Apias ebikes legit?

[tman1968]

Was looking at buying 2 Apias bikes for my wife and myself. We don't have a lot of money to spend and we are also new to the ebike world. Not sure if this company on the up and up. Any thoughts or info would be appreciated.

[Jesper]

(08-06-2024, 04:33 PM)tman1968 Wrote:  Was looking at buying 2 Apias bikes for my wife and myself. We don't have a lot of money to spend and we are also new to the ebike world. Not sure if this company on the up and up. Any thoughts or info would be appreciated.

Welcome to the community Tim.

I knoe nothing about that brand (nor ant really); never heard of them. E-bike "brands" keep popping up on what seems like a daily basis. Some are actual manufacturers, others are just generic bikes branded by who ever wants to open a dealership/online sales site.
My rule of thumb is getting to this stage. If you cannot lay your hands on one before buying it than find another brand that sells bikes at a shop. At least test ride some different models/brands at local shops before buying online. Even if you decide to go with a non-shop brand at least you will be aware of features differences before buying something. I am also of the opinion that any e-bike selling under $700-$800 is probably not worth it in the long (or short!) run (cheaper bikes tend to have poor customer service as a rule). There are some dedicated e-bike forum sites (ebike forum, electric bike forum) out there where you use can use their search function to see if that name pops up with any comments; I would do that on this site also since that brand may have been discussed previously. I would also research the brand's own website. See how long they have been in business and where they are based out of.

Regardless of what you get and where you purchase it from, you should try to wheel and deal for a spare battery pack per bike. Find out how much a battery costs first (just check online or call customer service). Know what the cost is before asking about it during a purchase; and then try to get a decent % off (20%-50%?) its cost included with the purchase. These battery packs are only going to get substantially more expensive (ever replace a phone battery?), and might also not be readily available when you need one. It could take weeks or months to obtain, or not be available at all a couple years down the road.

Again, get out there and road test some bikes before buying!

Good luck!