We went back and forth on folding bikes vs. full-frame bikes, fat-tire vs. regular tire, etc., etc. In the end, we decided to buy full-frame, fat-tire bikes, specifically Volt Bike’s Yukon 750 Limited.  What set this bike apart for us vs. all the other fat tire e-bikes there are to choose from these days? (in order of our priority)

1. Motor Power – Bafang 750 watts – More power is useful for heavier fat-tire bikes and carrying extra loads
2. Battery size – 48v 16Ah – This battery should provide ample power for longer rides
3. Hydraulic Disc Brakes – Safety first!
4. Front-Suspension – Who doesn’t like a more comfortable ride?
5. Kenda Tires – Good shoes are good for the soul!
6. Extras – For only $100 more, the Yukon 750 Limited includes fenders, a rear bike rack, and front & rear lights powered by the battery pack.

Since we live full-time in an RV and change addresses regularly, we needed to figure out how and where we would get the bikes delivered.  Monday morning, August 26^th, arrived, and I called to place our order and discuss options for shipping.  They were more than willing to accommodate our unique shipping challenges as part of the ordering process.  As fulltime RVers, this was great to hear!  After placing the order, we were made aware that the preparation process takes approximately 14 days to complete, much longer than the two days indicated on their website.  And we soon learned the process would take much longer.  

On Tuesday, September 10, over two weeks from our initial order,  with no change to the online status, I called Volt Bike, and was informed that it looked like they would be shipped out on Wednesday of the following week (September 18^th).  Yet again, I sent an email on the 18^th, looking for an update for our order.  They responded by email claiming they had run out of stock of 17″ frames, and that was why there was a delay in our order.

WHAT???  Ok, there may have been a few other expletives involved in my reaction, but I’m trying to keep it PG-rated.  Here we were 3 ½ weeks after the order date, and we were just now finding out that they are out of stock???  With me prepared to cancel our order, we discussed our options.  We looked around online at a few of the other bikes that we had considered, but they too were experiencing stock challenges.  Electric bikes are becoming quite popular!  In the end, I replied by email, offering solutions to our problem, including the shipment of the 20” bike, the shipment of the 20” bike and another bike of theirs, etc. 

This email caught their attention as I received a response from the owner of the company offering a white 17” bike in place of the black 17” bike we’d ordered and promised that they would likely be able to ship out both bikes the following Monday (September 23^rd).  I was more than happy to switch to the white bike.  I agreed to switch and asked to also switch the included helmet for a white one. 

Although the shipment was delayed again,  from Monday until Thursday, communication had improved, and we were made aware of the delay.  We prepared for the bikes to arrive mid-week the following week, and based on a suggestion that YRC would hold our bikes for us to pick up for two weeks, further planned that we would go pick them up Friday evening or Saturday during the day. 

We were surprised again when the YRC terminal called on Monday to tell us that our packages were ready for pickup and would need to be picked up by Wednesday, or we would incur $26.50/day storage fees.  We had other things going on in our world, and it seemed the perfect storm with our car and RV both going in for service later that week.  You can read more about that experience here. 

We arranged to go to the terminal that night to pick up our bikes.  Before leaving, we installed our new Hollywood Sport Rider Bike Rack on the Jeep.  You will need a special rack when carrying heavier e-bikes and fat-tire bikes).  We headed to Aurora, Colorado, to pick up our bikes.    (UPDATE: While this rack served us well, we developed a small crack in its frame and have since purchased a new bike rack from 1UP USA.)

Unfortunately, there were a few more issues with our order:

1. The pannier bag we requested to add to our order didn’t ship.  Luckily, we didn’t pay for one. 
2. We did not receive the white helmet that we requested with the change of order from a black to white bike. 
3. One bike came without a compass or drink holder.  They said they were out of compasses but could send when they had back in stock in a month or so.  I’m waiting for a reply about the drink holder. 
4. The bikes arrived with parts not identified in the manual provided, including a plastic nub that we have yet to figure out and two sets of washers one attached to the bike and another in the box with the pedals and instruction manual.

My hesitation in recommending Volt Bike is due to the ordering experience and lack of updates from them when they knew there were stock challenges.  I suspect that they are growing faster than they can handle, which is why they were out of stock on the bike I ordered and compasses.  To make matters worse, they failed to communicate these things in a timely fashion and to be proactive in offering solutions to the problems.

Hopefully, they can fix their stock challenges and improve communication to customers when there is a challenge like that in the future.  No one ever complains about over-communication.  If you decide to order from Volt Bike, be prepared with this knowledge going in.  In the end, the wait is worth it!  We are very happy with the bikes themselves and would recommend them.  If you are going to purchase a Volt Bike in the checkout process please:

1. Select “Volt Bike Ambassador” when asked for “How did you hear about us?”
2. Fill in the name “Anne Klumpp” in the box that says “Enter name of the person who referred you to us” 

 To read our review on these bikes, click here. 

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