New Lectric Xpress

[myers830]

It seems that Lectric has been concentrating on the COMMUTER market with their second new commuter eBike in the last month. This one is a curious design because when you look at it...it looks just like a thousand other full size, non-folding commuter eBikes (i.e. it doesn't scream, Lectric at first glance). In fact I used to own a Ride1up Core 5 (now called Turris) which had a 750 watt motor, which from a distance is a knock off. However Lectric has gone above and beyond with a torque sensor, and color display. Is a 750 watt commuter eBike with a torque sensor worth $1300? There is a lot of competition in that price range space in the commuter market. Personally, I'm still waiting for a CARBON belt drive XP Lite 2.0...which would not have any competition.

 

[bholio]

I'm very interested in this new one. I wonder what the weight of the base model will be. I have 50lb weight limit due to my bike rack. The weight is listed at 58 (lb), so it should be sub-50 with the battery removed. I'm interested in the base model, maybe that one will be lighter. I will probably buy this.

Also considering the ride 1up LMTD, aventon level 2, velotric discover 2, etc. These are all about 1700, and I think the base Lectric will suit my needs at 1000.

 

[myers830]

I'm very interested in this new one. I wonder what the weight of the base model will be. I have 50lb weight limit due to my bike rack. The weight is listed at 58 (lb), so it should be sub-50 with the battery removed. I'm interested in the base model, maybe that one will be lighter. I will probably buy this.

Also considering the ride 1up LMTD, aventon level 2, velotric discover 2, etc. These are all about 1700, and I think the base Lectric will suit my needs at 1000.

The weight WITHOUT Battery...is 53# (as per their web site). You could also remove the front wheel (via Thru-axle) and save a bit more.

 

[bholio]

I see 53# without the wheel. Nothing about the battery. Maybe I missed it. 5# seems light for a battery.

There is a lot of competition in that price range space in the commuter market.

Out of curiosity, what competition are you seeing in the $1300 (not to mention 1000) price range with torque sensor? Anything I see in that range is cadence sensor.

 

[myers830]

I see 53# without the wheel. Nothing about the battery. Maybe I missed it. 5# seems light for a battery.


Out of curiosity, what competition are you seeing in the $1300 (not to mention 1000) price range with torque sensor? Anything I see in that range is cadence sensor.

You are right...there is nothing in that $1000-$1300 price range with a torque sensor that I'm aware of. For me, a torque sensor is not something I'd base a purchase on, but I get why some buyers are willing to pay extra for it. The real selling point I think for this bike is that it's a FULL sized commuter model that Lectric never had before. Now it seems they have ALL the bases covered.

 

[BigNerd]

After using a torque sensor with a rear-hub (Soltera.2), I'm not too keen on it. Could be the 350w motor but after going back to my 500w with cadence sensor, I prefer the way it feels vs the torque sensor.

I'm glad Lectric finally has a full-size bike in it's lineup... too bad it doesn't fold like the Sondor or Walle.

 

[Dry Fork]

My first thought is an Xpeak frame set up as a commuter.
It sure looks a lot like my Xpeak as far a frame goes.

 

[Explorer-1]

There are Torque Sensors, and then there is the software and hardware that make to do something useful.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

There are Torque Sensors, and then there is the software and hardware that make to do something useful.

Exactly. Like throttle implementations, some implementations of torque-sensing assist are better than others. The only way to know what you're getting is to test. Forrest Gump knew all about situations like this.

 

[Carma]

Yup. Lectric is getting to be like a box of chocolates....

 

[Doggyman1202]

I see 53# without the wheel. Nothing about the battery. Maybe I missed it. 5# seems light for a battery.


Out of curiosity, what competition are you seeing in the $1300 (not to mention 1000) price range with torque sensor? Anything I see in that range is cadence sensor.

This bike strikes me as a standout value. Then again, I'm a big fan of torque sensors and a prerequisite anytime I'm asked by a newbie for recommendations. (Most discussions I have had are with the e-bike curious, and I'm mindful that they would be most comfortable with a bike closer to the analog bike they're used to).

The only other "commuter" bike in this price range I'm aware of that I'd consider a comparable value is the Propella 9S Pro. It's Class 1 only (okay in my book) but does not have the battery capacity of the Lectric. On the other hand, it's significantly lighter at 43 lbs. with the battery, although the Lectric isn't bad at 58 lbs. The Propella arguably has a better shifter (Altus vs. Shimano) but I'm not a big fan of derailleurs altogether so I don't have a qualified opinion.

With the current free extra battery promotion, I'd probably choose the Lectric between the two.

 

[myers830]

This bike strikes me as a standout value. Then again, I'm a big fan of torque sensors and a prerequisite anytime I'm asked by a newbie for recommendations. (Most discussions I have had are with the e-bike curious, and I'm mindful that they would be most comfortable with a bike closer to the analog bike they're used to).

The only other "commuter" bike in this price range I'm aware of that I'd consider a comparable value is the Propella 9S Pro. It's Class 1 only (okay in my book) but does not have the battery capacity of the Lectric. On the other hand, it's significantly lighter at 43 lbs. with the battery, although the Lectric isn't bad at 58 lbs. The Propella arguably has a better shifter (Altus vs. Shimano) but I'm not a big fan of derailleurs altogether so I don't have a qualified opinion.

With the current free extra battery promotion, I'd probably choose the Lectric between the two.

Good point...its not a;ways about the technology (which is important)...but sometimes its about the "deal" (options included) that make the decision easier. I like this to buying a new car...they all have the technology to compete on a level field, but if I can get a better DEAL by including a lot of perks and options at the same price, I don't care if its a Ford, Chevy, or eBike. Maybe Lectric is counting on making their buyers so loyal they won't look elsewhere, but most buyers need to look around. I owned a Ride1up AFTER I owned a Lectric XP. I sold both and then bought a Lectric XP Lite which I like better than both my previous eBikes. The question remains...how long is Lectric going to "give away" all the extras before they pull back.

 

[Doggyman1202]

Perhaps in the future Lectric will wed this new Xpress with their recently released "One". In other words, the One on the Xpress size frame and wheels at an affordable price. That would be hard to beat.

 

[myers830]

Perhaps in the future Lectric will wed this new Xpress with their recently released "One". In other words, the One on the Xpress size frame and wheels at an affordable price. That would be hard to beat.

I agree. It makes perfect sense...1) Neither frame is foldable...but The XPress frame is more user friendly (easy-out, in-frame battery), 2) The XPress just looks better (the exposed battery on the ONE looks old tech to me). 3) Scrap the "cheap ass" derailleur on the XPress, 4) Commuter eBike are more suited to the 27.5" wheels, That kind of eBike would have no competition.

 

[Doggyman1202]

I agree. It makes perfect sense...1) Neither frame is foldable...but The XPress frame is more user friendly (easy-out, in-frame battery), 2) The XPress just looks better (the exposed battery on the ONE looks old tech to me). 3) Scrap the "cheap ass" derailleur on the XPress, 4) Commuter eBike are more suited to the 27.5" wheels, That kind of eBike would have no competition.

There is much to like about the Lectric One, but the clunky styling is not one of them. The aesthetic is so five years ago, as one of my kids might say. Paradoxically, it's cutting edge in terms of technology though.

My kids/grand kids have a Lectric Lite and a Propella Mini that I purchased for family rides. Both are fun and zippy, (everyone in my clan prefers the Lectric between the two) but personally I'm past any interest in 20" wheels for myself as a regular ride. The One would not be interesting to me, inasmuch as it's a very good value for what it is.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Paradoxically, it's cutting edge in terms of technology though.

Well, cutting edge except for the One's cadence-sensing assist. Gotta wonder about the corporate thinking behind that.

The EBR reviewer made a big fuss over the One's 96-magnet cadence sensor with adjustable lag. But nothing about that changes the fundamentally all-or-nothing nature of simple cadence-sensing power delivery.

Ride1Up is now touting their "advanced" cadence-sensing assist. No idea what they mean by that, but maybe the Lectric One has something similar.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

... personally I'm past any interest in 20" wheels for myself as a regular ride.

Ditto, but the demand for them is clear. My area's crawling with ebikes, and well over half are on 20" wheels.

 

[Doggyman1202]

Well, cutting edge except for the One's cadence-sensing assist. Gotta wonder about the corporate thinking behind that.

I lost sight of that. From the Lectric One spec page: "Lectric's PWR™ allows the rider to control the eBike's output with no additional effort so that a torque sensor is not necessary for smooth rides."

Maybe that's so, but when the bike was introduced recently I was curious after watching a few reviews. Still, even if I was considering a purchase, this is a bike I'd want to test ride first before plucking down $2k.

My Evelo Omega is a cadence torque hybrid, which I assume is integral to the automatic shifting. It's not quite the sheer delight to pedal as the pure torque sensing Priority Current, which is my alternate bike. I mention that since the One also has auto shifting capability (not quite apples to apples since the Evelo is a CVT). Cadence sensing is likely part of the secret sauce for auto shifting inasmuch as the engineering is admittedly voodoo to me.

 

[Rexlion]

Good point...its not a;ways about the technology (which is important)...but sometimes its about the "deal" (options included) that make the decision easier. I like this to buying a new car...they all have the technology to compete on a level field, but if I can get a better DEAL by including a lot of perks and options at the same price, I don't care if its a Ford, Chevy, or eBike. Maybe Lectric is counting on making their buyers so loyal they won't look elsewhere, but most buyers need to look around. I owned a Ride1up AFTER I owned a Lectric XP. I sold both and then bought a Lectric XP Lite which I like better than both my previous eBikes. The question remains...how long is Lectric going to "give away" all the extras before they pull back.

I'm curious to know why you like the XP Lite better than the R1Up (which model btw?). For me the 20" wheels look as if they'd make the bike handle weirdly or feel too small, but I've not actually tried one. What were the pros and cons for you?

 

[myers830]

I'm curious to know why you like the XP Lite better than the R1Up (which model btw?). For me the 20" wheels look as if they'd make the bike handle weirdly or feel too small, but I've not actually tried one. What were the pros and cons for you?

The Ride1Up Core 5 had great electronics...the motor was 750 watts, and the controller was a sine wave (vs Lectroc's square wave) which made for smooth transitions. However the on board computer screen was very cheap and small, but functional. I also liked the in-frame, easy-out battery in the Ride1Up. I see Lectric FINALLY got the message with the new XPress design. Having said all this, I really LOVE the folding portability, light weight, and SIMPLICITYof the XP Lite. (I was always fussing with adjusting the derailleur and brakes on the Ride1Up and it got old very fast. I just left it in one gear and just used the PAS modes so all that shifting system hardware was useless to me. Lectric really nailed the XP's single speed gearing. It's damn bear perfect.I also like the NIMBLE handing of the XP Lite vs the Core 5. It's not even close. The XP Lite invites you to throw it into a turn. You can also modify the XP Lite to your heart's content with BMX wheels and handle bars and mod it out to your liking. The 20" wheels frankly ride very well to my surprise. It's just more FUN to ride (without the maintenance) if I can sum it up in one sentence. I think if they put a carbon belt on the XP Lite, it would be near perfect for most people.