What to do about this electric bike?
July 5, 2024 7:42 AM
I bought an electric bike last May (Trek FX+) that I adore. I like that it's very basic and lightweight and has a crossbar so I can put it on a car rack easily. I use it every day for commuting and it's been a lifesaver since my sciatica made my acoustic bike difficult to use. But, there have been a couple of electrical issues with the bike that the shop have tried to repair with no avail.
The electrical issues both happen about once a week and the bike shop hasn't been able to reproduce them to test if their attempted fixes have worked. The first issue is that sometimes the bike charger doesn't charge the bike. It starts to for a few minutes and then stops, so I don't usually find out that it hasn't charged until a few hours later.
The second problem is that sometimes when I turn the bike on, the pedal assist doesn't engage or does so only minimally. I can get it going again by cycling the power a few times and then it's fine. The bike shop has helpfully replaced the charger, motor, the control pad, and something else called the talk hub or the communication center or something like that. They say they have replaced everything electrical on the bike, but I'm still having these problems.
I don't know if I should stop complaining about these problems or try to return the bike. I paid close to £2k for it, and I think it should work, full stop. If they gave me a refund I would just buy the same bike again because I like it so much. The problems are more annoyances than anything else, they don't stop me from being able to ride the bike. What would you do?
The electrical issues both happen about once a week and the bike shop hasn't been able to reproduce them to test if their attempted fixes have worked. The first issue is that sometimes the bike charger doesn't charge the bike. It starts to for a few minutes and then stops, so I don't usually find out that it hasn't charged until a few hours later.
The second problem is that sometimes when I turn the bike on, the pedal assist doesn't engage or does so only minimally. I can get it going again by cycling the power a few times and then it's fine. The bike shop has helpfully replaced the charger, motor, the control pad, and something else called the talk hub or the communication center or something like that. They say they have replaced everything electrical on the bike, but I'm still having these problems.
I don't know if I should stop complaining about these problems or try to return the bike. I paid close to £2k for it, and I think it should work, full stop. If they gave me a refund I would just buy the same bike again because I like it so much. The problems are more annoyances than anything else, they don't stop me from being able to ride the bike. What would you do?
Push them to submit a warranty claim. I’ve worked for a shop that sold Trek bikes, and if you were my customer I’d submit one for you.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:15 PM on July 5
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:15 PM on July 5
Hi - I'm a mechanic at a Trek store. Absolutely push your shop for warranty support. This looks like a known issue, and it needs resolved before too much time goes by.
If you still can, and your shop won't provide warranty repair, you have my blessing to return the bike.
posted by workerant at 11:55 AM on July 8
If you still can, and your shop won't provide warranty repair, you have my blessing to return the bike.
posted by workerant at 11:55 AM on July 8
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posted by urbanlenny at 8:18 AM on July 5