OHM Cruise - First 100km Impression (Shimano E6100 motor)

[antboy]

The OHM Cruise with a Spark Mini in the background.

Off the top - I love this bike.

As someone with the inseam of a small bike, but torso of a medium bike, the step thru design fits me well. All my shortlisted options were either mixte or true step-thru frames.

The frame is well-bulit, clean welds, and I didn't notice any flex, despite the step-thru nature. All the components all seemed solid as well. The only component "surprise" is that the bike came with TRP Zurich 4-piston brakes, although it was advertised as having Shimano Deore hydraulic brakes. I'm fine with the TRP, as they're great brakes. They're hydraulic as well, so I'm sure I'll be annoyed come "bleed time" but hopefully that won't be for a while.

I was actually impressed by the Wellgo pedals with adjustable pins. It's like they were meant to work with my Vessi casual shoes (rubber herringbone sole). All but glued on, and no slipping. I just wouldn't recommend Vessi shoes for offroading where there's a lot of burrs, which I learned yesterday.

Solid lights front and rear, as well.

Side note - Court's video review of this bike does it justice. There are a lot of little details that show OHM put some thought into the design.

Ride position - After the first ride, I thought the ride position might be too aggressive, but after the second, not so much. I MIGHT change out the stem for 30 degree rise Redshift Suspension stem, but I'm going to see how I feel about it after another couple of hundred klicks first. It's one of the things I figured might be a post-purchase add-on buying a bike online as opposed to at a LBS.

Shimano E6100 - The E6100 motor is whisper quiet. Not QUITE as quiet as the Specialized bikes I test rode, but close. Unless there's no other sound around, pretty much silent except for when grinding uphill in the granny gears, and even then not bad.

My first 35km ride, I rode it without adjusting anything via the app, and it was just fine. A couple of the bigger hills I ride were a workout, but I barely had to leave the seat. In comparison, on my Specialized Sirrus Sport pedal bike, I would have been walking by half way up.

After that first ride, I connected the E-Tube app, and enabled Sportive mode, which delivers 60nm of torque vs. 50nm in comfort mode.

To connect the bike to the E-Tube app confounded me, for a moment. I ended up turning off Bluetooth on my phone, going to the settings menu on the SC-E6100 display. After doing this, a Bluetooth icon appears to the left of the battery bar, and when I enabled Bluetooth on my phone, it connected, and I got the prompt to change the passcode.

Tackling the same hills felt easier, with enough of a difference that it wasn't just a placebo effect. That doesn't mean the biggest hill was "easy". It was still a workout, but I didn't leave my seat (was on the edge).

For reference, I'm a 51 year old guy 200+ lbs, fairly decent leg strength, but a tricky right knee from a mountain biking accident in my 20s. The worst hill is about 250m long (270ish yards), with an approximate 18-20 degree slope for the main stretch.

The knee held up just fine, no after-ride pain, and that hill was exactly the halfway point of the ride. On my pedal bike 2 years ago, the knee would act up for a couple of days after shorter, less hilly rides.

On flats and downhill - there were times, for a km or more, that I just rode under my own power, and while you can feel the weight of the bike, there's no discernable resistance. Once you get up to cruising speed it's basically a bike. Something I never felt with the hub drive and cadence sensor combo.

In places along the Toronto green belt areas, there some pretty flat, but twisty, single track trails, and I discovered a new one just yesterday. Not going fast, but the bike handled it surprisingly well. Much better than my 500W rear hub fat tire bike. Beside the more suitable tires/frame, the responsiveness of the motor for navigational control was fantastic.

Range - I haven't ridden nearly enough to get a solid number on range, but after two 35+km rides, and a number of shorter errand runs adding up to 104 km, I think I'd be able to get about 160 km if I stayed in Eco mode. I found I was toggling a lot to get the feel for the different modes.

The battery was at five bars when I received it, and it was still at two bars after the 104km I rode (though probably about to slip to 1 bar any second) with the display saying I would get another 58km in Eco mode, so it seems reasonable. Time will tell, but it totally teabags a hub motor in efficiency.

Extras - beyond the bike and charger, the bike came with all kinds of bits and bobs, including extra small part, a small bottle of touch up paint, and manuals galore. Well, to be fair, the Shimano manuals were all Shimano-supplied onesheets to reduce paper waste, with links and QR codes to online manuals.

OHM also included a very comprehensive 51 page bike manual for the mechanical parts.

The only TWO THINGS I dislike, and the first isn't OHMs fault really...

One - The rear rack is Racktime compatible, but there's not a LOT of Racktime compatible trunk bags out there here in North America, let alone in local shops. Even the adapter is pricey for what it is. I may order a Topeak adapter, because Velcro straps annoy me.

Two - Not a fan of those sideway motion ratcheting ringer bells. Fine for on mixed use trails, but when I'm riding on city streets, I don't think it has enough "oomph". Replaced it with the Knog Oi, which also fits better beside the assist buttons.

So yeah, minor annoyances at most.

Long Story Short: I love this bike. It's exactly what I was looking for.

Ordering and delivery - The whole process from OHM was smooth, and customer service was very responsive. Like any big purchase, I prefer to call to make sure that the stock showing online is actually in stock. Shipping took the 6 days they said it would.

Velofix was a delivery option, so I had it shipped to them, which added a few days, as they had to unpack and build, then drop it off. Great service there as well. Paying an extra $99 for Velofix was worth it.

 

[David Paisley]

Looking at this and the Specialize Como 5.0. The Como has about 100 more WH and 90 nm of torque. Were you able to compare the torque of the two bikes as you said you tried both? I like the torque and WH of the Como, but I like the the price of the OHM. Any other observations between the two bikes?

 

[antboy]

Looking at this and the Specialize Como 5.0. The Como has about 100 more WH and 90 nm of torque. Were you able to compare the torque of the two bikes as you said you tried both? I like the torque and WH of the Como, but I like the the price of the OHM. Any other observations between the two bikes?

The Como 5 was on my short list as well, but the OHM Cruise seemed like a better choice, at least for me. I didn't get a chance to test ride the OHM Cruise beforehand, but did try other Shimano based bikes...

My main reason for skipping the Como is that the geometry was TOO relaxed, at least for me. I'm middle aged, and could stand to lose 25lbs, but the Como made me feel "old" in the saddle. That's the best way I can describe it.

After all my test riding, I figured that 60Nm was about all I needed, and that extra torque might be wasted on me. I think the higher torque is mostly appreciated when seriously off-roading and/or doing a lot of hills. Toronto can be hilly when riding the greenbelt, but even the (paved) hill by the Scarborough bluffs was fine with 60Nm.

After doing a lot of research, it also seemed that the Shimano was probably the most efficient of the two motors in Eco mode (which I am generally in), and the battery life has been great. I haven't pushed the battery to its limits, but by my estimation, I could probably get about 160km out of it.

Finally, while Specialized is a great brand, I've always liked supporting Canadian brands if they're in the running. OHM has a good reputation, and Court's coverage put me over the top. All the components are solid.

 

[David Paisley]

As I was purchasing my first e-bike, I went with a cheaper model, a Magnum Navigator, which has a hub motor. I find the bike quite comfortable for me. I did try a Como, maybe a 3 or 4, and I did like it. Compared to the Gazelle with a hub motor, I found the Como much better doing hills, thus the torque was way better. I am looking to upgrade to a mid drive to compare the differences, thinking I might get more exercise. There are a lot of great Canadian bike companies: I tried a Velec, and a Surface 604 also. Dost Drop and Evelo Aurora also intrigue me, but I am thinking a light bike might be better. Have you done the Calenden trail? Want to do that when they let us Americans back into Canada.

 

[antboy]

I found the Como much better doing hills, thus the torque was way better. I am looking to upgrade to a mid drive to compare the differences, thinking I might get more exercise.

You can definitely get a bit more of a workout on a mid drive, if that's what you're looking for, and with more finesse.

It's been a number of years since I rode out in Caledon. The University of Toronto used to have a huge parcel of land that was open to biking, with some moderate single track stuff. Never tried the trail though!

 

[Art Deco]

View attachment 62685

The OHM Cruise with a Spark Mini in the background.

Off the top - I love this bike.

As someone with the inseam of a small bike, but torso of a medium bike, the step thru design fits me well. All my shortlisted options were either mixte or true step-thru frames.

The frame is well-bulit, clean welds, and I didn't notice any flex, despite the step-thru nature. All the components all seemed solid as well. The only component "surprise" is that the bike came with TRP Zurich 4-piston brakes, although it was advertised as having Shimano Deore hydraulic brakes. I'm fine with the TRP, as they're great brakes. They're hydraulic as well, so I'm sure I'll be annoyed come "bleed time" but hopefully that won't be for a while.

I was actually impressed by the Wellgo pedals with adjustable pins. It's like they were meant to work with my Vessi casual shoes (rubber herringbone sole). All but glued on, and no slipping. I just wouldn't recommend Vessi shoes for offroading where there's a lot of burrs, which I learned yesterday.

Solid lights front and rear, as well.

Side note - Court's video review of this bike does it justice. There are a lot of little details that show OHM put some thought into the design.

Ride position - After the first ride, I thought the ride position might be too aggressive, but after the second, not so much. I MIGHT change out the stem for 30 degree rise Redshift Suspension stem, but I'm going to see how I feel about it after another couple of hundred klicks first. It's one of the things I figured might be a post-purchase add-on buying a bike online as opposed to at a LBS.

Shimano E6100 - The E6100 motor is whisper quiet. Not QUITE as quiet as the Specialized bikes I test rode, but close. Unless there's no other sound around, pretty much silent except for when grinding uphill in the granny gears, and even then not bad.

My first 35km ride, I rode it without adjusting anything via the app, and it was just fine. A couple of the bigger hills I ride were a workout, but I barely had to leave the seat. In comparison, on my Specialized Sirrus Sport pedal bike, I would have been walking by half way up.

After that first ride, I connected the E-Tube app, and enabled Sportive mode, which delivers 60nm of torque vs. 50nm in comfort mode.

To connect the bike to the E-Tube app confounded me, for a moment. I ended up turning off Bluetooth on my phone, going to the settings menu on the SC-E6100 display. After doing this, a Bluetooth icon appears to the left of the battery bar, and when I enabled Bluetooth on my phone, it connected, and I got the prompt to change the passcode.

Tackling the same hills felt easier, with enough of a difference that it wasn't just a placebo effect. That doesn't mean the biggest hill was "easy". It was still a workout, but I didn't leave my seat (was on the edge).

For reference, I'm a 51 year old guy 200+ lbs, fairly decent leg strength, but a tricky right knee from a mountain biking accident in my 20s. The worst hill is about 250m long (270ish yards), with an approximate 18-20 degree slope for the main stretch.

The knee held up just fine, no after-ride pain, and that hill was exactly the halfway point of the ride. On my pedal bike 2 years ago, the knee would act up for a couple of days after shorter, less hilly rides.

On flats and downhill - there were times, for a km or more, that I just rode under my own power, and while you can feel the weight of the bike, there's no discernable resistance. Once you get up to cruising speed it's basically a bike. Something I never felt with the hub drive and cadence sensor combo.

In places along the Toronto green belt areas, there some pretty flat, but twisty, single track trails, and I discovered a new one just yesterday. Not going fast, but the bike handled it surprisingly well. Much better than my 500W rear hub fat tire bike. Beside the more suitable tires/frame, the responsiveness of the motor for navigational control was fantastic.

Range - I haven't ridden nearly enough to get a solid number on range, but after two 35+km rides, and a number of shorter errand runs adding up to 104 km, I think I'd be able to get about 160 km if I stayed in Eco mode. I found I was toggling a lot to get the feel for the different modes.

The battery was at five bars when I received it, and it was still at two bars after the 104km I rode (though probably about to slip to 1 bar any second) with the display saying I would get another 58km in Eco mode, so it seems reasonable. Time will tell, but it totally teabags a hub motor in efficiency.

Extras - beyond the bike and charger, the bike came with all kinds of bits and bobs, including extra small part, a small bottle of touch up paint, and manuals galore. Well, to be fair, the Shimano manuals were all Shimano-supplied onesheets to reduce paper waste, with links and QR codes to online manuals.

OHM also included a very comprehensive 51 page bike manual for the mechanical parts.

The only TWO THINGS I dislike, and the first isn't OHMs fault really...

One - The rear rack is Racktime compatible, but there's not a LOT of Racktime compatible trunk bags out there here in North America, let alone in local shops. Even the adapter is pricey for what it is. I may order a Topeak adapter, because Velcro straps annoy me.

Two - Not a fan of those sideway motion ratcheting ringer bells. Fine for on mixed use trails, but when I'm riding on city streets, I don't think it has enough "oomph". Replaced it with the Knog Oi, which also fits better beside the assist buttons.

So yeah, minor annoyances at most.

Long Story Short: I love this bike. It's exactly what I was looking for.

Ordering and delivery - The whole process from OHM was smooth, and customer service was very responsive. Like any big purchase, I prefer to call to make sure that the stock showing online is actually in stock. Shipping took the 6 days they said it would.

Velofix was a delivery option, so I had it shipped to them, which added a few days, as they had to unpack and build, then drop it off. Great service there as well. Paying an extra $99 for Velofix was worth it.

Nice write up. I ride the entry level Como with even less torque, maybe 45 NM, and find it (just) adequate for all but the worst hills. And although I really like the ride position, it does make it more difficult to stand up on the pedals.

 

[antboy]

Nice write up. I ride the entry level Como with even less torque, maybe 45 NM, and find it (just) adequate for all but the worst hills. And although I really like the ride position, it does make it more difficult to stand up on the pedals.

I agree. The Cruise is more forgiving if you're going up a big hill and want to stand. It's still not a bike designed for that kind of riding, but the geometry isn't so relaxed that it's uncomfortable.

I've been going back and forth on whether I want to get handle bars with less sweep back, but I don't think I need them so much as I'm addicted to tweaking my bike.

 

[Art Deco]

I agree. The Cruise is more forgiving if you're going up a big hill and want to stand. It's still not a bike designed for that kind of riding, but the geometry isn't so relaxed that it's uncomfortable.

I've been going back and forth on whether I want to get handle bars with less sweep back, but I don't think I need them so much as I'm addicted to tweaking my bike.

I seriously try to avoid "tweaking" my bike. I did that with cars and it turned into a money pit fast. Anyway I'm glad you found something you like, since you have been watching step thru bikes since before I joined this forum. BTW, I still ride a diamond frame ...

 

[antboy]

I seriously try to avoid "tweaking" my bike. I did that with cars and it turned into a money pit fast. Anyway I'm glad you found something you like, since you have been watching step thru bikes since before I joined this forum. BTW, I still ride a diamond frame ...

It can be. I was like that with my Toyota Supra back in the day as well.

I'm pretty happy with it now, other than the aforementioned handlebar decision. The best addition was the Shocks top stem and seat post. JUST the right amount of suspension.

 

[Stuart B]

Great review on the Cruise. As I mentioned on another thread, we just ordered two ohm ebikes. The cruise, and the new quest sport. Should be fun getting to know these bikes. I'm getting wheel sets for both the Quest Sport and the Quest Mountain so I can test out how the width of tire and aggressiveness of tread impacts the ride, on different types of surfaces. They've agreed to see if a surly moloko handle bar will work on the sport for me and will give me some feedback - seemed like an interesting option. This will be my first ebike. They are a bit more expensive than some ebike brands, but the company seems to put together a high quality product.

 

[antboy]

Great review on the Cruise. As I mentioned on another thread, we just ordered two ohm ebikes. The cruise, and the new quest sport. Should be fun getting to know these bikes. I'm getting wheel sets for both the Quest Sport and the Quest Mountain so I can test out how the width of tire and aggressiveness of tread impacts the ride, on different types of surfaces. They've agreed to see if a surly moloko handle bar will work on the sport for me and will give me some feedback - seemed like an interesting option. This will be my first ebike. They are a bit more expensive than some ebike brands, but the company seems to put together a high quality product.

The Quest Sport looks like a lot of fun. I'm curious to hear user feedback on the EP8 motor that aren't promotional pieces.

I don't think there should be any problems with the Moloko handlebars. I looked into them myself, but wanted a little less sweep back.

The only (minor) issue I noticed is routing the cable that runs to the switch/display, because of the added length, and the hard angle. If there's enough cable, the rest could be managed by bar tape.

My guess is that unless you're doing a lot of trail riding, the Super Motos should do the trick. I'm not tackling anything really technical, and the Big Bens, which have a similar tread pattern, are mostly okay, though not the most confidence-inspiring when cornering in dirt. The Johnny Watts are definitely more off-road friendly.

I've been tire shopping as well, and am considering the WTB Venture, which is similar to the Specialized Trigger Pro, which is a pretty smooth rolling tire, but with some bite for cornering... Venture – WTB

Whenever I've had technical questions, OHM has been very responsive, and given me good advice.

EDIT to add: if you're going to be using a trunk bag a lot, I'd highly recommend looking at buying a Racktime Snapit adapter or two. I HAVE to remove my bag after every ride because my cat is a jerk who likes to hop on the bag and try to get into it when I get home, so the quick release is great, and it's a lot cheaper than buying an official Racktime compatible bag. Starbike sells them for a reasonable price... Racktime Snap-IT rear rack/carrier adaptor (starbike.com) - after shipping and all, I got two for just shy of $80 CAD, while Amazon sells a single one for $65, and Ebay has them for about $25 with $60 shipping!

 

[Stuart B]

The tire issue is an interesting one. The big Ben in a 2.0 which will go on my partner's ohm cruise, ordered, has a decent tread as you mention, though mud might be worrisome. But the 2.4 tread that comes with the Quest Sport, has the appearance of a less aggressive tread, which is the new Schwalbe SUPER MOTO design - had me a bit concerned as a main set of wheels. But I also wanted to try the 2.6 inch Johnny Watts tread, as it will be a unique experience, though it might reduce battery efficiency by say 10%. So getting both sets made sense, though I could still choose a different tread for the 2.4 in tires. I did talk to Michael about it and he did assure me that it's a new design and its expected to grip very well.

Yes, here is a good video on the EP8 I watched, which was interesting.

Love the look of the Cruise above. It has a really fundamental but stylish, "last forever, take you anywhere, never want to part with it" kind of look.

I'm going to have to think hard about security. It would simply be very annoying to have them stolen 7 days after arrival. You really can't depend on insurance for these things or you'll pay insane premiums.

Stuart

 

[antboy]

The tire issue is an interesting one. The big Ben in a 2.0 which will go on my partner's ohm cruise, ordered, has a decent tread as you mention, though mud might be worrisome. But the 2.4 tread that comes with the Quest Sport, has the appearance of a less aggressive tread, which is the new Schwalbe SUPER MOTO design - had me a bit concerned as a main set of wheels. But I also wanted to try the 2.6 inch Johnny Watts tread, as it will be a unique experience, though it might reduce battery efficiency by say 10%. So getting both sets made sense, though I could still choose a different tread for the 2.4 in tires. I did talk to Michael about it and he did assure me that it's a new design and its expected to grip very well.

Yes, here is a good video on the EP8 I watched, which was interesting.

Love the look of the Cruise above. It has a really fundamental but stylish, "last forever, take you anywhere, never want to part with it" kind of look.

I'm going to have to think hard about security. It would simply be very annoying to have them stolen 7 days after arrival. You really can't depend on insurance for these things or you'll pay insane premiums.

Stuart

Michael has been great to deal with through email. Seems like 2020 was a good year for them as well.

I love "EMTB Videos", uhm, videos. He gets more technical about things like motor engagement, ramp up etc., and is pretty honest.

For security, that's always a tough one. There's plenty of threads on EBR about locking/securing e-bike, and everyone has to weigh their needs.

We keep our e-bikes in the condo (though a 3rd cheap fat tire hub bike is stored in a secured bike room with security cameras), so we don't have a lot of home worries.

The rare time when we both need to lock up our bikes out of our sight for any length of time (at most, grocery shopping), we use a U-Lock w/ cable, as well as a heavy chain Beast #8016L — OnGuard Locks - this is NOT a light chain, but it's also not something we bring on 90%+ of our rides.

They're not really harder to pick than a Kryptonite or ABUS, but they're less common on bikes (more targeting the motorcycle/powersports crowd), so pro bike thieves might find them a bit more of a challenge, and the Beast chain is tough to cut, even with a grinder. I also have a couple of lighter cable loops for the seat post and stem (both of which I've upgraded to Shockstops), and I replaced the quick release on the seat post.

I bought a couple of Hiplok Z Loks that can be wrapped tightly around the downtube. They can be cut with snips, but given how tight they can be wrapped, it's hard to get leverage, and the Z Loks are light enough they stay in the top pocket of my trunk bag all the the time.

I'm also considering adding an ABUS cafe style lock with either cable or chain extension, but I'll need the adapter for it, since the OHM bikes don't have the bosses to mount directly to the frame.

Other than removing the batteries when grocery shopping, I'm on the "better safe than sorry" side. I also keep an eye out to see if I can lock up near an expensive pedal bike with less security, as that would be more tempting to potential thieves. I'm surprised how many $2000+ bikes I see locked up with just a U-lock around the seat tube/rear tire... almost as many of those as there are cut U-Locks.

I'd also recommend checking your home policy (own or rent). E-bikes are included in some home policies under sport/exercise equipment. We made an enquiry about that, and theft is included, up to $8000.

 

[Stuart B]

Michael has been great to deal with through email. Seems like 2020 was a good year for them as well.

I love "EMTB Videos", uhm, videos. He gets more technical about things like motor engagement, ramp up etc., and is pretty honest.

For security, that's always a tough one. There's plenty of threads on EBR about locking/securing e-bike, and everyone has to weigh their needs.

We keep our e-bikes in the condo (though a 3rd cheap fat tire hub bike is stored in a secured bike room with security cameras), so we don't have a lot of home worries.

The rare time when we both need to lock up our bikes out of our sight for any length of time (at most, grocery shopping), we use a U-Lock w/ cable, as well as a heavy chain Beast #8016L — OnGuard Locks - this is NOT a light chain, but it's also not something we bring on 90%+ of our rides.

They're not really harder to pick than a Kryptonite or ABUS, but they're less common on bikes (more targeting the motorcycle/powersports crowd), so pro bike thieves might find them a bit more of a challenge, and the Beast chain is tough to cut, even with a grinder. I also have a couple of lighter cable loops for the seat post and stem (both of which I've upgraded to Shockstops), and I replaced the quick release on the seat post.

I bought a couple of Hiplok Z Loks that can be wrapped tightly around the downtube. They can be cut with snips, but given how tight they can be wrapped, it's hard to get leverage, and the Z Loks are light enough they stay in the top pocket of my trunk bag all the the time.

I'm also considering adding an ABUS cafe style lock with either cable or chain extension, but I'll need the adapter for it, since the OHM bikes don't have the bosses to mount directly to the frame.

Other than removing the batteries when grocery shopping, I'm on the "better safe than sorry" side. I also keep an eye out to see if I can lock up near an expensive pedal bike with less security, as that would be more tempting to potential thieves. I'm surprised how many $2000+ bikes I see locked up with just a U-lock around the seat tube/rear tire... almost as many of those as there are cut U-Locks.

I'd also recommend checking your home policy (own or rent). E-bikes are included in some home policies under sport/exercise equipment. We made an enquiry about that, and theft is included, up to $8000.

thanks so much for that response, I'll revisit re the security issues. Did not know that OHM doesn't have the bosses to mount the ABUS cafe lock. that's disappointing. I'll check my home policy. Is that $8K max, or per bike?
ha. talk soon.

 

[Art Deco]

That insurance policy is interesting. Who is the carrier? And does that include theft from a bike rack or just from home?

 

[antboy]

That insurance policy is interesting. Who is the carrier? And does that include theft from a bike rack or just from home?

Dunno how I missed this.

The insurance is through TD. It was my SO who spoke to them, since the policy is under her name, but she said theft outside the home was included, up to $4000 per bike. IIRC there was a $200 deductible, but that was a while ago.

 

[Art Deco]

Dunno how I missed this.

The insurance is through TD. It was my SO who spoke to them, since the policy is under her name, but she said theft outside the home was included, up to $4000 per bike. IIRC there was a $200 deductible, but that was a while ago.

TD is Toronto Dominion , correct? They are probably Canada only, sounds like a good deal, though.

 

[antboy]

TD is Toronto Dominion , correct? They are probably Canada only, sounds like a good deal, though.

Yep, Canada.

 

[robadr]

View attachment 62685

The OHM Cruise with a Spark Mini in the background.

Off the top - I love this bike.

As someone with the inseam of a small bike, but torso of a medium bike, the step thru design fits me well. All my shortlisted options were either mixte or true step-thru frames.

The frame is well-bulit, clean welds, and I didn't notice any flex, despite the step-thru nature. All the components all seemed solid as well. The only component "surprise" is that the bike came with TRP Zurich 4-piston brakes, although it was advertised as having Shimano Deore hydraulic brakes. I'm fine with the TRP, as they're great brakes. They're hydraulic as well, so I'm sure I'll be annoyed come "bleed time" but hopefully that won't be for a while.

I was actually impressed by the Wellgo pedals with adjustable pins. It's like they were meant to work with my Vessi casual shoes (rubber herringbone sole). All but glued on, and no slipping. I just wouldn't recommend Vessi shoes for offroading where there's a lot of burrs, which I learned yesterday.

Solid lights front and rear, as well.

Side note - Court's video review of this bike does it justice. There are a lot of little details that show OHM put some thought into the design.

Ride position - After the first ride, I thought the ride position might be too aggressive, but after the second, not so much. I MIGHT change out the stem for 30 degree rise Redshift Suspension stem, but I'm going to see how I feel about it after another couple of hundred klicks first. It's one of the things I figured might be a post-purchase add-on buying a bike online as opposed to at a LBS.

Shimano E6100 - The E6100 motor is whisper quiet. Not QUITE as quiet as the Specialized bikes I test rode, but close. Unless there's no other sound around, pretty much silent except for when grinding uphill in the granny gears, and even then not bad.

My first 35km ride, I rode it without adjusting anything via the app, and it was just fine. A couple of the bigger hills I ride were a workout, but I barely had to leave the seat. In comparison, on my Specialized Sirrus Sport pedal bike, I would have been walking by half way up.

After that first ride, I connected the E-Tube app, and enabled Sportive mode, which delivers 60nm of torque vs. 50nm in comfort mode.

To connect the bike to the E-Tube app confounded me, for a moment. I ended up turning off Bluetooth on my phone, going to the settings menu on the SC-E6100 display. After doing this, a Bluetooth icon appears to the left of the battery bar, and when I enabled Bluetooth on my phone, it connected, and I got the prompt to change the passcode.

Tackling the same hills felt easier, with enough of a difference that it wasn't just a placebo effect. That doesn't mean the biggest hill was "easy". It was still a workout, but I didn't leave my seat (was on the edge).

For reference, I'm a 51 year old guy 200+ lbs, fairly decent leg strength, but a tricky right knee from a mountain biking accident in my 20s. The worst hill is about 250m long (270ish yards), with an approximate 18-20 degree slope for the main stretch.

The knee held up just fine, no after-ride pain, and that hill was exactly the halfway point of the ride. On my pedal bike 2 years ago, the knee would act up for a couple of days after shorter, less hilly rides.

On flats and downhill - there were times, for a km or more, that I just rode under my own power, and while you can feel the weight of the bike, there's no discernable resistance. Once you get up to cruising speed it's basically a bike. Something I never felt with the hub drive and cadence sensor combo.

In places along the Toronto green belt areas, there some pretty flat, but twisty, single track trails, and I discovered a new one just yesterday. Not going fast, but the bike handled it surprisingly well. Much better than my 500W rear hub fat tire bike. Beside the more suitable tires/frame, the responsiveness of the motor for navigational control was fantastic.

Range - I haven't ridden nearly enough to get a solid number on range, but after two 35+km rides, and a number of shorter errand runs adding up to 104 km, I think I'd be able to get about 160 km if I stayed in Eco mode. I found I was toggling a lot to get the feel for the different modes.

The battery was at five bars when I received it, and it was still at two bars after the 104km I rode (though probably about to slip to 1 bar any second) with the display saying I would get another 58km in Eco mode, so it seems reasonable. Time will tell, but it totally teabags a hub motor in efficiency.

Extras - beyond the bike and charger, the bike came with all kinds of bits and bobs, including extra small part, a small bottle of touch up paint, and manuals galore. Well, to be fair, the Shimano manuals were all Shimano-supplied onesheets to reduce paper waste, with links and QR codes to online manuals.

OHM also included a very comprehensive 51 page bike manual for the mechanical parts.

The only TWO THINGS I dislike, and the first isn't OHMs fault really...

One - The rear rack is Racktime compatible, but there's not a LOT of Racktime compatible trunk bags out there here in North America, let alone in local shops. Even the adapter is pricey for what it is. I may order a Topeak adapter, because Velcro straps annoy me.

Two - Not a fan of those sideway motion ratcheting ringer bells. Fine for on mixed use trails, but when I'm riding on city streets, I don't think it has enough "oomph". Replaced it with the Knog Oi, which also fits better beside the assist buttons.

So yeah, minor annoyances at most.

Long Story Short: I love this bike. It's exactly what I was looking for.

Ordering and delivery - The whole process from OHM was smooth, and customer service was very responsive. Like any big purchase, I prefer to call to make sure that the stock showing online is actually in stock. Shipping took the 6 days they said it would.

Velofix was a delivery option, so I had it shipped to them, which added a few days, as they had to unpack and build, then drop it off. Great service there as well. Paying an extra $99 for Velofix was worth it.

I test rode a couple of models recently and thought there was more motor resistance on the OHM bike when the battery was turned off, as opposed to a CUBE bike. What's your sense on that issue? Do you ever ride it without assistance?

 

[antboy]

I test rode a couple of models recently and thought there was more motor resistance on the OHM bike when the battery was turned off, as opposed to a CUBE bike. What's your sense on that issue? Do you ever ride it without assistance?

I do ride it without assist, on purpose, for short stretches (meaning just over a km).

I also sometimes forget to switch from NoAssist to Eco after booting it up, which I don't always catch right away It feels a bit tough to get up to speed, but I think the impression of resistance is more about the weight of the bike than real motor drag.

When I'm cleaning the drive train with the rear wheel off the ground, which eliminates the weight, there's at most a SLIGHT resistance, maybe.

IIRC when I was doing test rides of different motors (pre-COVID so my recollection may be faulty) I found the unassisted resistance similarly negligible to whichever Bosch motor was on the Allant+ 8... think it was the 4th Gen Performance. I definitely recall when testing the Bosch, I had misread the display, and started out without assist.