Decisions decisions... Feedback on the best ebike for my use :)

nufo

Member
Hi everyone,

First off, thanks in advance. I've already learned quite a bit from the forum and look forward to gaining much more knowledge on the ebike journey. So for background: I had an NCM Moscow for about 6 months but unfortunately, an accident with a hit-and-run driver has that bike out of commission. I liked the NCM Moscow but for my riding, I think another bike may be better suited. I have a 6 mile commute (12 mile round trip) on city streets in Chicago... there can be some rough roads and plenty of potholes but mostly flat. With my Moscow, I still rode in the very cold months even with light snow and rain. I maintained the bike well and kept the chain as clean and lubed as possible but there was still some rust. In my search for a new bike, I've come across:

1) Espin Aero: Great deal going on right now! I was hoping for a belt drive since it would likely hold up better with the weather and I like the almost no maintenance. However, no throttle, battery is smaller, cadence sensor, and range likely only ~20-25miles.
2) Roadster V2: Belt drive! No throttle, battery is smaller, cadence sensor, and range likely only ~20 miles. Thinner tires than Aero (Gravel Edition has larger tires though).
3) Rize Fixie: Belt drive, throttle, possibly longer range. But still, cadence sensor and slightly thinner tires than the Aero.

I am hoping to stay at around $1.5k if possible. Are there any suggestions for something with a belt drive, torque sensor (I've ridden both torque and cadence and much prefer torque), and decent range (25-30miles)? Pluses would be a throttle (helps when riding through water puddles) and a removeable battery. The NCM Moscow had a front suspension and larger tires that took some of the impact from the streets but I'm guessing I may be able to get away without that? Any thoughts from riders with similar commutes would be appreciated.

Stay safe and happy holidays!
 
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Consider the Vanmoof S3 and X3, while the main battery is in the frame there is an optional removable extender battery, boost button acts like a throttle, it has a Sturmey Archer 4-speed IGH, and while it doesn’t have belt drive, it has a chainglider which keeps your chain protected from the weather & road crud.
 
Thanks for the replies. The Luna Stealth looks interesting... the range is a little worrisome (on the website it states 20 miles and in the first video the reviewer mentions 15-30 miles). I wonder if I should just stick to a chain drive since the options for belt drive are so limited?

Unfortunately the Vanhoof is out of the price range. I can probably go up to $1750 but the better half would likely have something to say about that :)
 
How much $ is that though?
The OP wants to stay around $1,500.. Vanmoof would cost approx x2 of that. (I think)
No, it’s around $2,300, yes that is above the OP’s budget.
 
That bike is much closer to NCM Moscow OP once had.
I think OP wants to move to single speed (or look alike) though, preferably belt drive.
Was wrong the Swift Lite model has a Cadence sensor, but the Swift has a torque sensor plus throttle and Biktrix are selling an ex demo for $1,800. OP says he will consider chain
 
@Timpo : I'm still a beginner but can you explain why the Rize isn't a fixie?

I actually don't really mind if the bike is single of multiple gears; it just seems like the belt drives are mainly on the single speed bikes. Thanks.
 
At least the espin aero & the rize fixie have disk brakes. The roadster v2 has rim brakes. It does rain in Chicago, doesn't it? My experience is that stopping power of rim brakes goes to 1/3 or 1/4 after a pass through a puddle.
My bike gets rained on a lot while I'm shopping or at my volunteer job. I oil the chain every 2 weeks, what I can reach with the pump oiler. It doesn't rust. When I wore it out (~5000 miles) I changed to a KMC bright chain, which is also not rusting.
The 28 mm tires of the rize fixie I would find jaw rattling. The 700 diameter is good.
At one time the xtreme catalina had both a geared hub motor and a torque sensor. Their website is unavailable to me due to security issues. The specs on journey bike don't say. You might email xtreme. The 10.4 ah battery looks like a standard dolphin, which might be easier to replace than built in batteries of the previous brands.
One feature I like of geared hub motor, you can change one out in a couple of hours, if the controller cable matches up. I've worn out one (gears, ebikeling) and had one burn the harness & controller pins (Mac12t) because of rain. Don't buy an ASI controller; the pins are too close together to withstand rain.
 
Thanks for that thorough explanation @Timpo . Lots there that I didn't know and now it all makes sense. And like you stated, all these ebike "fixies" aren't true fixed gear bikes.

@indianajo : Good call on the brakes. I hadn't thought about how much stopping power is lost with the rim brakes. I definitely ride in the rain so I'll have to stay away from the Roadster V2. And thanks for the other pointers!
 
I ended up ordering the Espin Aero (actually two... one for the better half as well). I couldn't pass up on the $499 sale that popped up. Expected delivery sometime next month so I'll keep you updated. My much info on the Aero out there either but took the plunge. Fingers crossed.
 
I ended up ordering the Espin Aero (actually two... one for the better half as well). I couldn't pass up on the $499 sale that popped up. Expected delivery sometime next month so I'll keep you updated. My much info on the Aero out there either but took the plunge. Fingers crossed.
$499 sale? Are you sure? I thought the lowest the Aero sold for over the holiday season was $799.
 
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