2015/2016 Turbo - 300 miles / 2 weeks impressions ... and photos

[kermit_xc]

thought I'll share some thoughts after using the Turbo as a dedicated commuter to and from work

my commute:
distance: 21.5miles
elevation gain: 348ft going in / 751ft coming back
time: 1h (+/- 7 min)
rider: 6'4" 245lbs

I use turbo mode explicitly with occasional regen on rolling hills to save the break pads. I have 32% of battery left when I reach the office in the morning, so it's surely not enough for a round trip - but still amazing in terms of range

Here I was facing 2 options - take the train back or buy a charger for the office. I ended up buying the charger so I have the option of round trip commute.

So this brings me to the whole e-bike cheating thing: nothing further from the truth. I definitely feel the miles, part of it is me not being able to go simply slow and chill ... I always give 100% - so the pedal assist simply allows me to get "there" much faster and theoretically less fatigued. But let me tell you - the body feels those miles

Yes, it feels awesome ... and dirty ... to drop tri-athletes in full lycra gear while wearing office clothes with a pannier strapped to the back - but hey, eff it - I'm going to work and am making sure to keep the strava rides private not to claim any KOMs

Now about the bike itself - I have been a avid rider for years, mostly MTB but I do have a cross/roadie commuter with drop bars and 28mm tires - I bought the Turbo to aid my new job commute. So far amazing - this is a VERY COOL BIKE.

Turbo S vs Base considerations: I was worried about the weaker motor compared to the Turbo S model. I ended up test riding the S and Base on my commute route and found that other than the acceleration and better hill climbing it's not worth the $4k premium over the Turbo Base. If you live in relatively flat terrain and are not too heavy - don't sweat the Turbo S unless you have the extra coin to drop

I ended up upgrading few things:
- brooks seat
- carbon handlebars
- ergon grips and pedals
- Formula brakes are going bye-bye very soon - they squeel like hell and make me less confident
- Integrated Bike Rack / Fenders

Issues:
- brake squeal - formula sucks donkey balls, nothing can be done here
- motor harness connector had a lose pin - fixed at the store
- battery rattle, extremely annoying - tightened with a 5mm allen wrench
- bottom bracket creaks - cleaned the threads and regressed

so if you're reading this as a potential buyer - go for it. This is the best e-bike currently on the market - I researched / test rode quite a few

 

[Douglas Ruby]

"Yes, it feels awesome ... and dirty ... to drop tri-athletes in full lycra gear while wearing office clothes with a pannier strapped to the back - but hey, eff it - I'm going to work and am making sure to keep the strava rides private not to claim any KOMs"

Or when a 64 yr. old 5'11" 240lb overweight rider does the same. The only time I switch into full Turbo mode is when I am climbing a particularly difficult stretch or when I have a chance to blast past the above mentioned tri-athlete. Actually, I also ride at 100% whether I have assist on the Turbo or not on my 1974 Campy-equipped road bike. But I can go 20 miles at a stretch averaging 16-18 mph on the Turbo instead of 5 miles at 13-14 mph on my road bike. My cadence is still 75-90 rpm and I try to ride mostly at ECO40 to ECO60 rather than full Turbo.

 

[Tara D.]

Thank you for you review! Maybe here in the future you could post a few photos from the commute! Glad you are enjoying your purchase

 

[Tonqin]

My Formula brakes squealed at first but after cleaning the discs and pads several times they only squeal when wet.
The braking power has also increased as the pads bed-in too.
Nice Niner bars - you ride a Niner too?

 

[kermit_xc]

My Formula brakes squealed at first but after cleaning the discs and pads several times they only squeal when wet.
The braking power has also increased as the pads bed-in too.
Nice Niner bars - you ride a Niner too?

What did you use to clean? and please detail the bed-in process

And no ... no niner (although I love the EMD), i ride a specialized stumpy fsr with brain ... handlebar was just lying around, it was a warranty replacement I never sold on Craigslist

 

[Tonqin]

Hi Kermit, a stumpy fsr is still a nice mtb. I have an old RIP9 and dream of the latest WFO!
I use automotive brake cleaner on the discs and basically clean the disc, ride and use the brakes hard on my commute then repeat daily for a few days.
I think the squeal in brakes is dirty discs/pads and the sound is them grabbing, then slipping, then grabbing again.
I'm not a bike mechanic so don't take this as a definitive method, but it has worked on all my disc bikes.
The formula pads take a few days of hard braking to get full braking but they definitely improve from new.
I've just changed to some organic brake pads which don't take as long to bed-in and are quieter when wet. No increase in braking power though.
Hope that helps.

 

[David1]

Kermit I'll show you how, I'm in Austin, lets meet at Crestview Station sometime, have a brew at the CO-OP, I just did my brakes. I used Jagwires semi- metallic. Huge differance, shops probably don't have the time to bed them in properly. Goin to Ebike Expo this week , if you want to meet up, let me know after I get back super easy to do on an St2.

 

[EddieJ]

am making sure to keep the strava rides private not to claim any KOMs

That's always good to read.

It's wrong of pedelec riders not to list their Strava activities as ebike rides, it's also a very quick way of annoying pedal bike riders, which helps no one.

I can think of at least one forum member that doesn't do this, and I fail to understand why.

Enjoy the bike.

 

[kermit_xc]

That's always good to read.

It's wrong of pedelec riders not to list their Strava activities as ebike rides, it's also a very quick way of annoying pedal bike riders, which helps no one.

I can think of at least one forum member that doesn't do this, and I fail to understand why.

Enjoy the bike.

I'd slap the living strava out of somebody *ucking with stats on a eBike, that's just dumb!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

It's wrong of pedelec riders not to list their Strava activities as ebike rides, it's also a very quick way of annoying pedal bike riders, which helps no one.

I'd slap the living strava out of somebody *ucking with stats on a eBike, that's just dumb!

If you guys did not know, Strava started including E-bike stats under a different category.
This was done to encourage burgeoning demography of E-bikers.
Under the "ride" type, you can choose E-bike Ride and you will still be able to see the stats/maps, but it won't count for KOM's.

See more here: https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us...n-conventional-bike-data-to-Strava-Guidelines

Initially, I had trouble from local riders and I stopped using Strava but then I found this. So, it's a neat way of documenting your rides.

 

[EddieJ]

Thanks Ravi, I have been using the E bike setting from the time when it was first introduced. ☺

 

[kermit_xc]

Thanks Ravi, I have been using the E bike setting from when it was first introduced. ☺

yeah - Thanks Ravi - I actually wasn't aware of this. Now I can un-private my eRides.