E-Glide ST review

[WarrenInCA]

Hitch mounted hanging bike rack. Does anyone know if the ST will go on a hanging bike rack?

 

[Mike N.]

I have put mine on the back of my car no problem.

 

[Geo]

Hi Mike and Roland. Appreciate your reviews and feedback. I am an ST owner as well. Love it. Dave at E-Glide is great too. Have you guys had any "errors" pop up on your screen occasionally? Turn off and on and it goes away... Bike runs fine though.

 

[Roland]

Hi Mike, Just wondered how many miles you're getting on a charge. I did three rides this last week totaling 35 miles and still have two bars. The

 

[Roland]

I've seen error #7 a couple of times but like you say, turn it off and on and it goes away. It happened once when I was at three bars and going up a long incline but not pedaling hard enough. The bars suddenly without warning, dropped to zero, so I immediately turned it off and used old fashioned leg power to the top of the hill. I then turned it back on and three bars were back. It took me all the way home, about 7 miles with no problem. Lesson, with the battery probably at 50% or less, I wasn't assisting enough and expecting too much out of the motor and battery. I haven't had the problem again. I'm doing at least 35 - 40 miles on one charge with still some juice left. Haven't tested beyond 40 miles yet. I've found riding at a typical road bike speed of about 12 mph gives me the best efficiency. But it's a lot more fun on number 3 riding at about 16-18mph.
I tend to use #4 and 5 only on the hills. My biking buddies are so impressed I just placed an order for four more bikes from Dave sand plan to pick them up in a couple of weeks. All bikes will be equipped with better tires, an adjustable handlebar stem and a 41 tooth front sprocket. Maybe this will be the first E-Glide club for seniors.

 

[Geo]

Wow, you are ordering so many more!?
...Just came back from a ride myself, had a guy stop me and talk to me about my bike after I passed him on his bike going up a hill! He is very interested and will probably look at getting one. I usually ride on Eco, level 2 or 3. Did a 45 km loop once and only used about one bar.

 

[Roland]

I haven't tried eco or normal modes yet, only power mode for all rides. Is there a noticeable difference?
4-bike order for each of my friends who I bike with. They were so impressed with their short test ride on my bike that they each ordered one.

 

[Mike N.]

Hi Mike, Just wondered how many miles you're getting on a charge. I did three rides this last week totaling 35 miles and still have two bars. The

My mileage may be different due to sometimes I go thru an elevation difference of 1000 feet. The longest ride I have taken is 28 miles. Also once the code 7 came up and I lost power going up a steep bank over the highway on a low battery. I thought something broke but I think the bike was telling me I was drawing too many amps from the battery then it could provide at a low charge.

 

[Mike N.]

I've seen error #7 a couple of times but like you say, turn it off and on and it goes away. It happened once when I was at three bars and going up a long incline but not pedaling hard enough. The bars suddenly without warning, dropped to zero, so I immediately turned it off and used old fashioned leg power to the top of the hill. I then turned it back on and three bars were back. It took me all the way home, about 7 miles with no problem. Lesson, with the battery probably at 50% or less, I wasn't assisting enough and expecting too much out of the motor and battery. I haven't had the problem again. I'm doing at least 35 - 40 miles on one charge with still some juice left. Haven't tested beyond 40 miles yet. I've found riding at a typical road bike speed of about 12 mph gives me the best efficiency. But it's a lot more fun on number 3 riding at about 16-18mph.
I tend to use #4 and 5 only on the hills. My biking buddies are so impressed I just placed an order for four more bikes from Dave sand plan to pick them up in a couple of weeks. All bikes will be equipped with better tires, an adjustable handlebar stem and a 41 tooth front sprocket. Maybe this will be the first E-Glide club for seniors.

I ride mine in the normal mode at level 3. I seem to cruise with me pedaling at about 15-16 mph I go the pace I like and have plenty of battery power. I never seem to notice much difference between 4 and 5 when I'm in 4 but maybe since I'm in normal mode. I have noticed it takes a long time for the first bar on the battery indicator to go down but it goes down very fast on 3, 2 and 1 bars when you start getting low.

 

[Mike N.]

Wow, you are ordering so many more!?
...Just came back from a ride myself, had a guy stop me and talk to me about my bike after I passed him on his bike going up a hill! He is very interested and will probably look at getting one. I usually ride on Eco, level 2 or 3. Did a 45 km loop once and only used about one bar.

There is this steep incline in Vegas where these bikers with huge leg muscles are pumping to get up at maybe 7 mph. I like to pass them up sitting straight up on my bike, no handed, grooving to my I pod!

 

[Roland]

It looks like we had the same experience of error code 7 appearing when the battery was less than 50% and traveling
up a steep incline. Must admit I was being lazy and not helping much but it's the only way to learn what this beast will do.
On the way home on my last ride I was at 31 miles on the battery with 4 miles to do. Decided to do a test speed with 100% battery, no pedal assist on a 1/4 mile no traffic lake levee. From standing start, power mode, throttle only I hit 23mph, before turning around and repeating. It was impressive. Then I made it home the other 4 miles and still have power left. I was trying to get down to one bar before recharging but never got it below two bars. With all the rides I can do on the 40 + miles of paved bike/walking trails here, I have no concern about running out of juice even in power mode. However, to be fair, we have no massive hills to climb in the immediate area. Just a few one mile uphill stretches. But I still feel embarrassed passing with ease those fit looking hunks struggling up the inclines. I now need to test the normal and Econ modes to determine any difference.

 

[Geo]

I haven't tried eco or normal modes yet, only power mode for all rides. Is there a noticeable difference?
4-bike order for each of my friends who I bike with. They were so impressed with their short test ride on my bike that they each ordered one.

Cool!

 

[Geo]

Great feedback guys. Thanks. Will have to play around with the other levels of assist.

 

[Barry S]

Hi, I just wanted to write a little non professional review of the E-Glide ST. This is my first E-bike and my decision was based on price, components compared to comparable priced E-bikes, and the two reviews done by EBR. One on the ST and also one on Dave and the E-Glide outfit in Santa Monica.


I received the bike overnight Fedex and it was pretty simple putting it together as long as you have some allen wrenches and a crescent wrench. I paid an additional 75.00 for the Schwable Marathon Mondial tires and I also received the Maxi Ardent off road tires that where originally on the bike. I wanted a more street orientated tire and I love the highly reflective sidewalls on the Mondials.


Since I received the ST on May 9th I've gone on 4 rides, all of them rides I could not have done on my Giant 15 speed bike due to distance, elevation, and today, heat. I'm 57 years old and I just don't have the endurance I once had. The bike is 52 lbs which is not that heavy for an E-bike and with the electric pedaling assist the additional weight just disappears. I also have a bag I hang on the rack that I keep a igloo cooler full of ice and drinks and don't even think of having to carry the extra weight.


The bike is a joy to ride. I can drive farther now then I could if I was 15 years younger on a standard bike. The cadence assisted power is great but since I never drove a torque assist bike or a mid-drive motor I don't have anything to compare it to. The rear hub drive with the cadence sensor works very well.


Now my three little nitpicks.


(1) The controller speedometer is exaggerated and so then is the odometer. I added my Garmin E-Trex to determine the actual speed. This is something I have run across on both my Suzuki motorcycle and Honda scooter. I don’t know why manufacturers of vehicles do that accept maybe due to liability issues. Today I changed the wheel size on the controller to 26 inch and that brought it closer to the actual speed. Next time I ride I’ll try to reset it to 24 inches and see what happens.

(2) The steering stem is not adjustable. The bike is comfortable right out of the box but being a little older I would like a little more relax position with the handlebars. The ST is designed to handle dirt roads so the riding position is a little more aggressive then a comfort bike. I would like the ability to move the bars a little up and back for my taste. The problem with the control cables are you do not have a lot of extra length to work with. Same as regular bicycles and motorcycles. I think if I could move the bars and inch up and inch back it would work for me. Something you might want to consider on your purchase is what type of riding you will be doing. I also want to point out I purchased the 21 inch frame since I’m 6’ 1” and have a 32 inch inseam.

(3) The gear ratio seems like it should be higher to me. The power assist has 5 levels and I have kept it in normal which there are also eco and power modes. Most of my riding I seem to be in 9th and 10th gear. With the power assist even set on level 1 I don’t seem to use the lower gears. I have to say in level 3 in 10th gear I’m pedaling at 18 mph. Sometime I get to the point where I’m cruising and I wish I had another gear or an overdrive. I have to pedal very fast when I’m going like 24 mph. Yes, depending on the road elevation decline you can go a good clip! Once again it may be a safety thing so you are limited on how fast you can get the bike up to. The lower gears would come in handy if you all of a sudden did not have the electric assist to get you home. I seem to feel I would like to pedal a little more leisurely at 18-20 mph.

So my early impression is I got a great bike for the price and it has opened up a whole new world of riding abilities. I'm just starting out on E-bikes but now I got my foot in the door and can start my learning curve. I was also looking at the Rad City by Rad Power as my 2nd choice and if you check out this EBR site there are a lot of great bikes out there to fit your budget. I did not have to pay any sales tax on the bike being out of state so the bike was 1700.00, tire upgrade 75.00 and overnight shipping 175.00 for a total purchase of 1950.00. I have two E-bike stores in my city and a comparable bike out the door would have been 3000.00.

Thanks for the great review. I'm looking for my first ebike, but am limited with my budget ceiling of $2k and a delivery disadvantage of being in Honolulu. Had planned on going with Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent S, but the local ebike shop that was carrying Juiced Bikes has since stopped due to issues with getting replacement parts and poor communication with JB. I've also been following the JB forums, and JB seems to be experiencing some quality control issues that can accompany popular products in high demand. I figured it may be best to look elsewhere while they work out their issues. I also looked at Biktrix and Rad Bikes, but they want $400 to ship their bikes. That left 2 models from Voltbike on my list: Elegant and Yukon 750.

Both models fit comfortably within my budget, but I'm not a fan of Elegant's step-thru design. The Yukon 750 looks awesome, but some have commented it's not the best option for a commuter while others love it. If I go with the Yukon, I know that the first thing I need to change are those aggressive tires. Definitely not a good choice for 100% asphalt riding. I've also had my share of flats along my route, and changing out the tube on a fat tire bike sounds like a bear. Still, I've had good communication with Voltbike, they're a well-respected outfit, and they'll only charge me $120 to ship either bike to Honolulu.

The E-Glide ST definitely meets all my requirements and with only $175 for shipping I'm just under $2k. I just sent an email to E-Glide to confirm the shipping charge along with a couple of other questions. For 100% asphalt travels, I'm thinking of going with the Schwalbe Big Ben Plus tire upgrade. Your thoughts?

 

[Geo]

I ordered the Marathon Mondial tires and they have been great. Good for "ST", Street and Trail! The Big Bens are probably okay too and as Mike has mentioned, they also give you the original Ardent tires too! Having said that, the E-Glide ST has been great. Whatever tires you choose, I think you've chosen the right/very good bike! Enjoy. Let us know when you get it and what you think.

 

[Roland]

I love the Mondial tires. Riding mainly on asphalt bike trails here in the Sacramento area. We find the ride to be very smooth. This bike is everything I was looking for and I spent months doing research. I hike and bike with a bunch of guys and so far, four of them have recently purchased the ST, all with Mondial tires. We have also gone with a 41 tooth front sprocket which seems a better gearing option than the standard. Many bikers on our well used trails are now seeing five E-Glide bikers riding in convoy. Yes, heads turn as we skip by with ease. Perhaps we should start an e-glide club. One of our group prefers more exercise and has run up 70 miles on a single charge. He uses power mainly for hills. I use the power mode riding mostly in number 3. Today I'm at 30 miles with three bars remaining. I'm getting on average 40 miles per charge but could go further. For new users, it took me about three rides to figure out the best power options for my comfort level. If you're considering an e-glide ST from Dave in Santa Monica you won't go wrong and the five of us here in Sacramento recommend this bike.

 

[Barry S]

That's the kind of real world feedback I like to hear! I revisited the tires after my teeth jarring ride home and I'm going to go with your recommendation of the Mondials.

EBR's review noted the lack of motor inhibitors on the brakes. Is that still the case, and if so do you find it to be an issue?

 

[Roland]

For me and my buddies it’s not an issue. We have disciplined ourselves to turn to zero when coming to a complete stop in close quarters. I do it now without thinking. Definitely not an issue for us five.

 

[Roland]

As a follow up on motor inhibitors, I forgot to mention the additional cost, the extra weight and one more electrical component to go wrong in the future. When coming to a stop, don't pedal but use hand throttle if necessary, place free standing leg on down pedal and use the throttle to start prior to pedaling. After the first couple of rides I figured this out and don't miss the extra cost it would take to add inhibitors.

 

[Mike N.]

I have the Mondial tires. I have ridden on street with broken glass and loose gravel, and on hard packed loose grave and never had a puncture or flat. I should carry a tire repair kit going so many miles every day but never do. Just wanted to mention yesterday I completed the 34 mile Lake Mead loop bicycle trail. Tried twice before this week and turned back thinking I didnt have enough power to finish. I know it is only 34 miles but the elevation change is 2000 ft. I was told from a gentleman with a phone app to keep track. This time I started in level two power. Another thing is I'm 220 lbs and carry gear like water, binoculars, etc. The steepest part is Three Sisters Hilltop. It is so steep I had it in the lowest gear and full power and was only going up 6-7 mph. Going down I was coasting over 35 mph. Once I completed that I was in the home stretch and used level 3 and 4 back to my car with one bar remaining. I cant comment on the other bikes that where mentioned since I never rode them. I also want to mention I ran into a 71 year old rider who completed the 34 mile loop on a old steel framed Schwinn 10 speed like I had when I was a kid. I couldn't believe it. One part of this trail has an incline that goes up for 8 miles! I enjoy the places this bike has taken me to.