Felt Sport Electric Bike with Bosch Performance Drive

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Here is a review of the latest Felt Bosch ebike by Newwheel.
Key points:

Bosch Performance Mid Drive with 60Nm Torque
40 lbs..!!!!! (what??)
Hydraulic Disc Brakes
400wh battery (standard for Bosch)

 

[Brandon b FL.]

Nice bike. Verynice

 

[James]

40lbs is awesome! Felt is a solid company too... Their road bikes are sweet

 

[JoePah]

Nice bike and decent price at $4k.. Just would like one that could cruise at 25 mph and an option for a larger battery. 350W 60 NM motor is probably enough if you're just wanting to climb hills.. Not enough for the flats.


http://www.motostrano.com/Felt-SPORT-e-Electric-Bike-p/sport-e.htm

 

[Brandon b FL.]

@JoePah agreed. But 4k for a bike? Ahh I think I would be looked at as I lost my marbles (brains). Lol good price though agreed

 

[Admin]

Just would like one that could cruise at 25 mph...

I agree, considering the Haibike Superrace gets the speed pedelec treatment with 20+ speeds I'm surprised this bike wouldn't?

 

[Chris Nolte]

I agree, considering the Haibike Superrace gets the speed pedelec treatment with 20+ speeds I'm surprised this bike wouldn't?

Court - I'm seeing more and more states like California and soon NY to include pedal assist into the 20mph top speed. In California it's my understanding you're actually supposed to have a license to ride a bike that can go past 20. On another note, we actually just got word we'll be getting some more speed pedelecs in about a week or two. I made a small post about it here.

We'll get our first shipment of Sporte's in another couple of weeks and I agree they are awesome! I think we'll be the first dealer on the east coast which is exciting I just booked my trip to Eurobike too so I can scout out some more goodies.

 

[Admin]

I just booked my trip to Eurobike too so I can scout out some more goodies.

Good for you man! I wish I could join you, maybe next year or further down the road. I've been working with @Chandlee EBS on an ebike rally in Georgia this August and then my sister gets married... and then Interbike so it's packed this year. Stoked to see your updates! I saw your new thread in the events section here, right on!

 

[Tom]

I'm on this journey to buy my first electric bike and I thought that I picked the perfect one for me. I was patiently waiting for the new Izip Dash to come out by the end of this month. And then I test drove the Felt Sport e. WOW! What a special bike this is. For me it drove perfectly. I love the Dash and was thinking that I really needed the throttle, but after riding the Bosch mid drive system I'm starting to rethink what I'm going to do. The bike will be used mostly for fun and the usual errand. I have multiple 10+ degree hills near my home and plenty of bike paths. Never in a millions years would I think about purchasing a bike, no less an electric bike and accessories for over $4000. I still will be patient and see what news comes from Interbike. I really liked the Bosch system and what it offers and how it works. This will be a very tough decision.

 

[JoePah]

I'm on this journey to buy my first electric bike and I thought that I picked the perfect one for me. I was patiently waiting for the new Izip Dash to come out by the end of this month. And then I test drove the Felt Sport e. WOW! What a special bike this is. For me it drove perfectly. I love the Dash and was thinking that I really needed the throttle, but after riding the Bosch mid drive system I'm starting to rethink what I'm going to do. The bike will be used mostly for fun and the usual errand. I have multiple 10+ degree hills near my home and plenty of bike paths. Never in a millions years would I think about purchasing a bike, no less an electric bike and accessories for over $4000. I still will be patient and see what news comes from Interbike. I really liked the Bosch system and what it offers and how it works. This will be a very tough decision.

Felt makes great mountain bikes.. I still debating buying a used CF F4 that I just loved... 24 lbs!

If you just wanted a fun bike on the trails this EFelt seems like a great choice.. If you're mostly on bike paths and roads, probably the Dash.

 

[Tom]

JoePah,
I mentioned in another post that I was ready to buy the Dash but got cold feet hearing about the motor, wiring, and issues with constant adjusting of the brakes. Since it was so close for the new 2015 Dash to come out, I was sure that all these problems would be addressed with. I live a distance away from the electric bike dealers so one of my top priorities is reliability and dependability. I do not want to spend my time getting any bike fixed on a regular basis, especially when one pays over $3000 for a bike. Spending money like that is easy for some and difficult for others (like me). Both bikes are great choices. Will wait and see what else comes out of Interbike and how others are feeling about the Bosch system. The big plus of the Dash for me was the throttle. I'm going to try as many electric bikes as I can before my decision is made. I think once I get on the perfect bike I'll know it, so far it has been the Felt Sport e and the Izip Dash.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

JoePah, I'm going to try as many electric bikes as I can before my decision is made. I think once I get on the perfect bike I'll know it, so far it has been the Felt Sport e and the Izip Dash.

$4k SportE - MINUS $2.8k (I've already seen the 2015 Dash for $2,800), = $1,200. So that 10 lbs difference is only $120/lb... not bad. Funny because I'm a Dash owner (3 months) 'looking' at the Felt SportE & Haibike XDURO Trekking RX, both $4k (and Bosch mid drives), but one is 10 lbs lighter - and well the Trekking comes with fenders, lights, rear rack, pump - hydro brakes, all the commuter stuff, weight comparable to my Dash.

Regarding Dash concerns I believe the motor issue is history, better epoxy or whatever. The electrical problems while not ideal, have only occurred twice in nearly 2K miles (some minor off-roading, washed a few times), and did not require shop repair so much as a little wire management/strain relief. The brakes, well probably the main reason I'm looking elsewhere.

Because I have roadbike history (and E.R. frequent flyer miles) I'm attracted to the Felt Sport-e, it's weight, center of gravity, and 38c tires seem like a good middle between a roady and the Dash. The XDURO Trekking is also attractive, getting me the brake system I want and all the accessories I might otherwise pay for as add-ons. Since I'm ready to bail on road biking I would basically be trading two really nice bikes (Super 6 Di2 & 2014 Dash) for a dreamier machine.

-Shea

 

[Tom]

Shea,
I had a chance to try the Haibike Trekking also. Really liked the bike. But the bike felt and looked bulkier and heavier to me. The Felt Sport was much more aesthetically pleasing to me, much cleaner looking. The pump on the Haibike looked like it would only be used in an emergency. I was told that the city kit was only $152. (fenders, lights, and rack) for the Felt. What was nice about using the Felt city kit was that you are able to integrate it with the bosch system. Meaning that you will be able to turn on the lights by pushing a button on the console. I also liked that you do not have to toggle all the way through the levels. The Felt also has room for a water bottle cage. Like I said, reliability and dependability first. I plan on keeping the bike a long time and taking great care of it. The little kid in me wants to go to bed at night and wake up thinking, I can't wait to get on that bike.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

Can you comment on the Felt Sport-e test drive a bit more, specifically what was the top speed, I'm struggling with a false impression that the bosch system limits the bike to 20 mph. Anyone can do 28 on a Dash, I've seen 30 on flats.

 

[Tom]

Shea,
I test rode the bike in a limited area within a neighborhood. I had one long distance where I easily reached 20 mph in econo mode. There were 2 hills, one at approximately 6 degrees and another at 8. Econo mode made it up both hills without much effort. Turbo was overkill for the area I was in as traffic was coming up the side streets. I "felt" I was flying going 20 mph on this bike. Since I live in a city area with lots of traffic I can't imagine the need going faster than that. But would like to take the bike out on some trails and try her out. I found out that the bike shop will rent me the bike for the day if I want, and if I purchase the bike, the rental money will go toward the bike. Nice option. Most of the bike shops where I live are located in high density inner city areas. Hope this helps. Have you found a Felt dealer close to you?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I test rode Haibike Trekking RX (45 min, 10-12 miles) and found that it was not easy to stay at 23mph, where as on the Dash, I could do 28+.
Perhaps, Felt is different owing to its weight and programming.
Looking fwd to test ride this at the Interbike.

 

[Tom]

Ravi,
When I test drove the Haibike, I only was able to get it to just over 19 mph easily. I was not able to go faster or keep the speed up due to traffic conditions. I will look forward to seeing how you like the Felt Sport e. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

Have you found a Felt dealer close to you?

Yes I gave them a call & knew more about the bike than they did,.. the shop is a 15 minute bike ride from home but they don't have any inventory. Thanks for your description.

I test rode Haibike Trekking RX (45 min, 10-12 miles) and found that it was not easy to stay at 23mph, where as on the Dash, I could do 28+.
Perhaps, Felt is different owing to its weight and programming.
Looking fwd to test ride this at the Interbike.

Ok, good information, much appreciated. Guess I'll let Interbike pass and see what's up with the Felt Sport-e. Cheers, -S

 

[MarcD]

Combining info from the Haibike global site with the CurrieTech site, a new Trekking Pro will be available with the Bosch Nyon. For commuting, that could have some nice advantages.

I too like the look of the Felts. Some of the Haibikes really look promising too. But Shea - you sure you want to give up that Cannondale? I've thought Di2 would be totally fun but couldn't justify it. Riding a Domane 4.3 carbon as the roadie.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

Shea - you sure you want to give up that Cannondale? I've thought Di2 would be totally fun but couldn't justify it. Riding a Domane 4.3 carbon as the roadie.

It is dangerous here in coastal north San Diego, tourist rubber necking and making sudden turns, locals getting in a huff and pulling sketchy moves, drivers literally bullying bikes in sharrow lanes, I have a close call every 3rd ride or so, meaning I've been pushed to the curb, run out of the sharrow lane by horn blowing engine revving crack heads - it is so bad a percentage of us run GoPros front and back in case we are hit & run, or get into litigation. I'm over it. With my e-bike I can stop faster and even accelerate away from some traffic situations, weight and stability come into the safety equation as well. Daylight flashers front and back everytime.

Di2 rocks! No cable to stretch, great battery life, never misses a shift. I hope to have an electronic 10 speed XTR or whatever on an e-bike one day, maybe with options to turn over shifting to an advanced open source controller, program gear correlations, set precedents for heart rate reduction, etc.

BTW - For my next graphic I would like to look at just where is the weight in my 2014 Dash, color code motor, wheelset, tires, battery, frame, forks, cranks, etc. See how much I can trim and where. I'm already thinking 38c tires as a first step, and 'if' that Suntour fork is heavy and slow, low end, maybe a non-suspension fork. I'm already taking a 'loose grip' in the bumps on that thing, putting my weight over the BodyFloat, to well, float thought it.

For me keeping the Dash almost certainly means a second battery and rear rack to hold it, essentially 17.4 amp hours, 60 - 70 mile range, enough to ride to the San Diego velodrome to watch and photograph the races, visit friends and places currently out of range. The Cannondale should easily fund that and more, perhaps a Kilo fork!

BTW - Before the Super 6 I had a Madone 6.2, a 6K demo bike for 36 hundred, under 15 lbs before pedals etc. I got some very scary speed wobbles on that thing at 37 mph, and so traded for the Cannondale. Was diggin the power transfer of that bike, super wide BB.

-Shea