Aug 22 2021 Update #2: My wife’s White Step-Thru 2.0 appeared unannounced Sunday 8am. I never got the FedEx shipping label that is usually sent a few days prior. But we are happy since Sunday was the day we were going to celebrate her birthday with family. It took 8 weeks for us to receive our e-bikes, one week longer than listed on their website. In hindsight, perhaps the lead time they list is for the shipping label to be sent. The bike arriving a week later. Finally, we can both hit the road – we are happy with the bikes but they are hefty at 63lbs each.
Aug 15 2021 Update #1: It’s finally here! At least my Black XP 2.0 is, still waiting on my wife’s White Step-Thru 2.0. It was ordered a week later so hopefully she’ll get it one week later, in time for her birthday. I was skeptical that FedEx would deliver my e-bike on a Sunday but by 12:30PST it was on our porch. The box is huge and really heavy. There is a lot of packing wrapping every component and it appears to have arrived without any issues. I charged it yesterday for a little over 4hrs and am ready for my first ride. The front disc brake scraps slightly when I lift the front wheel and spin the tire. But I am hopeful that it will break in (pun intended) as I ride it a few miles. Now if only the shipping label for my wife’s will arrive. Note: I received the shipping label notification Friday and got the bike Sunday. Phoenix isn’t far from San Diego so the deliver was fast. Stay tuned for more info on the White Step-Thru delivery & riding adventures.
After watching a variety of e-bike videos on YouTube, we decided on the Lectric XP 2.0 e-bikes due to the favorable reviews. They aren’t the lightest folding e-bike at 63lbs but, for the price, seem like “best-bang-for-the-buck”. I ordered a Black XP 2.0 Folding Fat Tire E-bike on lectricebikes.com for $999, the most I wanted to spend on my first e-bike. I’ve ridden another brand of e-bike (Ecotric) and found it fun. E-biking has a bit of a learning curve on how to start/stop & corner safely, plus turning off peddle-assist. YouTube reviewers also recommended the comfort seat upgrade for a more comfortable ride and offered a discount code for 20% off. So I added the seat & cargo package to my order. This was going to be a late Father’s Day gift, ordering Jun 18 2021.
I considered waiting till I received mine before buying one for my wife. She’d have a chance to try mine out and see if it worked for her. BUT with a 7-week lead time (at the time of our order, 4-weeks now in early Aug), we changed our mind and I ordered her a White Step-Thru with comfort seat & mirrors Jun 26 2021, as an Aug birthday gift. I got confirmation email receipts showing my credit card was charged the full amount for both right away. So now we wait 7 weeks to get our FedEx Tracking numbers. Mine should ship early August, her’s a week later, in time for her birthday.
The comfort seats for both orders came first, mine July 23, and my wife’s Aug 3rd. These were expected since they were in stock July so shipping within 4-weeks of ordering. The cargo package was listed as shipping in August.
Well it’s been over 7 weeks (Aug 10 2021) and I still haven’t received my tracking label. The only contact from Lectric was an email after 4 weeks offering expedited shipping for an additional $150/bike. They would put it on a plane (“limited space so act quick – they’re actually paying part of the cost”) and I would receive my bike in less time. But we didn’t want to spend anymore and thought that the 7-week delay was acceptable since we agreed to wait that long.
I sent customer service an email inquiry using the link in the receipt and …crickets – no reply. So I finally called them today (Aug 10th) and the rep blamed it on FedEx. Saying they were moving the shipping of bikes from Los Angeles to Phoenix cause FedEx could ship them faster from Arizona. “One – two week additional delay for our orders” she says. So now we have to wait even longer.
Funny, after mentioning I sent an email and got no response to the rep on the phone. I got an email response just a bit later repeating the same 1 – 2 week dealy. So I think they are trying, probably overwhelmed by the growth of their business. Still if you are going to specify a 7-week delay – 7 weeks – it shouldn’t turn into 10 weeks, 2 1/2 months. But according to the Lectric XP Facebook Group, 12-14 weeks is common. There’s A LOT of bitching on Facebook about the time it takes to get one so I guess I’m just one of many.
Based on this experience and trying to be patient in the “Covid-era”, I’m reconsidering my decision. There are a lot of e-bikes out there. If you want one within a reasonable amount of time, order something other than the Lectric e-bikes. A similar price-spec’d Ecotric e-bike can be ordered and arrive in a few days. Plus, in the two months since I ordered, there are more to choose from, some priced cheaper, and some with the same “bang-for-the-buck” awesomeness. Stay tuned for updates – see update 1 above^^^.
