How to buy an electric bike on the internet

All your Riese & Muller e-bike questions answered

How to buy an electric bike on the internet

The rise of the internet has been great for consumers, giving access to huge choice and the ability to compare products and prices. But this can create massive confusion, and trying to select the right bike and comparing like for like can be almost impossible.

I have used this blog to talk through the best way to go about purchasing an electric bike. And whilst internet research is great, you can’t beat a short-cut to get the answers you need. Whilst I am an authorised specialist dealer for Riese & Müller in the UK, this content is still relevant if you are thinking of buying a Haibike, Specialized or any other brand of electric bike on the market today.

I have split the process into 4 key phases;

  • Phase 1: Online research supported by product experts
  • Phase 2: Find a dealer and try some bikes
  • Phase 3: Specify exactly the bike you want
  • Phase 4: Delivery, set-up and hand-over

Phase 1: Online research supported by product experts

When I first got interested in electric bikes I spent endless evenings and lunch hours getting to grips understanding how an e-bike works, the different batteries, motors and manufacturers available under the broad term of ‘electric bikes’. Once I thought I understood exactly what I would need, I made my first electric bike from parts I bought on Alibaba, and a donor bike I purchased at Go-outdoors. The research phase took me at least 3 months, but more like a year if I am being honest. 

Once built up, the combination of the all the components I had purchased,  gave me a bike which was very different to the image I had built in my mind from my reading. But my money was spent, so I made the best of it.

My second bike was made from a conversion kit purchased in the UK but using a popular Chinese motor, controller and battery brand. Again, the idea was good but the application and delivery was poor.

My third bike was a mainstream brand which I bought online from a european distributor offering a great price. The delivery was awful, the bike was ‘lost’ for about a month. When it arrived, it needed building and the ride and feel whilst good, was not what I had imagined. Returning it was not an option as I had covered 20 miles on my first ride and the bike was now used.

I currently ride Riese & Müller Delite GT Rohloff, and none of my previous bikes even come close in ride quality of ride or build. But to get to this point I spent about £10,000 and it took me roughly 4 years. If I had known it would take me this long and cost this much, I would have started by purchasing my dream bike straight away.

I now offer my customers the benefit of the experience and the knowledge I have gained, free of charge. This can help you save a fortune and radically reduce the research cycle, and ensure you get the right bike first time.

Phase 2: Find a dealer and try some bikes

This is when you find out if all your research has been a complete waste of time! It’s unlikely, it will be a complete waste, but there will be a check of reality against the image you have built up of an electric bike. You trip to a specialist e-bike retailer is a critical step, which is missed if buying online, which can help you save a lot of money in the long run. 

Plus, it is better to try the bike at your local bike retailler who will be equipped for you to try different bikes, rather than ordering on-line with the view of returning it if it’s not what you wanted. Remember, you will be liable for the cost of return for an item purchased online and it must returned un-used and in it’s original packaging. That doesn’t sound like much of a deal to me.

A lot of the time we find customers arriving to try a particular style or specification of bike, then go on to order something completely different!

We offer our customers the opportunity of a two hour test ride guided by our in house Riese & Müller expert for a cost of £95 which is refunded against the purchase of a new bike. A two hour session like this can be the best way to ride more than one bike in a real world situation and whilst gaining valuable product knowledge.

Phase 3: Specify exactly the bike you want

When buying online, you are essentially looking at stock which has previously been specified by dealers and it is their job to try and work out the most popular configurations and stock these. This is a lot easier when the product range is limited like many of the mass produced brands. For example, you will find each model of bike only comes in one colour way, with one configuration of gears and no options. 

Riese and Müller allow you the choice of colours, gears and options so you can choose what you actually wanted. As an example, the Riese & Müller Superdelite/Delite range has 60 different size, colour and gearing variations in the 2020 line-up before you even start to consider the list of options available. So the likelyhood of finding the exact bike you wanted in stock is going to be pretty slim. 

Unlike any other manufacturer, Riese & Müller offer customers a factory order option. Factory ordering is a simple process and allows you to specifiy any combination of bike in the catalogue and have it built for you. Once ordered, your bike will likely arrive in the showroom in 3-4 weeks. We specialise in this option as we believe it is important to get the right bike as it is likely to be an investment to last many years.

Phase 4: Delivery, set-up and hand-over

If you have ever bought a bike on-line you’ll know this means booking at least half a day off work to wait for a courier delivery. And when the bike arrives you will need a torque wrench, pedal spanner, allen and torx bits, to fit the pedals, adjust the handle bars, shifters, brake levers. You’ll also need to do a saftey check on the bike to ensure nothing has been damaged during transportation. In addition you will need to understand how a bike should be set-up for the most comfortable ride, including the adjustment of suspension.

As part of our service, we offer to personally deliver bikes up to 2 hours away at no additional charge. We will work with you to find a mutually agreable time for delivery, and when we get to you, we will spend time configuring your bike and running through the controls. Most importantly, we will take away the packaging so you don’t have to deal with the disposal.

Give us a try, you will be pleseantly surprised.

We can be contacted 7 days a week 9am-5pm on 01453 834300. Or email us any questions [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Alice A.
Alice A.
1684740087
I came across these guys as I couldn't find a stockist in Scotland who did the bike I was looking for. From the get go the staff were really helpful, I mostly dealt with Jen, they didn't bat an eyelid at my many requests and changes including delivery to central Scotland - working around my timescales. Brilliant service!
Neale B.
Neale B.
1683894820
Great service from choosing the correct model to delivery and tuition - all part of the service which is Platinum
Preston S.
Preston S.
1682507724
Lots of good advice, no pressure and plenty of opportunity to road test bikes. I was on a break in Glos and called in to EDEMO, having previously watched a number of their very useful you tube videos about Riese & Muller bikes. Two days later my chosen stock bike was prepared and paid for and a week later delivered to my address in Cumbria. Faultless. A pleasure dealing with them. The bike is great too!I would recommend.Thank you
Michael D.
Michael D.
1682274189
Excellent service. Dan guided me through all the choices, Jen organised the delivery and kept me updated, and AJ delivered the bike and got me set up and going. The team let me know I can come back to them anytime for any help or support I might need.
Mike R.
Mike R.
1681987430
I had a test ride booked and was pointed to a very steep hill to try the bike on and then a reasonably flat cycle-way to give me an idea of different riding scenarios. Enjoyable test ride. Got back to the shop and had a talk about the bikes and tried a different model. I got some very helpful advice, decided on the bike and purchased it. They delivered the bike to my home and spent some time running through all the features and adjustments I could make. Very happy with the bike and the service from Edemo.
Mike M.
Mike M.
1677260519
Nice shop, good selection and helpful staff, good place to buy a bike.
John H.
John H.
1675859607
It was such a pleasure to buy my bike from Edemo after years of dealing only with internet based suppliers. I used the Bristol based office/workshop and enjoyed the entirely personal service provided by AJ who also delivered my bike to me when it was ready and explained how to operate and maintain it. In particular I felt reassured that Edemo would continue to provide support during my ownership of the bike. Great service throughout!
Charlotte C.
Charlotte C.
1675791717
Dan and the team at EDEMO were super helpful in getting my new bike sorted. We found them really knowledgeable, and honest in how they helped me choose; finding something that would be exactly suited to what I needed, not just the most expensive option in the shop. The process of trying out bikes and chatting through everything was enjoyable. For me, the Riese & Muller range that they stock encompassed great options. Using only one supplier did make the process more straightforward than at other places as EDEMO could provide a wider range of options rather than just having lots of very similar bikes from different suppliers. Dan was helpful in organising what we needed so we could use the cycle-to-work scheme. The pick up process was thorough and thoughtful, making sure I had everything I needed and knew all the ins and outs of the bike.
Mark A.
Mark A.
1675435853
A top team! Really know their products, are willing to invest the time in helping you understand them as well. One of the best sales and service experiences I’ve ever gone through! Now bought two bikes from them! Just cannot fault any aspect of their service delivery.
Timm
Timm
1674989277
Another 5* review from me.If you were on the fence of spending the extra £££ on a R&M, visit the shop and test ride one of their bikes. They seem to have most, if not all their models in store.Very friendly service too :).
Ben R.
Ben R.
1674056195
Excellent purchase process with no pressure. Edemo were patient and happy that I wanted to try many different makes of cargo bike before deciding which one to purchase.. In my view, for my needs, the R and M Load 75 was superior in all respects. Since purchase the bike has exceeded my expectations
Isabel B.
Isabel B.
1673467673
We received absolutely brilliant customer service from Edemo. They all have really in depth knoweldge about the different bikes so could answer any question. We could test ride any bike we wanted which is so important. They were really accomodating with our Bike to Work scheme. When we bought the bike it was delivered with a really in depth handover, and after sales support is very helpful. Can't fault them!
m W
m W
1672337321
Very helpful staff in the Nailsworth shop (even though I came on the wrong day)Was able to try three different models and different setups which was invaluable and meant making the right choice of bike was easy.The R and M website is good but being able to try and chat about the various models and options made sense of it all. The Edemo website is also extremely helpful.Ordering was very easy and delivery happened when they said it would. When the bike was delivered it was all set up with a couple of small adjustments done on the spot.I would happily recommend Edemo to anyone.
Paul B.
Paul B.
1671735666
A really excellent service, especially from the workshop team who had no problem ordering extra parts from Germany and helping me make changes to the Multicharger I bought from them.I would highly recommend Edemo to anyone looking to purchase a Riese and Muller Ebike. With so many things in life the back-up and after sales service is key, especially with an investment such as one of these excellent bikes.
Katherine P.
Katherine P.
1671395084
Excellent all round service . Really knowledgeable about all things electric ! I can’t recommend enough .
Benjamin B.
Benjamin B.
1670711970
Amazing service from wonderful people who assisted me in purchasing an e-bike. Every request was fully explained, and nothing was too much trouble. Thank you very much, Team.
Julian B.
Julian B.
1670683515
Thanks to Dan, Jen and AJ. Great doing business with you and thank you for your ongoing support. The Tinker is an amazing eBike which is easily carrying me and my things around 70 miles each week as I commute across Bristol. Great to do business with you. Thank you!
Sayed H
Sayed H
1669291794
Really good experience, Johan was great, he let me test ride some amazing ebikes which helped me decide which models suited me best, a lovely showroom and location too.
Boo and M.
Boo and M.
1667656037
What a breath of fresh air it has been, talking with Dan about R&M bikes. His knowledge is vast, his patience and humour, to be praised, from the first initial enquiry, to the delivery of my fantastic bike. Thank you 😁
Liam P.
Liam P.
1667504289
Great crew providing excellent service! Have even taken the time to discuss things I would describe as outside their remit - ex. having the little one on the back, insurance etc
Gareth E.
Gareth E.
1667399525
Excellent service and advice. Test ride was greatly appreciated as was Dan looking after Walter (my dog) whilst I had the test ride!
Paul B.
Paul B.
1665916010
Tremendous knowledge and service. I’m so pleased we went with EDEMO for our bike purchase. I really can’t recommend enough!
Steve C.
Steve C.
1665560253
Bike is great everything I expected, typical excellent German quality of design and manufacture.The service received from Dan and his team was 1st Class, friendly, knowledgeable and professional.Thoroughly recommend both the product and EDEMO.
Peter M.
Peter M.
1665497553
All worked well and am happy with the bike as well as the support from Dan's team. There is quite a lot to learn because the bike is a step up from previous electric bike that I have had but the result is very good and I am still learning.
David S.
David S.
1665252882
Excellent all round buying experience. Dan was really helpful going through options no hard sell or pressure too buy. We visited his shop twice and test rode any of the bikes as many times as we liked. Nailsworth has good test ride conditions and good lunch stop for a nice day out. We bought 2 charger 4’s didn’t really want to spend that much money but they are already paying back as the car is parked up for many of our trips a 20 mile trip is quite easy now, we live rural with big hills. Bikes took about 3 months to come so if your thinking about it get your order in. They were delivered by AJ who gave us a good briefing. If you want a R &M get it here if your no sure go test ride one.
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DualBattery 1250

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DualBattery Technology perfected by Riese & Müller ensures twice the range or far higher climbs, fewer charging breaks and longer-lasting riding pleasure.

With the 1,250 Wh now available, completely new destinations can be reached and you no longer have to worry about the range in your daily routine.

DualBattery 1000

dual-battery-1000

DualBattery Technology perfected by Riese & Müller ensures twice the range or far higher climbs, fewer charging breaks and longer-lasting riding pleasure. With the 1,000 Wh available, completely new destinations can be reached and you no longer have to worry about the range in your daily routine.

Additional Chain Lock with Bag

Additional chain lock with bag

The sturdy Abus chain lock, in addition to the Abus Shield frame lock, provides twice the security for your E-Bike. The 130 cm long chain is latched onto the frame lock and you can quickly lock your bike to the nearest lamppost or lock it together with up to three other bikes. The chain thickness of 6 mm ensures a high level of anti-theft protection.

Especially practical: frame lock, chain lock and battery lock all use the same key. The bag is firmly attached to the saddle and allows quick and easy removal of the chain lock thanks to its ergonomic shape and Fidlock magnetic closure.

Please note: for smaller frame sizes the lowest saddle position may not be usable when the lock bag is fitted.

Smartphone Hub Cockpit

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The Bosch SmartphoneHub and free app turns your smartphone into an E-Bike display which combines smart navigation with live weather, fitness data and much more. Your smartphone’s standard functions are perfectly integrated and can be operated from the handlebar. The Bosch SmartphoneHub is just as perfectly integrated into the tidy minimalist cockpit with internal cabling and adjustable stem angle. And if you leave your smartphone at home, the permanently fixed display also shows the key riding data.

Please note: This option is not compatible with rohloff and HS models.

Bosch eBike ABS

With Riese & Müller Control Technology you are sporty, safe and comfortable on the road. In addition, the ABS option ensures optimum control even in the event of sudden braking. It prevents tires from slipping, the rear wheel lifting and the whole bike skidding out to the side. The proven technology from the world of cars and motorcycles is now also available for your E-Bike.

Please note: This option is not compatible with rohloff models.

GX option with Fox suspension

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Air suspension upgrade (Fox Float)

The Fox Float air suspension fork with 140 mm travel offers optimum riding conditions for discerning cyclists. The GRIP damping system reliably absorbs shocks from stones, sticks or roots lying on the way and effortlessly compensates for unevenness. With 15 finely adjustable rebound damping levels, this excellently manufactured air suspension fork can be tuned to any undertaking – whether uphill, downhill, field and forest tracks or asphalt.

GX Option

If you like riding your E-Bike off-road, then simply equip it with a first-class off-road package. The Suntour Aion air suspension fork with 140 mm travel reliably absorbs shocks and effortlessly compensates for any unevenness on the terrain. The solid tire studs on the shoulders of the Schwalbe Johnny Watts tires guarantee outstanding grip, especially when cornering. The wide VP 538 flat pedals provide grip for your feet. The sporty saddle an the adjustable X-Fusion Manic seatpost simply make off-road riding an absolute joy.

AIR SUSPENSION UPGRADE

air-suspension-upgrade-fox-float
Air suspension upgrade (Fox Float)

The Fox Float air suspension fork with 140 mm travel offers optimum riding conditions for discerning cyclists. The GRIP damping system reliably absorbs shocks from stones, sticks or roots lying on the way and effortlessly compensates for unevenness. With 15 finely adjustable rebound damping levels, this excellently manufactured air suspension fork can be tuned to any undertaking – whether uphill, downhill, field and forest tracks or asphalt.

REAR CARRIER

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Rear carrier for Riese & Muller bikes - as standard

Your cargo is co-sprung by attaching the carrier to the main frame and Control Technology. Vibrations and hard impacts, such as on cobblestones or pavement edges, are simply smoothed out, increasing riding safety even with a heavy load. The carrier is equipped with the Basil MIK system. Baskets and panniers can be fixed to it with a single click. This extraordinarily stable system lets you quickly swap bicycle accessories fitted with a MIK adapter plate. Accessories can be obtained from EDEMO Electric Bikes.

Pannier rack

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Pannier rack for Riese & Muller bikes

The minimalist pannier rack is ideal for fixing panniers weighing up to 5 kg each. The rear and brake lights are unobtrusively integrated into it. The “Form follows function” design principle has been exceptionally well executed with the pannier rack.

Front carrier rack with Bag

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Riese & Muller front carrier rack with bag

Keep on the move and still have everything with you. You can secure up to 5 kg of luggage on the front carrier, which is fixed to the frame and hence benefits from the bike’s full suspension, perfectly protecting your cargo from knocks and bumps. The bag offers space for a volume of up to 18 litres. Thanks to the zipper and roll closure, your transported goods are perfectly protected from dirt and rain. The bag can be removed quickly and easily and becomes a shoulder bag using the strap supplied. You can safely store smaller items in the two outer pockets equipped with waterproof zippers.

Front Carrier

Riese & Muller Front Carrier
Riese & Muller Front Carrier

Being sporty when out and about – and yet still having everything you need with you. You can secure up to 5 kg of luggage on the front carrier, fixed to the frame and hence co-sprung, perfectly protected from knocks and bumps. Bungee cords secure a sleeping bag, small sports bag or provisions in place in no time at all. And you’ll come to appreciate your front luggage carrier just as quickly.

Comfort Kit

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Comfort Kit on the Homage

The perfect option for anyone wanting to ride in greater comfort: the classically curved handlebars and wider saddle enable you to sit comfortably in an upright position.

The Kiox Display

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Kiox Display shown on the Riese-and Muller Charger3

The Kiox display is perfectly integrated into the cockpit: the internal cabling creates a tidy, minimalist appearance. The adjustable angle of the stem lets you choose from a sportier or more upright seating position. The Kiox display includes different training modes and is perfect to use with tactile pressure points on the control unit. Heart rate monitors can be linked by Bluetooth. The scratch-resistant Gorilla glass makes the small Kiox exceptionally robust. Map-free navigation (only in conjunction with a smartphone) completes the features of the Kiox.

No cockpit (Intuvia Display)

The E-Bike is equipped as standard with the Bosch Intuvia display, giving you full control and a perfect overview at all times. It provides information about battery status, range, daily mileage, total mileage, ride time, current motor power, time, speed and average speed – clearly legible in any level of sunlight. It is operated by a control unit conveniently mounted on the handlebar grip.

The Nyon Display

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Nyon display unit shown here on the Riese & Muller Multicharger

The Nyon display is perfectly integrated into the cockpit: the internal cabling creates a tidy, minimalist appearance. The adjustable angle of the stem lets you choose between a sportier or more upright seating position. The Nyon display ensures that you are fully connected and ideally equipped with navigation for every tour or day-to-day ride. The colour display, with its intuitive touch function, is very simple to use and, thanks to being robust and easy-to-read, is guaranteed to get you to your destination in any weather. The user interface can be customised to your needs.