The electric bike I ordered a few weeks ago, arrived today, and I spent quite a few hours doing the “15-minute assembly”. The instruction manual came in an assortment of languages and two of them actually resembled English, but neither of them were any more helpful to me than if they had remained in the original Chinese.
Remove Item #1 from package.
Install it. Use tool provided.
Repeat with next item, until done.
It made an Ikea manual look like, by comparison, it should be in line for a Nobel Prize in literature. So, after struggling for quite a very long while, and even trying to use a powerful magnifier to just try and figure something out from studying a close-up of the fully-assembled bike on the cover, I finally ran to my computer for help.
I watched a few YouTube videos. Why didn’t I do that in the first place? Am I getting senile? The YouTube videos were way more helpful that the manufacturer’s instruction manual. A thousand times more helpful. Now, I knew why the front wheel of the bike didn’t turn the same direction as the handlebars when they turned. That’s what the Allan wrenches were for. Now I understood.
The toolkit that came with the bike looked like something the AAA Club tow-truck driver might always have with him. It had multiple different kinds of wrenches in multiple different sizes and a screwdriver that never seemed like the right tool for anything, but the instructions were often not very explicit about which tool to use with the part being installed. They just read, “use tool provided.”
So, now, thanks to YouTube, my e-bike is almost-fully-assembled, and the battery is charging as I write this. The only reason that the bike isn’t completely assembled is because the back fender kept getting knocked around every time I tried to lift my leg high enough to actually get on the bike. The whole reason I got the bike in the first place is because my arthritic hip has been giving me mobility problems. For some reason, I failed to realize ahead of time that my hip might actually prevent me from getting on the bike in the first place. I’m not sure if that was another Senior Moment or just blind optimism.
Anyhow, I just decided to remove it – the back fender that is, not my hip. I’m not going to be riding an electric bike on rainy days anyway. I may live in Pennsylvania now, but I’m no Ben Franklin looking to prove that lightning is related to electricity. However, even without the back fender getting in the way, it still wasn’t easy for me to lift my leg over the seat, but if I tilted the bike enough, I could manage it. I’m hoping that a with a little exercise and practice, it will loosen the hip joint enough that getting on and off the bike will become much easier. I’m just hoping that getting off doesn’t become too easy (If you know what I mean, wink, wink). I’ll wear a helmet just in case. I saw the Joe Biden video.
Funny thing. When all was said and done and the bike was fully assembled, I found that I still had a couple pieces left over. Those Chinese are so wasteful.
Peace and Love, and all of the above,
Earl
earlthepearl137 
You serious? Try lifting the other leg 🤣🤣🤣
When I lift the other leg, I pee. LOL
And little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly (electric bike) and asked me if I needed a ride …..but I was “Blinded By the Light.”
Ride to live and live to ride …..
P.S. At the wake (party), who do I give the bike to?
If I don’t survive a few bike rides, I fear the bike might not survive either. But if it does outlive me, I’ll let you pick who gets it.
Oh my!!! an electric bike you say! May the force be with you! Biden and Simon Cowel we’re not careful, hope you will be! How’s your new digs?
Oh, I’ll be careful. I’m just waiting for my body armor to arrive before I take Vivi out for a Test drive. I didn’t move yet. I’ll probably stay here until September.
Earl, have you considered a mounting block? Anything hard plastic and 6-8″ high should do the trick.
I actually have a small step stool that I’m considering using, That will help with getting on, but not with getting off, and that’s the trickiest and most dangerous part. I’m thinking of putting lifts in my shoes for that little extra lift they’ll give me.