NorthWestRider
New Member
My previous ebike experience: None, other than a dozen test rides of other bikes.
Purpose: Commuting. About 17 miles each way, 1.5 miles of which are gravel. A couple very big hills.
My first impression is that it looks pretty plain Jane looking which is exactly what I wanted. My second choice bike would have been the Trek Super Commuter+ 8s but that flashy red paint and higher price tag pushed me over to the Raleigh. I expected the Fit and Finish of the bike to be better but after breaking down the cost of the Kiox, Bosch Performance motor, and 500w battery, there's not a ton of budget left for the bike. Don't get me wrong, it feels solid on the road but little things like the battery fitment and the plastic plug housing for the charging port feel cheap. The plastic plug housing actually fell off the first time I opened the rubber plug cover...I might flag it to be fixed if it keeps falling off because I know I will lose it. Anyways, enough with my gripes about the bike.
First commute: Of course there was a light rain (I am in Seattle after all) but that didn't deter me from riding in. The fenders did an amazing job keeping 99% of the splatter off me. I only got a tiny bit shooting out the front of the front fender and back at me. I would have been soaked if I was riding my mountain bike which has minimal fenders. I didn't have any worry about loss of traction and the bike felt planted on the road and gravel trail, even at 45mph+ down my steep loose gravel portion of my commute. I call this hill my cup of coffee.
Battery life and power: I'm using about 55% of my battery each way in Turbo mode so I am glad I picked up a second charger to keep in the office. I always keep my lights on as well. I'm still amazed at how "natural" the feeling is with the motor assisting. I thought it would feel more mechanical and jerky but that's not the case at all. Even when I go over that 28mph threshold I hardly notice. I have to look down at the speedo to tell most of the time when going downhill. I didn't realize how much faster I am getting to work and home until I compare my stats with my non-assisted bike. I'm cutting my times both ways almost in half. 11mph avg unassisted and 21mph assisted. The e-bike also allows me to ride all the way to work without getting sweaty. For me this matters since I do not have showers at work. My only option with my unassisted bike is to take the bus to work, but then ride the full way home. If my work provided showers I probably wouldn't have ventured into ebikes.
Conclusion: I'll still commute with my FSR 29er a couple days a week as I love my urban jumps, stairs, and drops, but the Raleigh is my new daily driver. There is plenty of summer left so hopefully I can put 1000+ miles in before winter and provide another update. It's great to be a part of this community and I've been a lurker learning from y'all for longer than I'd like to admit. Comparing EBR reviews along with real user reviews has probably consumed every idle moment of my life so far this year.
Purpose: Commuting. About 17 miles each way, 1.5 miles of which are gravel. A couple very big hills.
My first impression is that it looks pretty plain Jane looking which is exactly what I wanted. My second choice bike would have been the Trek Super Commuter+ 8s but that flashy red paint and higher price tag pushed me over to the Raleigh. I expected the Fit and Finish of the bike to be better but after breaking down the cost of the Kiox, Bosch Performance motor, and 500w battery, there's not a ton of budget left for the bike. Don't get me wrong, it feels solid on the road but little things like the battery fitment and the plastic plug housing for the charging port feel cheap. The plastic plug housing actually fell off the first time I opened the rubber plug cover...I might flag it to be fixed if it keeps falling off because I know I will lose it. Anyways, enough with my gripes about the bike.
First commute: Of course there was a light rain (I am in Seattle after all) but that didn't deter me from riding in. The fenders did an amazing job keeping 99% of the splatter off me. I only got a tiny bit shooting out the front of the front fender and back at me. I would have been soaked if I was riding my mountain bike which has minimal fenders. I didn't have any worry about loss of traction and the bike felt planted on the road and gravel trail, even at 45mph+ down my steep loose gravel portion of my commute. I call this hill my cup of coffee.
Battery life and power: I'm using about 55% of my battery each way in Turbo mode so I am glad I picked up a second charger to keep in the office. I always keep my lights on as well. I'm still amazed at how "natural" the feeling is with the motor assisting. I thought it would feel more mechanical and jerky but that's not the case at all. Even when I go over that 28mph threshold I hardly notice. I have to look down at the speedo to tell most of the time when going downhill. I didn't realize how much faster I am getting to work and home until I compare my stats with my non-assisted bike. I'm cutting my times both ways almost in half. 11mph avg unassisted and 21mph assisted. The e-bike also allows me to ride all the way to work without getting sweaty. For me this matters since I do not have showers at work. My only option with my unassisted bike is to take the bus to work, but then ride the full way home. If my work provided showers I probably wouldn't have ventured into ebikes.
Conclusion: I'll still commute with my FSR 29er a couple days a week as I love my urban jumps, stairs, and drops, but the Raleigh is my new daily driver. There is plenty of summer left so hopefully I can put 1000+ miles in before winter and provide another update. It's great to be a part of this community and I've been a lurker learning from y'all for longer than I'd like to admit. Comparing EBR reviews along with real user reviews has probably consumed every idle moment of my life so far this year.
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