Anyone have one? Thoughts?

[drewberz]

As the title says, who's got one? What do you think of it?

 

[Akrotiri]

I heard they just slap on a battery and motor to their non-electric bikes and call it an ebike.

Not good if you ask me even though their bikes make great tourers. Proper e-bike needs to be designed and engineered from scratch not an existing analogue bicycle frame.

They should take Kona’s lead and see what they did with their just released first gen ebikes. Expensive but original frame designs that are built from the start as ebikes.

 

[drewberz]

I heard they just slap on a battery and motor to their non-electric bikes and call it an ebike.

Not good if you ask me even though their bikes make great tourers. Proper e-bike needs to be designed and engineered from scratch not an existing analogue bicycle frame.

They should take Kona’s lead and see what they did with their just released first gen ebikes. Expensive but original frame designs that are built from the start as ebikes.

I see Tout Terrain as a more utility, modular option, but do think the integration/aesthetics of their battery need improvement and are a couple years behind in that department.

They offer touring bikes, which gives them real world experience to lots of environments. This is a huge advantage.

Would love to see a 'Revonte type' integration on their bikes. Or keep it Pinion+hub motor?

 

[Akrotiri]

I see Tout Terrain as a more utility, modular option, but do think the integration/aesthetics of their battery need improvement and are a couple years behind in that department.

They offer touring bikes, which gives them real world experience to lots of environments. This is a huge advantage.

Would love to see a 'Revonte type' integration on their bikes. Or keep it Pinion+hub motor?

Yes they made their name in the utility touring market. Especially with the Silk Road model.

I think once they catch up with ebike technology they will offer pinion+hub and also derailleur options like they do with their non-electric bikes.

But for the time being their about 3 years behind the curve with regard to ebikes because of their lack of integration. They need to create frames that are specific to ebikes and all the aesthetically pleasing integration to be taken seriously by potential ebike customers.

 

[Nova Haibike]

I heard they just slap on a battery and motor to their non-electric bikes and call it an ebike.

Not good if you ask me even though their bikes make great tourers. Proper e-bike needs to be designed and engineered from scratch not an existing analogue bicycle frame.

The motor is in the hub, so I do not really see a problem. You might argue that the frame needs to be stiffer or stronger in some fashion, but that is a design choice a manufacturer makes. Stiffer is not necessarily better. Stronger is somewhat academic; steel is more than up to the task of added weight or stress. I do not think there is some other special engineering that needs to take place to make it a proper e-bike, other than the engineering that went into the motor system itself. The only issue is that because it does not have a sexy looking integrated battery, it is somehow "less" of an e-bike, which it isn't, really.

 

[Akrotiri]

The motor is in the hub, so I do not really see a problem. You might argue that the frame needs to be stiffer or stronger in some fashion, but that is a design choice a manufacturer makes. Stiffer is not necessarily better. Stronger is somewhat academic; steel is more than up to the task of added weight or stress. I do not think there is some other special engineering that needs to take place to make it a proper e-bike, other than the engineering that went into the motor system itself. The only issue is that because it does not have a sexy looking integrated battery, it is somehow "less" of an e-bike, which it isn't, really.

Integrated battery offers far more benefits than just good aesthetics.

I never said or implied steel frames weren’t up to the task.

Stiffness certainly matters especially when the average ebike weighs 25kg and travels at higher speeds compared to the average steel touring bike that is usually around 16kg and travels at slower speeds.

 

[Nova Haibike]

Integrated battery offers far more benefits than just good aesthetics.

Depending on the design, it can also have disadvantages as well.

Stiffness certainly matters especially when the average ebike weighs 25kg and travels at higher speeds compared to the average steel touring bike that is usually around 16kg and travels at slower speeds.

As it is a European e-bike, its speed is limited. Analog bikes are ridden at speeds beyond 32 km/h and with great weight without ill effect. Now, if it had a high power system, I might be inclined to agree more with you. But otherwise, I do not think it is less of an e-bike than one that is theoretically more purpose built.

 

[Akrotiri]

Depending on the design, it can also have disadvantages as well.

As it is a European e-bike, its speed is limited. Analog bikes are ridden at speeds beyond 32 km/h and with great weight without ill effect. Now, if it had a high power system, I might be inclined to agree more with you. But otherwise, I do not think it is less of an e-bike than one that is theoretically more purpose built.

I don’t understand why so many people think s-Pedelecs don’t exist in Europe of all places. Most countries in Europe have ebikes available for purchase that go up to 45kph. It’s just that one needs insurance , registration, plates and a brake light.

Maybe the TT ebikes only goes 32 but there are dozens that are available from many major manufacturers in the EU that are available with Bosch speed motors.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Right @Akrotiri.

If this is not an S-Pedelec then I wonder how I can ride up to 45 km/h on that Euro thing This model is not available in the U.S. by the way

The motor here is Specialized 1.2s, or Brose TF, not delivered to the United States since 2018.

 

[Nova Haibike]

I did not mean to imply that S-pedalecs are unavailable in the EU. Regardless, I still don't think there is really any special requirements in engineering that makes the Tout Terrain somehow inferior, other than it is less modern-looking. I do understand that if there are two bikes with similar specs and price, one with an integrated battery is going to sell better. That said, there are very few Pinion transmission bikes on the market, which in and of itself is a selling feature that makes it unique, and is a much, much better feature than a hidden battery.