Drowning In Reviews/Data

[SteveO]

Hello everyone,

Over the last 2 days or so I have been reading up on E-bikes so I can buy one and replace my car for commuting purposes. Even after all of the research on drive types, suspension, laws, yada yada yada, I don't feel like I have a clear selection. Maybe I have too many constraints. Here is some information about me, where I intend to ride, and what I have identified as likes in my research:

About me:
Gender: Male
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 270
Budget: ~5,000, but for the right bike I could go as far as 10,000.
Special notes: I could be moved by my company to Chicago at any time. So kinda buying for here and there.

Where I plan to ride:
Basically anywhere within 5 miles of SE Phoenix Street Bentonville, AR 72712. Commute is 5 miles one way to work from my house, and that's along a dedicated bike road. That said, there are some bumpy areas and one to two significant but brief hills.

Laws in AR:
Speed pedelec can ride on bike roads, helmet not required.

What I found I like so far/some notes:
Suspension full preferred? still not sure on this one. Some say float seat+air fork aftermarket is enough.
Battery in the frame
Integrated headlights/tail lights that brighten when braking
Rack to carry my stuff to work and some light cargo in panniers. I don't want to use a backpack.
Anti-theft (Stromer's is very interesting to me)
Less aggressive riding posture.
Lots of power. I want the motor to compensate a lot for those 1-2 hills and help with starting from stop.
Not sure if they are out there, but blinkers for turn signaling if on the road would be cool too.
Not concerned with USB charging.
Definitely need to be able take the battery with me for charging.
Tires, brakes, gears, etc. are lost on me. I assume I will get good things in these areas for the budget I have.
Not concerned with regen braking. If it has it cool, but whatever.
Machine shifting would be cool, or something to help manage shifting with power of a motor.
Can't think of anything else off top of my mind.

Point is I am very focused on things that provide utility. Not trying to impress anyone. I just want as easy/comfortable/fast/durable a bike commute as possible. As long as features gained by increasing price *materially* contribute to those areas, I am willing to spend more.

I did test drive a Super Commuter at my bike shop and liked it a lot. Only problem I had with it was that it didn't have any anti-theft technology, nor did it have any suspension at all. It didn't even have an aftermarket suspension options like the Stromer. Unfortunately I can't test drive a Stromer. Nobody near me has them.

And my final concern about owning and maintaining an e-bike overall:
My place of work has unenclosed bike parking. Arkansas is hot and humid. Is there a way to protect such an Ebike from sun/rain as well as humidity? Thought about a cover, but it could gather water inside and cause problems.

Thanks for reading my long post. I will for sure be around to answer any follow-up questions ASAP. I likely missed something.

Have a great day!

Thanks,
Steven

 

[Stephen E. Meeks]

If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest you check out Green Bike USA bikes. They have most of what you are looking for in their GB5 G500 model. I hope I can be pleased to report they are great when I receive mine this week. The company is located in Florida, but ship out of California. There are other great bikes out there, and Magnum may have a model you could get to fill most of these items as well.

 

[pxpaulx]

If it is a vehicle replacement, definitely do not cheap out on your purchase. Buy a reputable, nationally sold and serviced brand.

You must have narrowed it down at this point, the industry has made some big strides in the last 2 years and your asks are for one bike that does it all!

I would look to bulls or haibike, easy motion also has a great warranty. There must be a local dealer to try some bikes at?

 

[SteveO]

Thanks Stephen, I will check them out!

@pxpaulx You are right, I have a few bikes on my list. I have been looking at Stromer ST2, Bulls Lacuba EVO E45, and Trek Super Commuter.

That said, I have also been looking at just not buying at all and replacing my car with an Uber strategy. That also saves a lot of money, just not nearly as much as this would; that and I wouldn't get the health benefits of riding a bike. I feel like with any of these bikes there is a major element missing that will irk me, and that the industry just needs a little more time for someone to get it all into one bike.

For example, if I buy the Stromer ST2, I get a motor with half the torque and then still have to aftermarket the fork. If I get the Lacuba E45 I have to live with that kick stand, ugly display unit, and a non air shock. The Trek Super Commuter is just... I dunno. It has the motor and lights, but it feels way overpriced for what you get. Neither the Bulls or the Trek have anti-theft features.

If I had to say which one I lean to the most, it's the Lacuba E45. Seems fairly comprehensive. I guess I could always rely on Kryptonite's New York Chain anti-theft insurance?

This was kind of a last ditch effort to see if anyone knew of some obscure high-priced brand, that doesn't advertise a lot, which has all these features.

 

[pxpaulx]

Have you considered the bulls six 50 e 2 street? Very similar to the trek super commuter for over a thousand less (more if you negotiate).

I've ridden the six fifty and the lacuba 45 and liked the six fifty much better. The lacuba is a very upright stance while the six fifty is more forward facing.

With your commute distance so short you don't need more than the 500wh batteries either.

Do you really need a speed pedelec? There are so many more options when you take that requirement out (or did everything you see looking at just happen to fall in this category?).

Btw you can get actual bike insurance for under $200 a year with reasonable deductibles. That plus a good lock are all you need for security.

Finally, I'd say full suspension is absolutely worth it. I'll take my bulls evo fs 27.5 over my easy motion evo pro 27.5 for comfort every time. I do have the body float on my easy motion though, and it does a good job of dampening road bumps, but I wouldn't want it in anything really rough. If you want a speed pedelec and full suspension maybe the bulls evo 45 fs would be a good fit?

 

[JoePah]

Hello everyone,

Over the last 2 days or so I have been reading up on E-bikes so I can buy one and replace my car for commuting purposes. Even after all of the research on drive types, suspension, laws, yada yada yada, I don't feel like I have a clear selection. Maybe I have too many constraints. Here is some information about me, where I intend to ride, and what I have identified as likes in my research:

About me:
Gender: Male
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 270
Budget: ~5,000, but for the right bike I could go as far as 10,000.
Special notes: I could be moved by my company to Chicago at any time. So kinda buying for here and there.

Where I plan to ride:
Basically anywhere within 5 miles of SE Phoenix Street Bentonville, AR 72712. Commute is 5 miles one way to work from my house, and that's along a dedicated bike road. That said, there are some bumpy areas and one to two significant but brief hills.

Laws in AR:
Speed pedelec can ride on bike roads, helmet not required.

What I found I like so far/some notes:
Suspension full preferred? still not sure on this one. Some say float seat+air fork aftermarket is enough.
Battery in the frame
Integrated headlights/tail lights that brighten when braking
Rack to carry my stuff to work and some light cargo in panniers. I don't want to use a backpack.
Anti-theft (Stromer's is very interesting to me)
Less aggressive riding posture.
Lots of power. I want the motor to compensate a lot for those 1-2 hills and help with starting from stop.
Not sure if they are out there, but blinkers for turn signaling if on the road would be cool too.
Not concerned with USB charging.
Definitely need to be able take the battery with me for charging.
Tires, brakes, gears, etc. are lost on me. I assume I will get good things in these areas for the budget I have.
Not concerned with regen braking. If it has it cool, but whatever.
Machine shifting would be cool, or something to help manage shifting with power of a motor.
Can't think of anything else off top of my mind.

Point is I am very focused on things that provide utility. Not trying to impress anyone. I just want as easy/comfortable/fast/durable a bike commute as possible. As long as features gained by increasing price *materially* contribute to those areas, I am willing to spend more.

I did test drive a Super Commuter at my bike shop and liked it a lot. Only problem I had with it was that it didn't have any anti-theft technology, nor did it have any suspension at all. It didn't even have an aftermarket suspension options like the Stromer. Unfortunately I can't test drive a Stromer. Nobody near me has them.

And my final concern about owning and maintaining an e-bike overall:
My place of work has unenclosed bike parking. Arkansas is hot and humid. Is there a way to protect such an Ebike from sun/rain as well as humidity? Thought about a cover, but it could gather water inside and cause problems.

Thanks for reading my long post. I will for sure be around to answer any follow-up questions ASAP. I likely missed something.

Have a great day!

Thanks,
Steven

Hey it 's great you have some flexibility on your budget.. If I were you, and I was SURE I wanted to ride an ebike every week, I'd go straight to the Haibike 2017 Full Seven S 7.0.. It weighs around 45 lbs, will do 28 mph, great range, FS, Bosch mid drive and is a 1x10 Mountain bike config.. All quality components.. I've seen those sell for 4-5k new.. Message me for more info.

A lot of people like the Bulls, but I'm not one of them... They are heavier, they don't have the rep, and they are not as fast...For a little more money you get the top of the line, and that will make a difference when you sell it and ride it.

I've ridden both bike lines and am a former Stromer fan.. STromer is a great commuting ebike, heavy, doesn't handle great.. Very reliable and will get you where you need to go.

 

[SteveO]

@pxpaulx I hadn't considered the six 50 e 2 street. Will take a look at it.

As for speed pedelec, yes that is a requirement. The purpose of the bike is to replace my car, which is both fast and comfortable. The extra 8 MPH is almost a 50% improvement in commute speed.

Haven't looked at the Bulls EVO 45 fs. Completely flew under my radar. I took a look just now and it looks amazing. Full suspension, 28MPH, mid drive motor, display is minimal, brake-activated lighting, lots of torque. and even close to my desired outlay. Good stuff. I would just need to add a rack and some ergo grips.

Agreed on the security piece. I found out the lock I have on my current bike has $5,000 of theft protection so I am basically covered. Don't care about tracking it if insurance will just buy a new one.

I often hear, in Court's videos, about shift sensing. This bike does not have it. What are your feelings on this given your experience? Also, do you feel it hard to reach the 28 MPH mark in urban/city commuting with the mountain bike tires, or is it negligible?

I am going to take a look at the Haibike @JoePah spoke of next, but Bulls EVO 45 FS is top of the list now.

 

[George S.]

http://www.voltbike.ca/voltbike-yukon.html

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Voltbikes have done well enough to open a US warehouse. Bafang is a solid motor. Both have interesting models. There are others in the price range. Something like this. For 5 miles with two short hills and a couple of rough spots, you don't need much.

You don't need to shift with hub motors, if they will handle the hill. Check the grade.

 

[pxpaulx]

@SteveO tire type doesn't have a significant impact, though a smooth tire might carry your speed marginally better. Realistically tires have maybe a couple percentage points impact on efficiency, not worth worrying over, especially on an ebike. Above 25mph wind is your biggest enemy.

Don't worry about shift sensing, as long as you know how to shift a regular bike, you'll have no trouble with grinding gears after five minutes of riding. A mild spilt second ease off of pedaling is all that is needed to changes gears. By split second I really mean it, the bikes computer works as fast as you can shift, there really isn't any delay at all.

Don't discount the six fifty, it is a very nice bike and would be great with a body float, and also has the rack, fenders and brake activated lights as well!

Haibike is just as good as bulls quality wise to me having owned both. With the bulls fs 45 you do get the larger battery as well which is nice.

Good luck with your choice, I'm jealous of your 5 mile commute!

 

[Deleted member 803]

This is pretty easy to narrow down. Every one who responds will have their own opinion so you should be able to see that there are probably no more than 200-300 possible options. Here is a guideline for you that will cut through all the personal opinion gobbledygook.

1. Test ride the bikes you are interested in as it is important that you experience the performance of each bike for yourself and also determine whether the geometry of the frame feels comfortable for you. Have a local dealer tell you which frame size is most appropriate for you. If the bike is not comfortable to sit on, no level of performance will compensate.
2. Buy from a local dealer who is an authorized reseller of the brands you are considering.
3. When calculating real battery range please understand that the manufacturer range is predicated upon a 150lb rider over flat terrain riding in power level 1.
4. Full suspension is probably overkill for your needs and is really ideal for mountain biking. Front suspension fork plus a suspension seat post will probably suffice for you.
5. Examine warranties as they vary greatly and ask your local dealer how responsive the manufacturer is.
6. If you are physically challenged or out of shape you might consider a bike that has a full working throttle in addition to pedal assist.
7. Price and performance are coming down in price. What used to cost $4500 a year or two ago is now under $3K. Stromer makes a very nice product but you can get 99% of the performance elsewhere for 2/3rds or half the price.

Enjoy the ride,

 

[SteveO]

Someone pointed me to the Specialized Turbo Vado 6.0 that is coming out in September. It has everything I want, and where it doesn't (seat suspension for example), I can get it aftermarket. Even has a sick built in horn! Great price, and a I have a local specialized dealer.

@86 and still kicking - my biggest challenge was not having dealers nearby. I live in Arkansas. The only dealers I have here sell/have models on the floor for Trek, and or Specialized. No Stromer, Bulls, Haibike, none of it.

That said, I went in and rode a specialized Turbo today after the recommendation and it was great. It wasn't the 6.0, but the extras the 6.0 has will push it above to my expectations.

Thanks everyone for your input. It was greatly appreciated!