Hello,
I am new to this bike setup. First, I want to get on the idea of wether this is worth it for you people. I don't want to spend my hard earned cash on something that costs as much as some second hand cars. I could get an Apple laptop for this money! I am getting the PL-350 as that is the only one my LBS carries. I did some scratching around and found out that bike shops get these for around $1,100 canadian from the factory. Add on a little shipping and they are making around $450 dollars profit on you. This means that for BionX to make these it probably only costs around $300 after all the certifications and materials and salaries come in. I tried to ask my LBS if they could lower the price. No go, in fact, I learned they are charging $50 more than other stores. I currently have a Schwinn I-Zip that was sold in CT a year ago. I need to get rid of it. I want another electric bike to help my leg. I can then ditch the motor and ride normally with my buddies again.
What I am really trying to say is that, do you think these things are good? I want something virtually maintenance free, easy to obtain in Canada, and fast-ish with decent battery life. I already have a good bike to install kits on, it is a 700c tire size bike. (if that helps)
Thanks
I'm new to this too. You have to crunch the numbers and decide for yourself if the cost is worth it.
For example, we are a two car family, but my son now has his license and with school ending will need a car to get to work. A 3rd vehicle is probably going to be necessary. For us, the numbers look like this...
My local driving amounts to about 75 miles/week. At 25 mpg in the city, I can expect to use 3 gallons of gas. At $2.50/gallon, this is $7.50/week, or about $400/year. However, this back-of-the-envelope calculation considers only gas (which will likely go up in cost), and that will be paid by my son anyway. There are other costs to purchasing another car. Insurance alone could add another $500/year. A used car won't suffer as much depreciation as a new one, but maintenance will be higher than if it were new. And then there is registration and excise tax. Altogether, another car will probably cost us at least $1,000 a year.
Here in the States, I'm looking at a new bike and a BionX system for about $2,000. I could purchase a $2,000 car, but even if I have to replace the BionX battery after 2-3 years (a cost of, say $500) the bike will save us at least $4,500 over five years. This doesn't include the intangible benefits a bike offers, such as better health.
There may be times when I cannot use the bike (e.g., right after a snowstorm), but with the proper dress, those times may be few and far between. Besides, in the winter, my son is back in school and won't need the car every day.
So, for us, the cost of the BionX is worth it.
The reason that the mark-up looks so much for the bike store is that the price includes installation at the store. It's not an extra cost. Well not at the two bike shops that i looked at getting it from in Vancouver.
I had the kit and then sold it on as it didn't meet my requirements of getting me to work quicker ( I din't find the unit faster than my own efforts, actually slower). I cycle 30kms a day. And i can get to work in under 40 mins. 35 on a good day (this includes stopping at traffic lights). If you want to get back into cycling after an injury i would recommend getting bike rollers or bike trainer for you bike and cycle at home while watching TV, in the back garden, patio. It means you can go till just before the injury starts to hurt or your tired. You build up your strength up in no time and be back out cycling on your own power. (And it's way cheaper)
PS: search the site for my other comments on the BionX kit
Hello,
I just wanted to say that I was surfing around on the BionX subject and came across their price list.
I was dead set on getting a Bionx for about seven months, researched and saved money, thinking it would be the best way to go. And it probably is, honestly, with the pedal-sensing technology plus throttle. The regen capability was attractive, but I've heard it really isn't that outstanding yet. Still, it sounded like the most reliable package out there to add onto my existing hybrid, 700c bike. Unfortunately, the 1800ish was coming slowly, and I wasn't entirely sure I should drop that much at the outset. I crunched some numbers and read about other kits (BMC, Crystalyte, 9Cont, Amped, GM.....) and decided to try a different, less expensive setup for my first kit. I wound up with an Amped (700c, 500w) for a total under $800. Sure, it doesn't do regen, but I really do like the flexibility it affords. I can swap out the motor for a different brand when it goes (if ever?), change batteries to one that has more power (got 36V, might go up to 48V next) or provides a longer range (current one is 15ah, about 20miles without pedaling, may go up to a 20ah battery next). I don't mean to be an advertisement for Amped, I'm sure the same is the case for many other kits. If you're set on the Bionx, then by all means go for it! I've tried one and it was excellent! The two main problems that drove me away were the initial cost, and the cost of battery replacement. I had a conversation with an owner and he said that it (PL350) didn't have nearly the range that was advertised, and he was about to replace his second battery at a tremendous cost... can't remember the exact number, but it was several hundred dollars. That drove up the cost per mile by a lot!
Here's a link to explain why I made this decision
http://www.ebikeriders.com/messages/boards/thread/7307850
I'm heading out camping in the morning and this is the first time for transporting my e-bike on the highway. I sure couldn't do this with an e-scooter.