FLX Blade 2.0

[byunbee]

I asked about street tires for the Blade 2.0 and was told it was a no-go, they are not customizing beyond what is in the configurator. I'm just planning to buy a set of street tires, along with a few other aftermarket goodies, to swap when the bike finally arrives. Which will be amazing if it happens in August as they claim given the likelihood of COVID driven delays.

This is mainly because FLX is not a bike builder. They are a bike distributor that ships to the customers in the same box that they receive from China factories. The bikes are built in two configurations at the factory, packed, and shipped. There is no QA once it arrives at their U.S. warehouse. It just gets inventoried and shipped to the customer.

WW is a bike builder that designs their own frames working with top manufacturers in Taiwan. Similar to FLX, bikes do get mostly assembled at the factory, but once it arrives at Watt Wagons, each bike is inspected and tested after any custom requests get applied. Only then, do the bikes get shipped in extremely well packaged boxes 100% assembled including front and rear tires/wheels, handlebars, seatposts, etc.

There was even a funny thread around the quality of their packaging to avoid damage during shipment, that it can be used as a bed afterwards.

Also, one the the best things about the UC Pro that convinced many of us to purchase this bike are the “toys” that the bike comes with as default. Some of these include Spurcycle Bell, Cirrus Cycle Kinekt suspension seatpost, Surly Moloko loop bar, Brooks B-17 Imperial Saddle. Better configured model comes with SuperNova M99 Pro front and rear lights. Even the base configuration Lezyne Macro light is still a very capable light at 1000 lumens which beats most lights that are available from majority of the bike manufacturers including Giant, Trek, Haibike, and FLX. All of the items mentioned are pretty much best of the best in their class which you can validate for yourself in terms of cost and the quality.

Many bike consumers on this forum end up spending a lot of money afterwards to upgrade the cheap components that come with the bike. With the UC Pro, there really isn’t a need to, unless you want to “downgrade”.

Lastly, you can’t forget the Bafang Ultra with the Archon X1 controller and the option to have dual battery setup for longer range, which the FLX Blade doesn’t offer.

 

[onlineaddy]

I'm just planning to buy a set of street tires, along with a few other aftermarket goodies, to swap when the bike finally arrives.

Your plan is sound. Share with us once your Blade 2.0 arrives. It’s a good-looking e-MTB. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the heck out of it.

 

[jjonesx86]

I disagree with the characterization of FLX as a distributor. That would be like calling Apple a distributor of iPhones because they are fully built, tested and shipped from China.

From what I can tell, both WW and FLX have designed custom bikes to their specification and both have them built and shipped from China. It seems like WW does more local quality control and customization prior to delivery and that is great...no argument from me. But to characterize FLX as simply a distributor seems a step too far. Clearly they need to redirect some marketing dollars to quality control however!

it seems that early founders are getting a great overall deal with the UC Pro but I would never commit to a bike I couldn’t see the final design of and pricing now isn’t as compelling. I can add a few upgrades to my FLX and still spend less. I’m not trying to convince anyone that one is better than the other, then each have their market. I am however hoping the FLX Blade 2.0 thread gets a few more owners sharing their experiences. The FB group seems more active so I’m glad I found that.

 

[Law]

Yeah it’s hard to make a buying decision based on a cad rendering for the WW pro.

I was thinking about putting the street tires on the new blade but at the end of the day it’s still more a mountain bike so I’m on the fence about that as I will be doing more commuting.

Can anyone opine on the pros and cons on Sturmey vs the Kindernay hubs on the Watts bike? Also, does the lack of the carbon belt on the pro affect anyone’s decision?

 

[byunbee]

Yeah it’s hard to make a buying decision based on a cad rendering for the WW pro.

I was thinking about putting the street tires on the new blade but at the end of the day it’s still more a mountain bike so I’m on the fence about that as I will be doing more commuting.

Can anyone opine on the pros and cons on Sturmey vs the Kindernay hubs on the Watts bike? Also, does the lack of the carbon belt on the pro affect anyone’s decision?

Sturney is a 3 speed while Kindernay is 14 speed. Kindernay is also rated for 150NM of torque which I believe is the highest even compared to Rohloff. It is also somewhat modular with a cage allowing you to remove the hub. It has a 543% gear ratio (also higher than Rohloff's 526%) with even 13.9% intervals. Lastly, they come with left and right thub shifters, while Rohloff and Sturney is twist.

The only downsides for Kindernay is that it doesn't have the years and millions of mileage behind it which the Rohloffs have build their reputation around and the high price.

I'm not sure what you mean by Pro's lack of carbon belt. All UC Pros come with Gate Carbon Drive regardless of the IGH selected.

 

[byunbee]

I disagree with the characterization of FLX as a distributor. That would be like calling Apple a distributor of iPhones because they are fully built, tested and shipped from China.

From what I can tell, both WW and FLX have designed custom bikes to their specification and both have them built and shipped from China. It seems like WW does more local quality control and customization prior to delivery and that is great...no argument from me. But to characterize FLX as simply a distributor seems a step too far. Clearly they need to redirect some marketing dollars to quality control however!

it seems that early founders are getting a great overall deal with the UC Pro but I would never commit to a bike I couldn’t see the final design of and pricing now isn’t as compelling. I can add a few upgrades to my FLX and still spend less. I’m not trying to convince anyone that one is better than the other, then each have their market. I am however hoping the FLX Blade 2.0 thread gets a few more owners sharing their experiences. The FB group seems more active so I’m glad I found that.

I may be completely off base. And I'm sure you'll be able to validate as you deal with FLX over the period of your bike use.

I will say that Apple is not a distributor since we know that they design and offer technical support and service for all their products. They don't outsource this to vendors like Velofix which I believe is how FLX provides support for warranty service. I will defer to yours and other FLX bike owners' experience around their ability to troubleshoot issues and offer warranty support.

Regardless, I'm not in any way saying the FLX Blade 2.0 is a bad bike. I think they have a solid product on their hands. I just think that WW offering is better overall. But that's just my opinion based on extensive research and interaction with others on this forum as well as the owner.

 

[Law]

I challenge you to send an email to watt wagons or message the owner pushkar on this forum if you want to see what world-class service is like for an online e-bike purchase.

Yes indeed. Chat was immediate and a phone call to boot. Very impressed by owners response. A true enthusiast and engineer, I encourage anyone interested in learning about these bikes to call or chat.

FLX had 2 weak Emails the last email being about a baby maker bike that had nothing to do with the new Blade. No way I’m buying FLX, cannot Imagine support after buy.

Ty all for inputs.

 

[byunbee]

Yes indeed. Chat was immediate and a phone call to boot. Very impressed by owners response. A true enthusiast and engineer, I encourage anyone interested in learning about these bikes to call or chat.

FLX had 2 weak Emails the last email being about a baby maker bike that had nothing to do with the new Blade. No way I’m buying FLX, cannot Imagine support after buy.

Ty all for inputs.

Welcome to the WW fan base!

 

[weizguy]

If only WW would hide the battery to make the bike look better...

 

[TomD]

The upcoming WW "superbike" has integrated battery. This is only the prototype:

UC Pro Diamond frame prototype build pics. Painting / Decal / lights etc will be done in Boston.

Hey everyone. We just got the regularbuild done. Here are some initial pictures. Please note - we are evaluating the frame only at this point. Here are some key takeaways to focus on. We will paint it with prismatic colors and put actual decals on it here in Boston. Please ignore the paint...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Johnwango55]

Wow, you get a lot for your money based upon the specs of the bike.

Just order the 2.0 touring in Black hopefully it gets to the United States before November I can't wait to rip around on it they say you can reach 40 miles an hour that's pretty damn fast for a bike my strommer would do about 30 but I've had a lot of problems with the ST1 broken spokes chain and sprockets

 

[Ebiker33]

Just order the 2.0 touring in Black hopefully it gets to the United States before November I can't wait to rip around on it they say you can reach 40 miles an hour that's pretty damn fast for a bike my strommer would do about 30 but I've had a lot of problems with the ST1 broken spokes chain and sprockets

Personally I would not feel comfortable riding an Ebike that fast with those components, you hit any significant bumps at that speed even by accident without rear suspension.....well your going to know it, and safety might be an issue as hard tails don't stay as planted as bikes with rear suspensions.

 

[Johnwango55]

Hi Everyone,
I just received a response from FLX regarding Virus and possible shipment delays, and I was told that factory production was on schedule and not affected by Virus.

It's sold out now I ordered my in the beginning of last month I like the fact that it was tax free in the US

 

[Johnwango55]

Every time to go to FLX's website it crashes on me. Anyone else having this problem?

No 1 picks up phone. Still waiting till mid November to hear something about the 2.0 on the way

 

[Captain Slow]

No one wants to hit a pothole at 28 mph, even with suspension. I'm sure the suspension will mitigate the problem, but I don't think it will eliminate it. I haven't been a fan of suspension unless mountain biking. But after riding a Juiced CCS for a few years I can understand the need for it on a heavy commuter.

I suppose though that's why I prefer my Creo. It's light enough and agile enough that I don't feel the need for suspension. But I understand everyone has their preferences. I would agree that on a bike like the Stromer that weighs around 60 lbs. that the need for suspension is greater. But the lack of suspension wouldn't stop me from buying a Stromer, but the value proposition of a Stromer in general prevents me from buying one. I don't think they're poor value, but I don't think they're good either.

 

[Kaako]

OK guys, haven't updated my Blade2 experiences over the past year and a half, so here it goes. Once all my mechanical issues were resolved, bent front rotor and the dreaded Rohloff hangar bolt, then I concentrated on riding the bike itself. The Rohloff was definitely a learning curve as the hub and twist shifter need a gentle hand. The power was another learning curve, more than enough and too much on occasion ... found myself flipped on my back with one ill advised start. Overall the bike is everything I wanted, it's very capable off road and a great commuter. Was originally gonna switch the tires out for something more road friendly, but after a few trail rides decided I really like the super knobby tires despite the noise they generate on the road. Did add a Kineckt seat post. Other than changing the Rohloff oil I haven't had any maintenance issues. Every time I lust after some new bike it only takes a few minutes to realize my Blade does everything better. And I ride year round as long as the snow doesn't get too deep. would recommend!

 

[GoranO]

No 1 picks up phone. Still waiting till mid November to hear something about the 2.0 on the way

Hello Johnwango55 did you get you bike at the end? I've Riese & Muller Charger3 for two years with Bosch Performance Line Speed motor 4 Gen (250W) and to be honest it become boring to drive even with new update on motor with torque 85 Nm, which is not enough on nice, not so demanding paths, along Adriatic coast and islands, so I decide to buy some real stuff from USA. There are quite many options and I reduced on three: Blade 2.0, Hydra from WW, or Rockstar from Sondors. Blade 2.0 is my favorite, but still there is no many reviews.
I sent several e-mails to FLX and they response fast.

Thanks! Best regards from Croatia

 

[KevinT]

Anyone else have an issue with the seat tube clamp? Mine is self-destructing with every adjustment of my seat height. Seems to be a small piece of metal that has become warped and is gouging the base of the quick release lever every time it is activated.

 

[David@flx]

For 5% off use
Discount code: x-1hsHU1Xda4Kx

 

[Poppyoppy]

Was it cheaper than 5K originally? I was looking at it before they got pictures up and I don't recall the price being different than it is now.

A