I’m interested in buying one but have been a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of brands that have seemingly appeared overnight. Can you recommend any specific companies?
As long as the bike has those three things sorted it's probably safe. Note that these things don't come cheap, so any e-bike with these parts is likely to start at $3000.
For specific bikes I like Priority Current. They're a little vague on the exact parts used because they may swap them out based on availability, but they usually pick real parts instead of cheap replacements.
For me the real key is disc brakes (whether mechanical or hydraulic). Rim brakes don't have enough stopping power for an e-bike.
Japan is like a different world. At least to me as a tourist, it feels so organized, safe, culturally rich and stress-free.
I wonder what Japanese people think and feel when they visit San Francisco.
Well, what they think of Paris is well documented:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome
> Paris syndrome (French: syndrome de Paris; Japanese: パリ症候群, romanized: Pari shōkōgun) is a sense of extreme disappointment exhibited by some individuals when visiting Paris, who feel that the city was not what they had expected. The condition is commonly viewed as a severe form of culture shock.
> The syndrome is characterized by a number of psychiatric symptoms such as acute delusional states, hallucinations, feelings of persecution (perceptions of being a victim of prejudice, aggression, hostility from others),[1] derealization, depersonalization, anxiety, as well as psychosomatic manifestations such as dizziness, tachycardia, sweating most notably, but also others, such as vomiting.[2]
> While the syndrome has been particularly noted among Japanese tourists, it has also affected other travelers or temporary residents from East and Southeast Asia, such as those from China, South Korea, and Singapore.
I’m sure SF is all that and worse, although expectations might not be as high.
Then for the bike side, pick one which has a wide range of non electric bikes too.
I was going to suggest any long-established bike brand with a broad product line. Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, etc.
A non-cyclist might get sticker shock (an avid cyclist will think, "huh, cheap").
If you don’t know it’s going to fit your life that’s a lot of money to throw on a bet. I wasn’t sure so I bought a budget bike, a RadPowerBikes Radwagon. And it’s… fine. The components aren’t great. The gears are janky. The brakes are insufficient given the weight and speed the bike is capable of. But it’s $2k and if it didn’t exist I don’t think I would ever have dropped $4.5k on one of the better specced alternatives.
But first of all, look for local dealerships and find out which brands they're selling. You need regular maintenance for your electric bike and many bike shops refuse to work on bikes bought elsewhere, especially cheap bikes bought online, and I can't really blame them.
A good electric bike ain't cheap, but lasts a lot longer than a no name/cheap one. A cheap bike with one problem after the other sucks all the joy out of owning one and is the surest way to a dust collecting piece of metal in the back of your garage, nevermind the extra costs.
And get electric bike insurance. Budget for it in advance. Getting your brand new expensive ebike stolen is quite traumatic.
By "aware of" do you mean "you should consider" or "you should not consider"? Genuine question...
And then the big bike brands like Trek, Specialized have their own bikes that are worth looking into.
The prices compared to the Ali-Express stuff might surprise you.
Reddit of course has an e-bike subreddit you can dig through.
Do bike shops just turn them away because of the brand/lack thereof, sight unseen?
If you're a cyclist, you may balk at the goofy design. But it's great for getting around town. You can zip-tie a milk crate on the back to hold your stuff.
If you have Decathlon in your country then you might have it available too - Riverside 500E
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/electric-hybrid-bike-riverside...
Get this one for the torque sensor over a cadence sensor, can't go wrong.