Cross Core Experience Welcome

[todbar]

Greetings, I'm looking at getting my first e bike and pretty much find that the Yamaha Cross Core has the best combination of features that I'm looking for and can afford - basically decently strong pedal assist power at a relatively low weight, good range, riding most entirely on paved road. So the only thing that's nagging at my mind are these posts that I'm seeing here about somewhat non-fixable frame issues - clanking and other noises, scraping that some have found to be chronic problems after they've gotten the bike. I'd really appreciate very much if any of you who have experience using/owning this bike could just share how you've found it to be working out - would just like to get more rider feedback before I turn the key and get this bike. Thanks for any help....

 

[Saratoga Dave]

A Civante here, not a Cross Core, but a Yamaha nonetheless. Funny you mention the noises... the frame actually sort of moaned and groaned at first, even when just wheeling it out of the garage. Weird, but it has gotten over itself and shut up now. I don’t know when it knocked it off, hadn’t thought about it till I saw your post.

But it’s been a really good bike. I’m not in love with the 2X front derailleur thing, but since this one is a 28 mph bike I can see that covering that spread with a 1X would be tough, so I am still getting used to it. I bought this August 2 of this year, and it should go over 1000 miles by the end of the week. I have a Giant gravel ebike as well and sort of take turns with them.

The Yamaha motor and drive system are second to none. Overall quality of the bike appears to be pretty high. I‘ve got no complaints, it was a good purchase. Especially since I particularly wanted the road bike to have the Yamaha system.

Dumbest thing about the bike, which may or may not be true of the Cross Core... the placement of the USB outlet for phone charging. It’s on the back of the display, which in this configuration at least places it so close to the handlebars that it is not possible to actually plug anything into it. I have to carry a power stick in a small top bar bag to run my iPhone and RideWithGPS. I don’t know what nitwit did that design. Some of their other bikes are set up so you can use the USB port, but this ain‘t one of them.

 

[todbar]

Thank you Dave, sounds like you've really been riding it! The only reason I wasn't thinking Civante is I was looking for flat handlebars, - weight's the same as cross core, but has better brakes and cassette. Any idea how doable and how much it to change handlebars to flat ones? Best....

 

[Nova Haibike]

I wasn't thinking Civante is I was looking for flat handlebars, - weight's the same as cross core, but has better brakes and cassette. Any idea how doable and how much it to change handlebars to flat ones? Best....

The Civante is also a class 3, 28 mph bike vs. the Cross Core's class 1, 20 mph limit.

It can be done, but it would not be cheap. So if you want a flat bar bike, buy one that is already set up that way. That said, if you have never tried drop bars, I would encourage you to do so. Drops are more comfortable and versatile than you might imagine.

 

[todbar]

The Civante is also a class 3, 28 mph bike vs. the Cross Core's class 1, 20 mph limit.

It can be done, but it would not be cheap. So if you want a flat bar bike, buy one that is already set up that way. That said, if you have never tried drop bars, I would encourage you to do so. Drops are more comfortable and versatile than you might imagine.

It's been so long since I used drops, I hadn't even thought about trying again. I like a more upright riding position but I'm gonna check it out.. I know they can be adjusted up too through rotation, spacers, etc. - gives me another bike model possibility, thanks for the idea.

 

[WattsUpDude]

A Civante here, not a Cross Core, but a Yamaha nonetheless. Funny you mention the noises... the frame actually sort of moaned and groaned at first, even when just wheeling it out of the garage. Weird, but it has gotten over itself and shut up now. I don’t know when it knocked it off, hadn’t thought about it till I saw your post.

But it’s been a really good bike. I’m not in love with the 2X front derailleur thing, but since this one is a 28 mph bike I can see that covering that spread with a 1X would be tough, so I am still getting used to it. I bought this August 2 of this year, and it should go over 1000 miles by the end of the week. I have a Giant gravel ebike as well and sort of take turns with them.

The Yamaha motor and drive system are second to none. Overall quality of the bike appears to be pretty high. I‘ve got no complaints, it was a good purchase. Especially since I particularly wanted the road bike to have the Yamaha system.

Dumbest thing about the bike, which may or may not be true of the Cross Core... the placement of the USB outlet for phone charging. It’s on the back of the display, which in this configuration at least places it so close to the handlebars that it is not possible to actually plug anything into it. I have to carry a power stick in a small top bar bag to run my iPhone and RideWithGPS. I don’t know what nitwit did that design. Some of their other bikes are set up so you can use the USB port, but this ain‘t one of them.

Howdy Dave. I just checked and the display on my Urban Rush is in exactly the same location as your Civante. I use this micro USB adapter to power my camera. The port is low power though so if your phone demands a lot of juice, it may provide little more than a trickle charge.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Thank you! I’ll try that one out. My rides on this bike tend to be longer (which speaks to how much I like it and therefore don’t want to get off once we get going), around 40 - 45 miles, it seems. Low current is fine, as long as something is getting through to keep the phone happy.

I did swap out the stem for a Ritchie 30 degree rise stem, which brought the handlebars about an inch up and an inch closer. Very closely matches the setup on my Giant ToughRoad now, so both bikes “sit” pretty much the same. Giant has a better seat on it that I switched to, though the seat on the Civante is not bad at all! When I bought the Giant it took a week or so to get used to drop bars again after many years, but I would not go back to flats now.

That whole Class 3 thing is pretty good on the Civante. I don’t go all out, but I like being able to cruise at 23 or 24 miles an hour across long flats without thinking about it. This bike really rolls.

 

[WattsUpDude]

@todbar , the Cross Core is fantastic and is a really great value. The motor is really responsive and torquey. The frame is relatively light weight and stiff. The battery is very sufficient for most uses. The only drawback I see is the lack of hydraulic brakes. At this price point, the other bike I'd look at is the Co-op CTY e2.2 at REI. It includes a front suspension fork and hydraulic brakes but the Shimano E6100 motor is down on torque compared to the Yamaha. And it's also almost 10 pounds heavier than the Cross Core.

 

[todbar]

@todbar , the Cross Core is fantastic and is a really great value. The motor is really responsive and torquey. The frame is relatively light weight and stiff. The battery is very sufficient for most uses. The only drawback I see is the lack of hydraulic brakes. At this price point, the other bike I'd look at is the Co-op CTY e2.2 at REI. It includes a front suspension fork and hydraulic brakes but the Shimano E6100 motor is down on torque compared to the Yamaha. And it's also almost 10 pounds heavier than the Cross Core.

 

[todbar]

Appreciate the feedback on the cross core.... the REI weight rules it out for me, primarily for lifting onto my auto bike rack. Gonna be testing out the cross core and civante in the next few days, really looking forward to it! Thanks...

 

[todbar]

Thank you! I’ll try that one out. My rides on this bike tend to be longer (which speaks to how much I like it and therefore don’t want to get off once we get going), around 40 - 45 miles, it seems. Low current is fine, as long as something is getting through to keep the phone happy.

I did swap out the stem for a Ritchie 30 degree rise stem, which brought the handlebars about an inch up and an inch closer. Very closely matches the setup on my Giant ToughRoad now, so both bikes “sit” pretty much the same. Giant has a better seat on it that I switched to, though the seat on the Civante is not bad at all! When I bought the Giant it took a week or so to get used to drop bars again after many years, but I would not go back to flats now.

That whole Class 3 thing is pretty good on the Civante. I don’t go all out, but I like being able to cruise at 23 or 24 miles an hour across long flats without thinking about it. This bike really rolls.

Useful info about the stem swap... in looking at pictures now it kinda looks like the height of the cross core flat bar might not be that much different than riding on the tops of the civante cross bar?

 

[todbar]

A Civante here, not a Cross Core, but a Yamaha nonetheless. Funny you mention the noises... the frame actually sort of moaned and groaned at first, even when just wheeling it out of the garage. Weird, but it has gotten over itself and shut up now. I don’t know when it knocked it off, hadn’t thought about it till I saw your post.

But it’s been a really good bike. I’m not in love with the 2X front derailleur thing, but since this one is a 28 mph bike I can see that covering that spread with a 1X would be tough, so I am still getting used to it. I bought this August 2 of this year, and it should go over 1000 miles by the end of the week. I have a Giant gravel ebike as well and sort of take turns with them.

The Yamaha motor and drive system are second to none. Overall quality of the bike appears to be pretty high. I‘ve got no complaints, it was a good purchase. Especially since I particularly wanted the road bike to have the Yamaha system.

Dumbest thing about the bike, which may or may not be true of the Cross Core... the placement of the USB outlet for phone charging. It’s on the back of the display, which in this configuration at least places it so close to the handlebars that it is not possible to actually plug anything into it. I have to carry a power stick in a small top bar bag to run my iPhone and RideWithGPS. I don’t know what nitwit did that design. Some of their other bikes are set up so you can use the USB port, but this ain‘t one of t

 

[todbar]

Dave and Nova, thanks for the ideas...I was able to test ride a Civante today and it feels great! Now I just need to find one available in my size, large, and I'm going for it.... any info to share on how to best take care of the battery and how long it will probably last? New ones look expensive!

 

[tungwaiyip]

I have the Cross Core for a year. Love it. The battery run for about 50 miles. I use level 2 assist except on hills, there are a few on my way. The bike itself is of good quality. Mechanical disc brake is a hassle because it needs adjustment every month or two. My bike shop offer to replace it with hydraulic brakes for $80 per brake. Right now I'm not riding that much due to COVID-19 office closure. But I'd consider it in the long run.

 

[todbar]

Thanks for the feedback...

 

[bobcat20]

Todbar-we have 2 cross connect models which we have put around 1700 miles on each so far -these have hydraulic brakes,suspension fork which is stonger and reportedly does not get creaky-also have good fenders&rack (i think they are worth higher price over cross core)- only issue we have had was on one the motor mounting bolts started creaking-this was fixed by overtightening the 3 bolts-went up to 25ftlb which is close to bolts limit but that fixed it

 

[Jetsfan901]

Todbar, let us know your experience with the Civante when you get it. I ordered a Cross Connect in grey, dealer called me today to let me know the color I ordered was not available. I ended up switching my order to the Cross Core. I also really like the Civante, especially the fact it does 28 mph and has hydraulic brakes, but I couldn't justify the $1000 price difference since I have my Specialized Allez road bike that is only a few months old. Hope I didn't make a mistake by trying to save a few dollars...I did add the seat suspension post that I have been reading about..

 

[todbar]

Wow! took my first short ride today, about 15 miles and couldn't believe how good it felt...fairly flat city roads, mostly used Eco+, got up to Eco and standard on a few what used to be steeper hilly areas to me - not any more. Impressed and amazed how smoothly the motor supports pedaling, no surges, just felt like the road had leveled out. And I was surprised that the battery only decreased by 9% for the whole ride. So, I'm not able to compare the Civante with other ebikes, but I've been a roadie biker for 40 years - and the Civante makes it feel like I'm cycling the way I could at least 20 years back...awesome. Another thing I really like is you can pretty much decide how intense you want the workout to be...riding a heavier bike (than my standard lightweight) with a motor gives me all the options how hard and when I want to push. So, this is just a quick first feel for me, but I'm so glad I made the decision to get this, and looking forward to lots of good times with it. I'm sure Yamaha's other ebikes are also great.

 

[FlatSix911]

Greetings, I'm looking at getting my first e bike and pretty much find that the Yamaha Cross Core has the best combination of features that I'm looking for and can afford - basically decently strong pedal assist power at a relatively low weight, good range, riding most entirely on paved road. So the only thing that's nagging at my mind are these posts that I'm seeing here about somewhat non-fixable frame issues - clanking and other noises, scraping that some have found to be chronic problems after they've gotten the bike. I'd really appreciate very much if any of you who have experience using/owning this bike could just share how you've found it to be working out - would just like to get more rider feedback before I turn the key and get this bike. Thanks for any help....

Welcome to EBR and congratulations on your new Civante!

 

[Jetsfan901]

Wow! took my first short ride today, about 15 miles and couldn't believe how good it felt...fairly flat city roads, mostly used Eco+, got up to Eco and standard on a few what used to be steeper hilly areas to me - not any more. Impressed and amazed how smoothly the motor supports pedaling, no surges, just felt like the road had leveled out. And I was surprised that the battery only decreased by 9% for the whole ride. So, I'm not able to compare the Civante with other ebikes, but I've been a roadie biker for 40 years - and the Civante makes it feel like I'm cycling the way I could at least 20 years back...awesome. Another thing I really like is you can pretty much decide how intense you want the workout to be...riding a heavier bike (than my standard lightweight) with a motor gives me all the options how hard and when I want to push. So, this is just a quick first feel for me, but I'm so glad I made the decision to get this, and looking forward to lots of good times with it. I'm sure Yamaha's other ebikes are also great.

Congrats on the new bike. Sounds like you made a great choice...