2019–2020 R&M Homage : Riders' Impressions

[Deleted member 18083]

2020 Homage : How could the 2019 model be improved?

• Aesthetics…
  • Smooth welding.
  • Choice of colour other than black (calling black 'Deep Sea Blue' won't do).
  • Anything other than a flappy piece of rubber to cover the charging port!
• Courtesy of Bosch…
  • New Performance Line CX motor.
  • 2 x 625 Wh batteries.
  • Nyon computer.
  • ABS.
• As it used to be…
  • Adjustable handlebar position – not possible with Kiox.
  • Suspension upgrade option.
• Tyre clearance…
  • Rear Rock Razor is currently far too close to fender.
• Geometry…
  • Smaller size in addition to current M, L, XL.
  • Lower the seat post clamp – to allow use of dropper post.
• Water bottle mounts…
  • Follow the example of Delite and Charger.

 

[David Roy]

Thank you for the detailed review and updates. Does the fender rub the tire? Delivery of my Homage has been delayed 2 weeks for a paint blemish but I hope to be riding it in July. R&M requires patience....

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Does the fender rub the tire?

Very close indeed without actually rubbing. The problem is at the front end of the fender where it connects behind the rear shock and motor: no adjustment is possible there.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Here is a photo of the rear fender problem. I suspect that I'll need to summon up sufficient courage to cut away the curved-over section of the fender in this area… and cover up the crudity of my handiwork with a strip of split-tube.

 

[David Roy]

That with the standard Rock Razor tires? I’ll be sure to check that when my Homage is arrives. It’s been in customs for a while now.

 

[Alaskan]

I replaced the Rock Razors with the 2.4" Super Moto X Reflex. Both for reduced rolling resistance, durability and puncture resistance. They are way quieter as well. Unless you are going to be doing a bunch of unpaved trail riding, the Rock Razors are not a great choice IMO. The Super Moto X tires fit nicely under the stock fenders.

 

[David Roy]

Thanks Alaskan, I’ll definitely keep those tires on my list of possible changes for the new bike. My first inclination had been to have them switched immediately but then I decided to try the R&M set up. They have designed what seems to be the perfect mixed use bike for the riding opportunities around me. This includes miles of poorly maintained lightly traveled country roads, washed out gravel/dirt roads and grown over forest logging roads/trails. I’ve been avoiding all of the forest trails and most of the gravel/dirt roads with my current ebike as the hub drive system doesn’t provide enough control. We bought Magnum bikes as a relatively low cost introduction to the world of ebikes and they have done their jobs well. When I realized just how much I was enjoying biking again I knew I wanted a bike that could handle more demanding surfaces. Posts by you, David and others as well as Court’s and others reviews convinced me that the Homage was the bike for me. Now if only customs would release it....

 

[Alaskan]

David, I know your area well, having been born and raised in West Hartford. My Father's two bachelor brothers retired from their law practice in Hartford to Bebbington Road in Ashford and made a donation of `40 acres to the Joshua Trust when they passed. http://joshuastrust.org/new-abraham-r-and-samuel-h-friedman-memorial-forest They loved walking their dogs and exploring the woods in Northeast Connecticut.

I have a Delite Mountain fitted with 2.6" knobby tires for dirt roads and gravel trails. Thus I ride the Homage mostly on paved surfaces. The Super Moto X tires are great for that but not very good off pavement.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

They have designed what seems to be the perfect mixed-use ebike for the riding opportunities around me.

David …
That is exactly right: the Homage handles both smooth and rough surfaces very well indeed. R&M's Control Technology, especially when it is paired with a Rohloff/Gates drivetrain, gives one the ebike equivalent of a high-end passenger-oriented 4x4.

And that begs the question of whether chunky MTB tyres are appropriate. I think that it will be good idea to try the Rock Razors; they are not stubbornly difficult to remove or fit. Perhaps, consider inserting a kevlar puncture-protection belt in them (for example, Panaracer's Flat-Away).

Also, acquaint yourself with removing/refitting the wheels before heading into the wilds.

I've run Super Moto-X tyres on a regular bike and liked them; however, they did not handle medium-depth mud or loose sand as well as the Rock Razors. Like Richard, I'm toying with the idea of running gentler tyres on the Homage and restricting knobbies to my Trek Powerfly 5 eMTB.

 

[Alaskan]

Another off road oriented tire by Schwalbe worthy of serious consideration is the Smart Sam. While sufficiently knobby on the sides for sure footed handling on gravel and dirt, it has an almost continuous center strip giving it an acceptably light rolling resistance on pavement. Probably the best dual function tire Schwalbe makes. I replaced the Knobby Nicks that came on the Delite and got a much smoother, quieter ride on pavement and still have good grip off pavement https://www.schwalbetires.com/node/2406

 

[David Roy]

David, I know your area well, having been born and raised in West Hartford. My Father's two bachelor brothers retired from their law practice in Hartford to Bebbington Road in Ashford and made a donation of `40 acres to the Joshua Trust when they passed. http://joshuastrust.org/new-abraham-r-and-samuel-h-friedman-memorial-forest They loved walking their dogs and exploring the woods in Northeast Connecticut.

I have a Delite Mountain fitted with 2.6" knobby tires for dirt roads and gravel trails. Thus I ride the Homage mostly on paved surfaces. The Super Moto X tires are great for that but not very good off pavement.

What a small world. My wife Marji's family (Carlson) is originally from West Hartford. I spent many a holiday at her grandparents home on "The Boulevard".

To make it a little smaller I recently biked down Bebbington Road and turned up Bebbington Lane bordering 2 sides of that Joshua Trust land. We live at the other end of town.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Bosch eBike Connect : 'Activities' Screen …

I am now able to check the data recorded by the Kiox during the ride. Now there's an improvement – not just have it displayed during the ride but kept for later.

Here are two recent rides. On the missing day I rode the Trek which has the same motor as the Homage but uses a Purion display.

The totals for the two rides agree exactly with my Ride with GPS records – which isn't so with the non-adjustable Purion.

• The more recent ride (from home to Kholo and back) has been split into two because I took a break and the system switched itself off (I didn't!).
• The earlier ride (to Deception Bay) has been chopped into five rides. Again, not guilty!

Keep going, Bosch.

 

[Hairy Pete]

I finally got mine working after an update, but it hammers the phone battery with the connect app running in the background 24/7

 

[MarcL]

Control Buttons …
There are four sets of buttons on the handlebar. All work satisfactorily albeit with some quirks.
View attachment 29995

• Kiox Display : middle
  • on/off for motor (does the job!).
  • on/off for lights (deactivated because the lights are always on).
• High/Low Beam : right hand
  • single button to toggle between low and high beam – does not display which option has been chosen (I leave it alone!).
• Kiox Control – power & data whilst riding : left hand
  • up/down (plus/minus) buttons to set power assist level.
  • left/right (arrow) buttons to scroll through Kiox data display pages.
• Kiox Control – settings whilst stationary : left hand
  • select button to enter settings menu or confirm option.
  • up/down (plus/minus) and left/right (arrow) buttons to scroll through options.
• Rohloff : right hand
  • plus/minus buttons to shift one or more gears.

The Kiox control has a dual persona dependent on whether you are riding or fiddling with the settings (works fine!). It is easy to operate, both in terms of understanding its functions and knowing that it will respond every time a button is pressed. (I'll have to figure out the walk function later!)

Becoming comfortable with the Rohloff switch unit is a task that requires perseverance. It is not just understanding multishift but also becoming adept at pressing the buttons in just the right way and for just the right amount of time. I'm almost there (and smiling because this is so very much better than the mechanical grip shift of times past).

What are the brands and of handle bar accessories that you have around your Kiox? I just bought a Homage and am trying to figure out the best water bottle, phone and possibly front bag. I looked an ortlieb bag yesterday and the bracket did not look wide enough to go around the kiox display. I like your setup but didn't your accessories when I was originally at the bike store. Your thoughts would be extremely helpful.

 

[brooklynboy64]

2020 Homage : How could the 2019 model be improved?

• Aesthetics…
  • Smooth welding.
  • Choice of colour other than black (calling black 'Deep Sea Blue' won't do).
  • Anything other than a flappy piece of rubber to cover the charging port!
• Courtesy of Bosch…
  • New Performance Line CX motor.
  • 2 x 625 Wh batteries.
  • Nyon computer.
  • ABS.
• As it used to be…
  • Adjustable handlebar position – not possible with Kiox.
  • Suspension upgrade option.
• Tyre clearance…
  • Rear Rock Razor is currently far too close to fender.
• Geometry…
  • Smaller size in addition to current M, L, XL.
  • Lower the seat post clamp – to allow use of dropper post.
• Water bottle mounts…
  • Follow the example of Delite and Charger.

Sound critiques, David- thanks! I was wondering what kind of mount you have for your handlebar bag? Before I received my Homage Gates/Rohloff, I purchased an Ortlieb 6, but the mount is too narrow. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Alaskan]

To @David Berry list of improvements I would add a quieter battery lid that has a positive closure on the downtube battery compartment. I have been waiting three weeks for Riese & Muller to respond to my bike shop's request for a proper fix for my latch which now jiggles loose after riding over just a couple of minor ruts in the road. It then makes a ridiculous rattling noise. I have it being held shut by a bungee cord and added some neoprene weather stripping. Remind me not to have a problem with a German bike in July. It seems no one is there during the summer.

 

[Alaskan]

Sound critiques, David- thanks! I was wondering what kind of mount you have for your handlebar bag? Before I received my Homage Gates/Rohloff, I purchased an Ortlieb 6, but the mount is too narrow. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Ortlieb makes an ebike specific mount that has a wider gap to go on either side of the display mount.

 

[David Roy]

David, I know your area well, having been born and raised in West Hartford. My Father's two bachelor brothers retired from their law practice in Hartford to Bebbington Road in Ashford and made a donation of `40 acres to the Joshua Trust when they passed. http://joshuastrust.org/new-abraham-r-and-samuel-h-friedman-memorial-forest They loved walking their dogs and exploring the woods in Northeast Connecticut.

I have a Delite Mountain fitted with 2.6" knobby tires for dirt roads and gravel trails. Thus I ride the Homage mostly on paved surfaces. The Super Moto X tires are great for that but not very good off pavement.

For today's afternoon ride Marji and I biked by the Joshua's Trust Friedman Forest. It's about 10 mies from our house on the other side of town but on a route we often take. Ive passed it many times on my way to Bebbington Lane, a scenic gravel road.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Squeaks, creeks and rattles…

To David Berry's list of improvements I would add a quieter battery lid that has a positive closure on the downtube battery compartment. My latch jiggles loose after riding over just a couple of minor ruts in the road.

4000 km service:
The mechanic placed a doubled-over length of MTB tube between the PowerTube and the battery cover. As I never remove batteries from my ebikes, I would have been unaware of the addition had it not been shown to me.

I have the same issue [constant creaking from the swing arm pivot] which turns out to be a known problem with the 2019 Homage. It is due to a less than precise facing of the bushing surface on the frame where the swing arm is attached. I am awaiting a special tool for my mechanic so that the bike can return to the near perfection that was intended.

6000 km service:
Creaking problem rectified.

Distance : 6830 km

 

[Deleted member 18083]

What are the brands and of handle bar accessories that you have around your Kiox?.

I was wondering what kind of mount you have for your handlebar bag? .

Marc & Brooklyn Boy…
Starting with the most obvious…

• Fidlock water bottle (shown removed) which has a magnetic mount: twist slightly clockwise to remove; hold close to the connector to have it 'grabbed' firmly into stowed position. I've found this superior to handlebar-mounted cages and the Fabric stub system (on Delite & Charger) which must be pushed down to secure with this action resulting in the mount twisting around the handlebar.
  Caution: Fidlock and Fabric bottles are more difficult to squeeze than conventional water bottles.
• KlickFix handlebar adapter E (with red locking button). Look carefully and you'll see thin securing cables inside the mounting arms. The adapter has been offset to the left to make room for…
• Quadlock Out Front smartphone mount. Also available with black lever (at extra cost!); the blue lever is hardly noticeable when my iPhone is mounted (which is always, except for when photos are being taken!).
• Mirrycle MTB mirror. There is a better option if you are able to mount on the left (Richard, can you help?). Some cyclists prefer to mount their Mirrycle so that the mirror is below the handlebar grip (rather than above and beyond as I have it).
• Ortlieb Ultimate Six Pro handlebar bag. I also have Rixen+Kaul's equivalent which fits the same KlickFix mount. (I'll write up a comparison soon; suffice it to say that they both have advantages.)

… David