Cross Current Air - $995 S-pedelec

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Got this sweet news yesterday about a $995 Speed pedelec from Juiced.
Cross Current Air. Curious to know more about it

http://www.juicedbikes.com/

 

[opimax]

A reputable company making a 28mph bike starting under a grand, that has my attention!

 

[ArmyHokie]

So any guesses how they are going to cut ~$500 off the 7.8Ah CrossCurrent? Smaller battery, no suspension fork, cheaper components?

 

[Cameron Newland]

This is huge! I'm so impressed by what Juiced Bikes has been coming up with.

Just the other day, Rad Power Bikes (which must be considered Juiced's #1 competitor given their respective pricepoints) announced its new RadCity bike, and its specs aren't even as good as the CrossCurrent that was announced a year ago!

I figure that Juiced is probably going to have to make some bigger compromises on this new CC Air. Perhaps their fabled Tektro Dorado hydraulic disc brakes will get booted out in favor of some cheap generic mechanical disc brakes? That's all the guesses I've got.

 

[flymeaway]

$995 Speed pedelec from Juiced

That's a price that a lot of marginal (fence sitters) buyers will appreciate. Basic but it fits a need.

Court J.

 

[J.R.]

So any guesses how they are going to cut ~$500 off the 7.8Ah CrossCurrent? Smaller battery, no suspension fork, cheaper components?

Areas of possible cost savings:

• Fixed fork
• Mechanical disc brakes
• No throttle offering since it's only advertised as a S-Ped.
• Cadence sensing (no torque sensor)
• Longer open order period for larger group buy from the factory.

I have no idea if any of these savings measures are even being considered. These are the only areas I could think of to bring the current Cross Current down by $500. Smaller battery wouldn't save much, 7.8 ah is about the minimum any end user would accept. The interface will likely remain a simple LED. I do expect everything on the bike will be upgradeable, as has been true of previous JR bikes (I want a discount for JR using those initials).

If this bike happens and is available from dealers or direct from JR, it will make life really hard for the regular crowd-funded bike campaigns. Especially the single speed bikes drop shipped direct from China. It's very thought provoking! I wish Tora the best of luck with the project.

 

[opimax]

could be going for volume, a loss leader??? (or close to it)

 

[Dunbar]

Interested to see what they announce but the Cross Current is pretty much the lowest spec'd class 3 bike out there that I'd actually want to own. By that I mean, for example, I don't want to drop down to mechanical discs or lose the suspension fork to save money. Cadence sensing PAS does not compare to torque sensing IME.

 

[RobbieN]

I am eagerly awaiting the announcement today.

 

[eflyersteve]

EDIT - wait - It looks like there is free shipping on all their bikes? Has it always been this way?

Trying to decide if the downgrade of components is worth the $500 in savings? If there were free shipping offered on the standard crosscurrent, it would be a no-brainer in my opinion, however the shipping savings for the first orders sure helps offset the loss of some components.

Thoughts?

 

[J.R.]

• Fixed fork

• Mechanical disc brakes

• No throttle offering since it's only advertised as a S-Ped.

• Cadence sensing (no torque sensor)

• Longer open order period for larger group buy from the factory.

Other than the longer open order period... 4/5. Amazing value and shipping first orders in January! I'll be telling my poor ol' pedal powered pals about this one, for sure.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[George S.]

Lots of stuff going on. It's a pre-order at the $1k price. I assume you give them the money now and they build the bikes with your money. It's like a crowdfund without a guy taking money off the top. The free shipping is really nice.

The bike is nice tech. They talk about tweaking the PAS, having an upgrade path, smoothing out the electronics between the throttle and the PAS. This is stuff that cries to be done on so many bikes. I'd like to see user programmable PAS/throttle (and thumb/twist), but maybe this advanced sensor is better all around. The torque sensor adds $200. My guess is that a truly intelligent throttle and cadence sensor could be very refined, but no one cares. There is so much crap around and they just do not let the user program the motors enough.

It's still a fairly basic motor. People have said, the way it is wound or whatever, it does 5% grades. That's not so much. But maybe that is the weak point. I don't know that 85 pound tires with a basic aluminum fork is so great. The 28 mph configuration dictates some of this. I would say that at top speed it would be harsh.

So now the real reason to go with DIY is to get a nicer motor for a few hundred dollars more. That's about it. Luna has their pre-builds with the BBS motors for prices that are in the 2's. You can get this for a thousand, but maybe it's a special. Maybe the 28mph is opening up the market. They are supposed to do the labels and the classes next year.

Manufacturers could option different motors, different bars, different seats. When I built I finally got what I wanted. I wouldn't call this a bike for everyone. The number of cyclists who will ride on roads is quite small.

 

[youth]

I wonder if it will really go back to that $1300 msrp. Good that they advertising high pressure rim strips now. Looks like the different battery sizes will be interchangeable between the AIR & CC plus a buyback program to boot.

Major savings over the CC:
Brakes
Cadence
Simpler top tube on the frame
Fork

Minor savings:
Step down in derailleur
Grips
Frank branded stem/seatpost/hbar
Seat
Pedals?

 

[Dunbar]

It's a steal at $1k but not really worth it at $1300 IMO. A $200 savings to lose hydraulic discs, the suspension fork and the torque sensor is not a trade I would make.

Good to see they have a battery buyback program listed on that page. I will probably get the 17.4 or 21aH battery when they are released.

 

[Bicyclista]

Very interesting bike... The high definition cadence sensor caught my attention. Upgradable components. Of course, if you upgraded to a suspension fork, suspension seat post, torque sensor, 1008 Wh battery, throttle, fenders, racks, water bottle, lights, etc., you'd end up with a $2,000 bike! Which is still less than half of the cost of my Haibike! The small frame size (my size) is a step-thru, but there is no picture of it. Very tempting!

 

[Dunbar]

Here's a picture of the step-thru frame. Not sure what size is pictured. If you added all that stuff it would probably closer to a $2500 bike but the only thing that would compare to it is a $7k Stromer ST2. The aren't many speed pedelecs available with a 1kWh battery.

 

[Bicyclista]

Thanks, Dunbar! Yes, Tora answered my query very promptly with a picture of the CrossCurrent ST, saying that the frame of the Air ST would be similar. I am gratified that the step-thru design retains the triangular configuration of the tubes for rigidity. Many step-thru's don't.

What about that OceanCurrent? An electric beach cruiser that is not for sale yet?

 

[Dunbar]

Here is the blog post where I got the above photo. I think the OceanCurrent is coming in spring 2017. It looks like it's using the same mechanical calipers as the CC Air. I kind of doubt it will be a 28mph bike but you never know.

 

[Dunbar]

I got to ride the Ocean Current this weekend at the local e-bike expo. I was really impressed with how smooth it was with the upright position, comfy saddle and wide tires. Juiced says it has the torque sensor and will do 28mph for $1299. The mechanical discs honestly felt pretty good. I also rode the step thru Cross Current which, not surprisingly, didn't feel much different than my Cross Current. Juiced will be doing a true step thru city bike based on the Cross Current drivetrain. It has no top tube to lift your leg over.

 

[Tora Harris]

Its real! CrossCurrent AIRs now shipping all the pre-orders! This is turning out to be our hottest bike at the moment. More available: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Designed in California by Aerospace Engineers to be Modern, Sporty and Understated.
Ridiculously high value and infinitely upgradable.
Let's get some AIR!
https://shop.juicedbikes.com