I test rode the Felt sporte around a bike shop parking lot, and I liked the mid motor more than the heavy 28mph rear motor bikes I tried out. I'm curious if anyone has had experience riding this bike or other mid motor bikes in the same price range for longer distances compared to a non-motor bikes. My commute is about 18 miles each way with with around 1000+ feet of climbing/descending. I was thinking I wanted a 28 mph bike to help take some time off my commute which usually is a bit over an hour. After all the test rides, I've come to the conclusion that I hate the feel of heavy bikes and 40lbs is the max I can see myself enjoying. Anyway.... to get to my point, how does the gearing feel when you have reached the max speed of 20mph and the motor cuts out. I can ride over 20 mph with the big ring on my road or Mt bike with no problem, but the Felt only has a tiny ring in the front.... is it hard to pedal the mid motor bikes over 20 mph on slight downhills or flats. Thanks in advance
felt sporte 95 question
- Thread starter Apfaff
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Shea N Encinitas
Active Member
No, but you may still get tired of doing so, backing off to sub 20 mph for the assist and thinking I could do this on a non-motorized bike. I was also concerned about weight, even considered the Felt SportE myself, but now with a second battery, large water bottle, more tools that most I've come to realize that weight is not as critical with a 500 watt hub motor on tap. In addition to a 28 mph Dash I also have a mid-drive Bosch bike (Haibike FS RX). 20 mph is fine off road but really feels lame on the roads. You may not care about speed so much. -S
The Haibike Superrace is a 28mph Bosch mid drive system. But does cost more money. Call around some of the larger ebike shops for prices. There is some flexibility.
Also check out Shea's new post on a tuning system for the Bosch that allows you to go faster than the 20 mph cutoff.
Personally, I am okay with 20 mph cutoff but many on this forum go much faster.
Also check out Shea's new post on a tuning system for the Bosch that allows you to go faster than the 20 mph cutoff.
Personally, I am okay with 20 mph cutoff but many on this forum go much faster.
Thanks for pointing me toward the super race, it looks like a perfect bike except the price for a commuter.... I would worry too much and never want to lock it up anywhere.
I test rode the felt sporte again, and have pretty much decided for the price it is not the right bike for me. I'm starting to second guess my feelings about the heavy rear drive and wondering if I should go with a izip Dash or a conversion kit for my 2001 schwinn homegrown hardtail mt bike. The positives for the izip Dash are the price, 28 mph and available at a local shop, the negatives seem to be the shorter distance and I'm not sure how it will handle the long hills with 3 to 20 percent grades almost the whole 18 miles home. If I use my schwinn it will be a really nice bike that I already have, but I'm not sure about using a super lite aluminum frame for a ebike and I have similar concerns with the distance and the hills. The e-motion nitro bikes look nice but i haven't been able to test ride one yet.
Are there any other +20 mph bikes in the 50lb sub $4000 range that I should look into. I should add that I'm only 135lb and pretty fit, so maybe I'm worrying too much about the stress on the motor with the hills on my commute.
I test rode the felt sporte again, and have pretty much decided for the price it is not the right bike for me. I'm starting to second guess my feelings about the heavy rear drive and wondering if I should go with a izip Dash or a conversion kit for my 2001 schwinn homegrown hardtail mt bike. The positives for the izip Dash are the price, 28 mph and available at a local shop, the negatives seem to be the shorter distance and I'm not sure how it will handle the long hills with 3 to 20 percent grades almost the whole 18 miles home. If I use my schwinn it will be a really nice bike that I already have, but I'm not sure about using a super lite aluminum frame for a ebike and I have similar concerns with the distance and the hills. The e-motion nitro bikes look nice but i haven't been able to test ride one yet.
Are there any other +20 mph bikes in the 50lb sub $4000 range that I should look into. I should add that I'm only 135lb and pretty fit, so maybe I'm worrying too much about the stress on the motor with the hills on my commute.
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Thanks, I'm going to look into that.
Shea N Encinitas
Active Member
I've seen and handled both the Haibike 29r & Trekking RX, both $4k, both have nice color matching brake levers, hubs, lock on grips, etc - beautiful bikes and with the all important hydro brakes, tapered head tube, stiff frame. If you find yourself about to purchase one see if your dealer will get you the second battery at or near cost (something like $550 VS $700). Or you could opt for a second charger to keep at work. While I'm pretty sure you could make the trip on a single battery with most 400 watt hour equipped bikes (just guessing without seeing the profile), you will have to use low assist levels and more human power to do so, not as fun but still better than being another car. BTW - I can do nearly 36 miles on the Dash (one battery) but I'm only climbing about 800 feet, Assist one, no throttle. More often I crank up the juice (PAS 3) and just swap the battery midway (26 -30 miles in total). The 2nd battery also allows me to avoid deep discharging, hopefully extending the life of the batteries. Good luck! -S
Chris Nolte
Well-Known Member
I'm generally more partial to mid-drives and I have found most experienced riders lean towards them over time. As seen in Shea's case and 86 and still kicking. The one limitation is the speed, but as Shea pointed out these things can be worked around and there are other bikes like the Focus Aventura S10 that hits the speed and comes standard with a larger battery at a lower price point.
One item to note on the Bosch chainring, that's not what's limiting you. I've gone well over 30 on a SPORTe. The chainring actually rotates 2.5 times for every revolution of the crank so the 18 Tooth chainring is essentially the same as a 45 Tooth. I hope this helps.
One item to note on the Bosch chainring, that's not what's limiting you. I've gone well over 30 on a SPORTe. The chainring actually rotates 2.5 times for every revolution of the crank so the 18 Tooth chainring is essentially the same as a 45 Tooth. I hope this helps.
Thanks, that was exactly what I was wondering about when I posted the first question. The only info I could find on the gear ratio was the size of the chainrings and I didn't think a 11x18 would get you going very fast. I'll have to look into the Focus bike it sound nice..... I didn't notice that brand in any of the local shops.
Chris Nolte
Well-Known Member
The Focus bikes are huge in Europe, but just beginning to develop here. There aren't too many dealers yet. Where are you located?
Chris Nolte
Well-Known Member
Great area to bike, especially with all that traffic. I just got back from there, we were visiting family in Santa Monica. I'm feeling a little jealous of the weather over there although I hear you guys were supposed to finally get some rain.
biknut
Active Member
If this is true, then I doubt you'll ever be happy with an electric bicycle, because you'll be limited to bikes that are too slow. If your electric bike isn't any faster than your regular bicycle, what's the point?
Weight makes no difference to an electric bike, because the motor makes up for it. The only part you get right is wanting to go 28 mph.
Shea N Encinitas
Active Member
Says the guy with 4.5 Kw on tap!
We love the sunny days, but it was nice to have some much needed rain on Sunday and we are hoping for a bit more this week.
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calvin
Active Member
I really like the Focus bike suggested by Chris. If there is a Focus dealer where you live, check it out.
Also, for a hub motor bike, take a look at the Specialized Turbo X. It is in your price range, goes up to 27-28 mph, and is stealth looking with the battery. There are specialized bike shops everywhere so service shouldn't be a big issue. To me, the Specialized bikes feel more like riding a bike than almost all other hub motors ebikes. I realize a few people have had issues with their Turbo while others have not and loved them. So if you want one, I would have an honest talk with the dealer about returning it if the same issue occurs.
As far as speed goes, there are ways to work around the Bosch limit so don't count them out. Bosch is just a really smooth motor. Look at badassbikes.com, they have a simple system. Someone else mentioned them some time ago on this site.
Also, for a hub motor bike, take a look at the Specialized Turbo X. It is in your price range, goes up to 27-28 mph, and is stealth looking with the battery. There are specialized bike shops everywhere so service shouldn't be a big issue. To me, the Specialized bikes feel more like riding a bike than almost all other hub motors ebikes. I realize a few people have had issues with their Turbo while others have not and loved them. So if you want one, I would have an honest talk with the dealer about returning it if the same issue occurs.
As far as speed goes, there are ways to work around the Bosch limit so don't count them out. Bosch is just a really smooth motor. Look at badassbikes.com, they have a simple system. Someone else mentioned them some time ago on this site.
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