2014 Pedego Inceptor or 2014 Izip Metro?

[Redsoxgirl7]

Have you done a review on Currie's newly designed IZip Metro as I've narrowed my decision down to these two bicycles which are fairly comparable in price. I live in Florida and my main objective is commuting to work which is 26 miles round trip. I would also be interested in your perspective in regards to customer service between the two companies. Thank you! Ginny

 

[James]

Hi Ginny,

Welcome to electricbikereview! You'll find this site pretty helpful in terms of reviews and other ebike enthusiasts here to help out.
Here is Courts review of the bike you asked about:
http://electricbikereview.com/izip/e3-metro/

Anyway, have a great day and enjoy your bike (whichever one you choose!)

James

 

[Redsoxgirl7]

Thanks, James. I'm actually waiting for Court's review of the newly designed IZip Metro for 2014. The company has made some modifications and he said that he was going to review this bicycle within the next couple of weeks. Some of the modifications include the battery location and it is removable which is a great advantage for me. There's lots of good information on this site. I'm glad I joined. Have a great day. Ginny

 

[James]

Hey Ginny,

His reviews are worth the wait!

Cheers,

 

[Admin]

Hey guys! James, thank you so much for jumping in and helping Redsoxgirl7. I am indeed pushing hard to get the 2014 review out soon and will post back here when it is live! The new 2014 bikes from Currie (IZIP, eZIP, eFlow, Haibike) look amazing and are correcting some of the design issues I've called out before like battery placement and they are also polishing the style.

In case you're more focused on saving money than getting the latest and greatest, Currie is having a winter sale now through March 1st on last year's stuff so you can get the old Metro for about $350 off the $2,599 MSRP here (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Admin]

Update! I just published the 2014 IZIP E3 Metro review and have a few thoughts to share here. First off, sorry for the wind - this review was shot at Outdoor Demo Day during Interbike 2013 and I also had limited time with the bike. I misquoted the battery spec at 48 volts and some of the components shown (such as the pedals) seem to have been upgraded on the production model.

• Mixed thoughts on the detachable LCD computer, I believe it is powered with separate watch style batteries and I'm not sure I like the touch screen style buttons vs. rubber ones. They may be more durable in wet conditions?
• The latest version of the E3 Metro only comes in one size at 18 inches (medium) in a step-through frame with one color choice (black with green accents). Note that you can still get the larger frame design in high-step for the 2013 model and it's on sale right now through March 1 as listed above.
• The battery pack is removable and can be charged on or off the bike, hooray!
• Eight speeds instead of seven, trigger shifter instead of twist shifter
• Shorter handle bars help to steady the front load, easier to remove the porteur rack on the front now, chain guard to keep your pants clean

Hope you enjoy the review Redsoxgirl7, I really enjoyed this bike and think the racks and design justify the price increase over the standard IZIP Zuma which leverages many of the same drive systems. You could always add racks and stuff to that bike if you wanted a different frame size (or color) but they might rattle more and would certainly not offer the same strength and integrity as this ebike

 

[Redsoxgirl7]

Hi Court. Thanks for the great review on the Metro. I actually thought about just getting the Zuma and putting a rack on that bike to bring my commuting stuff for work but the extra cargo space on the Metro makes it very appealing as a commuting bicycle for me. I just had one more question, Do you think the Metro is as comfortable to ride as the Zuma? My round trip commute is 26 miles. Thanks, Ginny

 

[Ralph]

Court, the first electric bike I rode was last years Izip Metro with the 36v battery in the tube. I was impressed how strong it was for only 36v based on what I had been reading. It is a very compelling proposition and the new one looks so much better and sounds quieter than the one I rode. I understand why the basket is stays straight while you turn the wheel is for stability and so the bike doesn't fall over, but it is disarming at first. Currie put slats in it so you could see the wheel turning which I imagine is helpful.

Buying last years model if on a tighter budget is not a bad thing. It is really nice and they have a couple of cool colors. I liked the way it rode and handled. It is well worth checking out.

 

[Admin]

Hey Ginny, sorry for the delayed response! I'd say the Zuma is noticeably comforturabler <-- might be getting a little tired here but I'm standing by that thought!

The Zuma has a larger seat with more padding, larger grips with more padding, larger tires, longer handle bars and a sprung saddle which uses rubber bumpers. Now, the E3 Metro does have a suspension seat post which is nice but you could always add a Thudbuster to the Zuma and it would provide >= travel and comfort.

26 miles is quite the ride and it really depends on how many cracks and bumps are in the road or how many sidewalks you'll have to go up and down etc. when considering the value of comfort vs. utility here. I also like the basket on the E3 Metro but there are lots of accessories you could add to the Zuma to carry panniers and stuff (and you'll have plenty of money left to do that considering the $600 difference between the bikes). Note that bags and other add-ons might be more prone to damage and theft vs. the built on rack of the Metro so keep that in mind if you park outside or in risky spots. Consider starting a thread in the ebike accessories forum here asking about racks/bags later if you go with the Zuma and I'll do my best to help you out

Both bikes have the same battery capacity and design, and the same motor, so aside from comfort you could always grab an extra pack to charge at work or carry along if the range ever becomes an issue. The low-step medium 18in (46cm) Zuma seems like a pretty tempting option for you and if you like the style and are willing to pay a bit extra for those after-market racks I think it could be a winner! Again, this is coming from a sort of skinny weak guy who has been in multiple car accidents, snowboarding accidents, surfing accidents and has pretty bad knees now and whiplash (most recent car accident was just last month going 65 mph with some friends... no I was not driving). I care a lot about reducing vibration and start to hate riding bikes every day when my back and neck get whipped around, this is only exacerbated by the added weight of a helmet and the forward position of most road or mountain bikes so I think you're on the right track with both of these models. So anyway, there's some context for you and here's a picture of me crashing into a road on my snowboard

 

[Redsoxgirl7]

Thanks Court. I appreciate your insight on levering a decision between the two models. I actually have the Arkel bike rack system for my road bike so I was considering just upgrading the saddle for the Zuma so I could use this system I have currently which works with Arkel's switchback and can accomodate all my commuting gear. From reading your reviews, it sounds like the Zuma is more comfortable to ride and more fun. I have a couple of weeks to make a decision as Currie isn't going to start distributing their 2014 bikes until near the end of February. Your reviews are GREAT. I love your snowboard picture. I will post a picture once I make my purchase. Stay safe, Ginny

 

[Admin]

Awesome! I'm glad the reviews have helped and I've enjoyed chatting with you here Ginny. Definitely excited to see your custom setup... and you just exposed me to the new Arkel seat post rack which is very cool! I found these pictures of it and love the way that it clips onto the saddle stays to keep the racks straight. What an amazing idea! I love Arkel.