Frey CC

[TomD]

My daily rides vary anywhere from 15-25 miles, including 700' hill to get home. Now I can skip a day of charging so am confident I could get 50 miles including hill. That's with PAS 1 on the 2300W controller which is somewhere between 2 and 3 on the stock controller. I'd say you will be able to match your wife's range on rail trails, especially if you get the 1000W version of the controller or program the 2300W version down to help the motor out more in lowest PAS.

 

[walkingman57]

Great. Thanks Tom. Gives greater confidence that the CC or HT is the way to go for me. Glad that you're getting it ironed out!

 

[TomD]

If you plan to upgrade to the new controller you might also consider just purchasing one of the Watt Wagons bikes if your budget allows for it. That way you get a bike with the new controller instead of having to pay ~$1K to upgrade, and avoid the hassle of upgrading.

 

[Explorer-1]

I never figured out the motor noise. I think it might be the cranks or something other than the motor. I swapped motors (more about that below) and initially the noise went away but it came back.

To iron out the torque sensing is an easy fix. I upgraded to the Archon X1 (Innotrace) controller. Worth every penny. It has transformed my Frey CC into a world class ebike that is not only smooth but the range is also significantly improved (I'd say at least 25%). I cannot recommend it highly enough. More here:

First ride with the Archon X1 upgrade!

I got the upgrade today. Thank you Pushkar. Now I have a new bike. I went for a short, 15 mile ride, and had a blast. The power comes on so much smother. The motor seems more powerful and the UCP seems much quicker. I’m turning 70 shortly and prior to the upgrade I tended to ride at...

electricbikereview.com

So the less than stellar mileage/effciency on all the Ultras I've looked at is more about the controller than the motor? If so that is good to know.

 

[TomD]

That seems to be the impression of everyone who has upgraded to the aftermarket controller. I was never monitoring voltage so my range improvement may be a combination of actual improvement and the stock controller sandbagging % remaining (would drop dramatically under load so may have just been temporary voltage sag - it would give me a lot of range anxiety on the steep hill on the ride home). Now when I ride I monitor voltage and use my simple rule of thumb for 48V battery which is every drop of 4 volts is roughly 25% battery. I find for most of my rides I rarely see a drop of more than 4 volts comparing resting voltage.

 

[osunick]

I just got mine yesterday, I asked for two things. First, I wanted a dropper post so my wife and I can share the bike easily, and second, I wanted better graphics as I like the bold logos on the eMTBs. Happy to say both turned out great.

Anyone know if the Eggrider works on the G510? I have one on my BBSHD bike and prefer it to the DPC18 this has.

 

[TomD]

Yes, eggrider works on the ultra. But it won't work with the upgraded controller If you plan to go that route.

 

[osunick]

Yes, eggrider works on the ultra. But it won't work with the upgraded controller If you plan to go that route.

Yeah it's not worth $1K to me, torque sensing isn't as smooth as my wife's brose but good enough. I mostly want less jittery battery estimates and a small display. Regardless, I assume Bafang will use this form factor in the future, so I'd save that $1K to get a future version of the Ultra with more kinks worked out.

 

[banshee28]

I just got mine yesterday, I asked for two things. First, I wanted a dropper post so my wife and I can share the bike easily, and second, I wanted better graphics as I like the bold logos on the eMTBs. Happy to say both turned out great.

Anyone know if the Eggrider works on the G510? I have one on my BBSHD bike and prefer it to the DPC18 this has.

That looks like a really nice commuter bike! I am looking for a eMTB now, but if I wanted a commuter, that would be one of my choices!
Also I did not notice at first but this is actually a FS too right? I see a rear shock hiding in the frame, very nice.

 

[osunick]

That looks like a really nice commuter bike! I am looking for a eMTB now, but if I wanted a commuter, that would be one of my choices!
Also I did not notice at first but this is actually a FS too right? I see a rear shock hiding in the frame, very nice.

It is. Basically another DW link style suspension.

 

[TomD]

Approaching 700 miles so I'll provide another update:

1) I think I have figured out the motor noise. I tightened up my pedals (left pedal was a tad loose) and it seems to have fixed things, so while it sounded like it was coming from the motor, it seems it wasn't.

2) I fixed my throttle, well, sort of. I unwound the plastic housing and found where the loose connection was. There is a port mid-harness and where the throttle wire was going in I needed to bend it backward to provide enough tension to rectify the faulty connection. I rewrapped things with the throttle wire coming out backward and now throttle works reliably, Obviously not a permanent fix, but was nice to have my throttle back until I get replacement wiring.

3) I am just loving my CC now. I can't repeat enough how much more I love my CC after the controller upgrade. I really hope Frey will consider partnering with Watt Wagons so they can offer it directly to North American customers. Frey apparently had a version of this controller but sat on it for too long, and the opportunity has passed them by.

4) I really like the stock Schwalbe Moto-X 27.5 x 2.4" tires. I have gone over a lot of nasty stuff with nary a flat. However, I have learned to be more careful when approaching minor gutters. A couple weeks ago I was casually coming off a road onto a driveway toward a sidewalk and had never noticed the small gutter between the road and driveway until it scooped the bike 90 degrees on its side (and me onto the pavement). Now I make sure to give any sort of gutter or lip a more generous approach angle.

5) I have tried at least 2 other saddles but I haven't found anything that feels more comfortable than the stock saddle. My backside just seems to like it for rides up to 20 miles or so.

 

[Ebiker01]

iveway until it scooped the bike 90 degrees on its side

Could have been due to a too high tire pressure , i run mu ebike's tires about 15psi lower in front then rear. It goes over things like that (curbs, potholes) a lot smoother !

 

[reed scott]

This thread has given me some anxiety about my rebadged Frey AM 1000 ( no badge actually ) supposedly coming in a month. Things are shaky throughout the ebike industry. Have you looked around for parts lately? Sold out sold out sold out. I was looking to change my 10 year old Specialized MTB's brakes to hydraulic disc and realized that isn't happening any time soon. TomD's story on the caliper adapters being kludged together by Frey suggests the parts scarcity is hitting the Chinese too. Though I'm sure they get first dibs. One can imagine all sorts of horror stories. And Magura putting out crappy rotors?! Got in Himmel! Hopefully in six months or so things can get back to something like normalcy. Maybe longer. Hopefully it won't be never. And all this in the midst of the whole bike world in explosive expansion. Especially ebikes. Every bike shop is back logged on repairs and can't get bikes. SHEESH!

 

[osunick]

This thread has given me some anxiety about my rebadged Frey AM 1000 ( no badge actually ) supposedly coming in a month. Things are shaky throughout the ebike industry. Have you looked around for parts lately? Sold out sold out sold out. I was looking to change my 10 year old Specialized MTB's brakes to hydraulic disc and realized that isn't happening any time soon. TomD's story on the caliper adapters being kludged together by Frey suggests the parts scarcity is hitting the Chinese too. Though I'm sure they get first dibs. One can imagine all sorts of horror stories. And Magura putting out crappy rotors?! Got in Himmel! Hopefully in six months or so things can get back to something like normalcy. Maybe longer. Hopefully it won't be never. And all this in the midst of the whole bike world in explosive expansion. Especially ebikes. Every bike shop is back logged on repairs and can't get bikes. SHEESH!

There are two ways I look at this. If it was a Specialized, I’m sure quality would be top notch and there would be minimal issues. 2-3 years down the line, my Vado or whatever would be obsolete with no upgrade path. The chinese ebikes are more like gaming PCs built from commodity parts. The only thing that is truly bespoke is the frame, which should last a long time, and the pivots are all on standard sized bearings and bolts.

Even now, I removed my DPC-18 and replaced with an Eggrider so I could get better real time monitoring, more space on my handlebars, and programming from a smartphone. When the G510 is obsolete, I’m sure Bafang will have something newer that drops right in. I get to email the Frey head office directly with any issues, and they respond immediately. All these other issues are annoying, but at least you can fix/upgrade with standard parts.

 

[reed scott]

I decided to spend my Friday night learning how to adjust a derailleur. Granny gear was skipping badly and the next lower gear was making strange noises. I also noticed that when I shifted to the highest gear there was an extra click left on the shiftier. Things seemed to be poorly adjusted Frey, if at all! Some of the videos out there made my head spin, but I found this one to be excellent and very straight forward:

I never made it past step 3, as after I loosened the barrel tension and adjusted the high limit screw, then tightened the barrel back, all gears shifted smoothly and without excess noise after a little fine tuning of the barrel tension.

Just a tip for anyone else without a stand. I dropped some rope from the railing above the hallway to the rear rack to hold the wheel 1" off the ground. The kickstand was still able to stabilize and hold the bike up. This made it a lot easier to make the adjustments without stressing my arm and back. Also, as a final check to cycle up and down all the gears to make sure they are shifting smoothly you can hold the down the minus on the display to initiate walk mode.

God bless you for finding and posting this video. For the first time in my life I feel I can tune my derailleur!

 

[Taylor57]

My daily rides vary anywhere from 15-25 miles, including 700' hill to get home. Now I can skip a day of charging so am confident I could get 50 miles including hill. That's with PAS 1 on the 2300W controller which is somewhere between 2 and 3 on the stock controller. I'd say you will be able to match your wife's range on rail trails, especially if you get the 1000W version of the controller or program the 2300W version down to help the motor out more in lowest PAS.

Tom can we get an update on you and your Frey CC? I am considering a purchase. Thanks in advance.

 

[TomD]

I haven't been riding for the last week due to smoke but have accumulated over 1000 miles now. I just love riding this bike. A lot of that has to do with the new controller although I think most will be happy with the stock controller as they won't know what they are missing.

My biggest complaint might be the level of support from Frey, but I think my expectations may have been unrealistic. If you have a warranty issue Frey will ship you parts but you are on your own for labor and how to figure the rest out. For example, my throttle stopped working. Frey had me contact Bafang for warranty support. Bafang sent me a new throttle and wiring harness. Frey did not respond to my questions about how to rewire internally. I had to figure out on my own. So I would not recommend Frey if you want hand holding, but overall I'm happy with the bike and I'm not sure most other online vendors really do much more than ship you parts under warranty. There are some that do like Evelo, but you pay a significant premium for it up front.

I've added few more bells and whistles to my ride:

Burley Travoy trailer. I don't use it much but when I need to haul big items it's nice to have.

TK419 GPS Tracker. I ordered this on Amazon and it's working great secured in the neck of the downtube internally wired to the battery.

Kryptonite TKO folding lock. Love this inexpensive lock from Walmart. I have it attached to my seatpost thanks to this Topeak bottle mount. So much easier to lock up now.

I think I'm still under $5K even with all my upgrades. I cannot think of another bike out there I would investe in for the money if I could do it over.

 

[Taylor57]

I haven't been riding for the last week due to smoke but have accumulated over 1000 miles now. I just love riding this bike. A lot of that has to do with the new controller although I think most will be happy with the stock controller as they won't know what they are missing.

My biggest complaint might be the level of support from Frey, but I think my expectations may have been unrealistic. If you have a warranty issue Frey will ship you parts but you are on your own for labor and how to figure the rest out. For example, my throttle stopped working. Frey had me contact Bafang for warranty support. Bafang sent me a new throttle and wiring harness. Frey did not respond to my questions about how to rewire internally. I had to figure out on my own. So I would not recommend Frey if you want hand holding, but overall I'm happy with the bike and I'm not sure moth other online vendors really do much more than ship you parts under warranty. There are some that do like Evelo, but you pay a significant premium for it up front.

I've added few more bells and whistles to my ride:

Burley Travoy trailer. I don't use it much but when I need to haul big items it's nice to have.

TK419 GPS Tracker. I ordered this on Amazon and it's working great secured in the neck of the downtube internally wired to the battery.

Kryptonite TKO folding lock. Love this inexpensive lock from Walmart. I have it attached to my seatpost thanks to this Topeak bottle mount. So much easier to lock up now.

I think I'm still under $5K even with all my upgrades. I cannot think of another bike out there I would investe in for the money if I could do it over.

Thanks Tom, I'm not sure if I would be willing to fiddle with those issues. If I have to rely on the LBS, I will darn sure have a back-up ready to roll...

 

[Taylor57]

I haven't been riding for the last week due to smoke but have accumulated over 1000 miles now. I just love riding this bike. A lot of that has to do with the new controller although I think most will be happy with the stock controller as they won't know what they are missing.

My biggest complaint might be the level of support from Frey, but I think my expectations may have been unrealistic. If you have a warranty issue Frey will ship you parts but you are on your own for labor and how to figure the rest out. For example, my throttle stopped working. Frey had me contact Bafang for warranty support. Bafang sent me a new throttle and wiring harness. Frey did not respond to my questions about how to rewire internally. I had to figure out on my own. So I would not recommend Frey if you want hand holding, but overall I'm happy with the bike and I'm not sure most other online vendors really do much more than ship you parts under warranty. There are some that do like Evelo, but you pay a significant premium for it up front.

I've added few more bells and whistles to my ride:

Burley Travoy trailer. I don't use it much but when I need to haul big items it's nice to have.

TK419 GPS Tracker. I ordered this on Amazon and it's working great secured in the neck of the downtube internally wired to the battery.

Kryptonite TKO folding lock. Love this inexpensive lock from Walmart. I have it attached to my seatpost thanks to this Topeak bottle mount. So much easier to lock up now.

I think I'm still under $5K even with all my upgrades. I cannot think of another bike out there I would investe in for the money if I could do it over.

Did you order direct from Frey?

 

[onlineaddy]

Did you order direct from Frey?

That's the only way.