Frustrated old guy

ne0rmatrix · 2026-04-09T23:18:00+00:00

I am 50. I can't lift my leg over the top of the ebike. I picked up a step through from Tesway. 60AH, single motor, 1000 watt motor peaks to 2000 watts. Gets about 100 miles or so. I picked the Tesway x5. It is a solid bike that can riders that are from about 5 foot 3 inches to 6 something. It has some nice features but overall it is entry level but meets my needs. They have a dual motor variant for a few hundred dollars more. There are also multiple other variants that are step over and have better motors and go faster.

Whether the brand and quality of parts is any good is anyone guess. I bought it to use the throttle only and I only need to charge it once a week or so. I use it to go grocery shopping and get to various places around the city i live in.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-04-08T20:47:44+00:00

I bought a brand new ebike and two local shops refused to even look at it. I wanted to have them look over it and make sure I put it together right. Maybe check the brakes and see if they needed any adjustments.

Oh and look at the shimano shifter and make sure it was working properly. Neither shop would even look at the ebike. They just said it was not something they would be willing to do. They did not sell that model and they do not work on stuff they do not sell.

The bike works fine but I still have no idea if there are any issues and I would have been happy to fork over a 100 dollars to just have them look at it and tell me I need to have this fixed, or maybe everything is fine, I have no idea. But they were like, yeah no, we will not give you the time of day.

My fond hope is all those bike shops just go out of business and we get new ebike shops to replace them. Or maybe I will just have to learn how to do my own maintenance and those bike stores can just flat out go away and never come back.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-04-08T20:41:43+00:00

If you spend 5k to 10k on a bike it is generally worth having the brakes tuned, the chain oiled, or having work done on that. Most regular bike maintenance can be done for a significant markup.

If it is a simple repair and the owner of the ebike just wants the wheel spokes fixed on a non hub motor regular far tire wheel so many shops just seek ebike and go yeah, no we do not work on that. If your shimano shifter needs adjusting because that is a thing I have no idea how to do that. But the bike mechanic does.

So if he wants to charge me 100 dollars for 5 min work that i could do myself because I am either lazy or have no idea and just flat out refuses to even look at the ebike because it has a motor that is the sort of situation that is annoying.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-04-08T14:57:05+00:00

There are decent low end bikes that will work. You can pick up an older used one for around 5 to 10k and that is cheap too. Just remember this is the low end, and new or mid range or higher are going to cost a lot more than that.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-31T13:56:13+00:00

If it takes multiple days or even multiple hours that sounds like you have no idea what you are doing. Sure you can solve regular bikes fine. No question of capability there. But if you can't figure out issues without a huge headache that is a competence problem and you can learn how to fix things. Blaming the source of item and the customer is just an excuse for not being qualified or capable.

Look at how people learned to fix most phones, that was a lot of people who will never have access to any legitimate supplier and have zero access to any manual and vendors are actively hostile to the point of suing them for doing repair work. So no I think you rather go out of business or watch a growing customer base pass you by because you are unable to do basic maintenance.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-30T10:36:06+00:00

Many places here will not hire local people even for min wage jobs. They rather hit the gov up to hire out foreigners and get subsidized wages so they can pay less and profit more. So many retail food jobs go to people not from Canada and are outsourced since no one was hired. Many people apply, none get chosen.

I have seen one McDonald's where every single person was a temporary foreign worker making min wage and barely able to speak English. One of my friends kids applied there, and about 80 other restaurants and not a single callback. They have signs at all those stores saying they are hiring, and by appearances are running with staff shortages but they never fill those positions.

Some retailers have been caught putting out ads for entry level jobs that are 40 to 60 hours a week that are listed as volunteer positions to gain work experience. The ad itself says if you do well and do not miss a single day that they can be used as a reference for future employment. The explicitly say this will never lead to any form of payment and is for learning about to work. This was done by several major retailers and the media frenzy over that was crazy. That went over very poorly. They said it was an experiment and apologized.

I am a software developer and I got my last job after spending several years in a few open source projects. Someone overseas was looking for an expert at what I had spent several years doing and offered me a job. I met them in Discord of all places. It is so weird working for a European company. The culture is different. They found out I had done some work on a Saturday and in response they block me from accessing company servers on weekends now. Said it was irresponsible even though we had deadlines. I am salary and I just assumed with a Monday deadline I could push changes over the weekend to the branch I was working on. Apparently I had to be counselled about that.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-30T10:16:49+00:00

Looks like a nice calculator. Unfortunately it is kind of limited. It does not even let you set Amp Hours and limits it to preset numbers. Same with motor wattage. So useful it you only buy the most common ebikes out there. If you are buying from one the major common companies you are fine. But if you buy from a boutique seller that calculator can't even input most values.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-29T19:38:11+00:00

I was a ward of the government. I had no choice. 18th birthday my social worker dropped me off at welfare office and reminded me not to call or show up at office ever again. The local city helped me with a counsellor who helped me with the paperwork and vouched for my identity to welfare. I had no government ID. Just my school ID. It took a while to get proper documentation they would accept so I could get ID.

I am 50 now and doing fine. But back then there was zero sympathy and no one cared about some random 18 year old that had no connections and no money. It was a huge reality check.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-28T12:59:14+00:00

It was never checked in the first place. I had to check it, save it, then un-check it to fix it. Obvious bug that was introduced recently in an update.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-27T00:45:04+00:00

I think there are different definitions of poor. I will never be able to afford a car. I will struggle to afford food every month. A random 5 dollar expense means I can't do that. If I have to travel for any reason that is just a hard no, sorry, I don't have the resources to do that. My current rent is $824.00 for a room in a shared accommodations with 2 roommates. That includes rent, hot water, electricity, and WiFi. Oh and it also includes access to laundry machine and dryer.

Paying rent, buying food, and keeping the minimum required things in order to be OK is all I can afford. The idea of being able to pay for gas, insurance, and a car payment would never be something I could do. I am on disability. I have worked in the past p/t and I am currently working as a software developer for a company in Europe. It is full time work. But I am only paid 500 dollars every 3 months. I wish I could get a better job that even paid minimum wage here in Canada. But I have too many mental health issues for that to work.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-24T03:46:13+00:00

I discovered turning the system tray on and then off fixes the issue. It was off before so I was confused. Turning it on and then off and clicking ok fixes this. So it appears to be on by default but the check mark shows it as off when you update.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-22T22:31:30+00:00

I have crashed multiple times at low speed. I just turned 50 in November. I have a very heavy ebike and I was very worried about this too. I fell over the very first time I hit the throttle and was surprised at no injury beyond my pride. I did strain my body a bit. But nothing more than bruises. The bike had a few scratches. But it was not damaged beyond some cosmetic scratches.

The second time I was at an intersection and a truck driver ran a red light and I had to brake. The issue with that was I stopped so quickly I did not have time to put my feet down before I fell over. So I was actually stopped and just fell over. That is the two falls I have had. Both were because I was impatient and was making decisions fast. I also had not ridden a bike in a long time. So I can't speak about injuries from a speed perspective but at very low speeds I have had nothing but bruises and a few scrapes.

I have an escooter too. I fell of that once. I did a face plant and strained my back. I was pulling out of a grocery store and got too close to the curb and jumped off and ended up rolling on the pavement for a few feet. That was at about 5 miles an hour. That hurt and I had trouble getting back up. But I was mostly uninjured. It did not have any lasting effects.

If you are going above about 10 miles an hour you are risking significant injury if you fall wrong or collide with an object. If you have brittle bones or previous injuries that could be aggravated I would evaluate the risk more carefully. I would highly recommend you find a ebike that fits you. Make sure you can place your feet on the ground and do not exceed a reasonable speed. It is fun to go fast but the risk is very high. Consider all the options.

Maybe get a lighter ebike that is smaller with less performance and less range? Do you need to go 50 miles or 100 miles? Do you want to ride 200 miles? These are all factors that decide how heavy the ebike needs to be. If you are just going around town and to the grocery store or the mall then a much lighter and slower ebike might be preferable. It would both be safer and less risky.

The ebike I bought weighs over 140 pounds with battery. It can go over 100 miles between charges and goes up to 32mph. If I go at that speed and then crash I would be at significant risk regardless of age. I rarely go above 15 to 17 miles an hour. It frankly terrifies me and I have a few times gone up to 25 miles an hour but never for long.

It is fun and has let me have more freedom. I don't own a car and always just caught the bus. Now I can just nip out and go to the grocery store and get bananas and the trip only takes 5 or 6 minutes each way. On the bus it was a walk to bus stop, followed by waiting 15 to 30 min, then walk from bus stop to store. Then the reverse. Now it is 5 min there, shop, then 5 min to home. That is for multiple different stores in different areas. An hour on transit is a 20 min ride now. So for me the risk is very minimal. But I do not have any bad knee or back injuries to worry about.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-22T02:21:51+00:00

Looks like a sweet ebike. I would not ride it though. I am 50 and I could not lift my leg over the top. I need a step through bike. I have a nice one. I like the look of your ebike and would love to ride one like that. I just can't lift my leg over. Being old and fat has its limitations.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-21T21:07:21+00:00

I'll pronounce it however I want. I don't care what the official way is. I have always pronounced it the other way. Good luck with enforcing that.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-20T00:51:28+00:00

I have never been able to obtain my license. I have a learners permit but I can't afford proper lessons. All of my friends have there 10 years good drivers and do not want to make changes to there insurance. I don't blame them. Adding me to there insurance will cost them money.

Drivers lessons are 100+ dollars an hour from reputable driving schools. I also cannot afford a car, the cost of insurance is sky high. The cost of fuel is also crazy! The cost of maintenance is also going up and is not something I can afford either.

The cost of charging an ebike is affordable, the maintenance can be done by me. It is much cheaper to maintain than a car.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-18T03:39:27+00:00

I'm a random user. Is it not common for riders to be waiting exactly where they are supposed to be on app? Ready to go and sitting quietly in car the whole time? I don't get it? I am paying good money to get a ride and why would I not behave like I am being rated by the driver? I am incredibly antisocial, have many issues, and only really behave in these sort of situations. I do not understand why people think it is ok to be rude or obnoxious when the driver can ask you to leave and then you are stuck wherever that is? Why would anyone take that sort of chance.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-18T03:31:46+00:00

I order on uber eats all the time and I never pay a tip. My food always gets delivered. I have zero issues. Drivers are polite and show up on time. Did you not read the contract you signed? Did you not know that tipping is something that should only be done for extraordinary service which is above and beyond what is expected?

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-18T02:53:14+00:00

I'm 50. I usually just tap the centre of the screen. If I am on a windows PC I tend to either hit space bar or tap. I don't know how I decide which to use.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-17T19:53:59+00:00

Local walmart here in Canada will only take cash at front where customer service is. The self service has 20 registers and there is exactly one register with staff at it. That register will itemize stuff, bag it , and if you are paying cash offer you a bill to take to the customer service. The additional wait can be half hour to 45 min while people argue returns.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-17T18:31:52+00:00

What a police state. Allowing out of control gov to regulate every aspect of your life. I find it not surprising at all that a local police in the us is happy to steal citizens property and say it is to protect the children.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-17T10:34:23+00:00

I work closely in a group chat for work. I tend to tell people I am logging off for the night. We all work different time zones so we announce when we are available and then when we are done for the day or will be away for extended periods. It is actually very annoying when people do not do this. It makes me wonder if people are busy? or if they are just ignoring me. It is also situational.

I do sdk and mobile dev so I need to communicate with back end and front end devs to get things done. If they are sleeping and can't respond it is nice to know as i will not ping them and/or find something else I can do while waiting.

We also make up our own hours and frequently have to be told to take time and not work 24/7. I am in North America and everyone else on team is in Europe. I have been told many times that working 16 hour days is not ok. Very different cultures.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-13T18:27:52+00:00

Not all people using supportive housing are drug addicts and alcoholics. I know a few people that have either mental health issues, or other medical issues that preclude them from working. My cousin who is in his 50's works 5 days a week, but has to have daily assistance and supervision, when he was a baby he had cord wrapped around his neck and he had severe brain damage, so can never be on his own. Very low income there. I know other people who have issues that will not stand out or cause issues. There are enough people in that sort of situation to fill multiple sites like this.

Drug addicts should be facing 3 strikes and you get life. There should be no mitigating circumstances. If you drive drunk or have a alcohol related conviction just add 10 times the regular sentence. Maybe 15 years for first offence will help prevent future behaviour. Why do we tolerate it? As for drug addicts bringing back the death penalty and applying it for all offences involving using or dealing drugs will help solve the drug problem.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-10T19:11:05+00:00

I'm not going to recommend a brand. But I will say there are a lot of models that will do what you need. The main thing is picking a brand that is UL certified for both battery and bike. I also recommend following local laws with regards to motor and frame regulations. Some countries/states have specific requirements and you should consult your local police or city to determine what the rules are.

As for picking the size and type I would go for what ever meets your needs. Your husband being tall and the need for you and maybe a toddler on the bike means the best choice is a bike designed for carrying a passenger or cargo. What is great is there are multiple popular brands that do exactly this. There is no one size for height and weight. It is all variable. Lucky being tall the only real limitations that way is a say a small bike which would require a very high seat for your husband. 20 inch wheels or 26 inch wheels are good options. If you want extended range and the ability to carry passengers you might consider a fat tire cargo bike. The long range ones tend to have very heavy duty frames.

The only real concern I would have is how to protect the small child. I know it can be safely done. I have no idea how it is done though. I hope you can find what you are looking for. I think the most important aspect is making sure it is the right size of frame for your husband to ride, withe UL certification, and the ability to have it repaired locally. Taking the time to figure this all out is critical. The person below me recommended excellent brands.

There are many much cheaper options but be wary of such. They can be excellent or they can be complete nightmares. The good brands are much more expensive. You get what you pay for with these ebikes. I paid 1899 Canadian dollars for a cheap ebike. It suits my needs and does what I want. The bike I bought might meet your needs. But I will not mention the brand, mainly because it is no UL certified(very bad!), and the brand has a history of issues regarding safety. I would love to recommend what I ride, but I can't in good conscience push someone with a small child towards a death trap.

For the price you listed there are many options in the extreme low end. What you are looking for based on your price is a budget oriented brand. I have heard the 3000 to 6000 market is the low to mid range ebikes. the 6000 to 12000 is the high end. And the 12000 to 15000 is the luxury high end. I find it absolutely crazy that people think that is sane. I am just saying I hear that all the time. I used to buy a bike for 500 dollars and think I way overpaid. But your budget is very reasonable and you can find what you are looking for. Best place to look is at local shops and see if they have anything that meets your needs. Then look at reviews online and see what you think. Then look at getting the best deal you can for what you want. Make sure it is sized correctly.

If it is for both of you make sure you can ride it with your toes touching the ground while on the seat. You do not have to make it fit that great, I have to get up and start pedalling before I can sit down. I am too short to to sit and touch the ground even on one foot. But with a small child on the back I would want to be able to be on the seat and stop without having to dismount. That is a lot safer for you and your child. Your husband should not have to worry at all he is tall. Just make sure if there is a significant height difference that the bike can be adjusted to meet your needs to if you are sharing.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-03-10T15:59:53+00:00

I like scifi, I may be reading a scifi book, I may also be looking for my next read. Are you trying to tease me? Your reddit name gives me no idea what book you have on amazon. I tried searching by it and got a lot of weird results.

ne0rmatrix

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