Felt NINEe v Haibike 29er

[Nebster]

Hi all,

I've test-ridden most of the bikes my local shop carries. They've been great at being patient with me. I enjoyed the Stromer ST1, and they also have a "prototype ST2" that was fun as well.

But I really like the feel of the lighter Haibike, especially the hard tail. Just less weight and the mid-drive seems compelling. I also like that I feel like I know how to repair this bike in the field without needing to learn new tricks, being an old dog and all.

I went ahead and ordered one of the dongles that tricks the Bosch into going faster than 20mph, and now the bike is flat out awesome. I would like mostly to commute around town and on nearby trails. I have a "real" mtb and road bike for "real" riding, and I'll keep those as well. Going 25 and being able to ride with town traffic is a game changer in my opinion.

So, now I'm faced with a dilemma: the Felt NINEe seems like it has all the goodness of the Haibike, plus I can use my Bosch doohickey on it, and it'll be a lot lighter. Do I care about that? I dunno. On the one hand, all of these bikes are very heavy compared to a regular bike. On the other, I really feel much freer and like I'm having more fun (as opposed to piloting a motorcycle) on the Haibike, which shaves off quite a few pounds compared to the Stromers.

Probly the biggest downside is that my dealer doesn't carry Felt. I don't know what I'd do if I had service issues and needed help, although I'm guessing the Bosch drivetrain is identical and probably completely doable. (I don't know if the shop would be able to do the work and get reimbursed under a warranty situation, though?)

I'm leaning towards just getting the Haibike and calling it a day (and getting out and riding), but I've waited this long and I figured I'd see what you all think. Thanks for reading.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

Weight is not as important when you have a motor, and for me the Haibikes are better looking, and the frame is probably stiffer. I also like the tapered headtube, I'm so confident on my FS RX that I let go of the handlebars at 30 mph to put a backpack strap on, worth noting the road was very smooth and free of cars ATM. Just an hour ago some roadie assumed there was nobody around and cut me off at 28 mph to make a left turn lane, man was I glad my hands were on the brakes! I brief skid and contact was avoided. I could not help but wonder if we had crossed wheels who would have gone down, the handlebars are pretty wide on my HB and having the advantage of seeing what was about to happen may have saved me and put him in road rash for the holidays. Glad to hear you got a doohicky, I could not own any e-bike that cuts off at 20. So if I may cast a biased vote, get the haibike! BTW You did not mention which model you are looking at, or I'm going blind with hunger, probably the 29'r... OIC, right in the title - Doh -S

 

[biknut]

Me thinks you just want a new bike to ride LOL. But since you're asking, I'd say there's not enough diff to make it worth the trouble. But I like your reasoning about everything else. We might disagree on some of the minor details is all.

 

[Nebster]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'm definitely on the fence.

 

[Chris Nolte]

Where are you located? I don't want to make the decision more difficult for you but the Felt is spec'd out a little better than the Haibike and it's 6 lbs lighter. If you can afford to pony up the extra ~12% it might be worth your while. Either way I'm sure you will be happy though, we've sold plenty of both and have heard no complaints.

Also - What dongle did you get?

 

[Nebster]

Where are you located? I don't want to make the decision more difficult for you but the Felt is spec'd out a little better than the Haibike and it's 6 lbs lighter. If you can afford to pony up the extra ~12% it might be worth your while. Either way I'm sure you will be happy though, we've sold plenty of both and have heard no complaints.

I suspected you might tell me that, Chris. My intuition has been that I should try to get one of these even if there is a slightly greater risk of hassle if I have a problem. The cost is not particularly an object, although I like deals.

I live in Colorado and also in San Mateo. There is an e-bike shop within a mile of both of my houses, although I didn't know that until a few weeks ago. (!)

Also - What dongle did you get?

I got the badass one that just hijacks the signal without any disassembly. It's made it easy to swap it around on various bikes at the shop; it seems to work fine on all the similar motors. I actually left it with them to play with, because I don't have an ebike yet, grrr.