You can pick up lovely bikes off facebook marketplace etc for around £50 and get ebike kits for less than £400 so personally if my budget was around £400 I would look to get a ebike kit and bike separately. I personally would sell on an ebike when I realise the battery pack is starting to age and capacity is reducing so at that point the range is still good but the battery is on borrowed time. This will give me the maximum return on the price of the ebike. It's a great time for me to sell and a terrible time for someone to buy. Buying a used ebike is more risky than a used bike and a used bike can be risky especially if carbon fibre and had a few minor crashes etc. Ultimately I feel a solid secondhand bike like maybe a standard Carrera Subway with a ebike kit attached is a great option. Ebike kits work best with steel in my opinion because for a low powered ebike kit you won't need to use a torque arm which are a pain. Many of the Subways have steel forks so I would fit a front hub motor kit.

 

[Kingfisher101]

I wouldn't buy a used E bike from anyone unless it was either virtually new with receipt, or I was 100% sure you could get a replacement battery easily for a reasonable amount.

 

[Drago]

If its second hand and there's an issue with the battery Halfords are notorious for being not always very helpful. Just to let you know. I'd go in and ask if they sell replacement batteries etc and how much etc. You don't want to buy the bike then the battery fails and find out you cant buy another.

They do. It's in the region of £400 and they arrive quite quickly.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Just checked for availability on our Carrera Cross-City-e folding bike and it is only £224 for a new one (2-pin version)

still available via Amazon

Thing is - Carrera bikes often use parts from other manufacturers so if you can find the original maker then it might be easier to get it that way

In fact the one I just checked is listed as compatibile with 8-9 differetn makes - in spite of it being a weird shape and fits internally

 

[JackStraw]

You can pick up lovely bikes off facebook marketplace etc for around £50 and get ebike kits for less than £400 so personally if my budget was around £400 I would look to get a ebike kit and bike separately. I personally would sell on an ebike when I realise the battery pack is starting to age and capacity is reducing so at that point the range is still good but the battery is on borrowed time. This will give me the maximum return on the price of the ebike. It's a great time for me to sell and a terrible time for someone to buy. Buying a used ebike is more risky than a used bike and a used bike can be risky especially if carbon fibre and had a few minor crashes etc. Ultimately I feel a solid secondhand bike like maybe a standard Carrera Subway with a ebike kit attached is a great option. Ebike kits work best with steel in my opinion because for a low powered ebike kit you won't need to use a torque arm which are a pain. Many of the Subways have steel forks so I would fit a front hub motor kit.

I think what you said is spot on "It's a great time for me to sell and a terrible time for someone to buy."
Carrera Vengeance is an older model 4+ years so I would not risk if the battery hasn't been swapped already while Subway is maybe 2-3 years old so not that bad but again you don't know how the battery was maintained.
Then what kit would you recommend? Bafang?

 

[CXRAndy]

Hi,
Due to limitation on the budget I am looking to buy a used ebike.
I cycle every other day and this would be my first ebike so I don't want to invest tons of money into it to find out it's not for me and go back to cycling.

I come across some Carrera ones but I also red that some of these bikes like Vengeance have issues.
so I am looking for Carrera Subway which seems a reliable model.

Would you recommend anything good in that price range/category?
Thank you

If you cycle currently, why would you need an Ebike.?

Don't get me wrong I have an Ebike and they're great for flattening hills and quelling headwinds. Me and the Mrs recently did the King Alfreds way with our Ebikes. For her it was a godsend, having never ridden back to back for 5/6 days. She is a non cy

They allow us to travel to restaurants, arriving non sweaty

 

[JackStraw]

If you cycle currently, why would you need an Ebike.?

Don't get me wrong I have an Ebike and they're great for flattening hills and quelling headwinds. Me and the Mrs recently did the King Alfreds way with our Ebikes. For her it was a godsend, having never ridden back to back for 5/6 days. She is a non cy

They allow us to travel to restaurants, arriving non sweaty

I get your point. I will continue to cycle on my existing bicycle but ebike will increase my range and I won't get super sweat. I think it's mental as I have a problem cycling at a leisure pace. It's the testosterone and some mental traits combined. I have to start to respect my body in my 40ties otherwise I won't make to 50ties.

 

[Drago]

Perhaps he wants it for flattening hills and quelling headwinds, thus allowing him to arrive at restaurants non sweaty?