Costco, the second largest retailer in the United States (behind Walmart), is offering a Jetson electric-motorized bike for the very attractive price of $1299.99. That’s 500 bucks off Jetson’s suggested retail price. And the Costco price includes shipping because they don’t actually sell them out of their warehouse locations.
The Adventure (that’s the model name) was on display at my local Costco and it appears to be a lot of bike for the price. The motor automatically kicks in when the rider starts to pedal. It has a triple chainring up front and seven cogs in the rear for 21 gears. It runs 27.5-inch wheels, a smart choice. It uses mechanical disc brakes and comes with pedals, headlight and taillight (items not found on many more expensive bikes). Will the battery and hub motor stand the test of time? That, I can’t answer.
What I can recommend based on the owner’s manual is to get a mechanic to assemble it. This may add as much as $250 to the price but it will be money well spent. An experienced mechanic will route cables properly, align the brakes, adjust the saddle, make sure the front wheel is mounted correctly and get the handlebars close to where you want them.
While the bike looks like a mountain bike, Jetson suggests, “To avoid damage to the battery, never subject the Adventure to intense physical shock, severe vibration, or impact. Protect the bike from water or moisture.” That pretty much rules out even semi-serious off-road use. Riding this bike off-road is going to reduce the life of every component.
Still, for bopping around town or cruising the neighborhood, the Adventure seems like a good way to test the waters. Buying it from Costco saves you some serious scratch compared to buying it directly from Jetson.
