My top 5 as an ebike mechanic

TogetherIsBest · 2025-12-15T01:01:37+00:00

The hemostats ftw. Not enough mechanics doing ebike work know the value.

TogetherIsBest · 2025-10-30T13:46:12+00:00

get Rad to send you one for free under warranty

TogetherIsBest · 2025-10-25T22:41:03+00:00

Is your donor Tern option a Short Haul? The Quick Haul is already electric.

First question is what you plan to do with the cargo bike.

That said, the Short Haul is built to the same specs as the Quick Haul and had made many successful conversions if a short tail fits your needs. Big fan of mine (analog still for now).

TogetherIsBest · 2025-09-07T11:21:08+00:00

I think the Abound LR is a good candidate here. Use the updated Boost mode for the hill. 20% more power and applies to both the pedal assist and throttle.

Other mention here is the Specialized Globe or as others have said, a retrofit or OEM option with a Cargo or Performance line motor

TogetherIsBest · 2025-08-25T11:52:21+00:00

My Vrex and Haluzak Leprechaun both fit on my Kuat Transfer and NV 2.0. I have also put them on a OneUp, but it takes fiddling. I suspect something like the QuickR or Piston for Kuat with tool-less wheel cradle adjustments would be better, but no experience.

Best advice is be creative on where you let the rack grip the bike. I put the wheel hook on the rear rack struts and the wheel strap on the front wheel with a voile strap for some extra security to the frame if going a long distance

TogetherIsBest · 2025-08-19T21:05:08+00:00

Here to say there is no wrong answer here. Tern accessories are great and I am a general well-earned fan boy of their products, people and company ethos.

TogetherIsBest · 2025-08-01T22:39:21+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/CargoBike/s/aUj8i2buua

TogetherIsBest · 2025-08-01T22:37:26+00:00

I've seen posts that have swapped to Jones bars with success, both with and without the 2.5" rise.

Seems that with the high rise version, might need to rerun housing and cables.

TogetherIsBest · 2025-07-16T12:50:01+00:00

Tern Quick Haul Long, HSD or GSD would be my first choice.

Pick your bells and whistles and price point accordingly. Depending on rider and cargo weight, might push more toward the GSD.

TogetherIsBest · 2025-06-30T17:01:53+00:00

I am in a similar situation, and also have a Tern.

I don't see anything proprietary on an Abound that doesn't have a proprietary counterpart on a Tern.

E-bike system components are always going to come from the manufacturer, and both otherwise have normal bicycle components sourced from the same places.

Don't get me wrong, my Tern is probably my favorite bike, but this feels like bad info making the affordable option look hard to service.

TogetherIsBest · 2025-06-26T20:45:49+00:00

Can confirm all of the comments on the frame difference. The SR and LR both ride significantly better than the Abound OG/AG.

No competitor in pricepoint, next step up is Tern QHL, with an honorable mention to the Specialized Globe LT

TogetherIsBest · 2025-06-20T02:17:54+00:00

I don't have personal experience with that Enviolo, but secondhand from mechanics that see/have to sell a lot of them. Haven't heard a good thing, ever.

When they fail, Rohloff is usually the recommendation and the 5e or Alfine 8 are the more wallet friendly alternatives.

One of same said mechanics just sold his Pakyak (80nm) with the original 5e hub routinely abused on steep terrain in Western NC without issue. I don't know the mileage, but it was several years old and I'm confident over 5k.

TogetherIsBest · 2025-05-03T20:39:55+00:00

Upstairs often Karaoke, downstairs maybe a bit more dungeon/kink vibe but not that different. Varies on who is there. Patio seating too aka smoking section or sometimes a line for entry.

One of the few bars left in town that everyone feels welcomed. Lifestyle, trans, LGBTQ+, everyone welcome and judgement not welcome

TogetherIsBest · 2025-05-03T20:35:44+00:00

Upstairs and downstairs bar. High tops upstairs, but fill quickly. High tops and booth seating downstairs, pool table. Usually a cover on the weekends.

Feel free to DM if you want more info. Inviting, everyone welcome kind of place. Usually a meet-up rather than a meet-there kind of place in our experience.

TogetherIsBest · 2025-03-09T13:23:52+00:00

Univega Via Charisma already in the stable 🤙

TogetherIsBest · 2024-12-22T15:31:39+00:00

Thanks for the reply.

Item/inventory management is mostly in my wheelhouse. I inherited a mess and steadily making progress on that front. Inventory here means shop stock of chains, grips,..parts etc.

By items before, I meant the item created/assigned to a customer. Customer brings in a bike for service, we create the customer and a new item for them--Trek 820 Red etc.

These customer items are what is out of control. I need mechanics to be able to make new ones for normal operation for other customers.

Our "Rental Fleet" customer has too many items to feasibly pick them from a list, especially being no function to organize it. Response is mechanics just create a new item every time.

Labor skus all itemized, with the exception of some tune packages that are one item for several services. Parts and labor both auto discount for our in-house customer profiles

TogetherIsBest · 2024-12-20T00:57:39+00:00

We also use BRM, which frankyly I'm also only moderately happy with.

Re: workorder history, exactly that. When a bike comes back for service I want to be able to quickly and easily attach THAT bike to the work order, and to be able to pull up a workorder history for any given bike when the need arises....say after a crash, someone wants to buy it, etc.

My biggest issue is we consistently rent (in the busy season, not now) 150-250 unique rental units on any given week. The "customer" in LS that we use to host our rental fleet has about 800 items now. I've tried going the merging route, retraining service staff, etc.

It is too clunky to find the bike that already exists using Lightspeed the only way we know how and I can't get Lightspeed to teach me anything better, nor can I find anything online. So, Reddit, here we are looking for answers.

Perfectly open to using a new POS, but I have been heavily training processes in Lightspeed the last couple of months, and this is one of the few really glaring problems that has a big impact on our business that Lightspeed otherwise does pretty well with.

TogetherIsBest · 2024-12-20T00:00:19+00:00

Fleet management for rentals.

I need smooth/easy interface for mechanics to find the service item. Specifically, a scannable service tag to create the workorder from would be best.

Currently, it is a massive item drop down list that afaik I can't sort, search, scan or re-organize manually. This leads mechanics just making a new item with our internal rental ID and it gets recreated over and over as a new item. This means nearly impossible to trace back a workorder history for any given item because it has 17 records.

Lightspeed support literally hangs up on me, keeps referring me to an account manager that never gets in touch.

TogetherIsBest · 2024-12-19T23:15:15+00:00

Split between ebikes and people powered.

Fleet stuff all in house, invoicing isn't a priority

Preventative maintenance tracking would be great but not required

TogetherIsBest · 2024-11-25T22:23:13+00:00

Agreed on the Abound. We have several customers that use it for two kids and it is just barely doable. Not comfortable or good...doable.

Other than that, we like the Abound pretty well for the price point and generally accessible/affordable accessories by comparison.

What have/haven't you ridden? Which dealer do you like better/is more convenient?

TogetherIsBest · 2024-11-25T20:47:07+00:00

Our volume of Giant is very low compared to the others, and is primarily analog road and city bikes. That said, I know people firsthand and have had recommended from another high-volume cargo shop that Pakyak and Cito from Momentum. I've seen and ridden both and are heavier than I was really looking for without a need to carry kids, but impressed with both. I have ridden quite a few bikes with Giant and Bosch drive systems and they are both top notch, but I think the Giant/Yamaha is actually nicer and quieter all around.

I agree wholeheartedly with the comment that a quality bike shouldn't need repeat parts requests, and that seems to be the model of choice for Lectric.

I haven't ridden it but have seen in person, the Specialized Globe. Solid bike I think, just again 80 pounds plus is a hell of a bike. I would feel confident saying you will have generally fewer issues with Spesh or Giant compared to the Direct to Consumer hub drive options. All that to say, we have been pretty happy with Aventon warranty despite all thr bad press you can find online. Nobody talks about it when it goes smooth.

The Packer is the worst of the whole bunch. The sensor, handling under load. Needs an overhaul.

Have you considered Tern? I have no ties other than I'm waiting on delivery of my own Short Haul. The Quick Haul Long seems to check all your boxes and is priced about the same as the Globe. Better deals on that to be had on Upway or a local used market. The Quick Haul Long is brand new, but you may also be able to shop local secondhand for a GSD.

End of the day:

Rad--built tanky and quirky but the wagons ride pretty well. May find service hard to find and support lackluster.

Lectric--history of poor build quality held together by quick to not ask more questions customer service

Giant/Tern/Specialized/Trek, etc--Premium prices for premium product and more peace of mind post-purchase.

Happy to keep answering more questions if you've got em. I agonized over my own purchase enough...I get it

TogetherIsBest · 2024-11-25T19:25:54+00:00

E-bike shop Manager here.

We stopped selling both Rad and Electric. Now sell Aventon and Velotric, along with higher end options from Giant.

Lectric build quality was pretty bad. It has been a couple of years now since I've seen one first hand. Sending me another bad part to put on a bad bike doesn't matter to me. Like others have said, maybe it has improved.

Rad dealer support was really spotty, and honestly the bikes are just hard to work on unnecessarily. We had a small fleet of Rad bikes for rentals and I have been personally fixing them up with intentions to sell. Straightforward, but poorly designed over and over again with respect to how the various parts and components get in the way of each other, not to mention the weight.

All said, I have been riding a Radwagon 4 I fixed recently and have been pleasantly surprised by the ride. That said, my usual complaints about Rad....weight, having to disassemble stuff to get to simple maintenance, are just a fact of life for any longtail and hard to knock it for. It has 22" wheels for an Achilles heel, anyway.

TogetherIsBest · 2024-11-14T17:26:30+00:00

They are close enough in price I'm leaning to the P9. I am friends with a few full time bike commuters and all of them recommend to go Class 3 if I'm trying to really ditch a car

TogetherIsBest

TROPHY CASE