I ordered my bike in late summer and it arrived late December. I think there was a world-wide shortage of parts. In any case I was excited to unpack the bike. This was a Dost Kope with dual battery and mid-drive motor. My #1 criteria for purchasing an ebike was distance which for this bike was 120 miles. To-date I haven't seen any other bike close to this. There are 9 power levels and I believe the 120 miles is based on using level 1. Going down hill I can reach 32-35 mph. I started riding the moment weather permitted although I had to wear a lot of clothes for winter months. But this is June 2021 and the weather is nice. I average 15-20 miles each day, for about 2 hours total. The limiting factor is not the battery life, but the amount of time I can sit in the saddle. I did find an old bike that had a grandmother type Schwinn saddle and installed that. This helps a little bit. Someone else said there are bicycle shorts which are padded (I haven't tried this yet). In our county helmets are not required. But I did purchase clear glasses which nicely wrap around the eyes. This is important because at faster speeds (and windy days) the eyes will dry out. Plus there can be dust and bugs in the air. And I have a cap to prevent sun burn with alligator clip in back to retrieve if it flys off my head. Lastly, it is good to have bungee cords on back of bike so that when needed, you can strap something down. And i have a bike lock.
Being on a bike you see things you wouldn't in a car. First of all, there are bike trails (depending on where you live). The local bike shops will have free maps. Sometimes you have to ride on side of the road. There may, or may not, be a marked path. I find those busy roads with no marked path and narrow sides to be the most dangerous. The next point of caution is the crosswalks. When multiple lanes, one lane/car may stop but the other may not. Another time i came close to getting hit was when crossing a street at a stop sign and there was a car to the right coming up to stop to turn left onto a one-way street. This driver was not looking at me. Rather he was looking at the incoming traffic to the right. I assumed (first mistake) that he would eventually slow down and look my way. In any case, he missed my bike by inches. Now I completely stop until i make eye contact (assuming not tinted windows).
I now have 2350 total miles for the 5 months of riding. I did get a flat tire which was caused by nail. Tip: find a local bike repair guy that has a van and comes to your location. Put number in your cell phone.
The one thing I keep thinking about is.... if i had the money to get a customized coloring. And wouldn't it be great if this was an option at purchase time. So this is my unbiased review. I hope this adds value to any new riders.
Being on a bike you see things you wouldn't in a car. First of all, there are bike trails (depending on where you live). The local bike shops will have free maps. Sometimes you have to ride on side of the road. There may, or may not, be a marked path. I find those busy roads with no marked path and narrow sides to be the most dangerous. The next point of caution is the crosswalks. When multiple lanes, one lane/car may stop but the other may not. Another time i came close to getting hit was when crossing a street at a stop sign and there was a car to the right coming up to stop to turn left onto a one-way street. This driver was not looking at me. Rather he was looking at the incoming traffic to the right. I assumed (first mistake) that he would eventually slow down and look my way. In any case, he missed my bike by inches. Now I completely stop until i make eye contact (assuming not tinted windows).
I now have 2350 total miles for the 5 months of riding. I did get a flat tire which was caused by nail. Tip: find a local bike repair guy that has a van and comes to your location. Put number in your cell phone.
The one thing I keep thinking about is.... if i had the money to get a customized coloring. And wouldn't it be great if this was an option at purchase time. So this is my unbiased review. I hope this adds value to any new riders.
