E-Bike Suggestions : $3000 Budget

I

ilikepancakez

New Member
Hey guys,

I'm going to be using this bike mostly to commute to work. It's about a 50 km (~31 mi) round trip with a big hill at the end going into work. I'm 5'11" 160lbs so not too heavy I hope, haha. 48V 1000W should be good right? From what I found so far, the Specialized Turbo [http://www.specialized.com seems interesting, but I don't know if there's anything better I could get with $3,000.

Another option would be to DIY too. I have this cheapo road bike [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CE9KVG] I can use, but I would have to replace the handle bars and brakes. Is there a way that I can make the bike look "pretty" with DIY or will it inevitably be unable to look as good as a prebuilt?

Open to any suggestions!
 
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For a regular commute you need a rock solid foundation. That excludes your cheapo road bike. Either get a really solid, strong road bike for a DIY bike or a very solid E bike. You don't "need" 1000w or 48V with your size and trip.
I've had 3 36v bikes, all 350-500w and all would carry you on that trip with no problem.
Suspension makes the ride SOOOOO much nicer, even on road. And you want (ideally) hydraulic brakes at commuting speeds and E bike weight.
Stromer ST1 is a very hd setup that should last for years as 1 alternative.
Lots of good choices now, ake your time and choose carefully.
 
MLB said:
For a regular commute you need a rock solid foundation. That excludes your cheapo road bike. Either get a really solid, strong road bike for a DIY bike or a very solid E bike. You don't "need" 1000w or 48V with your size and trip.
I've had 3 36v bikes, all 350-500w and all would carry you on that trip with no problem.
Suspension makes the ride SOOOOO much nicer, even on road. And you want (ideally) hydraulic brakes at commuting speeds and E bike weight.
Stromer ST1 is a very hd setup that should last for years as 1 alternative.
Lots of good choices now, ake your time and choose carefully.
Click to expand...

The stromer's are all definite workhorses, but I'm looking for a lighter more road bike type bike like the turbo. The stromer's 62 lb weight is just way too heavy.
 
ilikepancakez said:
The stromer's are all definite workhorses, but I'm looking for a lighter more road bike type bike like the turbo. The stromer's 62 lb weight is just way too heavy.
Click to expand...
IZIP Dash. 2015's on closeout with a rearhub. 2016's just released with a mid-drive. 28mph capable. around 49lbs.
 
@ilikepancakez I own a Stromer and agree with you about the weight.. When I get on my other bikes there are a lot more fun to handle.

YOu should contact Crazy Lenny in Madison Wisconsin and get on his mailing list.... He has great model year and demo model closeout sales, and a lot of choices I think.

Don't waste your money upgrading a cheap bike.. The faster they go the worse they ride!

What I wanted to do, and may still, is convert one of my nice steel road bikes with a 750w geared motor and a light battery pack... The whole rig should be less than 40 lbs.
 
ilikepancakez said:
Better than the specialized turbo in your opinion?
Click to expand...
In full disclosure, I've sold IZIP/Raleigh and still do. I've never carried Specialized but have tried them out. A well known software company is doing a bike share in the area and decided on the Dash vs the Turbo due to the ride and the pricing. Their opinion on the specialized was that the ride wasn't as robust and felt and little sketchy (loose) at high speeds. Diamondback Trace EXC is a great deal, it's a Diamondback version of a Dash, except it's $1500 right now. If you want something that feels a little more stiff and smaller cockpit like a road bike, I also have a couple of eFlow Nitro's that fit in the price range.
 
I had a stromer and have a "light" Haibike. It isn't noticable at all when riding. They are very powerful and make up for the weight with it. The ONLY time I noticed it was wheeling it around the garage. When in motion and boosted not many can feel 10lbs difference. And bet you LARGE that those other bikes don't last the same. Part of why they are so heavy is they are so overbuilt. With carbon fiber fork and balloon Big Bens aired down, they ride awfully well.

OP said COMMUTE. That's a whole different gig than out for fun. The Izip's I rode last year during testing were pretty primative in comparison. They also don't have great reps for reliability.
 
MLB said:
I had a stromer and have a "light" Haibike. It isn't noticable at all when riding. They are very powerful and make up for the weight with it. The ONLY time I noticed it was wheeling it around the garage. When in motion and boosted not many can feel 10lbs difference. And bet you LARGE that those other bikes don't last the same. Part of why they are so heavy is they are so overbuilt. With carbon fiber fork and balloon Big Bens aired down, they ride awfully well.

OP said COMMUTE. That's a whole different gig than out for fun. The Izip's I rode last year during testing were pretty primative in comparison. They also don't have great reps for reliability.
Click to expand...
As I tell most of my customers, leave it to the test ride. Have multiple locations using 20+ bikes for bike shares I think makes a statement about the reliability with riders averaging 8 miles commutes (one way). After sales service and support with IZIP is probably in line with being on par with the best, after all they also took care of Haibike up until a couple of months ago.
 
Steve Ryu said:
In full disclosure, I've sold IZIP/Raleigh and still do. I've never carried Specialized but have tried them out. A well known software company is doing a bike share in the area and decided on the Dash vs the Turbo due to the ride and the pricing. Their opinion on the specialized was that the ride wasn't as robust and felt and little sketchy (loose) at high speeds. Diamondback Trace EXC is a great deal, it's a Diamondback version of a Dash, except it's $1500 right now. If you want something that feels a little more stiff and smaller cockpit like a road bike, I also have a couple of eFlow Nitro's that fit in the price range.
Click to expand...

I only see a $2800 version on the website? http://www.diamondback.com
 
JoePah said:
@ilikepancakez I own a Stromer and agree with you about the weight.. When I get on my other bikes there are a lot more fun to handle.

YOu should contact Crazy Lenny in Madison Wisconsin and get on his mailing list.... He has great model year and demo model closeout sales, and a lot of choices I think.

Don't waste your money upgrading a cheap bike.. The faster they go the worse they ride!

What I wanted to do, and may still, is convert one of my nice steel road bikes with a 750w geared motor and a light battery pack... The whole rig should be less than 40 lbs.
Click to expand...

Oh cool, will do. Just message him then?
 
MLB said:
I had a stromer and have a "light" Haibike. It isn't noticable at all when riding. They are very powerful and make up for the weight with it. The ONLY time I noticed it was wheeling it around the garage. When in motion and boosted not many can feel 10lbs difference. And bet you LARGE that those other bikes don't last the same. Part of why they are so heavy is they are so overbuilt. With carbon fiber fork and balloon Big Bens aired down, they ride awfully well.

OP said COMMUTE. That's a whole different gig than out for fun. The Izip's I rode last year during testing were pretty primative in comparison. They also don't have great reps for reliability.
Click to expand...


Would you say that stromer st1 versus the specialized turbo, the stromer st1 is better factoring the extra $500 price tag?
 
So I think I've got it narrowed down to these two bikes. The Easy Motion Evo Race (emotionbikesusa.com/EV805) and the Specialized Turbo (specialized.com/us/en/bikes/electric/turbo/turbo).

For the road bike feel I want and the budget I have, I think these two are the best options I have, but maybe there's a bike I've missed? I've also heard that the Specialized is coming out with a 2016 Turbo S. Does that mean there will be an updated 2016 Turbo too then?

If cost wasn't a factor though, I think I would definitely get the Xduro Race. It looks sleek as hell! Too bad it's like $7000. :(
 
3 pieces of advice:

1. Skip the hard sell from vendors on this forum.
2. Ride as many bikes as you can for handling, geometry, power, and componentry performance.
3. Buy locally and establish a good relationship with your local dealer.
 
ilikepancakez said:
So I think I've got it narrowed down to these two bikes. The Easy Motion Evo Race (emotionbikesusa.com/EV805) and the Specialized Turbo (specialized.com/us/en/bikes/electric/turbo/turbo).

For the road bike feel I want and the budget I have, I think these two are the best options I have, but maybe there's a bike I've missed? I've also heard that the Specialized is coming out with a 2016 Turbo S. Does that mean there will be an updated 2016 Turbo too then?

If cost wasn't a factor though, I think I would definitely get the Xduro Race. It looks sleek as hell! Too bad it's like $7000. :(
Click to expand...
I've got the Evo Race.

If you're commute is 50km, for your weight you'll probably be fine. I'm 85kg and I just got 45km on the highest assist mode all the way. It does feel very zippy. It accelerates well from a standing start. Short hills aren't a problem, the longer ones are still ok. Maybe also try a mid drive motor? Only thing that bothers me about the bike is the response time of the motor cutting out. It usually still goes for 1-2 seconds after you stop pedalling.
 
I stumbled across a new IZIP Express for $1500 and ended up buying two - one for my wife. I realize that technology has improved since this was designed and built, but for the money this seemed like a good value. I might have an issue when the battery dies but by then technology will have probably evolved further, and hopefully prices will be a bit lower than the high end e-bikes today. I'll also know more about what I do and do not want. My wife has a 40 mile round trip commute and this bike is allowing her to easily do it in under an hour (each way). I was hesitant about buying this bike based upon the less than stellar review on this website, but after trying the bike I was not that concerned about the negatives cited on the review. The primary cons in the review (that I recall) included the noise, some slippage in the drive, and weight. Here are my unsolicited thoughts: I do not mind the noise. I am using it for utility - running errands and so forth in a city. As a long time cyclist, who has had some bad accidents, I actually appreciate the fact that the motor makes some noise. Pedestrians hear you coming and do not jump in front of you. The noise is also confirmation that the motor is working. At 60 lbs. the bike is heavy but there are a lot of 60 lbs. e-bikes out there so I'm not sure why this bike got dinged for that. Honestly, the battery weighs 15-20 lbs. So if range is important to you then you are going to have to put up with the weight. As, at 750w the motor is so darn strong that once you get going you do not even notice the weight. I have rear panniers on it and a trunk bag and am stuffing all of them with groceries, and riding up a long steep hill to get home and this bike never slows down. Unless you need to carry the bike up and down stairs I am not sure why the weight is a concern, at least to the point of being cited as a negative issue in a review. The slippage is more subtle. There is actually a clutch in the rear hub. It is designed to slip if you are pedaling harder than the motor is expecting based upon the PAS level that you have selected. There was a comment about a sensation of varying power output. Here's the thing. The pedals with this bike are Shimano SPD compatible. If you have cleated bike shoes it is easy to maintain a steady cadence. That along, with matching the gear to the PAS level will result in a smooth ride. An optimal cadence is 60-90 rpm. That seems like a lot but it is easy to maintain on this bike. We are in our mid 50's now and well past our cycling prime (which is why we now have e-bikes). Still, my wife is finding it easy to maintain 18-22mph on flats, and I'm cruising at 24-25mph on flats. That is on PAS level 2 or 3. I put it on PAS level 5 once for grins and hit 34mph on a flat stretch without working too hard. Up steep hills (>6%) this bike still cruises at about 15-18mph. It's a beast. Some people might not like the fact that it only operates in PAS mode. There is no throttle. As a long time cyclist I actually like that. I am not so far gone that I do not want to peddle. When I reach that point I'll buy a moped. I did replace the factory rack with an Ibera. If you want to carry panniers that is the way to go. Oh. I road the route that my wife commutes on - 40 miles. The battery was getting low toward the end, but it was fine. I think I could have gone further if I had been using a lower power assist level (I was using 3).
 
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