Hi everyone. Im turning 17 soon but I have no means of transportation. Im currently unemployed but Im looking for a job to help pay off my family debt. I need a means of transportation and I dont want to pressure my family into taking me to work. Does anyone know of any ways or places where I can get free or cheap e-bikes Im thinking about attaching a GoPro to my helmet when I can afford it and posting my rides on YouTube to make some extra cash but I dont think thatll happen anytime soon. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please be gentle. Dont be offended by this question. I really need something. Please help Additional note: I live in a hilly suburban area so biking to work is completely inconvenient and bike rentals arent a reliable option in my area. I understand that the bike battery drains quite quickly on hills but my longest commute is 15 miles so I plan to charge the bike during my commute. Thank you again for your kind response.
How can I get $1000 worth of merchandise for free The answer is Theres no way. For now your best bet is to use a regular non-electric bicycle.
You can rent a regular bike for free on Facebook Marketplace or even a non-powered electric bike. Theres also the option to rent one but it varies by region.
Theres a reason cheap or free e-bikes are cheap or free: theyre full of bugs. Unless you already know how to repair or recondition both the bike and its electronics and I doubt youve ever done so its best to start from scratch. Get a used inexpensive regular bike for transportation. Youll immediately have the funds to upgrade with an e-bike conversion kit. Keep riding it until the wheels fall off and then save up for the e-bike you want.
Your area isnt listed but is public transportation available Besides many people climb hills on regular bicycles. Then theres no need to work out or go to the gym. I think its a good idea to consider a regular bicycle right now. Cheap electric bicycles tend to break down quickly and if theyre cheap the batteries could explode.
While unlikely there are Buy Nothing groups on Facebook where people trade in unwanted items or donate items they might not otherwise be able to afford. In my local group the topic of regular bicycles comes up quite often. If you just want to get around a bicycle is sufficient. Since youre 17 riding a bicycle to work is perfectly fine. Save up a few weeks paycheck and buy a used electric bicycle for $300-$500.
Find a bike co-op near you and get a free bike. Use this free muscle bike to perform tasks that will earn you money to buy an electric bike.
Honestly I think the cheapest option is to buy a conversion kit for a gasoline-powered bike install it on a cheap bike and use it as is until you can save up for an e-bike. Two-stroke kits are dropping in price and are even available on Facebook Marketplace. Theyre incredibly noisy and quite unstable but they run great. I rode this kit to graduate school for about three years. I got a free friction drive kit from someone but a new two-stroke kit costs about $125 and takes a few hours to install on most bikes. If its a hardtail it might even fit on a mountain bike. If you want to know what Im talking about search for this kit on Amazon: B08ZMJ8W22
How about reviewing conversion kits for electric bikes I personally dont have a lot of details but I think theyre quite a bit cheaper than an actual electric bike.
Facebook Shopping Craigslist. Son prepare for the fear that awaits you as you walk.
Or catch guy. I live in an environment where a pedal bike is highly impractical. Its a fairly steep slope. I know its difficult for an e-bike but the distances I can cover with an e-bike are relatively short. Dont get me wrong. Its about an hours walk from my dads house but my commute is six or seven miles sometimes as much as 15 miles depending on the job.
I own a mountain bike but I live in an area with many steep slopes so its not very practical. However I hadnt considered buying a parts-only bike. Furthermore rentals are out of the question in my area. Living in the suburbs Im very unsure whether Ill be able to find a bike thats reliable enough for work. Thank you
I can see the gremlin. As I mentioned Ive never handled an electric bike but I have advanced electronics knowledge and I think I could definitely use it. As long as the controller or battery doesnt explode Im confident I can get it back to working condition until I can buy replacement parts personally. Ill edit the post to add that the reason I cant use a pedal bike is because I live in a fairly hilly area. As TMBiker mentioned Ill check out Facebook and other sites to see if theres anything I can find. Thanks
Unfortunately public transportation isnt available. I live in a small tourist town in Mid-Mid. Id love to commute by bike but the biggest problem is that it requires a long steep climb to get to work. And then I have to climb uphill again to get home. Thank you for your kind reply Honestly given the nature of this post I was expecting a lot of hateful comments.
I didnt know that existed Thank you Ill edit my post and add that I live in a hilly area where cycling is really difficult. Thank you for your help I really appreciate it.
Ill take note. Ive done a little research and dont see any bike cooperatives in or near my area but if I find one Ill definitely consider buying one. Thanks
Ive been seriously considering it but Im not sure what my parents mainly my mother and stepmother think about gasoline bikes. They seem to have a mental bias against gasoline bikes so I feel itd be easy to convince them to let me ride an electric bike every day. A full-suspension mountain bike is fine but if I can convince my parents to give me a gasoline engine they might. Im currently considering this option. Thank you
Ive been considering them as gas kits but now Im considering other options so I decided to throw this post in the comments for some help. My only real issue with electric bike conversion kits is that the only ones I can afford right now are friction drive and my mountain bike is fully suspension. However thank you so much for your kind reply and help
Yeah no its not a choice.