Got my 700 ST

[CrossfitCommute]

I received my 700ST this week. FedEx wouldn’t leave it without a signature and ID so I elected to reroute it and go pick it up locally instead of missing more delivery attempts.
The box was in decent enough shape. Upon unboxing everything was in perfect shape, and all hardware was easily located.
I took 3 evenings to assemble it after work. The YouTube assembly instructions were perfect for me and pretty easy to follow. I used to wrench on bikes as a kid so it was easy for me, but would be easy for anyone who views it.
Get a bike stand!!!!!! I ordered a cheap one based on the recommendation of another group member and he was right on with the stand working well.
Assembly went well and the test ride was amazing compared to the magnum premium I just sold.
That bike was also 500w but the 700 climbed the same hill at 18 mph that the magnum only managed to maintain 10mph
Looks like my bike commute will go from 55 min to 35-40 min and I’m excited about that.
I test rode it again at night and the lights are quite bright so another unexpected plus here.
Only issue is the front wheel appears to be out of true but that’s easy enough to fix.
Thanks Kevin Dugger for what seems to be a homerun for me.
I can’t believe I spent 2 grand on the magnum

 

[swwarmuth]

Glad you're enjoying it! I just hit 250 miles on my 700 ST, it's been smooth sailing. The only recommendation I have for you is to get a slap guard ASAP.

I haven't been riding off-road at all (just a few potholes here and there) and the chain has bounced down to make 10+ tiny chips in the paint. It's not that big of a deal (the frame is aluminum, so it won't rust), but something a slap guard will completely handle.

 

[gkgeiger]

Ok, so you’ve had it for a month now, give us a report. I’m about ready to order 2.

 

[krdugger]

Glad you're enjoying it! I just hit 250 miles on my 700 ST, it's been smooth sailing. The only recommendation I have for you is to get a slap guard ASAP.

I haven't been riding off-road at all (just a few potholes here and there) and the chain has bounced down to make 10+ tiny chips in the paint. It's not that big of a deal (the frame is aluminum, so it won't rust), but something a slap guard will completely handle.

I know this doesn't help you much, but we've since added these to all our bikes being made. >_<

 

[cuwatra]

Real world battery life on these?

 

[krdugger]

Real world battery life on these?

You can compare to other Geared hub motor ebikes with 14ah batteries. There should be a lot of feedback out there with that battery size. Using mostly motor, my guess would be 35 mile range. But it depends on so many factors, speed being a big one.

 

[cuwatra]

You can compare to other Geared hub motor ebikes with 14ah batteries. There should be a lot of feedback out there with that battery size. Using mostly motor, my guess would be 35 mile range. But it depends on so many factors, speed being a big one.

My friend has the bike. The battery range is quoted at up to 60 miles pedal assist or 25 miles on throttle alone, but he found that to be a little…"optimistic." He has returned from a mountainous 10-mile ride going fairly easy on the throttle/pedal assist and only had 25%-35% range left. That in itself isn’t horrible, but he also found that at the end of the ride, when he's going up the last hill to his home, he isn’t able to squeeze out the peak power of the motor anymore, getting a much lower wattage. That's a bit frustrating.

Here's my math on all of this:

1. 48V x 14Ah = 672 Wh battery.
2. 20 mph for a hour = 20 miles (his flat commute.)
3. 500W motor running for a hour = 500Wh, which means the battery is 74.4% dead (3/4) at that point.

That Shengyi motor moving this 62lb bike with any pace at all seems to kill the battery rather quickly.

 

[krdugger]

My friend has the bike. The battery range is quoted at up to 60 miles pedal assist or 25 miles on throttle alone, but he found that to be a little…"optimistic." He has returned from a mountainous 10-mile ride going fairly easy on the throttle/pedal assist with 25%-35% of range left. That in itself isn’t horrible, but he also found that at the end of the ride, when he's going up the last hill to his home, he isn’t able to squeeze out the peak power of the motor anymore, getting a much lower wattage. This thing is drinking power.

Here's my math on all of this:

48V x 14Ah = 672 Wh battery.
20 mph for a hour = 20 miles (his commute) and 500W motor running for a hour = 500Wh, which means the battery is 74.4% dead (3/4) at that point. That Shengyi motor moving this 62lb bike with any pace at all kills the battery rather quickly.

Shocking, I know.

Well, mountainous mileage is a completely different animal. I can drive my car up a hill and only achieve 25% of my potential mileage. So that kind of range going up a hill a 20 mph plus isn't too shocking. It really doesn't drain juice faster than other geared hub motor bikes to be perfectly honest. Rad uses shengyi motors, but they are direct drive motors, which are slightly less efficient.

 

[cuwatra]

Well, mountainous mileage is a completely different animal. I can drive my car up a hill and only achieve 25% of my potential mileage. So that kind of range going up a hill a 20 mph plus isn't too shocking. It really doesn't drain juice faster than other geared hub motor bikes to be perfectly honest. Rad uses shengyi motors, but they are direct drive motors, which are slightly less efficient.

OK, but the hilly ride was just one example I mentioned. The commute he does is mostly flat and, bottom line, he is reporting range anxiety.

Also, RAD actually uses 750W brushless Bafang geared hub motors with 80 Nm of torque, and a 5:1 planetary gear reduction in most of their models. The City model has a gearless direct drive Shengyi.

 

[krdugger]

OK, but the hilly ride was just one example I mentioned. The commute he does is mostly flat and, bottom line, he is reporting range anxiety.

Also, RAD actually uses 750W brushless Bafang geared hub motors with 80 Nm of torque, and a 5:1 planetary gear reduction in most of their models. Only the City model has a gearless direct drive Shengyi.

No one wants range anxiety! >_< 14ah is generally a good amount though for round trip commutes under 35 miles. It just depends on your use. How you ride, tire PSI, winds/hills, speed, and amount of pedal input. Lower speeds make a significant difference in the range. You can see your live Watt output when riding; much live viewing your live MPG in a car.
Rad uses the shengyi motor on their City, rad wagon, and city step-thru. Shengyi's planetary geared hub motor efficiency is inline with the efficiency of bafangs planetary geared hub motor.

 

[Lemond]

After 45-47 semi-hilly miles (2 round trips commuting) with my XR, I have about 15-20% battery left. Elevation drops about 300 feet one way, and thus increases 300 feet on the way home. That is in assist level 5, with me pedaling but not pushing overly hard. 150 pound rider with about 10 pounds of gear (tools, lock, clothes, etc).

I only rarely use the throttle, maybe just for a boost at traffic lights.