I'm new to ebikes, relatively fit older lady 5'3" and am tossed between Bixtrix Step Thru Lite and Ride1U core 500/700. My biggest factor is price (like to stay under $1500) but also weight, as I often have to lift my bike to put it on my trailer hitch rack. Any suggestions that might help me decide? Service, etc.? I was thinking of calling local bike shop (they only carry Trek and Electra and unfortunately, Electra's comparable ebike is in infinite backorder, apparently) to see if they would work on either one. Any other suggestions similar in style/performacne and weight? Thanks.
Bixtrix v Ride1U?
- Thread starter knharper
- Start date
Thanks! Sounds like you may be right, tomjasz, that folks tend to rave about the bike they own. But I consider that a good thing. I have perused a LOT of reviews on this site and very seldom see anything really negative. I do not now own a bike. I had a Specialized Crossroads Hybrid for many years, but it really was too big for me, so I need a smaller size. I'm not a huge fan of the foldable bikes or the ones with really small tires, however. They sort of remind me of clown bikes... (no offense...) Taylor57: what do you mean by don't sleep on Espin? Do you mean, "Don't sleep; order it now!" or "Don't even consider it..." Thanks again!
Taylor57
Well-Known Member
Dont underestimate.
The 700 battery has a 7.7% higher Ah rating, but the 700 is a little heavier and has 2.4" tires vs. the 2.2" tires on the 500, so you would expect it to use a little more power under the same riding conditions, therefore the range definitely not being significantly further. I've been a member of the Ride1Up riders group on FB for a year and have never seen that claim. There is a higher capacity 17.5 Ah battery available for the 500 that will extend range further, but that increases the cost another $569 as a separate purchase. You can't purchase it instead of the 13 Ah with the bike. I like my 700, but the 500 looks like a better fit for you. Both allow full customization of all power levels as well as the range of levels. The 700 has increased in price $200 since I received mine in early March. If you take the Ride1Up pledge, you can save another $40 on either bike. Beginning July 1, Discovercard has 5% cashback when using it for Paypal purchases, if you have that.
Thanks, GX. Really good intel. I'm now down to (I think!) the Espin Flow 21; The Biktrix Lite, and Ride1Up 500. No hydraulic brakes on the last one, but more colors (!) All get pretty good reviews, with minor irks from various reviewers. Have not seen any deal killer reviews or complaints on either the bikes or the companies that make them. They will all have to be assembled by the old lady (me), so that may make a difference.
Looks like the Biktrix has much more limited gearing/range with a 42T chainring and 6 speed 14-28T cassette while the 500 uses a 44T chainring and 8 speed 11-32T cassette. The Biktrix also has a smaller 36V 10ah battery, more narrow tires, and lower powered motor, but note that the weight is listed without the battery, so it's really heavier than that figure. The Biktrix says only 0-3 assist levels. The 2021 Espin Flow has improved the PAS system issues considerably over the previous year's model, although I still like the granular customization of Ride1Up 500/700 better. The website says the Flow's smallest cog on the cassette is 13T, so even with a slightly larger chainring, its top gear isn't as high as the 500, although it would be higher than the Biktrix. Ride1Up make another bike you might want to take a look at. It's a lighter bike called the Core-5 for $1200 that has 2.2" tires, 11-32T cassette, same customization/display as 500, but has a lower capacity 10.4ah battery and no suspension.
Thanks. What is meant by "I still like the granular customization of Ride1Up 500/700 better."? Interesting about the gear ratios My last bike ws 21 speed, so I never really had to think much about gear sizes. I had almost any size I needed at any given time, but I mostly did not use all the gears, of course. I lso like the Core 5. It appears to be very new, so not many reviews yet. Can I add third party fenders, rack, etc.?
I'm now pretty much down to Ride 1 Up 700 or 500 ST. 700 supposedly has better suspension and better hydraulic brakes, which some folks prefer, while others say "meh..." The 500 weighs less, but then it does not come with fenders and rack. I'm wondering if I add those (extra $100) will weight be equal? does it even really matter? I have yet to find a step through under 49 lbs... Some reviews say if bike is too light in ST form, it can be somewhat unstable, so that too is a factor. In any case, it does not seem to be an issue with either of these. I agree with those who say don't wait. The 500 is in stock now.
Regarding the gears, on this type of bike, sometimes people don't like having to spin the pedals so quickly in the top gear at higher speed, and I've seen various people change to chainrings with more teeth for higher gearing, even on the Ride1Up bikes that actually have higher gearing than the others to begin with.
By granular control, I mean that you can change the power percentage of each PAS level independently in addition to the PAS level range such as 0-3, 1-3,... 0-9). This was actually the feature which first attracted me to Ride1Up, because I was interested in a bike for exercise and wanted to be able to tweak the power the bike provided. In hindsight, the defaults in the 0-9 range would have been ok, but I did lower the power a bit in the the lowest 2 levels 1 & 2 of the 0-9 range.
The Core-5's were selling last year also. There are quite a few Core-5 owners posting on the Ride1Up riders Facebook group, also some here. You can add rack, fenders, and suspension. Check out some of the threads in the Ride1Up section of the EBR forum here in the brands section.
By granular control, I mean that you can change the power percentage of each PAS level independently in addition to the PAS level range such as 0-3, 1-3,... 0-9). This was actually the feature which first attracted me to Ride1Up, because I was interested in a bike for exercise and wanted to be able to tweak the power the bike provided. In hindsight, the defaults in the 0-9 range would have been ok, but I did lower the power a bit in the the lowest 2 levels 1 & 2 of the 0-9 range.
The Core-5's were selling last year also. There are quite a few Core-5 owners posting on the Ride1Up riders Facebook group, also some here. You can add rack, fenders, and suspension. Check out some of the threads in the Ride1Up section of the EBR forum here in the brands section.
Similar threads
