10 things to know before purchasing an eBike 

I'm not even halfway through this video and I learned more in 9 minutes I'm watching this video then I have learnt spending all maybe a hundred hours of watching videos and reading stuff online to learn about the different types of e-bikes a different types of motors. Thank you sir thank you sir thank you sir amazing video I'm going to go back and watch the other half I can't wait to see what I'm going to learn. Thanks so much for clearing up a lot of unanswered questions and saving me probably another hundred hours of research. And yes I'm going to like share and subscribe because you put in your time and effort that's the least I can do to thank you

This was a great review. Please though, ditch the music

Great video! I've been an engineer for 55 years. Just got "into" downhill mountain biking which is great but getting up the hills is no fun at 73 years of age. Don't want to donate a kidney to buy a proprietary bike so I will be "electrifying" one of my $300 (12 year old) mountain bikes. Thought I'd done my research but this video taught me a lot more! Thank you!

This video has given me more information than any other video I have watched. Mainly he isn't trying to sell a particular e-bike, even though he does carry Bolton brands. He cuts through all the hype and explains the science of the e-bikes and several different propulsion and battery systems. He explains the 10 things you must know about an e-bike that has prepared me much more to make the purchase than anything I have seen on the net. Thanks

You rock! I only had one concern about purchasing my first E bike and now you have really educated me with your 10 question video. You made it so clear and simple. Right to the point and in a way anybody can understand. Thank you

This was one of the better "general" explanations of e-bike mechanics that I've heard/read.

I acquired one yesterday, that seemed to have developed an intermittent fault. The front wheel would stutter and not power up while riding. I noticed that the small plastic magnet disc was mounted quite twisted, the hall effect sensor mount had also been knocked and was bent away from the disc. As a result of 2 minutes tinkering, I got a really good condition ebike for a fraction of its true value. It pays to diagnose and repair your own eBike.

One thing to add, you'll still pick up punctures, and on an ebike this can be a chore . The product 'Green Slime' is a self sealing compound you can put in your inner tubes. Also I would also invest in puncture proof tires.

That was the most straightforward, logical, and informative assessment of eBikes I've seen yet. Very well done. Thank you!

This has to rank up there on one of the most comprehensive overview of key items to know with ebikes. I’ve had my ebike since 2017 and I still learned from your tips! Thank you and I’m now a new subs. :)

You are so very good: content, delivery, fluency. Most impressive. As others already mentioned here, I learnt more in a few minutes of your video than with any other videos I watched so far. To thank you and show my appreciation I watch the pop up ads past the "skip ad" button

Extremely informative. I am considering on buying an Ebike and had no knowledge of what to look for until watching this video

Without exception this is the most informative video on e-bikes that I have ever seen. Well done on setting the gold standard. Clear, concise and informative in a very engaging way.

QUALITY! That was by faaaaaar the number one best ebike explination video I've seen. Well done mate, keep up the great work.

Truely worth listening to this video, it explained many myths that I was totally unawares off giving me the confidence to now fully explore the myriad of ebikes available on the market

50+ year experience bicycle mechanic here who runs a neighborhood hobby/business shop out of his garage and does a lot of work in the surrounding area. Now starting to learn about e-bikes because some of my clientele are getting interested. Very well done video, picked up quite a bit in watching. Going to be building my own over the winter (mid-drive Bafang conversion of a single-speed I put together for short distance errand running.), and you've given me quite a bit to think about. Glad you didn't touch on front drive setups - the thought of those things scare the hell out of me, as the headset/fork is not built for that kind of force.

I’m trying to learn enough about Ebikes to change my older Trek bike into an Ebike to help restore my health, your channel is a big help with that, thank you.

Excellent overview, just what I've been looking for to get myself up to speed on e-bikes. As I begin to educate myself on e-bikes, it's become clear that buying one is not a simple proposition, contrary to what the advertisements suggest. Not only do you need to consider the attributes of the contraption as a bicycle (something that most of us can do from our balls-out riding days), but you also have to consider all the variables introduced by the electronics - the different types of motors and drive trains, their geometry, location and different modes of operation, but you really need to dust off your old undergrad physics to wrap your head around power, force, energy, covfefe, torque and work, the one part of physics I never really enjoyed (and I have a degree). The summary in this video is very clear, and logically presented. I'm going to just transfer screen shots to my phone to serve as an agenda when I start visiting shops. Good work, sir.

As someone interested in purchasing an ebike, I found this to be tremendously informative. I hope to make my purchase in the next couple of months, after a feel I know what I am looking at when I sample different rides/equipment. Thanks!

Love the content, and the informal "chalk talk" feel of the video.

Every time I show someone my e-bikes the first 2 questions are how far will it go and how fast. I try to tell them that it is not an easy question to answer. But in the end it is just easier to tell them 20-40 miles depending on how many hills. I have drained the same 52v battery in 18 miles and as far as 85 miles depending on the hills and what powersetting I am using that day.

I learned a lot in a relatively short video. My wife and I have been planning to get e-bikes for some time. Will definitely revisit this video before making a new purchase.

This video cleared up a lot of questions that I had when comparing one e-bike with another. I weight 240 lbs and want to make sure I am not going to pick an e-bike that is under-powered.

Really enjoyed the tutorial. Learned more in 10 minutes than all the time I have wasted on other e-bike websites. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Aussie Ed

Just starting to look at e bikes, and there’s a lot claims and prices. This video helped me gain some good know quickly.

Do you have a question before taking the plunge and buying an eBike? Comment with your questions below! Someone will be chosen at random to win a Bolton Ebikes Hat.

Fabulous guide to prepare for my first ebike buy. You covered the critical essentials in a coherent, knowledgeable way with the right amount of detail for a long-time cyclist about to become an ebike newbie. Particularly appreciated your simplification of the voltage, amp hour and watt considerations in the relationship to battery range! I've subscribed and can't wait for your next one. Many thanks Brenda

Learned so much in a short period of time. Very impressed and more excited to to own my first e-bike. Don’t have one yet, but now want one. 🙂

Guy, I've learned so much about these bikes from your videos! Thank you for being so informative in such a simplistic way. I've really got my eyes on the Rad Rover fatbike. Thank you again.

First time I’ve watched on You Tube who truly knows what he is talking about. Really informative and concise. Never mind comments about music , I was to busy listening to what was said.

Just started looking into e-bikes. This was excellent info, thank you! It’s nice to get an education video instead of a sales pitch!

Thanks for the video, that really sums it up.. I'm a disabled Veteran, and miss riding my bike and cant wait to get one of yours. Thanks for the video and keep up the great work.

First video on eBikes I’ve watched that made me feel competent enough to shop for one in earnest! Thanks!

Geez, and I thought that I knew what was up as an engineer. You made it straightforward, obvious and simple. Thank you.

Finally someone explained what to really look for when buy an E-bike

Had a demo ride on an e-bike today and I must have one, this video is perfect to show what you need to know before buying.

This was super helpful! I didn't mind the music, in fact I hardly noticed it cos I was so focused on all your great information. This might be the clearest youtube explanation video I have ever seen! Please keep it up, I haven't decided on my ebike purchase yet but I have a really great feeling about Bolton now!

You give the most straight forward info on e-bikes. Also honest. That's what I like about your videos! Thanks

This was an incredibly helpful video, thank you! I'm just starting to shop for an electric bike, and your video has helped to clarify what's really important. Hopefully it will save me from making any big mistakes too.

thank you for all the information. I have been researching motorized bicycles for a couple of weeks. I was on the verge of just giving up. Thank you for changing my mind!

Gawd, thank you. Wife and I are buying two Specialized this spring. You totally put it in to a perspective I can understand.

Most informative e-bike video I've seen by far this video increase my knowledge for e-bikes by tenfold in comparison to what I knew before I gained much more knowledge about my pedal-assist 500 watt Hub motor e-bike than I could squeeze out of the distributor or manufacturer with a vice and a cheater bar...

This has to be the most informative video I've watched on any product I've done research on....PERIOD!

This was one of the best videos I've seen on you tube everything explained so anyone could understand no wasted time No personality showcasing just well done good job .

Great Post! Many of the questions I had were answered. Thank you for taking the time to post this.

The information about batteries is very welcome. When I bought my first e bike,many years ago, I was on a budget and the range was about 20 miles, but the battery degenerated quickly and was of no use in about 12 months. My latest e bike I bought about 4 years ago, but I paid a lot more. It has a panasonic, 30ah 36 volt battery,which when new could have gone about 60 miles. The point is, now, about 4 years on,its still fresh enough to probably go about 30 miles, and still has the same feel of power as when new.

in french, we'd qualify this video as very "didactique". Dunno if it is the same word in english, but it meant you were able to make a complicated topic very simple to understand. Thx for that.

I am such a newbie to all of this, and your succinct explanations make me feel so much more prepared to continue the quest for 'my perfect e bike'! Thank you!!

this was the most informative video I have seen in three months of researching ebikes. Thank you for the enlighten!ent

Beautiful run-through. Best in the world so far, and I have spent ages on getting solid, qualified info on e-bikes. Thank you!

A very good step one. He’s well spoken, makes good points, begins to clear up the battery, ag, watt confusion.

This is the gold standard for informative excellence.

This video took me from no knowledge to a vast knowledge. Easy to understand with great advice.

This is exactly what I needed to understand what I’m seriously thinking of getting into!!

Do your research before buying your E-bike. My wife and I wanted to ride bikes in our retirement years. We live on a slight hill nothing crazy just a small hill and wanted to use the electric bike to help get up the hill on the way home. So we purchased 2 Voltbike Interceptors. Turns out my wife was not comfortable riding the bike so hers sat in the garage while mine got a couple of rides for the first year. The following year placed the bikes on charge and the next morning unplugged the charger but nothing so I checked the other bike and the same thing. I contacted and a short conversation Voltbike and they told me the battery packs were not charged during the time period (it was my fault) they sat for the winter and that caused the failure of the packs. Of course, we went back and forth for a very long time with no solution. They wanted to sell me two new battery packs at the cost of 1200.00 dollars and that is without shipping or taxes. They pawned me off on some guy in China with the pretense of help but that was a waste of time. So no pack just two bikes in the garage not ridden anymore and life lesson learned, at the cost of over 3000.00 dollars. Pick your vendor carefully or you might end up in the same predicament.

Very informative. Thank you for helping me make a decision on what ebike brand to purchase.

Thank you for all of the very useful information. I appreciate the breakdown.

Very clear, very helpfull! Starting to go electric can be somewhat of a gamble and not many people are lucky enough to get it right the first time they buy an electric bicycle.

I learned so much from watching this video. The battery info & hub motor info is much appreciated. You explain it so anyone can easily understand.

Absolutely the best explanation I've seen yet on Ebikes and what I need to know to make an informed decision on my purchase.

Very useful comprehensive info for a putative purchaser. Thanks so much!

I forward this video for anyone considering buying an ebikes. Excellent balance of specific and general information. The most important point is up front. Local bike shop and online seller ebike support factors is deceptively important to your long time enjoyment.

what an excellent tutorial thank you. The whole thing makes sense now and I can make an informed decision about suitability and purchasing

this was so incredibly helpful, I can't thank you enough. I am about to buy my first ebike and im trying to learn as much as I can. I see that you made this video 18 months ago, do you have an updated one?

Thank you for such enlightening information. You reference purchase costs but don't necessarily compare bikes based on costs. Any thoughts to doing some head-to-head comparisons with some of the leading or best-selling bikes in each class? Thank you for providing a quality service to the growing bicycling community.

This was such a helpful video! I'm preparing to buy my first E-bike and it's been stressful researching! I really loved this video!

I been diggin for days trying to learn about E-Bikes, this is by far the most informative video without a bunch of mindless drivel. Well done!

Very useful stuff - thank you. I test drove an ebike today and really think this is a tricky purchase which needs careful thought. I am especially curious about about the response of the motor to torque effort rather than speed. On my test ride it seemed to make a big difference which gear I was in which now makes more sense.

Total E-bike noob here. Thank you so much for the video!

So glad I haven't purchased an eBike before I watched this video. So much good information and now I feel like I can make a much better decision.

Your explanations of battery capacities were spot on. I was talking to a dealer the other day who did not know anything about AMP HOURS - a key factor in determing how long a battery can provide power. Instead, he kept diverting to other topics.

Great vid. Thank you for the detail and care. I now have confidence in the purchase I’m making regarding parts, service motor and bike. Giant roam 2 with a balfang electric kit purpose built from a local retailer. Thanks from Melbourne Australia.

best E Bike video I have seen in the last 7 days of researching..... Thank You.

I am long time road bike adventurer who has somehow turned into a senior citizen with bad knees so looking into ebikes. I found this youtube very instructive. It will be helpful for my search.

As someone who has owned a cheaper ebike with a rotational system who has now moved to a better torque sensor I can say the torque is far superior system. On the rotation system you pedal but the speed you go is down to the bike settings, on my old bike there were 3 power settings that basically gave me 8, 15 and 18mph - it didn't matter what speed you pedalled you had to go one of those speeds. With the torque sensor you are totally in control and can go whatever speed you like and get assistance depending on how hard you pedal - much better and, in my opinion, safer. No worries about the bike suddenly moving because you've moved the crank so a magnet has moved by the sensor!

Excellent pointers, formulas to help people getting started in researching a purchase of an E Bike.

Your video is so clever,choked full of inofrmation and makes me feel like I can make uninformed decision when I go buy one for myself this Mother's Day! Thank you.

Brilliant Video. The section on Battery Capacity alone is worth the whole time watching. Thank YOU! The discussion on the range of e-bikes is candid and oh so useful

Thank you so much for this. I was considering a Sondors e-bike but the lack of local servicing options has been a concern. You've helped me make a decision. 👌

Very informative but still a little foggy on my understanding. A little more time and I’ll be there. Thks so much for taking the time to educate us

This is the most informative bike video on the web!

Awesome info. Gets you to "the hub" of the decision process before your "battery runs down" A must watch for anyone wanting quickest secrets of buying an Ebike the right way.

Before I watched this video, I knew nothing about ebikes....I just knew that I wanted one! I am older and don't have the leg strength I use to have so having something that's power assisted would be a Godsend! God Bless!

Just want to say "thank you." You solved a lot of mysteries about ebikes. I'm hesitant: Don't live in a big city. No local support. Just want entry level to get a feel then invest in a better ebike...

thank you, tons of info. explained down to simple terms. keep up the good work!

Great review! You actually answered questions, unlike hundreds of other channels that just show young, beautiful people riding carefree along an extinct volcano. I need dependable transportation to and from work in an ugly urban area. And I live on the 3rd floor and will need to remove the battery and haul it up stairs to charge it. Thanks for keeping it real.👍

I agree with Dan, lots of good info here, clearly stuff the EBR isn’t sharing, so much appreciated!

Wish I'd found your channel sooner. I look forward to hearing more of your work. Thanks.

Learned more in 20 min than I ever had you explain so easy for me thanks

My Polesetter Fat tire Ebike has both pedal assist and throttle. I have found that even the 1st setting of peddle assist is way more than I need on the trail, so I use the throttle only when going through the tight trails so I can keep the speed at a reasonable and safe pace. It also increases the range if you are a conservative rider.

I commented about the music, but... THANK YOU! A++ info. clarity, density, to the point. BLESS YOU!

I sell cordless tools for a living, do not underestimate the importance of the Amp Hours, we have seen the testing results, it's not just about longer run time, the tool industry has had 18V since the 90's. Lithium Ion helped, but the big gains came not from increasing the voltage but increasing the amp hours jumping from the long running industry standard from 3 to 12 for larger motors and tools that are now even replacing gas operated machines, even powering table saws. Motors like higher amp hours, I have heard them run with different batteries same voltage but over double the amp hours it was like night and day, and they are doing exactly the same job at the same speed too. One customer swapping them out told me it's like finding a whole new gear torque wise for the same tool. Three bike stores have told me don't worry about amp hours, well I have seen it first hand. It's a major variable that is being downplayed. I would never buy less than 12 Amp hours personally.

I am new to viewing your video, but you explained so much that helped me with my decision on an electric bike type and purchase. Thank you. I subscribed for your future videos that I can refer to if I need questions answered or an idea to work with.

Just shared to say thank for opening my eyes I am leaning toward getting an electric bike I am in the process of the thank you for all your suggestion

I just came across this video and i just want thank you for having people call their local shop to see if they work on them, I work for a powersport dealer and we receive walk-ins all the time with people who have bought e-bikes, scooters, atv's and motorcycles on-line expecting we will work on them, there are many reasons why we won't but the biggest its because they are not reliable, yes i'm sure there will be people who disagree but that's your opinion and this is mine

I'm making my money by replacing the cells inside Bosh, Yamaha, Brose and many other manufacturers which pretends HUGE amounts of cash for outdated new batteries. ALL of the brand batteries talks tho the 'mother ship' and you can only replace for another, same brand/model, one. Just replacing the cells inside (tricky job), you get away with a new battery, most of the ties with more range than the original! I will personally recomend batteries build around Samsung 35E cells for top capacity/price. You gan get a slightly better overall performance from the MJ1 cells but at almost +40% cost. Batteries made out of Samsung 35€ wil be in general, lighter in weight compared to other cellswith less capacity. Cheers!

Excellent informative video. It help my selection process, a lot. Thanks. I'll check out Bolton bikes, too.

This is certainly a very important aspect of knowing what to look for when purchasing an E-bike. This video will give you the hutzpah you need to make an educated decision when researching the technical aspects of a purchase. I have yet to see as much information so easily explained and understood as this video showed.

I'm new to E-Bikes but I'm learning fast. This video answered some important questions I had. Looking forward to many years of enjoyment!

Your explanations are very clear. Really helps an ignoramus like me.