Two days ago I received my first e-bike, the BMC Alpenchallenge AMP Cross LTD. This is a lightweight carbon-frame mid-drive fitness hybrid, I believe similar in concept to the Specialized Turbo Vado SL (mid-drive) and the Cannondale Quick Neo SL (hub-drive).
I am not a bike mechanic, but I hope to service this bike myself. It arrived with the front hydraulic disc brake way out of adjustment (not rideable). After some time on YouTube, I used the folded business card trick, but I still had to eyeball it for fine-tuning. I ordered this tool which seems to be a pro version of the folded business card. I need a torque wrench and a work stand. Due to the D-shaped seat post, I'm getting a dropout-style stand rather than a clamp stand.
I was hoping this bike would seem like a "normal" bike when the motor is off, and it does. Overall I prefer my Salsa for an acoustic ride, but the BMC is in the same ballpark and is a different experience with the flat bar. I've done two 30 km test rides. The first had 700m of incline, and I used the motor intermittently. The second had 250m of mild inclines, and I did not use the motor at all. I am not an avid cyclist by any means. I thought I would use the motor to flatten hills, but now I think I will use the motor whenever I want a break regardless of grade, and I will allow myself to attack grades unassisted. The motor is an insurance policy protecting me from digging myself into a hole far from home. For this reason, I think the restriction to USA Level 1 (32 kph) will be more than adequate for me, and I don't expect to pursue derestriction.
Somehow, pedaling out of the saddle doesn't feel nearly as good on this bike as on my Salsa, which is a bummer on climbs. I'm pretty sure this is because of the flat bar, and maybe something like a Jones Loop (see below) would help. Or maybe I just need to get used to it.
One advantage of the BMC's light weight (15 kg) is that I've already had to dismount and ease the bike through a rocky passage on a trail. Also, stopped at city intersections, rotating the bike while straddling.
The Shimano E8000 motor seems powerful, although I have nothing to compare it to. I have not even engaged level 3 ("boost"). I do like how the motor power is proportional to pedal torque up to the mode's max-torque parameter. It feels responsive and natural. Maybe all mid-drive systems do this.
Mid-motor bikes put stress on the drivetrain, so I should keep an eye on the chain wear. I already have a digital caliper I can use for that. I don't know how much of this wear is from harsh gear changes and how much is from high torque on the chain while in gear. For the former, wouldn't the right approach be to ease off the pedal torque (and hence the motor) during a gear shift? I can see where this might trip people up because if the motor is (say) doubling your torque, you need to ease your legs to half the force that you're used to. Given the otherwise excellent integration between the motor and the Di2 shifting, I am surprised that there is no logic to cut the motor during a shift.
I expected the motor to be loud, but it is louder than I expected. On the plus side, it provides audible feedback about how much pedal torque I'm applying at any instant, which helps implement the strategy of easing off the torque to shift gears.
The Shimano UI overall is great, with good integration between the motor control and the Di2 shifting. The little display is unobtrusive but very clear and informative. But I don't care for the shift buttons. Di2 is excellent, but on my Salsa the gear shifters are literally at my fingertips. Here, I have to largely release my right-hand grip to make a shift. Repeated incidental contact with the side of the shifter has rubbed the base of my thumb raw. So far I have not figured out how to optimize this. Maybe just get better at it.
The flat bar is a bit aggressively positioned as I anticipated when I studied the bike's geometry before purchase. Overall, ergonomics are okay for me, not great. But I'm not an avid cyclist and I'm not sure how or even if it could be better. I do miss the multiple hand positions of a drop bar. I am considering experimenting with different grips and/or putting a Jones Loop bar on this bike.
The proprietary seat post and stem are cool and functional designs, but they preclude third-party replacements such as shock posts or stems with different geometry. Although the battery is not hidden inside the frame, the overall design of this bike is super-clean and appealing. BMC apparently put the battery on the seat tube for better weight distribution, which makes sense to me now that I've ridden it. I'm surprised this isn't more common.
The saddle is nice and served me well on two 30 km rides in street clothes.
I don't know what are the best tires for the kind of riding I'll be doing. I'll figure that out over time and stick with the stock 700x40c tires for now.
After two days of riding, I think this bike will meet my needs very well.
I am not a bike mechanic, but I hope to service this bike myself. It arrived with the front hydraulic disc brake way out of adjustment (not rideable). After some time on YouTube, I used the folded business card trick, but I still had to eyeball it for fine-tuning. I ordered this tool which seems to be a pro version of the folded business card. I need a torque wrench and a work stand. Due to the D-shaped seat post, I'm getting a dropout-style stand rather than a clamp stand.
I was hoping this bike would seem like a "normal" bike when the motor is off, and it does. Overall I prefer my Salsa for an acoustic ride, but the BMC is in the same ballpark and is a different experience with the flat bar. I've done two 30 km test rides. The first had 700m of incline, and I used the motor intermittently. The second had 250m of mild inclines, and I did not use the motor at all. I am not an avid cyclist by any means. I thought I would use the motor to flatten hills, but now I think I will use the motor whenever I want a break regardless of grade, and I will allow myself to attack grades unassisted. The motor is an insurance policy protecting me from digging myself into a hole far from home. For this reason, I think the restriction to USA Level 1 (32 kph) will be more than adequate for me, and I don't expect to pursue derestriction.
Somehow, pedaling out of the saddle doesn't feel nearly as good on this bike as on my Salsa, which is a bummer on climbs. I'm pretty sure this is because of the flat bar, and maybe something like a Jones Loop (see below) would help. Or maybe I just need to get used to it.
One advantage of the BMC's light weight (15 kg) is that I've already had to dismount and ease the bike through a rocky passage on a trail. Also, stopped at city intersections, rotating the bike while straddling.
The Shimano E8000 motor seems powerful, although I have nothing to compare it to. I have not even engaged level 3 ("boost"). I do like how the motor power is proportional to pedal torque up to the mode's max-torque parameter. It feels responsive and natural. Maybe all mid-drive systems do this.
Mid-motor bikes put stress on the drivetrain, so I should keep an eye on the chain wear. I already have a digital caliper I can use for that. I don't know how much of this wear is from harsh gear changes and how much is from high torque on the chain while in gear. For the former, wouldn't the right approach be to ease off the pedal torque (and hence the motor) during a gear shift? I can see where this might trip people up because if the motor is (say) doubling your torque, you need to ease your legs to half the force that you're used to. Given the otherwise excellent integration between the motor and the Di2 shifting, I am surprised that there is no logic to cut the motor during a shift.
I expected the motor to be loud, but it is louder than I expected. On the plus side, it provides audible feedback about how much pedal torque I'm applying at any instant, which helps implement the strategy of easing off the torque to shift gears.
The Shimano UI overall is great, with good integration between the motor control and the Di2 shifting. The little display is unobtrusive but very clear and informative. But I don't care for the shift buttons. Di2 is excellent, but on my Salsa the gear shifters are literally at my fingertips. Here, I have to largely release my right-hand grip to make a shift. Repeated incidental contact with the side of the shifter has rubbed the base of my thumb raw. So far I have not figured out how to optimize this. Maybe just get better at it.
The flat bar is a bit aggressively positioned as I anticipated when I studied the bike's geometry before purchase. Overall, ergonomics are okay for me, not great. But I'm not an avid cyclist and I'm not sure how or even if it could be better. I do miss the multiple hand positions of a drop bar. I am considering experimenting with different grips and/or putting a Jones Loop bar on this bike.
The proprietary seat post and stem are cool and functional designs, but they preclude third-party replacements such as shock posts or stems with different geometry. Although the battery is not hidden inside the frame, the overall design of this bike is super-clean and appealing. BMC apparently put the battery on the seat tube for better weight distribution, which makes sense to me now that I've ridden it. I'm surprised this isn't more common.
The saddle is nice and served me well on two 30 km rides in street clothes.
I don't know what are the best tires for the kind of riding I'll be doing. I'll figure that out over time and stick with the stock 700x40c tires for now.
After two days of riding, I think this bike will meet my needs very well.
