Why You Should Never Buy an E-Bike on Amazon (or Target, or Best Buy)
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I’ve written numerous e-bike reviews for Lifehacker, and almost all of them were from well-known companies like Canyon , Aventon , and Specialized . While these are well-known brands, they’re typically not available from major retailers like Amazon or Best Buy; you have to buy them directly or through a bike shop. This means you’ll have to do a bit of research to find one, but it’s worth it. I always recommend testing as many bikes as possible, and since these major retailers tend to sell inexpensive e-bikes, quality can vary greatly.
To illustrate this (and give a general idea of the red flags to look out for when choosing an e-bike), I’m comparing the Magicyle Ocelot Pro fat-tire e-bike, available at Walmart, with the similar Aventon Aventure 3 e-bike, which is sold directly to consumers. At first glance, they appear similar—both are fat-tire trail bikes designed for riding on both local bike paths and gravel roads—but there’s a huge difference.
Price of an electric bike
E-bikes aren’t cheap. For a reliable but not too flashy bike, you’ll likely spend at least $1,500. You can find e-bikes on Amazon for ridiculously low prices, like this $355 e-mountain bike, but I wouldn’t ride one anywhere, let alone down a mountain. I’m a big fan of disposable products, but not when it comes to safety; an electric bike capable of nearly 30 mph (48 km/h) is n’t something you want to skimp on.
The Magicycle Ocelot Pro isn’t one of those cheap bikes. It’s a cross between a little-known exclusive and a bike from a more established company. Unlike most bike manufacturers, Magicycles is available through major retailers. The company offers the Ocelot Pro for $2,399, discounted to $1,499, but Walmart lists it at $1,699 . The Aventon Aventure 3 costs $1,999 and is sold exclusively at the company and its partner stores.
Many might think that because the Magicycle is cheaper and easier to buy, the choice is obvious, but that $500 or so is the difference between one of the best e-bikes I’ve tested and one of the worst.
Profit margins and cost savings
Manufacturers selling their products through retail chains have a much wider potential customer base, but their profit margins are typically meager. While I don’t know what Magicycle’s profit margin is, my first impression of the Ocelot Pro was, “They cut corners somewhere.”
Before I even took it for a test drive, I spun the front wheel. It was misaligned, which I immediately noticed:
A wheel repair at your local bike shop will cost around $20, but many bike shops flatly refuse to work on bikes with parts from other than reputable manufacturers. The Ocelot Pro is a mix of inexpensive components from brands like Shimano and parts from unspecified manufacturers, so you may have trouble getting a repair in the future.
Speaking of third-party parts, the WalMart and Magicycle websites show the Ocelot Pro with 20×4-inch tires from Kenda, a reputable company, but the tires on the bike itself are unbranded. See:
Those anonymous tires might be good, but how do you know? As promised, Aventon’s bike is equipped with 26×4-inch Inova tires.
Speaking of details, the Aventure’s suspension fork was made by Zoom. While not a top-of-the-line component, Zoom forks are reliable and inexpensive. Like the tires, the Ocelot fork wasn’t made by anyone, so who knows how it will perform? For casual riding, it probably won’t matter, but both bikes are apparently all-terrain and gravel-ready, suggesting a level of reliability I wouldn’t trust to some obscure suspension fork.
Speed test
Both the Aventure 3 and Ocelot Pro are officially classified as “Class 3” e-bikes. This means the motor assist should disengage at 45 km/h (28 mph) after pedaling, and throttle-only assistance should reach a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph). But during my first ride on the Ocelot, I twisted the throttle, and it accelerated to almost 37 km/h (23 mph). By comparison, the Aventure 3 has a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph). Take a look:
This makes the Ocelot Pro the fastest throttle-assisted e-bike I’ve ever tested for Lifehacker. “It goes faster” might be a selling point for some, but it also makes it technically illegal to ride on California streets. Police aren’t likely to run radar scans on your e-bike to ensure it doesn’t exceed 20 mph (32 km/h), but any speed exceeding that limit indicates a lack of quality control and a decline in performance. Another point to compare in the video above: while both bikes produce roughly the same power, the Ocelot Pro’s motor is significantly louder than the Aventon’s.
Then there’s the battery indicator. Due to technical issues related to voltage and current, “fuel gauges” on e-bikes are never accurate, but the Ocelot’s is one of the worst I’ve seen. It’s all over the place: when I got out to film this video, the indicator read 67%. Half a mile later, it was 32%, then dropped to 22% after another mile. I turned it on and off, and it read 56%.
Everything else
Beyond parts and performance, there are intangible factors that differentiate a budget e-bike from a premium one, and they matter, especially when you’re playing for a product priced between $1,500 and $2,000.
Overall, the Aventure 3 looks and rides like a premium e-bike: the welds are neat and the paintwork is crisp. The Ocelot Pro feels like it was put together in a hurry. Its performance isn’t something you can judge by its specs, but I’ve tested plenty of e-bikes for Lifehacker and can feel the difference between a wreck and a reliable one. The Aventure 3 feels like a bike you can trust on a long ride; the Ocelot feels like a bike you’ll worry about if you ride too far from home.
The Aventure 3 comes with an app that connects to the bike via Bluetooth and allows you to track rides, customize settings (including fine-tuning the pedal assist level), and update firmware. It also comes with a suite of built-in anti-theft features, such as motor shutdown in case of theft and GPS tracking, for added peace of mind. There’s even a mini social media feature for keeping tabs on other Aventure cyclists. Magicycle doesn’t have this. You’re buying a standalone product, not something that will be maintained or serviced over time.
Be careful when buying a bike.
On paper, the Aventon Aventure 3 and Magicycle Ocelot Pro look like rivals, but they’re not. The Aventure offers reliable performance, well-thought-out features, and long-term support, while the Ocelot skimps on a few details that you might not notice, especially if you haven’t ridden many e-bikes. If you’re spending $1,500 or more on a bike, it’s worth spending a little more on a brand with a reputation for producing quality products. So my advice remains the same: test-drive as many bikes as you can, and before you buy an e-bike at Target (or Walmart, or Amazon), make sure you understand what you’re getting into.