Battery placement prissiness

[charlesbrenthirak]

I am sorry but as a peruse the many offerings and begin to see bikes around town here in Portland, and even do test rides: I can't help but be put off by batteries that just sit there on the down tube. If the bike doesn't make an attempt to integrate the battery it is a non starter. Someone slap me silly and tell me this rude asceticism is passÉ! In my mind the Haibike Radius Tour is about as non-hidden as I am willing to go.
I am just about ready to make my first purchase based on how i think my car-less life will move forward here in Portland: TERN GSD, Pedego Stretch, or Haibike Urban+ (if i can find for 1700).
Am I wrong for making battery placement a big part of my choices here?

Thanks for your unabashed opinions!

 

[charlesbrenthirak]

I would go for the Juiced U-500 if they still had them! Just cause i can imaging the battery being covered by big lush cargo bags.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

The Juiced Bikes CCS and RCS have the battery nestled into the down tube. Not fully integrated, but not sitting there like a frog on a log either.

 

[J.R.]

@charlesbrenthirak, You like what you like! Nothing wrong with that, not one bit. I tend to agree with you. I like how some of the Trek bikes have incorporated the Bosch batteries. Brose powered bikes look good. Most of the BH Easy Motion bikes incorporate the packs and all Stromer bikes do as well. I have a BH Easy Motion Evo, love the look. I also own a bike with a rear rack battery. Good bike with more than 6k miles on it. Nothing wrong with it, I just prefer the 'bicycle look' better.

 

[Alaskan]

The old style Bosch has been just slapped-on mounted to many a frame. While others have devoted some time and effort into integrating it into the frame more. This makes the bike heavier and more expensive as the down tube will have to be quite a bit wider and custom cast rather than just cut from tube stock. The choice is personal and neither one is the right one. They are both right.

The new 2018 power tube can be better camouflaged but the forward and backward compatibility of the original battery is hard to beat.

In my opinion Cube did the best integration of the old style Bosch battery yet with their Reaction

 

[tomjasz]

CUBE! A nice looking bike! WOW!

 

[rich c]

As mentioned, no right or wrong to battery placement, it's personal preference. I didn't have any choice when I bought my 2016 Haibikes. I like the new Specialized for sexy design.

 

[charlesbrenthirak]

The old style Bosch has been just slapped on mounted to many a frame. While others have devoted some time and effort into integrating it into the frame more. This makes the bike heavier and more expensive as the down tube will have to be quite a bit wider and custom cast rather than just cut from tube stock. The choice is personal and neither one is the right one. They are both right.

The new 2018 power tube can be better camouflaged but the forward and backward compatibility of the original battery is hard to beat.

In my opinion Cube did the best integration of the old style Bosch battery yet with their Reaction
View attachment 20829

DAMN STRAIGHT!

 

[Alex M]

I can't help but be put off by batteries that just sit there on the down tube. If the bike doesn't make an attempt to integrate the battery it is a non starter.

What you are worrying about is not a "placement" but integrated vs not hidden.

One big "pro" of the battery that just sits on the downtube is that you are not forced to buy (often more expensive) brand-specific or model-specific battery. Any 3rd party battery will sit there same well. As noted, integrated means more expensive frame, so you will be paying for this too.

Placement itself is also important, it affects weight distribution. IMO, downtube or seat-tube are 2 of the best places - vs placement on the rear rack. Integrated into downtube or not, it's still on the downtube.

 

[charlesbrenthirak]

What you are worrying about is not a "placement" but integrated vs not hidden.

One big "pro" of the battery that just sits on the downtube is that you are not forced to buy (often more expensive) brand-specific or model-specific battery. Any 3rd party battery will sit there same well. As noted, integrated means more expensive frame, so you will be paying for this too.

Placement itself is also important, it affects weight distribution. IMO, downtube or seat-tube are 2 of the best places - vs placement on the rear rack. Integrated into downtube or not, it's still on the downtube.

wow: great point. hmmm this makes me think a bit

 

[Nova Haibike]

The battery on my Haibike is not hidden or integrated in any way, but the downtube is roughly the same width as the battery itself, so it does not look like the battery is completely just an appendage. The decal placement helps as well. My main "beef" is that Yamaha batteries are ridiculously priced. I dread the day when I will need to buy a new one.

 

[MisterM]

I am sorry but as a peruse the many offerings and begin to see bikes around town here in Portland, and even do test rides: I can't help but be put off by batteries that just sit there on the down tube. If the bike doesn't make an attempt to integrate the battery it is a non starter. Someone slap me silly and tell me this rude asceticism is passÉ! In my mind the Haibike Radius Tour is about as non-hidden as I am willing to go.
I am just about ready to make my first purchase based on how i think my car-less life will move forward here in Portland: TERN GSD, Pedego Stretch, or Haibike Urban+ (if i can find for 1700).
Am I wrong for making battery placement a big part of my choices here?

Thanks for your unabashed opinions!

Nope, I am in the same camp - little excuse to still be selling so many god-awful looking ebikes.

Most Euro brands get it - most Chinesium/online brands don't.

 

[charlesbrenthirak]

Nope, I am in the same camp - little excuse to still be selling so many god-awful looking ebikes.

Most Euro brands get it - most Chinesium/online brands don't.

Agree: I think we are moving into the realm of purpose built frames will house batteries and mid-drive motors efficiently and effectively. At this point it is the single thing preventing my purchase. Somehow i feel that companies that attempt to adapt to the specific needs of an e-bike (in these areas) kind of get it. I like the xtracycle Swoop solution for a double battery. look at the visualizer page on their site and check out the difference between how the classic and the swoop handle their batteries.

 

[Alex M]

Models that look like "kit bikes" - with battery bolted to the frame - are all about price and functionality, not much else. Huge market for those - and probably will be, for a foreseeable time.

Integrated battery is an esthetic design feature, it costs money.

Proprietary battery - not necessarily integrated, but the one that can't be replaced with a different brand - is a common way for a brand to protect itself. Though I also saw this on cheap Chinese bikes that were meant to be disposable. They want it to look nice to sell that junk faster -> sell few thousand units -> close and move on to something else.

 

[Nova Haibike]

Proprietary battery - the one that is not only integrated but also can't be replaced with a different brand - is how brand protects itself, at your cost.

The manufacturer may see it as a way to protect itself, but it may drive me away from even considering their bike(s). I'd have to be really in love with a bike that requires a proprietary battery.

 

[tomjasz]

Nope, I am in the same camp - little excuse to still be selling so many god-awful looking ebikes.

Most Euro brands get it - most Chinesium/online brands don't.

My only objection, to the integrated battery is the cost of replacement. Every one I've seen is massively overpriced. As more rebuilders come on the market there is some hope for fairer prices. It appears a few may be using Retention.com (Hailong AKA Shark, Dolphin, Whale et al) cases.

 

[Alex M]

Bosch went further yet, making their charger also proprietary, so that you couldn't use a 3rd party charger on Bosch battery. Or, at least - they tried to .

 

[MisterM]

Agree: I think we are moving into the realm of purpose built frames will house batteries and mid-drive motors efficiently and effectively. At this point it is the single thing preventing my purchase. Somehow i feel that companies that attempt to adapt to the specific needs of an e-bike (in these areas) kind of get it. I like the xtracycle Swoop solution for a double battery. look at the visualizer page on their site and check out the difference between how the classic and the swoop handle their batteries.

I consider those designs a total fail - the batteries are visible and simply bolted on to an existing frame.

Specialized Turbo Levo emtb or EasyMotion ATOM Diamond Wave urban bikes are my idea of designs that ebike manufacturers should strive for. Sure, may cost a premium to replace some batteries, but most are riding recreationally and will be unlikely to ever need a replacement. If you're commuting, the extra cost is deminimus when considering cost per mile. No excuse to slap a battery on a frame like a fugly carbuncle.

 

[tomjasz]

I consider those designs a total fail - the batteries are visible and simply bolted on to an existing frame.

Specialized Turbo Levo emtb or EasyMotion ATOM Diamond Wave urban bikes are my idea of designs that ebike manufacturers should strive for. Sure, may cost a premium to replace some batteries, but most are riding recreationally and will be unlikely to ever need a replacement. If you're commuting, the extra cost is deminimus when considering cost per mile. No excuse to slap a battery on a frame like a fugly carbuncle.

My Yaris gets me to the grocer as quickly and hauls as much as my neighbors Lexus. Style is secondary to utility. Recreational batteries will degrade as surely, and some sooner than my well managed commuter battery. They degrade over time.

 

[Rune]

.. Someone slap me silly and tell me this rude asceticism is passÉ!

Slap...slap! ;-)