E-Glide ST review

[Mike N.]

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.

 

[Checkmate]

I agree with your evaluation completely! If you want the bars a little higher and farther back, just change the stem. A more upright stem of the same length will move the bars back as it raises the bars. They also make adjustable stems. By unwrapping the velcro tie wraps around the cables you can get some more height without changing cables, wires etc.

I have the same bike and I think that it is a fantastic bike. Dave really put some thought into what people wanted.

 

[Thomas Knight]

Mike, thanks for the great review. Please do keep us updated about your insights as an e-glide ST owner/user. I am considering buying an e-bike and the ST seems to have the best mix of function/price I have seen out there.

 

[Ann M.]

@Mike Nemeth , thanks for the comprehensive overview. It does make a difference to have that computer set for the correct wheel size and as others have mentioned, you can swap out a stem for an adjustable and shorter one for a little more upper body comfort. You should have enough cable length to do that. Also, check your saddle position; you may be able to move it forward just a bit without messing with your leg position over the pedals. This will help with the upper body position.

That rear cassette cluster can be changed out for a different set with higher gears or you can change the front sprocket to a larger one. Just remember, those higher gears put more strain on the motor if you try to start from a big gear without pedaling. Would recommend shifting to an easier gear when you approach a stop or at the end of a ride. Your battery and motor will thank you! Keep the updates coming

 

[Mike N.]

Hello. I changed the setting to a 24 inch tire size and it now the speed almost matches my GPS. I drove the ST on Rt. 156 by Mt. Charleston today. Too hot to ride at the lower elevations in Las Vegas. The road has a pretty steep grade that peaks at over 8400 ft. The ST pulled me up no problem. I usually drive in normal mode level 3. Then I took a path by the deer creek picnic area that is paved but very steep. Here the bike was straining and I went to a lower gear and got to the top. Another good feature is when I stopped to admire the view on an angled part of the road I would just use the throttle to get me started from a dead stop till I start to pedal. It's all downhill going back and I got up to 40 mph just coasting. I used the brake since I didn't feel comfortable taking it any faster. The bike felt very stable.

 

[Checkmate]

This bike is a hub motor, not a mid drive. Changing the gear ratio should have nothing to do with it when not pedaling. The motor is inside the rear wheel hub, not the crank set.

 

[Mike N.]

I'm pretty new to E-biking since I haven't had my E-bike for a month yet. The rear hub motor is separate from the crank set. But when you pedal along, the rear hub motor is working less to perform the same speed. There is a segmented bar on the LCD screen that represents the discharging current of the controller currently, each mark is 2A, six segments is =12A. If I peddle along with the hub motor the discharging current will go down in most situations. That said, I always believed you get what you pay for while at the same time trying to get the best value for your purchase. I never thought this bike would compare with a 4000.00 mid drive E-bike. It is definitely taking me on roads and distances my non-electric bike could not. We'll see how it holds up to a year of rides. It pulls my 220 lb. body and a cooler full of water pretty good. One of my first rides to the Las Vegas strip I was passed by a rider with a racing bike with pencil thin tires, shoe clips, and all the riding gear of a racer. I just pedaled a little harder and I was keeping up with him at 20 mph. He was amazed at the light when we stopped I was right behind him.

 

[Mike N.]

Hello. Just an update. I changed out my front sprocket going from a 36 teeth to a 41. The way the gearing is set up seems to me more for mountain bike steep grade use. With 10 gears on the back I never seemed to use the lower gears. Even when the motor is off I seem to use the higher gears only. I travel mostly road with some challenging elevation change. I think this will be a small change but make a difference when I'm at level 5 assist where I will be able to add more of my own power to the motor. Also changed the handlebar stem so it is a little higher and closer to me. Just my preference. So far very happy with the performance. Also I carry a cooler with cold drinks and my binoculars. I'm not worried about every additional ounce of weight. It's a pack mule. Right now I can do about 22 mph. We'll see what happens.

 

[Checkmate]

What stem did you wind up putting on? Did you have enough wire and cable to do the job easy? Thinking of changing mine, but have not done anything but ride it , yet. Skip

 

[Mike N.]

I would have liked an adjustable stem, but this is all they had at the bicycle shop. Works fine for me. The cables are no problem. The 41 tooth front sprocket didn't make a huge change, but I seem to assist more when I'm at level 5. Less battery usage.
If you go over that the chain starts to be exposed from behind the chain guard. Then your going to have to replace the crank if you want to keep the coverage. My GPS shows I reached 22.8 mph on a level surface. Not bad. This isn't a racing bike.

 

[Mike N.]

Couple more images.

 

[Checkmate]

I am sure that the shorter, more upright stem will be a big improvement. I prefer to have my bars a couple inches above the top of the seat. They hardly make any e bikes for tall or long legged people. Having the bars closer and higher is much easier on the back and the neck. At 69 I am way too old to be staring at the ground when I am riding.
You are correct about the gear ratio. I just use the smallest 3 or 4 sprockets and have never even used the top 2.
I live in Westchester near LAX and mostly ride near the beach or on the Marina Del Rey to Redondo Beach bike path. I have had a few bike people ask me about the bike and have not heard any negative responses. I think that these bikes are a great bang for the buck, especially compared to what a lot of the e bikes cost.
Thanks for the quick response. I will try a stem like yours. It will make my "old" back feel much better. Skip

 

[Roland]

Hi. I'm new to e-bikes and highly value many posted replies on various subjects. I think the EBR reviews have turned me on. I'm 75 years old but still very active. Weigh 175 lbs at 5'9". I test rode my first ebike today and came away very excited. It was the Pedego city commuter, which suits me as most, if not all of my riding will be on the many bike paths here in northern CA. The Pedego is around 3k but I came across the E-Glide with similar equipment at $1700 plus shipping. After doing a specs comparison, I'm trying to figure why such a price difference. Does anyone care to comment?

 

[Trail Cruiser]

Hello. Just an update. I changed out my front sprocket going from a 36 teeth to a 41. The way the gearing is set up seems to me more for mountain bike steep grade use. With 10 gears on the back I never seemed to use the lower gears. Even when the motor is off I seem to use the higher gears only.

By changing from 36 teeth to 41 teeth sprocket you are having a an increase at the top end by 14%. That's about equivalent to a virtual 11th speed on your 10 speed set up but at the same time, you lose the first gear. So overall you still have a 10 speed but one step higher to all the gear ratios.

My 10 speed ebike has 42 teeth and I changed it to 46 teeth (10% gain) and it increased my top speed (class 3) and is also more comfortable at higher speeds.

 

[Mike N.]

Hi. I'm new to e-bikes and highly value many posted replies on various subjects. I think the EBR reviews have turned me on. I'm 75 years old but still very active. Weigh 175 lbs at 5'9". I test rode my first ebike today and came away very excited. It was the Pedego city commuter, which suits me as most, if not all of my riding will be on the many bike paths here in northern CA. The Pedego is around 3k but I came across the E-Glide with similar equipment at $1700 plus shipping. After doing a specs comparison, I'm trying to figure why such a price difference. Does anyone care to comment?

Hi, I just saw your comment. When I was looking for my first E-bike I also noticed the huge difference in prices. There are a few E-bike stores in my city and most of the bikes also started at 2700.00. I think E-Glide keeps their price down by offering only two models and also you are buying it straight from the manufacturer with no middleman. The ST had the features I wanted and you want a nice size 500 watt motor if your going to do any hills. I have not had a single problem since purchasing it and I usually ride 18-25 miles every morning before it gets two hot. It's an amazing feeling riding along at 22 mph! Most of the time I keep the speed at level 3 and ride at about 16 mph. EBR has a video on the bike and also another on Dave and his shop in Santa Monica. Good luck. I hope you find the bike you'll be happy with.

 

[Roland]

I did purchase the E-Glide S/T which arrived today, August 15 th. It took about an hour to get it set up. I went with upgraded tires and an increased sprocket size so I don't have to pedal so fast when in high gear. This bike is so well built, great to look at and value for the money. I agree, no middleman, fancy brochures or large advertising budgets to pay for and if all business owners were as helpful as Dave is at E-Glide in Santa Monica, America would soon be great again. I cannot talk highly enough about his operation. Thank you Cort (?) for your reviews on EBR.com. All very helpful. I'm looking forward to getting out and about tomorrow to determine the best settings for my riding style.

 

[Roland]

I did find a different handlebar stem that Dave put on for me. I believe he carries these now at the shop due to demand from many senior riders. I sit up more with less tension on the back and neck. Love it. Check it out with Dave.

 

[Mike N.]

I did purchase the E-Glide S/T which arrived today, August 15 th. It took about an hour to get it set up. I went with upgraded tires and an increased sprocket size so I don't have to pedal so fast when in high gear. This bike is so well built, great to look at and value for the money. I agree, no middleman, fancy brochures or large advertising budgets to pay for and if all business owners were as helpful as Dave is at E-Glide in Santa Monica, America would soon be great again. I cannot talk highly enough about his operation. Thank you Cort (?) for your reviews on EBR.com. All very helpful. I'm looking forward to getting out and about tomorrow to determine the best settings for my riding style.

Congratulations. I think it is the best value out there. Some things I had to get used to with a electric bike. When you come to a stop don't pedal. The cadence sensor will pick up your pedaling and try to assist you. Don't worry, a firm hold on the brake will still stop you. You can use the throttle when you start from a stop and then once you start pedaling the cadence sensor will kick in or you can just start pedaling. It will all come as second nature after a ride or two. I'll switch to level 1 power coming to a stop at a intersection, then switch up to 3 when I'm rolling along. You'll be really surprised how far you can travel. I'm 57 and I can go farther and faster then I did 10 years ago on my 15 speed. I also carry my binoculars and three or four drinks in a cooler. Extra weight is no concern. Enjoy!

 

[Roland]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I've had my bike a week now and with four rides to date and I'm feeling very comfortable not having to think as much about the bikes operation. It does come second nature after one or two rides. I do seem to be rolling fast so I'll check out the speedo on my next ride. Thanks for the tip on reducing the wheel size on the controller should I be getting a false reading. The larger 41 tooth front sprocket and the adjustable handle bar front stem Dave put on for me were good choices. I sit up more, less pressure on the hands and pedal less when in high gear. As I don't have too many big hills where I live, I've not use the larger cogs yet so can't comment on the low gear pedaling. I usually use the throttle to start then quickly get to number three once I'm rolling. For those considering an ebike, it's a wonderful sensation to be "pushed" along by an electric motor. I have zero complaints about the bike, the price or the service from Dave in Santa Monica and look forward to many more years of comfortable riding. There's nothing quite like it.

 

[Mike N.]

Here in Las Vegas it is very bowel shape and as you head out west there is an incline. That was the reason behind me getting a E-bike this year. 10, 20, and 25 degree angles are no problem for the motor with me assisting. There was this one paved path on Mt. Charleston that was at least 35 degrees maybe 40. The motor couldn't pull me up with me pedaling in the lowest gear. That was rare and extremely steep. I know what you mean by the push. It reminds me of what the WW II German ace Adof Galland said after testing the ME-262 for the first time. When asked what it felt like, he said, "It was as though angels were pushing."