I went to the expo yesterday (in the rain). It was Fabulous! Had the track virtually all to myself due to the weather. Brought my daughter as well.
Everyone was just as nice as could be, plenty of bikes. No Stromers, and I didn't see any Brose. (Hope I didn't just miss 'em if they were there!)
Commuters: The Kalkhoff Integral felt like the best commuter, very good geometry, and solid feel. The Impulse motor felt smooth to me. The Trek x700 was underwhelming. Had some sort of round front suspension that was irritating. The Bosch (across the line) was smooth as silk, but maybe too much so for my taste. (Do I secretly crave speed and power??)
Mountain Bikes: The KTM with Bosch, Excellent bike. Only one I rode with full suspension, Probably would shine on a rough road, but the track was smooth flat pavement with lots of corners. Specialized TurboX, yum! The absolute winner for me at the show. Solid, Solid, Solid feel, brakes, corners, like a dream. Could stand up and pedal, etc. The first I rode had bald tires, and I didn't realize it! Got off after a breath-taking ride, and was stunned to see no tread. No slipping on the wet track at all! There was another with tread, felt the same way.
Fat tired bikes: Turbo Levo, not sure if the motor was even on.. (seriously).. umm... not my cuppa. Trek with fat tires, had motor definitely on, but again, not my cuppa. Front wheel was SOO heavy! Loved the automatic seat dropper though.
Tempo: Interesting concept, but not refined. First thing that happened.. just moving pedals into position to mount bike, and it surged forward... not too hard, but could be dangerous. Whole experience was underwhelming with the automatic transmission.
Wallerang also had an automatic system that was also unrefined. BUT, put the hub into manual mode, and it was as sweet as pie! Love the internally geared Alfine 8, combined with the Carbon Gates Belt. Love the oh-so-sturdy feel of the Wallerang geometry. The handlebars were too aggressive/low for the feeling of the rest of the bike, but otherwise, this was the winner for whole-package feel. If I'm going on an errand or hitting a smooth trail, this is the winner. I did clip a pedal on the ground during a high-speed turn. Only bike I did that with, so the cranks could use a smidge more clearance for more aggressive riding. The brakes felt GREAT!
Ariel Riders had a unique feel. Would definitely stress that anyone considering one of these HAS to take a test ride before purchasing. The motor was very powerful, but not as refined as most of the others. At one point I think I made it halfway around the track before the motor stopped giving assistance after I stopped pedaling. Now I'm sure if I needed to stop, the brake would have cut the power, so maybe just something worth noting, rather than super important.
The Yuba cargo bikes were a big surprise. They were super steady, and I really didn't notice the extra length or weight while riding. My daughter could feel the extra size, and didn't like it, so YMMV. The Yuba Mundo was the only bike I saw with the BionX system. The system actually didn't feel particularly powerful lugging the big bike and my own weight around the track. But, it didn't feel particularly underpowered either. Sort of like the Bosch system. No fireworks, just smooth.
My daughter really loves step-thrus with upright geometry. She tried a couple Gazelles and a Trek Lift, and enjoyed them all. Didn't like the Electra Townie as well as I thought she would. She would have liked the Wallerang better with higher handlebars.
Actually the very first bike I rode was a BH bike, and I have no idea which one. It was a hub drive, and had a good solid feel. Can see why they are popular
It was pretty noisy with traffic next to the track, and tires on wet pavement. Only one bike did I actually hear a whiny motor, and at this point, can't remember which one.
Edited to add... just going through this list, I realize I rode at least 17 bikes that I can specifically remember.. was there for about 3.5 hours.
