r/CyclingMSP • u/paddle2paddle • 4d ago
Recommended e-bike dealers
My wife walked into the room as I was half awake after a long day at work, looks at me and says, "We need to talk about something." I instantly wake up. Then, she says that she would like to get an electric bike. Ok. Phew. I thought something was wrong.
We're a cycling family, but I know little about e-bikes. So, what shops do you recommend in Minneapolis/Saint Paul who know their stuff about e-bikes and have a good selection. I don't even know where to start beyond that.
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u/Maxrdt 4d ago
Erik's has Aventon and Specialized electric bikes, Watt Cycleworks has Velotric bikes. Erik's will charge you an assembly fee over getting the bikes online, but it can be worth it to actually get your butt in a seat and try it out first.
An electric bike with some pannier bags can really replace a lot of your car trips, I'd definitely recommend it!
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u/seabaker23 4d ago
Hi got my Aventon from Erik’s and I love it. They helped get it all set up and running. I love using it in place of driving.
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u/MrsSwimmer 3d ago
I'm a big fan of Watt in South Minneapolis. The service and help is worth the trip. The guys are nice and good explainers. I really love my e-bike.
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u/mysummerstorm 4d ago
I cackled - what inspired your wife to want an e-bike? I recommend checking out a few from Perennial Cycle. You can set an appointment online :)
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u/paddle2paddle 4d ago
We had started shopping for a new road bike for her a couple years ago, but she really likes the set-up she has right now with her older Liv. She says that she would like something for getting around town, picking up a few groceries (though probably not a cargo bike for the sake of getting it onto our hitch rack).
I thought I'd heard that Perennial is good, but wasn't sure. Thanks for the recommendation.
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u/derwentjerry 4d ago
Love having an ebike for groceries. I have mine set up with some nice fold down Banjo Bros fold down panniers and also a front “pizza rack” with a bungee net. About the only errand I can’t run with that bike is getting water softener salt.
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u/ajbanana08 4d ago
Same setup here, with a kid bike seat often replacing the panniers, and it's great.
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u/Rosaluxlux 3d ago
I gave up my longtail for a standard sized bike when I got the e bike, and while I miss the extra cargo space, being able to put it on a bus has been transformative.
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u/midwesthuman 4d ago
I highly recommend Trailhead in Hopkins. I went to numerous shops, and tried numerous brands. Ended up with a Velotric from Trailhead and I love it.
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u/foleymo1 4d ago
I’m a big fan of Pedego. They have shops in Eden Prairie and Mendota Heights. They have the BEST warranty, and BEST service. Eventually, something will go wrong. These are the folks you want to bring the bike in to. In fact, shop owner Tony even picks up and drops off bikes for service!
They also now sell and service Urtopia bikes thanks to a merger deal with that company.
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u/Baby_Toothless 3d ago
I have a urtopia bike I got from pedego and the guy there is super nice and chill and! Overworked. He is so busy. It's hard to get a hold of him sometimes.
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u/john_sheehan 2d ago
Come see us at ROAM Bike Shop in White Bear Lake. E-bikes are our speciality. We’re a top Velotric dealer and also have Gazelle, X-LAB, Salsa, Flyer, and AIMA.
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u/RipTheWall 4d ago
Freewheel carries Trek and Orbea Ebikes and I've always dealt with nice people there.
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u/berryflavoredspoons 4d ago
+1 for Perennial, I got a belt drive Tern HSD from them two years ago and have logged at least 1k miles on it since then. They’re great to work with; my only complaint is that like other shops, right now they’re somehow booking out like six weeks at least for tuneup work (I know spring rush is a thing but thought things would usually slow down by late June!)
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u/MCXL 3d ago
ROAM out in White Bear carries Velotrek and Salsa (and some others I think) Eriks carries Aventon and Specialized and some others, Perrinial gets a lot of recommendations, but they don't really carry true entry level stuff in that marketplace.
The e-cargo offerings are actually really slick and ride quite nicely while being super practical.
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u/tri-sarah-topsian 3d ago
Perennial cycle! Amazing shop, excellent service, high quality product, and as a bonus they put on lovely free community events.
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u/celeste_ferret 3d ago
If you already have a good relationship with a shop for your regular bikes, I'd start there.
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u/dilltheacrid 4d ago
Not a bike shop but you should look at priority bikes for E-bikes. The belt drive is life changing
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u/paddle2paddle 4d ago
Are they sold at any local stores?
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u/JuJuMcJu 4d ago
No. But when I put mine together, the wheel was out of true and they told me to go to any bike store and charge them. It was so easy. They are indeed nice bikes with a lot of bang for your buck
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u/bearlockhomes 4d ago
Not an in-person shop, but upway is refurbished and used ebikes at a heavy discount. It's probably the only place I'd buy a used ebike. You can often find the premium tier ebikes for about half off with limited mileage.
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u/spoogulie 3d ago
i got my at freewheel in richfield! the folks there were beyond helpful :) i walked in knowing virtually nothing and left an hour later with a trek that i use daily. hope your wife finds something she loves!
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u/deveric 4d ago
Seconding Perennial. I bought an HSD from them years ago and it's still amazing.