Commuter bike for Clydesdale

[Baco Noir]

Hi all,

I posted this in my intro thread in the garage but then found this section which seems more on point with the post.

I’ve been thinking about an ebike for a few months and reading a lot. Seems things are changing rapidly and not all companies survive.

For my decision inputs I’m taking this into consideration:
1) in a Clydesdale 6’1” & 260 lbs (assume 300 lbs with gear/work clothes/computer)
2) commute will be about 18 - 20 miles each way, not hilly but mostly down on the way in and mostly up on the way home
3) want Class 3 for speed
4) flat bars, fenders and good rack
5) would like to go round trip without charging
6) would like walk assist in case of breakdown
7) would prefer phone integration instead of system trip meter, but not a deal breaker
8) 2.4” tires or front fork/Seat post shock
9) noSpecialized - bad history with them
10) under $6k out the door, prefer under $5k

Internal hub would be a plus, but I think hard to pull off in this price range

So far my research has led me to:
2020 Bulls Urban EVO 10
2020 Giant Fastroad E+ EX Pro + battery extender
2020 Trek Alant+ 8

I’m sure there’s more options out there and I’m looking for leads

TIA,

Roger

 

[fooferdoggie]

I have a bulls cross mover 2019 it has been great bike I have over 1000 miles on it since late nov the extra power should take care of you. I get 25 miles on turbo

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Hey Roger

I’m liking that Giant for what you’re talking about. No problem whatever with range - I’d say even without the battery extender if it was Class 1, these thing have great range. Class 3 though, maybe that extra battery needed.

I’m similarly gravity equipped as you and my ToughRoad has stood up to a lot of use for over 6000 miles so far. They’re fun to ride, too!

I like that Allant as well except for all the reports of tough shifting effort. I’ve had a good Trek history as well, but it seems like maybe there’s an issue with these so far. Really nice bike otherwise though, it seems.

And of course, for something you are going to need to depend on, those two big names and their support networks don’t hurt either.

 

[linklemming]

Given all your requirements, its going to be hard to find a solution that will go class 3 speeds (20mph+) for 40 miles without a recharge at that weight.

I live north of you and ride between broomfield and boulder usually with rolling hills. At 20+mph, Im usually burning above 20wh/mile and Im doing it for the workout(i.e. im working hard). Im about 250# with all gear including full camelback.

So 40 miles at 20wh/mile is 800wh. Not many ebikes with batteries that large.

When you really get into class 3 speeds, mid drives are not the best choice (at least the european derived ones like bosch, brose etc...)

The Juiced CCX(which I have) might be a good choice. Its got a 1000wh battery and is pretty darn fast. I have done 40 miles on it averaging about 20mph (which is actually pretty hard). Its got narrow tires/rims but I am running fatter 2.3F/2.1R tires no problems.

I also have a 'european derived' class 3 mid drive Brose Motor iZip Moda E3(no longer sold but 500wh battery for comparison). All out in the highest assist, Im lucky to make it 20 miles. Its a lovely lighter weight ebike but at speed, hub drives are usually better. Above 23 or so mph takes ALOT of effort.

A wattwagons commuter might work for you as well as a Juiced Ripcurrent S if bigger tires is what you want.

Just buying a second charger and charging at work opens up ALOT of options and is probably the best solution.

 

[Baco Noir]

Given all your requirements, its going to be hard to find a solution that will go class 3 speeds (20mph+) for 40 miles without a recharge at that weight.

I live north of you and ride between broomfield and boulder usually with rolling hills. At 20+mph, Im usually burning above 20wh/mile and Im doing it for the workout(i.e. im working hard). Im about 250# with all gear including full camelback.

So 40 miles at 20wh/mile is 800wh. Not many ebikes with batteries that large.

When you really get into class 3 speeds, mid drives are not the best choice (at least the european derived ones like bosch, brose etc...)

The Juiced CCX(which I have) might be a good choice. Its got a 1000wh battery and is pretty darn fast. I have done 40 miles on it averaging about 20mph (which is actually pretty hard). Its got narrow tires/rims but I am running fatter 2.3F/2.1R tires no problems.

I also have a 'european derived' class 3 mid drive Brose Motor iZip Moda E3(no longer sold but 500wh battery for comparison). All out in the highest assist, Im lucky to make it 20 miles. Its a lovely lighter weight ebike but at speed, hub drives are usually better. Above 23 or so mph takes ALOT of effort.

A wattwagons commuter might work for you as well as a Juiced Ripcurrent S if bigger tires is what you want.

Just buying a second charger and charging at work opens up ALOT of options and is probably the best solution.

Thank you! That’s some great info and I’ve been slowly coming to that conclusion myself But trying not to believe it. I’ll be going between the Green Mtn area of Lakewood and downtown - so mostly downhill on the way to work and uphill on the way home, but no long, steep grades. If I had the money, the Riese and Muller Supercharger would be an option but I’m not willing to fork out that kind of dough. Last night I went back and looked at the Giant Fastroad E+ EX Pro again with it’s 375W battery, with ability to add a 250W piggyback and $3500 price tag (sans piggyback) and thinking about that one with a second charger at work.

Looking at the specs in more detail on the Bulls Urban Evo 10 and the Allant+ 8S, I may be out of luck due to weight capacity - I think both are 300 lbs for bike, rider, and load combined.

 

[Baco Noir]

Just test rode the Giant Fastroad E+ EX Pro and it's a nice ride. It has an auto mode that uses an inclinometer to determine if you are going up or down hill and cadence / torque sensors to auto adjust the level of rider assist that felt great. The shop owner says he rides from north of Golden to the shop and back daily with a 400W battery on an older version of the bike with no problem. Since they the dropped to a 375W battery but a more efficient yamaha motor. At the price point, this one is leading the pack right now.

Have an email into Haibike on the Trekking SDURO 9.0 S to see if the 283 lb max capacity is (rider + gear) only or if it is (rider + gear + bike weight) like many other manufacturers are using these days

 

[linklemming]

A few things to consider:

For reference, I have 3 ebikes
Bulls Evo 3 27.5+ - Great eMTB hardtail, 650wh battery has great range. My first ebike
Juiced CCX - Fast Commuter. Its rough around the edges but fast with a HUGE battery. Crude and fast
iZIP Moda E3 - wonderful light weight class 3, somewhere between the Bulls and the Juiced. My Favorite

Your list has all very nice mid-drives. A downside is they are all european-derived (i.e. 250W with more instantaneous power). In the real world, they are good for low 20s mph with moderate input.

Battery range will never get better than the first day you own it. Low temperature works against you as well.

I love the yamaha based drives like on the giant. I more of a brose fan but thats a whole nuther discussion. I recently rode a yamaha system on a haibike and LOVED it.

IMHO, the 375wh battery on the giant is just to small.

The 600wh battery on the Trek Allant S is a much better solution.

Bulls has EXCELLENT battery warranty (4 years). Just had a battery replaced on my 1.5year old bulls eMTB with about 4k miles.

Trek also has excellent customer service and warranties (no direct experience from me).

At commuter speeds (i.e. 20mph+), a hub drive tends to be better than a mid drive. Im more of a mid-drive fan but hub drive is just better at higher speeds.

If what you want is a nice mid-drive with local bike shop support, all your choices are good within reason.

That being said, lets look at a Juiced CCX for your needs:
HUGE battery, you could likely do your round trip mileage without recharging.
Its fast, much faster than my european derived brose motor iZip moda.
Charge to 80-90% and double/triple your battery cycles-the cycle satiator charger option for the CCX would work.

Seriously, the Juiced CCX or even the RCS are great options.

Another consideration is a Stromer. While I love my CCX (mostly for the speed). I see myself replacing it with a stromer in the near future.

I highly recommend you visit the following shop
https://www.ebikeofcolorado.com/

 

[Baco Noir]

Thanks. I was at E Bikes of CO on Sunday. I rode a RM Supercharger2 to get a feel for sizing. 17Stratton reached out to me to talk about his 2019 Supercharger Rohloff HS he’s selling and after the test ride, we worked out the details and I hope to have it next week!