Berry78
Active Member
So, I just finished a 1.25 hour ride on this bike. Overall, very impressed.
Dual Sport+, $3,000 retail, matte black, men's med sized frame.
I am a 5'7, 300lb. female. My seat was a smidge low, but since it required a hex wrench to change, I didn't bother. Rented the bike from LBS.
Took the bike on the flat, as well as some very steep streets in Cumberland, MD.
The first thing I noticed was the saddle was a bit hard, and the geometry was a bit aggressive compared to some comfort hybrids I have been riding. Got used to both quickly.
The sound of the motor was noticeable, but not irritating. When I rode by my pedestrian husband, he didn't hear the motor. (Until he got on to ride).
I rode the bike for about a mile on the flat, and found the middle gear and eco assist was the best level. (I am super out of shape too
).
The first hill I went up, I forgot to change my gear, and the motor seized up and there was an error code. Turned off the bike, turned it on, and it was good to go.
After that, I put the bike on max assist and 1st or 2nd gear (out of 10). Left it in this level, as I was going back and forth between hills, level, and downhill in quick succession.
The hydraulic brakes were fabulous. A bit of grinding noise occassionally, but one of the streets I went down had to have been closer to 90 degrees than 45. The hills in Cumberland are short and steep, not real long, so can't say how they would hold up on longer grades.
That steepest of hills defeated me. Got halfway up, then walked. The rest of the hills were child's play. Had a fast cadence and made it up with no problem. Would rather ride those hills than walk!
I do think the steep hills are battery draining, because the estimated range dropped from 40 miles to 14...though after the 1.25 hour ride, still had all the lights on the battery. Didn't cover that much mileage...maybe 4 miles or so. Didn't know how to change the display to show mileage completed.
Never got the speed up to 20, so didn't experience any cut-outs. Did get up to about 18mph on the flat, which is crazy fast!
There was no throttle, but that didn't bother me. The motor's timing was super responsive. Once I started or stopped pedalling, it wasn't far behind.
This was the first system I could try on hills, so can't compare that aspect. On the flat, if I were to compare it to BionX, the systems were more similar than different. The BionX would probably win for me because of its silence, and I didn't have to worry about changing gears under load.
But, could a hub motor move me up hills as well as the STePS? Remains to be seen!
Dual Sport+, $3,000 retail, matte black, men's med sized frame.
I am a 5'7, 300lb. female. My seat was a smidge low, but since it required a hex wrench to change, I didn't bother. Rented the bike from LBS.
Took the bike on the flat, as well as some very steep streets in Cumberland, MD.
The first thing I noticed was the saddle was a bit hard, and the geometry was a bit aggressive compared to some comfort hybrids I have been riding. Got used to both quickly.
The sound of the motor was noticeable, but not irritating. When I rode by my pedestrian husband, he didn't hear the motor. (Until he got on to ride).
I rode the bike for about a mile on the flat, and found the middle gear and eco assist was the best level. (I am super out of shape too
).The first hill I went up, I forgot to change my gear, and the motor seized up and there was an error code. Turned off the bike, turned it on, and it was good to go.
After that, I put the bike on max assist and 1st or 2nd gear (out of 10). Left it in this level, as I was going back and forth between hills, level, and downhill in quick succession.
The hydraulic brakes were fabulous. A bit of grinding noise occassionally, but one of the streets I went down had to have been closer to 90 degrees than 45. The hills in Cumberland are short and steep, not real long, so can't say how they would hold up on longer grades.
That steepest of hills defeated me. Got halfway up, then walked. The rest of the hills were child's play. Had a fast cadence and made it up with no problem. Would rather ride those hills than walk!
I do think the steep hills are battery draining, because the estimated range dropped from 40 miles to 14...though after the 1.25 hour ride, still had all the lights on the battery. Didn't cover that much mileage...maybe 4 miles or so. Didn't know how to change the display to show mileage completed.
Never got the speed up to 20, so didn't experience any cut-outs. Did get up to about 18mph on the flat, which is crazy fast!
There was no throttle, but that didn't bother me. The motor's timing was super responsive. Once I started or stopped pedalling, it wasn't far behind.
This was the first system I could try on hills, so can't compare that aspect. On the flat, if I were to compare it to BionX, the systems were more similar than different. The BionX would probably win for me because of its silence, and I didn't have to worry about changing gears under load.
But, could a hub motor move me up hills as well as the STePS? Remains to be seen!
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