Advertised/Displayed Speed vs Actual Speed, & Noise

[LeftieBiker]

I have been riding a Magnum Metro ST for 3 years now. It has some good features, but between the original motor getting very loud after just 1,000 miles, and the actual top speed being more like 20.5MPH than the advertised 25, I'm more than ready to get a new bike that really is a Class 3. I'm especially interested in the Ride1Up 700 ST, and somewhat interested in the 500, but I want to make sure I'm not repeating my earlier mistake. So two main questions:

* What is the ACTUAL, GPS or radar verified top speed on level ground? I wouldn't mind an answer for the 500 either, as I already have two batteries that that one can use.

* How loud is the motor on the 700 (and 500), and is it a steady drone, or does it make the same maddening array of moans, shrieks and rattles as the Das Kit based bikes?

 

[rchenail]

I can't answer the noise question without having tried yours but on my 700 XR, the speed seems to reflect reality. I use a secondary bike computer with a integrated led light. It computes de cadence and speed and it is pretty similar with the 700 display.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Ok, so what top speed is being shown on level ground? Thanks for replying.

 

[PedalUma]

Lots of variables impact speed. Actual wheel diameter Vs the display's wheel diameter setting. Rider weight. Wind resistance. Pedaling technique. This is just to name a few. Gearing such as chainring size too.
I remove the speed sensor and set wheel size to 32cm across. Keep my weight down. Think about being aero and push back and up on the pedals.

 

[rchenail]

Ok, so what top speed is being shown on level ground? Thanks for replying.

45kmh with pedalling

 

[LeftieBiker]

45kmh with pedalling

Thanks. Here is a link to what my Metro's motor sounds like when it's fully warmed up on a Summer day:

I stupidly waited until the warranty was ending, in the hope of getting the most loud, consistent noise. I then asked if Magnum would sell me a new wheel assembly at their cost, because it still functioned fine. Magnum replied "We don't sell anything at cost." They then asked for a recording, I sent them the above, and they never replied to me again. I'd like to avoid a repeat of that...

 

[PedalUma]

Why not open the motor, replace the nylon gears and lube them as part of regular maintenance? Just like cleaning and lubing a chain. Hub-drives get very hot. They bake the gears, deep frying in the oil.

If you ever do need to replace the motor it can move to a better location.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I did just replace the motor, with a brand new Das Kit wheel assembly. The new motor is already, after maybe 300 miles, starting to get louder. I'm in poor health, and rather than try to fix unfixable problems, I want to buy a bike that doesn't have them. Thus my questions about the 700 ST.

 

[PedalUma]

I did just replace the motor, with a brand new Das Kit wheel assembly. The new motor is already, after maybe 300 miles, starting to get louder. I'm in poor health, and rather than try to fix unfixable problems, I want to buy a bike that doesn't have them. Thus my questions about the 700 ST.

I understand.
Have you yet compared hub-drives to mid-drives? EBR is great. Check it out. Do some homework right here.
A little motor can be slipped in between the pedals and the bike you pick, any bike, will look like this. I could be a $200 bike from Craigslist, like the blue one. There are also good mid-drives at stores with local support, where you just walk in and they know your name.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Let's assume that I know about mid-drives, have been riding e-bikes since 2013, and that I'm looking for a new bike in the $2k range, with either a robust geared hub motor, a DD motor that can easily climb hills, or a smooth mid-drive. Let's also assume that I'll be dead long before I wear out this next bike, and am not up to converting a bike. One of things attracting me to Ride1Up is the 30 day guarantee. I certainly don't want to have to return the bike I buy, but knowing it's an option, and being able to finance what I buy interest-free for a year, means that I have a strong interest in figuring out if the 700, bike mid-drive, or even the 500 is right for me.

So it seems that the 700 will actually do about 28MPH on level ground. Is there a consensus on this? And what about the kind and loudness of the motor noise? Please click on the audio-only (the camera was in a seat bag) video above to hear what I do NOT want to hear.

 

[PedalUma]

This one for example may or may not be a fit. This company has a two-week no questions return policy with free return shipping. The US HQ is in my hometown and shares offices with Trek Bikes on Casa Grande Rd South by the bird sanctuary in Petaluma, CA. The quality is good and the price is fair. "Demo's" are just refurbished returns. Just one idea: https://www.bikesonline.com/2020-path-e5-e-bike-step-through-size-s. For the money it is a Shimano Steps, yes it is Class 1, 20-Mph and I know you want 28, Class 3. But review the other specifications such as the weight and carbon fork. It will go up and down curbs and do big climbs while clocking up miles a hub-drive cannot.
I heard the audio, that bike has major problems. Sell it fast.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Sorry, but I don't want a bike that lacks what I want (Class 3) while possessing characteristics I don't need. It would be nice to have a full suspension bike as well, but my priorities are fast, comfortable, and quiet - or at least not offensively loud.

The recording was made when the bike had 2k miles on it. Now it's over 4k, with that loud motor still working fine when I removed it at 4k.

 

[GenXrider]

I compared my 700 speedometer to a GPS speedometer app when I first got my bike. They were matching up pretty well. After 50 mile rides with some hills, the trip meter on the 700 reads only a fractional mile more than my bike apps using phone GPS.

See my comments in this thread about the speed, not just the comment that I'm linking to, but the follow up comments.

A comparison between the Limited and the 700

I bought a R1U 700 in March of 2020, which got delivered in June 2020. Overall, its a good bike but I feel like I don't do any work at all when pedaling. I also wanted a second ebike, so that I could leave one at my place in FL, and decided to get a bike with a torque sensor. I also purchased...

electricbikereview.com

Videos/audo recordings of noises are impossible to really judge how loud the motors are. This can vary a lot based on the recording device and its proximity to the motor, wind noise, whether it's in a pocket, etc. You can watch bike reviews on youtube. If you really want a quiet bike, you should consider a bike that uses a Brose motor. The Ride1Up Prodigy is available for pre-order and has a Brose mid-drive motor.

I like my 700. I have over 1000 miles since I got it in March, have had no problems, use assist sparingly (not riding 28 mph!), find the motor noise acceptable, and have no regrets. I would buy the same bike if I had to do it all over again.

 

[teskow]

I sent a beautiful looking mid drive bike back because of the erratic surging power delivery. It drove me crazy. The noise of the motor bothered me too. Every time it kicked in and out there was the noise and it kicked in and out a lot. The other bike I have is a 750 watt Bafang hub drive that is virtually silent. It has cadence and torque modes and in torque mode it is hard to tell when the assist comes on and when it leaves. This is a real nice feature worth seeking out. I believe is worth the extra money to seek out a smooth and quiet drive system to enhance the riding pleasure of a machine that one may be riding for a long time. Not to mention the investment.
I bit the bullet and bought a Ride 1 Up Prodigy. It sports the quiet Brose motor and from what I read smooth power delivery and decent components. I suspect it will fit the bill nicely.
It looks like it will be a long wait though. With a little bit of luck I am hoping it is everything I want in an e-bike.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Thanks for that. I'm reluctant to go with the Prodigy both because of the long wait (although that isn't a deal breaker) and, more importantly, because that motor seems to have real reliability issues at this time. The other mistake I want to avoid is getting a bike that may require me to repeatedly (or even once!) install replacement parts, as happened with my crappy ZEV5000LA. Fortunately I have a working bike with a new hubmotor and now a spare battery, so I can wait for Fall to see what is new then, and what goes on sale. If they drop the price on the Frey CC back to $3k, and offer free-but-slow shipping, that may be back to #1 on my list. At least they've had time to get the bugs out of it...

 

[GenXrider]

There are other Brose based bikes from big names like Specialized that you can get support/maintenance from an actual dealer so that you would never have to install replacement parts, and you could appreciate the quiet Brose motor. It will cost a little more than a Prodigy, though. Availability with vary based on location.

 

[LeftieBiker]

There are other Brose based bikes from big names like Specialized that you can get support/maintenance from an actual dealer so that you would never have to install replacement parts, and you could appreciate the quiet Brose motor. It will cost a little more than a Prodigy, though. Availability with vary based on location.

I wouldn't be able to transport the bike unless I installed a hitch on my Gen II Leaf, and that's a lot of work. I'm going to avoid buying a bike with reliability issues, so the 700 would appear to be the one bike I'm still considering here.

Let's try this another way: is there anyone here who has a 700 ST, and has found that the motor has gotten louder over time and miles? From what I can hear in the videos, the noise from the motor when new isn't a deal breaker, and the very reasonable price and the performance, along with the 30 day guarantee, are compelling compensations for that. As long as the motor isn't going to go from X decibels to X+10 or even X+5 decibels over time as I ride it (I ride about 1800 miles a year, including some Winter riding) and instead stays pretty much the same, it's very possible that I'll buy one.