Have Aveny, now adding 2 Vika + bikes to the quiver ...

[RMK!]

I purchased a Blix Aveny for my wife last year. She is very busy and not into bike riding but it has become a serious hobby for me so I took the chance. Turns out she loves riding the Aveny and has put over 1500 miles on it in the last 9 months. I ride 4-500 miles per week and have a very nice German ebike as my almost daily rider. We have been taking the bikes on driving vacations to the coast ride them nearly every day we are there. We have a good bike rack but I don't like transporting my very expensive exercise bike for the short (under 20 miles/day) vacation rides.

Having just sold a fat tire folder and another big fat tire ebike we are down to just the 2 bikes. We have become accustomed to taking short rides with family and friends at home (everybody loves ebikes ;-)) and I have been researching ebikes to see if there was a reasonably priced option. I briefly considered among others the Lectric folders but we have friends who own them and I'm just not a fan. I have been considering the 2021 Vika but at $1700/ea, a pair of them seemed a bit expensive for my intended use. Then I saw the 2020 Vika+ on sale and another $100/ea off if I bought 2. That was more like what I was willing to spend and since the wife loves the Aveny and it has the same controls drive train and battery I pulled the trigger.

The wife and I really like the Euro look of all the Blix models but what really closed the deal for me is the folded size of the Vika+. I bought 2 of the storage/carry bags and when we go on our road trips we will take them along inside the car. We have a Tesla Model Y and when I hang the big bikes on the hitch rack I lose at least 20% of my per charge driving range on the Tesla (about 60 miles). Now I can bag em & bring em and I think they will be perfect as our travel ebikes.

Horses for courses.

 

[MGAubrey]

Have you receive your bikes yet?

I've been wondering about how small they fold: I'm surprised that Blix lists 21" as their smallest measurement folded. given the frame size I'd have expected it to be narrower than that!

I'm really interested in the Vika for my wife and I's first ebike.

 

[RMK!]

Have you receive your bikes yet?

I've been wondering about how small they fold: I'm surprised that Blix lists 21" as their smallest measurement folded. given the frame size I'd have expected it to be narrower than that!

I'm really interested in the Vika for my wife and I's first ebike.

They just arrived today and are now pretty much setup. Need to do some brake adjustments (good guide on the Blix Website) and get the batteries (shipped separately) charged up tonight. I took one for a quick spin and it was fun to ride. I pulled an unintentional wheelie by using Pedal Assist Level 5 while starting pedaling in 4th gear on the flat and it dropped the unlocked battery :-/. I kept it in control and even caught the battery before it hit the pavement. In Levels 4-5 the power seems to kick in pretty hard after less than half a rotation of the crank which surprised me. With most of the weight in the middle/back end of the bike, caution while going up hill pedaling would be prudent especially in the higher assist levels. Low levels 1-2 are much mellower.

Obviously it's to early in my tenure to form a reliable opinion but for our use, I think they are going to be fun and pretty much what I was looking for. As to the folded size, 2 of them folded and bagged will easily fit in our Tesla Model Y with plenty of room to spare. They are IMO, one of the better looking folders and the drivetrain should work fine for our short ride (<30 miles) needs.

One negative observation is the packaging could be better (as in double boxed). My bike only had to travel 150 miles from the Blix warehouse and the boxes were pretty beat up (thanks FedEx). There is a lot of foam and zip ties protecting the frame and components but the box itself is the weak point, If you live far from the shipping location make sure it's insured and take lots of pictures of the box and contents when it arrives.

 

[RMK!]

We took a 20 mile break-in ride this morning. There are a few things that need addressing but overall they performed very well. We consumed approx 40% of the battery so a max range of 35-40 miles seems doable even in hilly conditions. They are nimble and the ride is pretty good for such a small, un-suspended bike. One bike has a bent brake rotor and some missing non-essential parts due to the split open box.

Seems like a very good deal at the current price.

 

[RMK!]

I had a couple of issues (bent brake rotor and loose tail light) with the bikes and Blix sent me the replacement parts post haste. There are two things I did that I feel are nice upgrades. I added these Hydraulic Brake Calipers to improve the braking performance and this Suntour suspension seat post to cushion the ride. I'm very satisficed with both upgrades and will be doing the same to the wife's Aveny.

 

[RMK!]

There is one potentially serious issue with the battery lock on the Vika +. The lock simply will not lock the battery onto the bike. Both of our bikes have dropped batteries when riding and the batteries were locked. Once the battery slips out of the receiver, the bike of course losses all power and that could create a serious situation for the rider. This video demonstrates the issue.

 

[Maineiac]

Wow, I considered buying a Vika + at one point because I liked the look. Have you contacted Blix about the issue?

 

[RMK!]

Wow, I considered buying a Vika + at one point because I liked the look. Have you contacted Blix about the issue?

Yes I have but it takes a couple of days to get a reply. They changed the battery this year and I think that might be the cause of the problem. I'll be sure to post when/if it is resolved.

BTW, I still like the bikes and will work on my own fix if Blix doesn't come up with something.

 

[RMK!]

I figured out the problem with the battery lock. The top portion of the battery receiver tray is cantilevered away from the seatpost and there is a small tab on the top of the battery receiver that has to mate to the battery. If you squeeze that cantilevered portion toward the battery while pushing down on the battery, the battery will seat properly and the lock works. I tested this install method on both bikes and it works.

The problem is if you don't do this, the battery will function properly and appears to be locked but isn't and will easily dislodge when you hit a bump in the road. This is at best a poor design and Blix needs to include instructions with the bike that ensure owners are aware of this condition.

 

[Bikey Enthusias]

I figured out the problem with the battery lock. The top portion of the battery receiver tray is cantilevered away from the seatpost and there is a small tab on the top of the battery receiver that has to mate to the battery. If you squeeze that cantilevered portion toward the battery while pushing down on the battery, the battery will seat properly and the lock works. I tested this install method on both bikes and it works.

The problem is if you don't do this, the battery will function properly but isn't locked and will easily dislodge when you hit a bump in the road. This is at best a poor design and Blix needs to include instructions with the bike that ensure owners are aware of this condition.

This bugged me too. I don't even take mine off anymore. The Vika plus is a good bike overall. Out of the three e-bikes I own it's definitely my favorite. It's what I use when I really want a workout.

 

[RMK!]

This bugged me too. I don't even take mine off anymore. The Vika plus is a good bike overall. Out of the three e-bikes I own it's definitely my favorite. It's what I use when I really want a workout.

Bilx service responded and said I just need to push down firmly on the battery to secure the lock. Unfortunately that technique doesn't work on my Vika's. I have to use the process described above to ensure the lock is truly engaged. If I don't do that, the lock pin simply bends the receiver tray rather than seating into the hole in the receiver tray and locking the battery.

It isn't hard to do it correctly but it isn't obvious that the battery isn't locked because the key turns and the power is on. Hit a bump and the battery will very likely be ejected and power lost. I think that's a pretty significant problem and Blix should document this and change the design to make the battery lock work without manual intervention. Currently, it does not ...

 

[Bikey Enthusias]

I agree

 

[RMK!]

Bit peeved at Blix. The fragile little charger connector on our 2019 Vika bent and rendered the charger useless. I still have the 2019 Aveny and even though the batteries will interchange the chargers are not compatible on the 2 batteries. That means paying Blix $100 for a cheap 48V, 2amp charger. I ordered one from Ebay for $18 and it did not work. When I bought the Vika + they claimed the batteries were interchangeable and they are but they didn't mention the charger incompatibility. They probably makeabout the same on a charger sale than the make on the bike.