08/23/2024
A MESSAGE REGARDING E-BIKES:
This is a complicated and sometimes sensitive issue that seems to bring more confusion and conflict than resolution and understanding, so I thought I'd try to clarify in a post.
I recently polled an industry Facebook group to collect enough feedback to feel comfortable that I'm not making this all up. Only about 4% of shops are saying "yes" to everything. Only about 6% are saying "no" to everything. ~30% will do "shop quality" e-Bikes. 20% only work on the "mechanical" systems and require you to remove the battery. And the remaining ~40% are on a case-by-case system - which is what we've been doing, but that opens up too many opportunity for misunderstandings.
Essentially, the e-Bike "industry" is like the wild west. There seems to be some rules out there, but there's no consensus or consistency on how to enforce them. This means that things are decided on a case-by-case, shop-by-shop, town-by-town, trail-by-trail basis. This becomes blatantly obvious when these products need service. With no standardization for design and parts between brands, there's no possibility for responsible distribution of wholesale parts. This means service shops are going to Amazon and eBay to buy replacement parts of unknown quality. I simply don't feel comfortable operating this way. It's too risky from a customer service standpoint and a liability standpoint not to mention profitability.
At Gib's, this means we WILL service most MAJOR BRAND e-Bikes that were born and purchased at a reputable bike shop/dealer (not an e-bike store). We DO NOT service most direct-to-consumer (D2C), internet bikes, Crazy Lenny or box-store products. If you aren't aware of the difference, that's not your fault, and we're very sorry, but it's likely we won't be able to help you.
If you are wondering which product you have, there are a few easy ways to determine this:
1) Does it have a throttle? If yes, then, sorry, we likely can't help. We really wish we could!
2) Is the motor in the rear wheel? If yes, then sorry we likely can't help. We really wish we could!
3) Is the MSRP less than $2,500? If yes, then sorry we likely can't help. We really wish we could!
Of course we understand it's extremely unfair and we absolutely hate that we've been put in this position. We are not telling you this because we are greedy bike snobs. We love all bikes. We love all e-bikes. We love that you are enjoying your e-bike. We are not judging you in any way. We have very good reasons to refuse these service requests.
Major bicycle industry insurance agents have warned shops about touching Class 2 e-Bikes from fly-by-night, D2C e-Bike brands that have flooded the market with low quality, dangerous products. Most of the time, liability issues are resolved at the manufacturer level, but with many of these e-Bike brands, they aren't insured themselves and/or they've already come and gone before the issues arise. Further, insurance companies are super freaked out by the batteries spontaneously combusting and burning down homes. The last in the stream of commerce to work on a product takes on the most liability, and when a brand doesn't have any coverage, the retailer and their insurance carrier will certainly be involved. As a small, independent business owner, I simply can't afford to that on that much risk. I sincerely wish I could! There seems to be a high demand for servicing these products!
I'm also not comfortable passing this risk on to other area shops. I WANT ALL BIKE SHOPS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, but I'd feel guilty referring these requests to my fellow shop owners. That said, I've recently become aware that another area bike shop took on a service request I declined, so it's worth calling around.
I've been told there's an e-Bike guy in Janesville that's accepting the requests we decline. I've heard good things and I wish him the best of luck. Honestly, I hope he creates a repeatable business model to safely service these products everywhere.
Of course, there's always exceptions to these "rules" so it never hurts to ask - as long as you're willing to accept the answer.
Thanks!
Andy Q
