want a new ebike for £70 buy a .............

[electric.mike]

a container full


just a word of warning about bargain ebikes
been to work today (not a good start to the week) but anyway it seems Sunday when i didn't work, one of the chaps came to work on an electric bike,after finding out we had electric bikes he told us this story.
his mate has just ordered a container full of chinese electric bikes @ total cost of £70 each with scooter versions on offer @ around £200 you can see how an auction site bargain @£300 isn't always such a bargain.
mike

 

[Ian]

Here's an even cheaper one, reputable brand as well

 

[coops]

Model of one of those lifestyle accessories, so popular with car manufacturers now. This is the electrically assisted Mercedes Benz Hybrid, the real thing no doubt readily available from your nearest Mercedes Benz dealer

Ahem!!... I'd have said a model of an electric bike was more of a "lifestyle accessory", whatever that is! I like the "no doubt readily available" bit too now then, let's have an orderly queue...

 

[electric.mike]

but at £70, with a profit for the factory, and shipping, for £300 you probably only get a £40 bike if that.
mike

 

[Ian]

but at £70, with a profit for the factory, and shipping, for £300 you probably only get a £40 bike if that.
mike

These are obviously the "sold straight from the container" bikes that AtoB warns of. When they're gone they're gone, along with any warranty or support.
The Chinese must be using slave labour to make them for that price.

 

[flecc]

Mind you, if there was space for the container, it would still be worth it for a commuter to get a complete container load. Then just use each one until it failed, some would be bound to run for ages ok, so the job lot could last for years.

Not very environmental though.

 

[DBCohen]

Mind you, if there was space for the container, it would still be worth it for a commuter to get a complete container load. Then just use each one until it failed, some would be bound to run for ages ok, so the job lot could last for years.

Not very environmental though.

Oh, I don't know, Flecc - the container in the garden would be a good substitute for a shed, so you'd save some wood there. Admittedly, the grass underneath would have no chance to absorb CO2, so you'd have to offset that.

After the bikes are gone you could live in the container - very popular dwelling in Jamaica, last time I was there.

Brings up a good question, though - which is worth more as scrap, the container or the bikes inside it?

I presume the £70 per bike does not include the shipping cost for the container? Wonder how much that is.

Actually, here's a serious idea. If enough forum members clubbed together, we could ship said container over, take a bike each, and then sell the others on at a modest profit, equally shared. Then WE could jointly provide the support to the purchasers.

Can't be too far away from how some specialist importers start in business..

 

[flecc]

Can't be too far away from how some specialist importers start in business..

How very true!

 

[Carl]

Good luck to you all I say
You don't know the half of it

You'd probably need £40k and a good Chinese speaker just for starters

 

[flecc]

Don't worry Carl, the members are just musing I'm sure, we know enough about e-bikes to know where trouble is.

There's too much junk on the market already without us bringing more in.
.