Merax 26” Aluminum Electric Mountain Bike 7 Speed E-Bike, 36V Lithium Battery 350W Electric Bicycle for Adults

I don't care who you are, spending this much money on something without having the chance to see it is a risk, so I am putting up this in-depth review in the hopes that it helps you.First things first, some background (tl;dr crowd, skip this paragraph and go to what interests you below): I'm a daily commuter who bikes to work (about eight miles, round trip). I use a combination of roads and bike paths (paved) and have used this bike in the heat, cold, rain, and sun. I don't have a lot of experience with bikes, and growing knee pain was one of the reasons I was looking for a new bicycle. The $700 price point was great, and much lower than most ebikes, scooters, or motorcycles (all secondary options for me). Alright, moving on to the actual review.Pros:- Full power, pedal assist, and manual- Decent battery life- Powerful front light (though can only be turned on and off, no flashing or patterns)- Solid construction and framework- Free, professional assembly- Works in all weather, even rainCons:- Grips and seat are a little uncomfortable- Poor power when going uphill- No rear light- Pedal circumference seems a little small- Heavy, especially if you have to carry it up the stairs- Battery life decreases in cold-- Specifics --Full mode:This ebike allows for you to run it without having to pedal. This mode is started by turning on the bike and simply pushing down the trigger on the left handle with your thumb. The trigger is a little uncomfortable, but the design does keep your finger from slipping off. The bike accelerates evenly up to around 20 mph, which is a lot of fun when you first start using it. This is the mode I primarily use, and it has been fantastic commuting with it. The only issues I have are when going uphill, the power decreases you end up going slower than you would if you pedaled on a normal bike.Pedal Assist:If you turn on the bike, it enters Pedal Assist, presenting five different power levels for you to use. As long as you don't press down the accelerator, it will assume you're using pedal assist. I'm not a huge fan of this, but I also don't really use the pedal assist function. Having the different power options seems helpful, but the first four levels seem slow to me, but again, I don't really use this function.Manual Biking:Like I mentioned before, I don't tend to use this outside of the fully automatic mode, but the bike seems to pedal just fine. The gears have a wide range, so you should be able to find something comfortable for you to pedal in, but with only seven gears, you can't dial it in like on a 21-speed. The pedals also seem a little close together for my taste, which makes it feel a bit uncomfortable, but I'm also coming from a very different bike and don't really know what's standard, so I'm by no means an expert here. In my opinion though, if you're buying an ebike, the pedaling should only be a failsafe in case the battery dies, in which case, they'll get the job done for you. (I'm also seeing some people asking about pedaling while the bike's not on: yes, you can pedal whether the bike is on or off.)Battery and battery life:The battery on this bike is definitely good. I can make it to and from work (about 8 miles round trip) twice on a single charge, but that's only if the weather is good. When its cold, the battery takes a hit and loses charge faster. That being said, there's been no issues with just charging the bike every night to a full charge and not worrying about it. The battery comes off really easily (provided you have the key), which allows for easy charging of it if you don't want to or can't bring the bike inside for whatever reason. My one big issue with the battery is that the power indicator uses the power output to assess how charged the battery is. This can result in it appearing lower than it really is when going uphill, which tends to knock one to two ticks off the charge every time. Once you're used to it though, it's no big deal. The only thing that bothered me about the battery was charging it: in the manual, it says that when plugging in the battery, the light will turn red, then green when charged, but I couldn't find such a light. There are lights on the battery itself, but you have to push a small button and they don't seem super reliable. It took me a couple times to realize the light is on the charger itself, not on the battery. You also can charge the battery for a while after the light turns green, the manual suggests one or two hours extra to fully charge it, which seems like not the best or most informative design, but if you're charging over night, who really cares.Comfort:The handles are definitely a little uncomfortable. They're rubber, but with no extra padding built in, it can be jarring going over even small bumps or uneven roads. The seat isn't the most comfortable either, but of course that can be easily replaced for anyone who isn't as lazy as I am. The shock absorption leaves something to be desired (and I'm biking on paved roads), but it's not a frequent enough problem for me to even care about.Technical:The brakes, gears, and general functionality of the bike are fine. Because of how heavy it is, it can be a little sluggish to slow down and stop, but you get a feel for it. All of the electronic components work well and have a pretty intuitive interface. There's a horn (though it's really more of a high-pitched, mechanical whine) as well; the button is just below the trigger for the accelerator. Additionally, the headlamp can be positioned easily with basic tools and is super bright, which is great if you're commuting on busy roads or biking a lot at night. However, the light doesn't flash, which I know a lot of bikers prefer on busy roads.-- Final Thoughts --Ultimately, this bike has been great for me. My commute to work has been shortened because of the speed this bike can reach, and the ride itself is a lot of fun. It's way cheaper than a motorcycle or scooter, and if you're in the city, it works just as well. The weight can be a bit of a problem as it dampens the handling and makes it harder to walk the bike around. The free assembly was entirely worth it, and made my life a lot easier. The company doing the shipping was pretty slow, and I finally got the bike several weeks after I had initially ordered it, but in their defense, they did contact me through Amazon to let me know that they were going to be delayed shipping it out and offered to cancel for a full refund.Anyone looking to ease their commute would be hard pressed to find a better ebike at this price point.

I haven't ridden a bike in probably 10 or 15 years, but wanted to commute to work 5.5 miles each way in Brooklyn. I would categorize myself as lazy athletic (Why wouldn't you just buy a regular bike, why go electric? Cause I want to get to work with as fast as possible with as little effort as I can!) I bought this a month ago and have had mixed results.I'll list the gear and add-ons I bought at the end, but I've thrown an extra $300 into this bike, most of which I see as necessities.Cons:-Tires absolutely suck. I got a flat from a tiny staple on my 3rd day. I bought a shield that goes between the tube and the tire and my wife took the bike out to the park the next day and caught a flat. I switched over to some Schwinn Kevlar tires and immediately the bike felt sturdier. I think the original ones were actually lumpy.-As others have mentioned, the power almost immediately diminished. The first two days of my commute, I used the throttle almost exclusively. I was zipping past bike riders decked in full bodysuit gear without so much as a courtesy-pedal. Now, I'm using pedal assist and the throttle just doesn't have much kick at all. I barely go faster than if I walk the bike. Even if not I'm using the throttle often, this is still a big deal for me because I use it to get out of jams if I need to slow down and then speed up quickly.-Derailleur is busted. I don't know if it was damaged in shipping, but having no recent experience riding a bike I didn't realize all my gears were broken until about a week of riding (pedal assist still kicked in and I was keeping the bike on the highest gear, which was the one that did work). I took it into a shop to get fenders and a rack installed and had him look at it. He told me it looked like the bike was dropped on the derailleur (which I had not done) and it bent. He fixed it, but I still have trouble changing gears. I don't know if it's just cheaply made or damaged in shipping or what, but I basically only use 2 gears right now, high gear and a middle gear, 3 or 4.-A little too small. I bought a handlebar extender so I wouldn't have to hunch over but still lean forward. I'm 6'3 and read the reviews of many different bikes to make sure I would fit. The handlebar extenders made this comfortable, but maybe not completely ideal.-It's heavy for a bike. And it's light. I know, a little contradictory. I have to lug this up 5 flights of stairs some days, and as someone passably athletic (I do ride an electric bike, after all), it's doable. I ran out of batteries and even going mostly downhill, it was like riding through molasses.- 22 miles sounds a lot farther than it is. I need to recharge my battery after every commute. If I decide to go out after work or for a ride, I need to be careful about where I'm going. Personally, I don't think I will have any issues if I charge the battery every night, but I have a very short commute. Others reading this might not. By the way, when my batteries ran out, it was fully charged Friday morning, and died Sunday afternoon after 22 miles, so the description is accurate, at least for a month in.Pros:+ Yes, this does exactly what I want. I want a bike to get from home to work and back again. If I want to take it out beyond that, that's a testament to how good this is.+ This got me out and riding. For all the snarky comments my friends have made about getting a regular bike, I never would have. This was basically training wheels for getting back into riding and it's been pretty great. Commuting is fun! And fast!+ It's very customizable. I don't know if every bike is like this, but I can swap out a lot of the parts pretty easily.+ It looks good. Sleek, stylish. I get comments and questions about it often.+For all the negatives above, I am hoping I can address each of them. I'd like to keep this bike for a while and will put work into it. Mostly that derailleur!+Price. I don't think I saw anything even remotely close to this price point, at least that would fit my size. With all the gear I added, I still don't think it approached anything near what I saw in stores.+ Now my wife wants one.Ultimately, this bike is a good fit for me. It's not that powerful but I have no intention of weaving in and out of traffic. This lets me keep up with traffic, which is exactly what I want. It's faster than a regular bike, slower than a food delivery bike. I enjoy my commute and it's well worth the price. If I could go back and do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I might look a little harder at some of the higher watt models. But I am 100% satisfied about my purchase and have no regrets.Gear:$19.99 ea | Schwinn Bike Replacement Tire with Kevlar (26 inch x 1.95 inch) black, hybrid/comforthttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088X3VL6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1$17.99 | Trenztek 0-60 Degree 90 mm Adjustable Bicycle Handlebar Extender MTB Bike Stem Riser Head Up Raiserhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5MAFZB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1$21 | I think they're Tuffy tire shields. Bought them at the store and didn't keep the box. They go between the tire and the tube to help prevent flats. I'm not convinced they work because I got a flat the day after installing them. Still, they are probably better than nothing.$110 | Fenders and a rack, including install. The shop also looked at my derailleur and installed the bike shields in that price.$13.99 | Ohuhu Bike Cover Waterproof Outdoor Bicycle Cover for Mountain and Road Bikeshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018Q6RML4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1$9.75ea | Bell Standard and Self Sealing Bike Tubeshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B697OHQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1$23.98 | Vibrelli Mini Bike Pump & Glueless Puncture Repair Kit - Fits Presta & Schrader - 120 PSI - No Valve Changing Neededhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010JFWDHS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1$21.99 | Schwinn Thrasher Lightweight Microshell Bicycle Helmet Featuring 360 Degree Comfort System with Dial-Fit Adjustment, Sizes for Adults, Youth, and Childrenhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00012M5MS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1$49.99 | TOURBON Water-Resistant Canvas Laptop Bag Bike Messenger Pannier Backpack Shoulder Briefcase (for 13" Laptop)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JB7H64Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1$16.88 | ROCK BROS 1.6L Large Bike Saddle Bags with Water Bottle Pouch Waterproof Bike Bags Under Seat Pack for Mountain Road Bicycles Storage Repair Kit Tools Gearhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDWMG87/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1