Bike shops avoid fixing ebikes because many aren’t true ebikes and can cause serious injuries or liability issues.
Aurora, Colorado: Bike shop owners across the country say they do not fix electric bikes because it is too dangerous.
MacKenzie Hardt, who owns a bike shop, says he knows someone who lost a finger fixing an ebike.
He hurt his own hand when the wheel spun out of control even though the power was off.
Now his shop will only fix ebikes that have a special safety sticker called UL 2849 certification.
This sticker means all parts of the bike were tested and are safe.
Duluth, Minnesota: Many bikes sold online are not real ebikes.
They go faster than allowed and act more like mopeds or motorcycles.
Bike shops use parts made for regular bikes, not for fast motorized vehicles.
These fast bikes can have parts that bike shops do not know how to fix.
This mismatch creates big problems for repair shops.
Bike shop owners worry they could be blamed if someone gets hurt.
Ebike injuries went up by more than 1,000 percent from 2020 to 2024.
Shops can be sued even for small repairs like fixing a tire.
In most states, shops’ insurance will not cover ebikes that are too fast.
Hardt says fixing these bikes is like working on an unapproved Tesla.