Hi all, thought i'd share a mini review since I own both.
Purchase price of the bikes were 1199 + tax.
Flow has 200 miles.
Sport has 11 miles. (edit, now 40 miles, did 30 more miles after i typed this up)
Thought i'd share for all you value buyers. I did research and as of 9/5 espins bikes at 1199 are the only bikes i'm aware of that have hydraulic brakes under 1500. Nearly everything is close enough the same, but most bikes with hydraulic brakes are over 1500 with similar specs. That was the main reason why I bought the ESPIN bikes.
Anyway, my flow now goes to my wife. As I wanted the sport b/c it goes a little faster (maybe)
For reference I"m 5'7 and wife is 5'1. We're both in decent shape. I'm at 155bs. Live in the SF peninsula bay area on top of a hill.
I got my sport this past weekend, built it up and have ridden it for about 11 miles as of this post.
The biggest difference is the frame flex.
For non bike people, the flow can feel a bit more wobbly at high speeds if you make quick adjustments.
The Sport is more ridged. It feels like a Sports car vs a SUV in terms of handling. Will most people notice the difference? Will people care?
I don't really think so. IMO, this is a non issue for most riders out there. (Just like how handling is very low on the list of things people look at closely when buying a car)
My wife just wants an ebike, so instead getting a 2nd flow, I wanted something just a little faster.
I frequently ride at/above 20mph and within the first few miles so I noticed the frame flex. (But that's pretty common with all step-through bikes from what i read)
Everyone else that's tried my Flow ebike hasn't mentioned a thing about frame flex.
Flow Pros:
The flow is comfy right off the bat once you assemble it.
The Sport was not comfy until I spent 30 minutes making adjustments to the angles of the handle bar.
Now that i'm sitting more upright on my sport, it's just as comfy as the Flow....but it did require work.
I really liked the step through of the flow. Although all my bikes in the past have been step-overs, it's nice not having to worry about your jewels.
I also really like the curved handle bars of the flow. Once I got used to it, it feels much more ergonomic than the straight bars. Nothing needed adjustments for me on the flow. My wrist never is sore after 30+ miles on the flow, where as the sport, i need to adjust my grips.
So what do I like about the sport more than the flow?
Speed. I know their the same motor and all the parts are the same, but I think i'm going 2-3mph faster in the same spots. I just came home from a hill I usually go up 15mph on my flow. I was able to hit 18mph on my Sport. I don't think I ever hit that 18mph on the hill in the flow in my 200 miles riding.
I have no equipment and no care to measure the speed, but the sport feels or is faster than the flow.
PAS seems more aggressive. 1 goes up to 12 mph...flow goes up to 8mph.
Flame flex is definitely less.
Sport is class 3 and i feel the assist over 25mph where as the flow I don't.
Matte paint looks good on both bikes, but that Blue is fire.
Issues with bikes:
My back fender was damaged on shipping for the Sport. Notice it's not in the picture. Let's see how many days Espin will take to send me a new one. As of right now they are waiting for parts and it is day 5 since we contacted them. I want fenders because I will use the bike as a commuter.
Batteries not FULLY flush with both frames. (Not that noticable from 3ft away)
Same instruction booklet for both bikes...no difference.
Both bikes had deraileur guards that needed to be slightly bent in order to go on the 7th and 8th gear.
What I like best about my ebikes?
They're good ebikes and that's it. The 5 gears are sufficient. I think anything more would be just a pain in the ass to adjust. I know some people want a 9 PAS bike and that but less is more in my case.
I've ridden a $3k pedego, and I truthfully can't tell you much about torque sensors, cadence sensors, nominal wattage or all that stuff. The Espin feels just as good as the 3K pedego bike I rented.
I have no issues not being able to customize my PAS. I routinely ride next to 40mph+ traffic on some roads in the and these bikes make me feel like i'm going at a safe enough speed. They both ride well, both have enough power and feel good.
How to make these bikes better?
I feel that 8 speed bikes should start on gear 4 and go to 12.
Usually I am in 6 to 8. So whatever ratios or any of that stuff, i'm not familiar with, but I rarely use 1-3 on the shifters.
Buy a flow if....
you don't care about going fast and want a nice ride, or have any issues getting on/off bike.
Buy a sport if...
You consistently go over 15mph.
That's it from me.
Feel free to ask me questions and stuff if you want advice on making a purchase. Hope it helps you with making a $$$ purchase.
Purchase price of the bikes were 1199 + tax.
Flow has 200 miles.
Sport has 11 miles. (edit, now 40 miles, did 30 more miles after i typed this up)
Thought i'd share for all you value buyers. I did research and as of 9/5 espins bikes at 1199 are the only bikes i'm aware of that have hydraulic brakes under 1500. Nearly everything is close enough the same, but most bikes with hydraulic brakes are over 1500 with similar specs. That was the main reason why I bought the ESPIN bikes.
Anyway, my flow now goes to my wife. As I wanted the sport b/c it goes a little faster (maybe)
For reference I"m 5'7 and wife is 5'1. We're both in decent shape. I'm at 155bs. Live in the SF peninsula bay area on top of a hill.
I got my sport this past weekend, built it up and have ridden it for about 11 miles as of this post.
The biggest difference is the frame flex.
For non bike people, the flow can feel a bit more wobbly at high speeds if you make quick adjustments.
The Sport is more ridged. It feels like a Sports car vs a SUV in terms of handling. Will most people notice the difference? Will people care?
I don't really think so. IMO, this is a non issue for most riders out there. (Just like how handling is very low on the list of things people look at closely when buying a car)
My wife just wants an ebike, so instead getting a 2nd flow, I wanted something just a little faster.
I frequently ride at/above 20mph and within the first few miles so I noticed the frame flex. (But that's pretty common with all step-through bikes from what i read)
Everyone else that's tried my Flow ebike hasn't mentioned a thing about frame flex.
Flow Pros:
The flow is comfy right off the bat once you assemble it.
The Sport was not comfy until I spent 30 minutes making adjustments to the angles of the handle bar.
Now that i'm sitting more upright on my sport, it's just as comfy as the Flow....but it did require work.
I really liked the step through of the flow. Although all my bikes in the past have been step-overs, it's nice not having to worry about your jewels.
I also really like the curved handle bars of the flow. Once I got used to it, it feels much more ergonomic than the straight bars. Nothing needed adjustments for me on the flow. My wrist never is sore after 30+ miles on the flow, where as the sport, i need to adjust my grips.
So what do I like about the sport more than the flow?
Speed. I know their the same motor and all the parts are the same, but I think i'm going 2-3mph faster in the same spots. I just came home from a hill I usually go up 15mph on my flow. I was able to hit 18mph on my Sport. I don't think I ever hit that 18mph on the hill in the flow in my 200 miles riding.
I have no equipment and no care to measure the speed, but the sport feels or is faster than the flow.
PAS seems more aggressive. 1 goes up to 12 mph...flow goes up to 8mph.
Flame flex is definitely less.
Sport is class 3 and i feel the assist over 25mph where as the flow I don't.
Matte paint looks good on both bikes, but that Blue is fire.
Issues with bikes:
My back fender was damaged on shipping for the Sport. Notice it's not in the picture. Let's see how many days Espin will take to send me a new one. As of right now they are waiting for parts and it is day 5 since we contacted them. I want fenders because I will use the bike as a commuter.
Batteries not FULLY flush with both frames. (Not that noticable from 3ft away)
Same instruction booklet for both bikes...no difference.
Both bikes had deraileur guards that needed to be slightly bent in order to go on the 7th and 8th gear.
What I like best about my ebikes?
They're good ebikes and that's it. The 5 gears are sufficient. I think anything more would be just a pain in the ass to adjust. I know some people want a 9 PAS bike and that but less is more in my case.
I've ridden a $3k pedego, and I truthfully can't tell you much about torque sensors, cadence sensors, nominal wattage or all that stuff. The Espin feels just as good as the 3K pedego bike I rented.
I have no issues not being able to customize my PAS. I routinely ride next to 40mph+ traffic on some roads in the and these bikes make me feel like i'm going at a safe enough speed. They both ride well, both have enough power and feel good.
How to make these bikes better?
I feel that 8 speed bikes should start on gear 4 and go to 12.
Usually I am in 6 to 8. So whatever ratios or any of that stuff, i'm not familiar with, but I rarely use 1-3 on the shifters.
Buy a flow if....
you don't care about going fast and want a nice ride, or have any issues getting on/off bike.
Buy a sport if...
You consistently go over 15mph.
That's it from me.
Feel free to ask me questions and stuff if you want advice on making a purchase. Hope it helps you with making a $$$ purchase.
Last edited:
