ALLANT 7S vs. 8S... decisions, decisions....

[Gene02638]

I appreciate there's a similar post as in 8 vs 9 but I didn't want to twist his thread. I like class 3 (obviously). I guess the main trade off for me (other than price) is large battery capacity vs. front suspension. I know I could get the 7 and add the 2nd battery. I could also buy the 8 and add suspension. Lots of $$$ either way for an already expensive bike. Any thoughts?

 

[Steph]

I appreciate there's a similar post as in 8 vs 9 but I didn't want to twist his thread. I like class 3 (obviously). I guess the main trade off for me (other than price) is large battery capacity vs. front suspension. I know I could get the 7 and add the 2nd battery. I could also buy the 8 and add suspension. Lots of $$$ either way for an already expensive bike. Any thoughts?

i went with 8S because i wanted the bigger battery and will get the Kinekt Suspension Stem once available. There are various suspension stems out there but since i already enjoy the Kinekt suspension seatpost why not wait/give the stem a shot. also its alot cheaper to upgrade the stem vs the fork or buying additional battery. Good Luck deciding let us know the out come!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If I could help you Gene, I would say: Bigger battery's better, especially as Class 3 e-bikes (regardless of the brand) just gobble electrons. With the smaller battery, you'd feel the buyer's remorse soon. Your concern is the suspension fork or lack of it. Bear in mind the Mobie 25 is indeed a cheap, coil loaded shock. Allant+ 8S is equipped with excellent Bontrager E6 Hardcase tyres, 2.4". That's a lot, and the large air volume ensures very good dampening of rough terrain. Especially, when these tyres are inflated halfway between the minimum and maximum pressure.

Need absorbing slow road vibrations? Invest in Baramind BAM Trek shock handlebars, these do a lot good. Kinekt 2.1 suspension seat-post and you almost feel as on a full-suspension e-bike. Finally, add Ergon GP3 grips, which help a lot on gravel "washboard" sections (nothing can really dampen that except thick tyres, underinflated).

I know what I'm saying as my 2017 Vado 5.0 is built similarly to Allant+8S. I don't even feel any discomfort on my rides now, with the enhancements I have just mentioned.

 

[joc6812]

I went with the 7, mainly because I wanted a true step-thru. I ordered an 8s stagger (mainly for the bigger battery), but changed to the 7 because the stagger frame wasn't much different than the regular frame and they couldn't install a regular rear rack on the 8, due to the ridiculous design of the that rear rack set up. I want to use a trunk bag, not panniers. I'm not looking for speed, just some help up hills for recreational/fitness riding.

 

[Gene02638]

i went with 8S because i wanted the bigger battery and will get the Kinekt Suspension Stem once available. There are various suspension stems out there but since i already enjoy the Kinekt suspension seatpost why not wait/give the stem a shot. also its alot cheaper to upgrade the stem vs the fork or buying additional battery. Good Luck deciding let us know the out come!

I've always had front suspension on my existing ebikes. One concern I have relates to a posting from a 9S owner. He apparently hit a BIG pot hole at low speed resulting in a totalled frame. (Apparently a screw is epoxied into the headset to prevent the bars rotating 360+. The impact ripped the head off the screw). Perhaps this is more likely to happen with a carbon frame???

 

[Steph]

I've always had front suspension on my existing ebikes. One concern I have relates to a posting from a 9S owner. He apparently hit a BIG pot hole at low speed resulting in a totalled frame. (Apparently a screw is epoxied into the headset to prevent the bars rotating 360+. The impact ripped the head off the screw). Perhaps this is more likely to happen with a carbon frame???

hmm ic. Ive hit my fair share of pot holes/uneven pavement and just really bad city streets in San Francisco and so far my 8S has held its own. only real negative thing i have about the 8 is that the bosch smartphone hub doesnt really work with a big phone like the iphone 11 pro max, my phone has popped out and got saved by the charging cable that was provided. Since then i have flipped the hub upside down and use a quad case/system to keep my phone infront of me. Other than that i am pretty satisfied with with the 8S and have no regrets not going with a 7S.

 

[gringo]

Try test riding both and see which one puts the biggest smile on your face!

I've ridden both and they are both awesome bikes. Same motor, same frame, different fork, but felt pretty similar to me. I own the 7s. I probably would have gone for the 8s if I had unlimited funds (I was already stretching my budget with the 7s).

I enjoy the fork on the 7s, but I don't find rigid forks too jittery. In fact, I like the stability and efficiency of rigid forks at speed and when climbing. Tire pressure makes a big difference if you need to soften your ride.The 625 Wh battery is nice for longer rides.

Overall both great bikes and it is personal choice.


The primary differences between the 7s and the 8s are:

• 500 Wh battery(7s) vs 625 Wh battery(8s)
• Mobie 25 suspension fork(7s) vs. AL rigid blade fork(8s)
• Shimano Alivio 11-36t 9-spd(7s) vs Shimano Deore 11-42t 10-spd(8s)
• Purion display(7s) vs Smartphone Hub display(8s)
• Herrmans/AXA lights(7s) vs. Trek Lync lights(8s)
• Racktime Lightit rear rack(7s)vs. Lowrider (panniers only) rear rack(8s)
• Schwalbe G-One tires(7s) vs. Bontrager E6 tires(8s)
• Price

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Perhaps this is more likely to happen with a carbon frame???

That's the point. Did you know carbon fibre frames were not under the warranty? Aluminium is not afraid of potholes. I recollect the last long ride I had on last Saturday with my rigid-fork Vado: The road ride was absolutely smooth except of the moment I rode into a deep pothole at speed. "Oi!" I shouted but nothing wrong happened to the bike or to me. Bear in mind, you can always stand on the pedals when you are riding over some nasty obstacle: our legs are perfect shocks!

 

[tpete61]

I looked at both and eventually went with the 7S. Riding trails the suspension fork is a must. My Bike Dealer mentioned to me, no suspension fork on the 8S is a head scratcher. He thinks it was done simply to put more differentiation between the two models. I did eventually purchase the extended range battery. The slight increase from 500wh to 625wh would not have increased my range enough. I ride in Sport & Turbo modes most of the time and with the extended range battery I can go 55 miles in Turbo mode at a 20mph pace. I would have liked the 625wh battery but felt it wouldn't get me much additional range. After having my 7S for 6 weeks with 1,000 miles on it I'm not regretting my decision one bit.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

He thinks it was done simply to put more differentiation between the two models

No. That's because that solution is more stable at high speed. Bontrager E6 tyres have been applied to compensate the lack of the sus fork. Again, if you think the Allant will be able to ride on any more difficult trail, you're not quite correct. These are city and suburban machines. A good suspension fork is indeed necessary on trail. On a trail-capable e-bike, and that's not the Allant.

The choice is yours.

 

[stonerwinst]

I went with the 7s over the 8s for the following reasons:

• Cheaper; I too was already stretching my budget on this at over $4K plus taxes
• Included the suspension fork
• Rear rack can mount a trunk bag
• Wanted a more simple head unit with the Purion. I have a iPhone XS Max and the Cobi didn’t fit with my case. Figured the more complicated Cobi was more prone to bugginess and screams ebike

Things I wish the 7s had:

• Of course the larger battery, but I’m not regretting too much given I ride no more than 50 miles in mixed modes. I can always add the external if I need longer distances. But come on Trek, I’m already paying more for the 7s, why not throw in the larger battery?
• The 10 speed deore. Again, come on Trek. It feels like highway robbery

With the price difference between the 8s, I’ve upgraded with the following:

• Kinekt 2.1. A suspension seatpost I think is a must have. Do your bum a favor.
• Spurcycle bell; come on Trek that included bell is just cheap on a $4K bike
• Trunk bag from amazon. I can’t seem to find any of the racktime bags in stock in the states
• Foldy lock; you’re spending thousands on a bike. Don’t go cheap on the lock if you have to lock it up for a short while. I do not recommend leaving it out overnight. I would avoid leaving the bike out of sight if at all possible
• Pending: The Bontrager grips makes my hands numb on long rides. I think I will have to upgrade the grips to Ergons.

So I think we often forget that the cost after purchasing the bike is not over when we bring the bike home. Don’t forget a good helmet and other upgrades like pedals etc. I also have a set of removable front and rear lights. I avoid using the included lights since they draw quite a bit of power. The included lights are nice when it is really dark and you need some extra lighting.

One sort of regret, but also not, and an area to improve:

• Regardless of the 7s or 8s, we're talking about the GEN4 Bosch performance speed motor. The thing is POWERFUL. Love the firmware upgrade that unlocks 85nm. The bike speeds up hills on Turbo. But because I ride alot at the beach, the motor whirs/buzzes quite noticeably. I can see if the bike is used mainly for commuting (which is the design intent), then the motor noise won't matter since the car noises will be way louder. So take this into consideration if you plan to ride alot near other folks and don't want to draw attention or you are bothered by the motor noise. This is my first ebike, so I don't have alot of experience with other motors. But I see other ebikes on the beach and the rear mounted wheel motors and others don't make as much noise as this $4K bike. Just be aware and consider this in your purchase decision.

If you have the funds for the 8s and also factored in the extras, and minor design differences between the 7 and 8 suits you, then go for it.

Hope this helps.

 

[gringo]

I went with the 7s over the 8s for the following reasons:

• Cheaper; I too was already stretching my budget on this at over $4K plus taxes
• Included the suspension fork
• Rear rack can mount a trunk bag
• Wanted a more simple head unit with the Purion. I have a iPhone XS Max and the Cobi didn’t fit with my case. Figured the more complicated Cobi was more prone to bugginess and screams ebik

Things I wish the 7s had:

• Of course the larger battery, but I’m not regretting too much given I ride no more than 50 miles in mixed modes. I can always add the external if I need longer distances. But come on Trek, I’m already paying more for the 7s, why not throw in the larger battery?
• The 10 speed deore. Again, come on Trek. It feels like highway robbery

With the price difference between the 8s, I’ve upgraded with the following:

• Kinekt 2.1. A suspension seatpost I think is a must have. Do your bum a favor.
• Spurcycle bell; come on Trek that included bell is just cheap on a $4K bike
• Trunk bag from amazon. I can’t seem to find any of the racktime bags in stock in the states
• Foldy lock; you’re spending thousands on a bike. Don’t go cheap on the lock if you have to lock it up for a short while. I do not recommend leaving it out overnight. I would avoid leaving the bike out of sight if at all possible
• Pending: The Bontrager grips makes my hands numb on long rides. I think I will have to upgrade the grips to Ergons.

So I think we often forget that the cost after purchasing the bike is not over when we bring the bike home. Don’t forget a good helmet and other upgrades like pedals etc. I also have a set of removable front and rear lights. I avoid using the included lights since they draw quite a bit of power. The included lights are nice when it is really dark and you need some extra lighting.

One sort of regret, but also not, and an area to improve:

• Regardless of the 7s or 8s, we're talking about the GEN4 Bosch performance speed motor. The thing is POWERFUL. Love the firmware upgrade that unlocks 85nm. The bike speeds up hills on Turbo. But because I ride alot at the beach, the motor whirs/buzzes quite noticeably. I can see if the bike is used mainly for commuting (which is the design intent), then the motor noise won't matter since the car noises will be way louder. So take this into consideration if you plan to ride alot near other folks and don't want to draw attention or you are bothered by the motor noise. This is my first ebike, so I don't have alot of experience with other motors. But I see other ebikes on the beach and the rear mounted wheel motors and others don't make as much noise as this $4K bike. Just be aware and consider this in your purchase decision.

If you have the funds for the 8s and also factored in the extras, and minor design differences between the 7 and 8 suits you, then go for it.

Hope this helps.

Great info here. I agree with all these points. I have panniers and don't normally use a trunk bag, but I do like the 7s rack and the advantages of having a rack platform for trunk bag or any gear bungeeed on top.

I also liked the Purion for its simplicity and it doesn't attract as much unwanted attention.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

There is an extra info for the OP:

It is not without the reason the expensive Allant+ 9.9s comes with a rigid fork, similarly to the 8S. Not only the stability at high speed, lighter weight, and increased efficiency must have been considered during the design phase. The reason is simple: there hardly exist any good short-travel suspension forks in the market. The Suntour coil-loaded sus forks are a joke, and these are heavy (but cheap) and poor performing. If Trek were to apply an air-spring short-travel suspension fork, the market choices would be very limited if any. That's because to find a good 65 mm travel air-shock for hydraulic brakes and thru-axle is almost impossible. If there were any available, they would cost a lot.

I understand people believe the ridiculous Suntour Mobie coil-shock helps them make their rides smooth but I think such cyclists have never ridden an e-MTB with a decent air-shock... No offence meant!

 

[Old Fart At Play]

I've got an Allant+ 8. Not the S model, as I'm in the UK. To the above comments I would add that I specifically chose the 8 because of the rigid alloy forks. I'm a fully-laden touring type, and I like my front panniers. Front panniers on suspension forks aren't great. The tubus tara lowrrider front rack fits perfectly onto the bosses on the 8's fork. Clearly if you want to off-road a lot your priorities will be quite different, but if you are mainly on road this is a big plus. Also, as already mentioned, those 2.4" tyres are really comfy to ride on, and the rolling resistance is very good for such a wide tyre.

I love the Allant+ 8. My only complaint with it is that the 4th gen CX motor is relatively noisy, but I can live with that!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Clearly if you want to off-road a lot your priorities will be quite different

Allant+ has never been an off-road bike It is strictly a commuter one.

P.S. The first iteration of Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 had a rigid fork (I ride one). Later, Specialized designers yielded to marketing personnel and installed the cheapo Mobie shock in Vados. No one was able to replace the Mobie with anything better.

 

[Kevmk81]

I have a bit over 2,000 miles on my 9.9s - I believe the motor sound has decreased some... not sure if it's all in my head but that's how i feel. Especially in eco mode - I honestly don't hear it anymore in that mode - not sure if modes matter though - but I use eco mode almost exclusively. Even when I use touring mode it's pretty quiet - especially when up to speed and cruising. When starting up from 0 mph I do feel like I hear it more in all modes - maybe it has something to do with the power curve of the engine based on input from the rider... hmm...

 

[BarryS]

I wanted the Trek Alliant to work as it IMO is better looking then the Vado : But I have long arms and Legs : The Vado at least to me Feels like a Longer Bike : The Alliant makes me fell cramped :

 

[Old Fart At Play]

I have a bit over 2,000 miles on my 9.9s - I believe the motor sound has decreased some... not sure if it's all in my head but that's how i feel. Especially in eco mode - I honestly don't hear it anymore in that mode - not sure if modes matter though - but I use eco mode almost exclusively. Even when I use touring mode it's pretty quiet - especially when up to speed and cruising. When starting up from 0 mph I do feel like I hear it more in all modes - maybe it has something to do with the power curve of the engine based on input from the rider... hmm...

I'll keep my fingers crossed I have the same experience. Done about 500 miles so far, also primarily in eco mode

 

[BarryS]

I'll keep my fingers crossed I have the same experience. Done about 500 miles so far, also primarily in eco mode

How tall are you ? Long arms or legs ?