Douglas Coutts
New Member
- Region
- USA
After my first 100 miles on my Xroad 3, I thought I'd share some first impressions. This was my first new bike in 25 years (and my first eMB) and the first bike that I did not assemble from frame up with best in breed components or my own choice. This time, I wanted a bike that came pre-integrated, ready to go with very, very good, if not the very best components available. I knew that this might cost a little more but I considered it worthwhile, particularly if it was backed by a solid manufacturer with strong product support. With this all in mind, I would give the bike 4 out of 5 stars. This is what I really like..... It handles beautifully on city roads, on forest service roads, and on gravel roads...pot holes and all. The disc brakes are smooth and effective. The suspension does its job on potholes, over curbs, etc. ...not nearly as good as a FS bike but just fine for my less aggressive riding objectives. I ride in the rain much of the year and love the solid fenders that come with this bike (although I have not yet ridden on a wet unpaved road). The index gears shift very quickly and smoothly up and down and the Bosch power train is responsive and delivers more than adequate power, even on steep hills. I love the rack and Ortlieb QL3 pannier mounting system. A few things that I do not like... When cruising along in 10th gear at even a fairly low cadence (<30 rpm) you can feel a rumble through your feet coming from the drive train. It seems like the derailleur and/or chain do not have quite enough range. I like riding with the lights on most of the time but there does not seem to be any way to turn them off. (The Bosch instructions simply do not work). The battery tube cover is very fragile. I lock my bike with a cloth covered chain but the third time I removed the chain, it caught on the cover latch and broke it off. I consider this normal wear but Mustache said that it was not covered by warranty. I suppose this not a black and white issue. However, weeks later they cannot even tell me when I can get a replacement or how much it will cost. The functional issues are perhaps not major but I wonder if product support is an issue with this manufacturer. I would love to hear that others have had different experiences.
