When’s The Best Time Of Year To Buy An E-Bike? [Bargain Hunters Guide]

When making any significant purchase, you want to know you’re making the best possible choices; when that purchase is an e-bike, this philosophy is even truer. 

People want to know that they are purchasing the right brand, model, best e-bike fit for their purpose, and, of course, the best price. So, when is the best time of year to buy an e-bike and what things should you consider before buying? Read on as we answer that question.

Best Months Of The Year To Buy A New E-bike

People typically split into two groups when purchasing an e-bike, those that are more impulsive and have to have the latest model and don’t worry about paying premium prices, and those that want quality at a friendly price point. The first group of people aren’t necessarily interested in when the best time to buy is, so this section is aimed at the people that are looking for a great bargain on a great e-bike.

Many people will look at the features an e-bike offers and compare against the latest models, this is great for finding the features that are important to you and seeing which models provide what you are looking for. 

Many e-bike retailers receive their new season stock in January, and this means that most retailers see the fall or early winter as the best time to start reducing current year’s stock in preparation for new models. This makes from the end of September to December a really good time to buy the most recently released model or even a previous model from last year or beyond to really see some savings. 

Many retailers are looking to make room for the next years’ e-bikes to come into their stock, ready for the new year. 

Purchasing a model from the most recent year is normally the best route to go because the e-bikes are not models that wouldn’t sell, or haven’t been sitting in a warehouse for the last few years without regular maintenance, affecting battery life, break tension, and causing potential future problems that will cost money to repair. 

Buyers must also be aware that severely discounted e-bikes are several years old typically and have struggled to sell for a reason. Be careful when looking for deals as often, something really can be too good to be true. Do a little research and find the average price point for certain brands and models so you can see if you really are getting a great deal. 

The e-bike industry certainly has some more well-known brands. However, this doesn’t mean you should focus your search there as many other great brands exist. Purchasing the right e-bike for your needs is an investment, and purchasing the correct one that has been looked after should cause problems even if it is last year’s model or the one before.

Benefits Of Buying Online vs. In-Store 

Both online and in-store purchases have their benefits and issues, if you are buying online, you need to make sure that you understand the terms used and any technical language as there often isn’t a helpful store assistant to go through all the technical jargon. 

In addition to relying on your own ability to research and understand, you need to know the correct type of e-bike and also the frame size. These are things that you can do in a physical store as you would be able to size up different frames and get recommendations from the in-store sales assistants. 

Buying online certainly has issues when compared to the extra help that you will receive in-store; however, the benefits of buying online far outweigh those issues. 

Some of the technical terms such as BMS (the Battery Management System), and not fully understanding what a break-kill switch is can be pretty scary until a little research reveals that squeezing the break will deactivate the motor, giving the rider further control over stopping and turning. 

A little research can fully de-mystify language that looks confusing, and by doing the research, you will actually learn a great deal about electric bikes, which will certainly help with understanding all the parts of your new purchase.

While some people greatly appreciate the assistance of store staff, sometimes the assistant’s help is not always altruistic. Ultimately they are often sales staff, this means they have sales targets to meet, and you can’t be entirely sure if they are persuading you to truly buy the right e-bike for you. 

By doing your research online, you can really see the best features for yourself and see what brands and which models are what you’re looking for and not be sold into buying an e-bike that you didn’t really want or might not be suitable for you. Buying online will also mean that you won’t be persuaded to go over your budget to inflate a salesperson’s commission. 

Not only that, but also shopping online gives you far more options than what you would receive in a store, they are limited to the stock they can order and store after all. The internet will allow you to access stores and manufacturers all over and buy directly from brands, offering you the best reason to buy online, lower prices.

Something to be aware of when buying online is to check and be sure that the online retailer unpackages, checks over the components and performs any adjustments or tune-up and then repackage the e-bike before it is shipped to you. 

This process will guarantee that your new e-bike is ready to go out of the box without a potential issue arising that you wouldn’t be aware of until it is too late, and you’re ready to ride. Many manufacturers insist that online retailers do this because of the different stages of shipping could potentially cause issues.

Online shopping has developed so far that nearly everything can be bought online, from groceries to holidays and everything in between. This online marketplace is great for both retailers, who save money on store premises, and consumers who benefit from the retailers lower costs.

How To Get Additional Saving When Buying An E-bike

To start with, there are typically three places that you can buy an e-bike in a physical store that you can go into and browse, ask questions and look at the e-bikes and feel them up close. 

These are the most expensive places because the stores have lots of costs to account for, such as premises, insurances, storage facilities, and wages. These costs are passed directly onto the consumer (you) through markups on the products. Walking into a store certainly has its convenience, however, this is the most expensive option and is dependant on the quality of service you receive in-store.

Then there are online retailers, these online stores operate in very similar ways to storefronts and will sell a selection of e-bikes from various brands. 

Being online, they will have slightly fewer overheads as they don’t often employ as many, or any, staff and don’t have a physical business store to operate and pay those costs.

 However, some of the larger online retailers may rent warehouse space, which will increase some of their costs, which then get passed to the consumer. While these types of stores have a great selection, they do still carry a markup as online stores will still need to make a profit.

Finally, there are the direct manufacturer sales, buying directly from the brand. This has many great benefits, with the main one being cost. Brands don’t need to justify paying additional costs and can pass those savings on to you. 

If you know the brand and model you want, it is always worth checking with the direct website of the manufacturer as these will often contain direct-to-customer sales.

For the more frugal, further savings can be made on purchasing second hand and refurbished e-bikes. As these aren’t brand new, they won’t have the same price point as newer models, and stores should be checking and making sure that resold e-bikes are fit to be sold and ridden again. 

This is a great way for many people to purchase their very first e-bike as they can pay a lower cost as they introduce themselves to the world of e-bikes.

Getting Started On Buying An E-Bike 

What is your budget?

This is one of the most important things to know about buying an e-bike. Find out what your budget is and stick to researching bikes in this range, there are plenty of fantastic bikes that offer great features available on all budgets.

Find the right sized e-bike

This should be fairly obvious but, one of the most common complaints is from people who did not check the frame size or ride height of the e-bike they purchased. The frame size and saddle position, ride height, handlebar position, height, and length are crucial to get correct when buying an e-bike. 

This is the difference between a comfortable ride and years of enjoyment and suffering through every time you ride. People should never underestimate the correct sizing when buying and make sure that you get the right-sized bike because it is so important to comfort.

What type of e-bike are you looking for? 

What are you looking for? Do you want a great way to commute to and from work or the shops and want to break free of short-distance vehicle pollution? Maybe you want to conquer the off-road trails of your local park or forest? Do the mountains seem the perfect playground? Do you want a model that can do it all? Knowing the answer to these questions will really help you narrow down your search for your perfect e-bike.

Finding The Right e-bike Warranty 

This does vary from brand to brand, some places will offer a standard one-year parts warranty, while others will offer a lifetime warranty on the frame only. 

Once you have found a few models you’re interested in, check to see what warranty is provided as these come in very handy for potentially expensive repairs or replacements, and it’s always best to get as much cover on an investment, like an e-bike, as possible.

Brands reputation  

Many people will be aware of the more common brands, many of these have a great reputation, while others, maybe less! 

The internet is such a valuable tool when it comes to research, people are sharing more and more information, and while you must always be careful what you read, it is a good indicator of the quality, service, and reputation offered by specific brands. Always remember that in a new and growing industry like e-bikes, those that don’t offer a great product with an excellent service won’t survive for long.