Can't decide what to get

[nwroller]

Hello,
I've spent way too much time researching and not enough time on a bike. I am hoping this is the month I make a purchase.

The bike will be used to both commute and go on fun rides. My commute is about 8 miles each way with large hills. I will need a rack as I don't like riding with a backpack. I'd like to be able to go 50 miles on a fun ride. I am 6'3", 220lbs.

Features I am pretty set on having are: Hydro Disc brakes, 28MPH and a throttle in addition to the rack I mentioned above. I would like the bike to be able to climb a hill without the motor should I run out of juice, but not sure how feasible that is with the weight of these (and me). My hills are 6-10% grade for about a mile. It also must be reliable, I don't want something that will breakdown or need a new costly battery in the next 5 years.

I've been looking at the Specialized Turbo, Easy Motion NEO Nitro City, iZip E3 ProTour. 50 mile range seems to be an issue with all of them with the specialized rated as one that could possibly do it. I would consider others, I have heard Bosch mid-drives are very good but I think I want a throttle. Bikes that look more traditional are more appealing to me.

Budget is around $3k.

Thank you in advance for any feedback you have!

 

[nwroller]

I should mention I am also interested in a Stromer, but they fall outside the price range and don't have a throttle which makes me wonder how important that is.

 

[Dunbar]

At your weight and a 6-10% grade I would recommend a mid drive. In addition to the E3 Protour there's the new Specialized Turbo Vado 3.0. At 6'3" you probably want to stick with brands that offer multiple frame sizes.

 

[nwroller]

I drove out to a dealer that carries Stromer and rode a ST1 S. I did not like that it cut-off power at 20mph, so a 28 is a must. The dealer said there is a hack to take off the limiter and also turn the power button into a throttle so that sounded interesting.

Are there any opinions on the ST1 Platinum v. ST1 S v. ST1 T v. ST1 X? Obviously some cost differences and enhancements/features but is there a sweet spot in this group?

 

[JRA]

The manufacturers tend to be pretty optimistic about the range of their products but it really depends on the end user. Wh/mi is the MPG of the electric bike world. The faster you go, with hills and headwinds, stops and starts and overall mass factored in an e bike is not all that different than a gas engine car, the more power you use the more energy it takes. Pedaling can alleviate this somewhat of course depending on how much effort you want to provide.

It seems like you may be attracted to the speed aspect so let's use that as a denominator. At speeds above 20 mph you start to get in to wind resistance even in still air on level ground. In order to maintain those speeds, even with spirited pedaling, you will be using wh's in the mid teens to low 20's in the best conditions. So using 20 wh/mi you would need a battery that has at least 1000wh. That is a bigger battery than any of the ones you are looking at but you can get two batteries and carry the extra one when you think you will be going 50 miles.

Other than that I would suggest you get the one that fits you the best and perhaps factor in after point of sale support.

 

[Dewey]

Juiced Cross Current with the 21ah battery gives you 1,000 watt hours/50 mile range at 20wh per mile, 28mph pedalling - the throttle cuts out at 20mph - suspension fork, and hydraulic disc brakes for $2,500.

 

[Deleted member 803]

Check out the Smart Motion Paver. $2799 with large 48V 14.5 amp battery or 2999 with 48V 17.5A battery. 28mph with full throttle and the option of either cadence sensing or torque sensing. Full lights, fenders, and a great rack with a bamboo insert. Night riding mode includes LED lights under the downtube and the back of the rear rack stays...Lights up light a Christmas tree at night. Fully weatherproof.

 

[pxpaulx]

Hello,
I've spent way too much time researching and not enough time on a bike. I am hoping this is the month I make a purchase.

The bike will be used to both commute and go on fun rides. My commute is about 8 miles each way with large hills. I will need a rack as I don't like riding with a backpack. I'd like to be able to go 50 miles on a fun ride. I am 6'3", 220lbs.

Features I am pretty set on having are: Hydro Disc brakes, 28MPH and a throttle in addition to the rack I mentioned above. I would like the bike to be able to climb a hill without the motor should I run out of juice, but not sure how feasible that is with the weight of these (and me). My hills are 6-10% grade for about a mile. It also must be reliable, I don't want something that will breakdown or need a new costly battery in the next 5 years.

I've been looking at the Specialized Turbo, Easy Motion NEO Nitro City, iZip E3 ProTour. 50 mile range seems to be an issue with all of them with the specialized rated as one that could possibly do it. I would consider others, I have heard Bosch mid-drives are very good but I think I want a throttle. Bikes that look more traditional are more appealing to me.

Budget is around $3k.

Thank you in advance for any feedback you have!

Ok, so I'm a big guy, probably have a hundred pounds on you. The thing about speed pedelec bikes, as @JRA pointed out, is they take a lot of work, and a lot of power once you push more than a couple miles over 20. It'd be fine for your commute with a typical battery pack, 50 miles at higher speed isn't going to happen (not without a thousand watt hour battery as has been mentioned).

I just picked up the new easy motion 27.5 evo pro plus. It might be a little small, but their twenty niner would do just as well (though I won't deny the price difference for the 27.5 with all its upgrades makes it the better value by far).

Oh and on the throttle...If you're buying a bike with power, don't worry about having one. I always found it a novelty myself. Unless you have a real physical concern wether you physically may not be able to pedal, throttles just make the ride kinda boring.

Just my two cents!

 

[Luv2ride]

I ride a Trek XM 700+, 28 mph Bosch mid drive. I am 210 lbs and can get about 40 to 50 miles on a 500 wh battery riding 18-25 mph. I have two extra 400 wh batteries I can carry with me in my rear trunk bag if I need more range. Not an inexpensive solution but lets me do 60 to 70 mile rides at almost any assist level I want.

 

[nwroller]

Thank you all so much! I don't have an intention to do a 50 mile ride full out at 28 mph, I just want to be able to ride without losing all power. I will check out all the suggestions people gave. But currently I am considering a Stromer ST1 Platinum (in price range) or a ST1 X (over price range). Looks like they ride nearly identical (top speed, motor response/power, etc) with the differences being the technology and range/batter size. The Platinum looks like a pretty good deal and thinking about going that route, but the X has me wondering if it would make me happier. About a $1500 difference so it is significant.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

Juiced cross current with 1,000 WH battery would fit your requirements. It also has the new LCD display that features total amp-hour consumed (providing more ideal and more accurate information on battery consumption). It's like a fuel gauge on your car.
https://shop.juicedbikes.com/collections/e-bikes/products/2017-crosscurrent?variant=30827800530

 

[Matt A]

Thank you all so much! I don't have an intention to do a 50 mile ride full out at 28 mph, I just want to be able to ride without losing all power. I will check out all the suggestions people gave. But currently I am considering a Stromer ST1 Platinum (in price range) or a ST1 X (over price range). Looks like they ride nearly identical (top speed, motor response/power, etc) with the differences being the technology and range/batter size. The Platinum looks like a pretty good deal and thinking about going that route, but the X has me wondering if it would make me happier. About a $1500 difference so it is significant.

If you are considering spending that much for the ST1 X, you may want to try and get a Riese & Muller Charger demo bike from a dealer, if your patient you can probably get it for the same price as the ST1 X, with dual batteries. I have the delite, and weigh almost as much as you, and I get 55 miles in pure Turbo. 150ish in Eco. My girlfriend has the Charger with 2 batteries as well, she gets 88 miles in Turbo and 240 in Eco.... shes only 110 or so, which clearly makes a huge difference. I use panniers, one loaded with tools, and also carry around heavy locks, anywhere from 7-13 pounds depending which I am using that day, 15-25 pounds if I take more than one. I also run the Supernova M99 Pro and the Nyon display, which definitely uses significant power.

I have the NuVinci drivetrain, which I think is likely much more difficult to ride without assist than the regular Touring version. I have ridden it home before without assistance over a bridge with a steep incline, didn't have an issue. One reason I mention this bike to you is because you do not want to replace your batteries for 5 years. If you are going to actually use your bike and not leave it in the garage, you may still have a working battery in 5 years, but you will be under 50% capacity left, so no 50 mile rides. With the Bosch system, your batteries will last much longer because of the characteristics of all lithium ion batteries. Using 2 separate 500 Wh batteries will last longer than 1 battery with 1000 Wh, much much longer from my research. The way the motor switches back and forth using 5% at a time, and charging it the same way, will have a substantial impact on lengthening the life of your batteries.

Also I forgot to mention that we both have the 28mph version, and when I ride I stay at 25-27mph, with plenty of inclines, and some pretty strong winds coming off the river sometimes. Another key thing to remember, is that no matter what type of range you get on your new bike, it will only keep losing more and more capacity until you have to give up and buy a new battery anyway, if you read up on some stuff from battery university, you will see that the Bosch battery system will save you more money in the long run, as well as the fact that you'll be getting a much nicer bike, at least in my opinion. The Stromer is just very clean and doesn't look very electric, which is important to some people. I hope you find the bike that's perfect for you!

 

[Alex_C]

Check around, I've seen a number of dealers that have close out type pricing on Stromer ST2s.
Lowest I've seen for new, not a demo is $4,800.

 

[Deleted member 803]

This is significantly below dealer cost. Buy it!

 

[Alex_C]

Check out veloscience in Ohio $4,800. I have no relation, just been looking for the best price on an ST2.

I thought markup on bikes was roughly keystone. So a $7k bike cost would be in the $3,500 to $4,000 range. Not so with Stromer?

 

[JRA]

Parts are roughly keystone. Bikes are more in the 30% range at brick and mortar shops and less at higher volume dealers and the internet. Selling at below dealer cost is never a good business plan though.

 

[loginhater]

Hello,
I've spent way too much time researching and not enough time on a bike. I am hoping this is the month I make a purchase.

The bike will be used to both commute and go on fun rides. My commute is about 8 miles each way with large hills. I will need a rack as I don't like riding with a backpack. I'd like to be able to go 50 miles on a fun ride. I am 6'3", 220lbs.

Features I am pretty set on having are: Hydro Disc brakes, 28MPH and a throttle in addition to the rack I mentioned above. I would like the bike to be able to climb a hill without the motor should I run out of juice, but not sure how feasible that is with the weight of these (and me). My hills are 6-10% grade for about a mile. It also must be reliable, I don't want something that will breakdown or need a new costly battery in the next 5 years.

I've been looking at the Specialized Turbo, Easy Motion NEO Nitro City, iZip E3 ProTour. 50 mile range seems to be an issue with all of them with the specialized rated as one that could possibly do it. I would consider others, I have heard Bosch mid-drives are very good but I think I want a throttle. Bikes that look more traditional are more appealing to me.

Budget is around $3k.

Thank you in advance for any feedback you have!

I'm the same size as you. HAibike also comes in larger sizes.

Can sill get a 2016 Haibike XDURO Trekking S RX for under 3K: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

28 mph but no throttle control.

I also test drove a 28 mph Bulls that came in larger sizes. Really like that too but again no throttle control.

I ended up buying the Easy Motion Evo 29er and put a rack on it. Fits good and has throttle control, but only goes to 22 mph or so.

 

[nwroller]

Thank you all for your input. I just ordered a Stromer ST1 X in 22". It will come with the ST2 "gold" 814wh battery and a BodyFloat. It is above my original budget but I feel really good about the price I landed at and all the boxes I checked on my list. Once I have a few hundred miles under my wheels I will post a review if people are interested.