Anyone Else Annoyed By BS Influencer E-bike Reviews?

[lbz5mc12]

I know there are some really good e-bike reviewers on You Tube but they are greatly outnumbered by all the ride the bike one time and then sell it reviewers. There is so much misinformation being fed to consumers about e-bikes on YouTube. Does this bug anybody else?

 

[nicobie]

I've been doing this for a long time and I'll say that you have to take all info with a grain of salt. But any information is always useful one way or another

 

[neptronix]

Very, i absolutely never turn to youtube for any of this kind of advice, information quality is low; then again that's easy to avoid as i'm a DIYer.

It bugs me but at least we have a DIY haven

 

[E-HP]

A few have hill climbing "tests", and you see them grinding up the hill at 4 mph or so. They never mention that if you do that often you'll kill your bike. I see people doing that all the time when I look out the kitchen window. There's one that's been getting louder (crunchy sound) every time I see it, but come to think of it, I haven't seen it in a while. Most of the reviewers don't care since they're provided the bikes to test.

 

[docw009]

It has bugged me too, and I won't watch any more. Why give them clicks.

 

[richj8990]

Once upon a time, any informational media, be it a newspaper, radio, or TV would make a disclaimer saying that what they are promoting is also contributing to the show's parent company, via advertisements, donations, or similar. The internet basically destroyed that ethical integrity. It happens so often now that everyone may as well just assume whatever is being promoted is probably also helping that media's survival financially. It's a simple quid pro quo.

Yes, most of the ebike videos are complete garbage. One of them had a title I was very interested in, and I was hoping they would explain their test of a couple bikes and make some informative technical comments. 3 minutes into the video, he was still distracted by the ride and talking about everything under the sun except for the topic he was supposed to talk about in the video's title. Horrible. And then in other videos they will do some 'serious' test ride of an ebike...on level pavement. For like 2 minutes. My god, a little kid can do that! I really have not seen any good, long ebike climbs up the real stuff. I've done it and taped it, but my camera is pretty bad so I'll spare you. I may get a better motion negation camera later and see how much that improves the quality. It's really disappointing when there is a mid-drive test on pavement. It's just plain ridiculous if you ask me. Or the test is on some easy fire road. I want to see them climb a 20% grade! That's a real test.

You might want to check out EMBN for some videos on climbing: Electric Mountain Biking Network

This one is pretty cool: Climbing a Scottish Mountain

 

[marvin78]

I don't watch specific bike reviews and rely on what's said. Most of the people who 'review' their given ebike just ramble of the same pretexts.

I will watch video's on specific subjects, but not specific bikes. Say, a video about building a battery pack, or assembling a certain kit.

Most of the reviewers don't care since they're provided the bikes to test.

The one's who don't care aren't even the worst, the one's just going of their predetermined script are worse. YouTube is filled with 99.9% identical reviews for so many 'bikes' but none of them is able to answer specific questions in their comments or are even capable of correcting wrong information given by others.

 

[nicobie]

Yeah, It's hard to badmouth someone that has just given you something for free.

 

[amberwolf]

Yeah, It's hard to badmouth someone that has just given you something for free.

Not really. For instance, I did my best to be completely honest in my Fusin 1000w geared hubmotor review thread here:

Fusin 1000W peak Geared Hubmotor kit w/ Cassette Splines/FW

EDIT: Added pointers to various parts of the review: Initial receipt and opening of kit: http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=583257#p583257 http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=583426#p583426 Installation and comments on various parts...

endless-sphere.com

But I'm not exactly normal....

 

[2old]

Some have container loads of free bikes in their garages. They wouldn't have them if they didn't provide positive reviews, so their thoughts are worthless (to me).

 

[nicobie]

But I'm not exactly normal....

Thank god that there are exceptions.

AW for the win

 

[Bush mechanic]

When I first began contemplating building an ebike in 2010 they were not yet cool enough for influencers plus my dial-up connection didn't let me access YouTube even if there had been any relevant content. Landing here and spending the next 10 years reading and learning has given me the ability to filter out the BS, but I feel sorry for the average person who is coming into this game now as it is very hard to figure out who to trust.

It's like anything though. There is money to be made, and if you can dazzle people and make them feel like they need something, will be cooler or safer if they have something, or like they are buying into some exclusive club you can get them to buy anything from tulips to disposable carbon fibre ebikes.

I get just get angry watching YouTube "product reviews" so I avoid them.

 

[amberwolf]

I like the ones at Technology Connections, but they're not exactly "reviews".

https://www.youtube.com/@TechnologyConnections

 

[lbz5mc12]

Also I feel that manufacturers and sellers don't want an in depth long term review. I've noticed that a lot of prefab e-bikes only last until just outside the warranty then they start to have mechanical and electrical issues. I've also noticed all the garages etc. full of unused e-bikes they end up with. It's painful to see being a diy-er and modifier myself. I look at all those bikes and imagine the projects I could build out of them.

 

[The Madmadscientist]

Also I feel that manufacturers and sellers don't want an in depth long term review. I've noticed that a lot of prefab e-bikes only last until just outside the warranty then they start to have mechanical and electrical issues. I've also noticed all the garages etc. full of unused e-bikes they end up with. It's painful to see being a diy-er and modifier myself. I look at all those bikes and imagine the projects I could build out of them.

I think that most of the fake reviewers sell the bikes afterwards. This way they get paid twice.

 

[lbz5mc12]

I think that most of the fake reviewers sell the bikes afterwards. This way they get paid twice.

Oh yeah they do. Some of them even set up websites where they sell the bikes.