philip delaquess
New Member
Hello Everybody,
My friend, the eBike enthusiast/evangelist, organized a group eBike ride for a charity auction. The hour I spent on his iZip Moda convinced me that, yes, if I bought one of these expensive toys, I really would commute to work on it.
A few weeks later, I bought an iZip Dash. Soon after, I christened it "Wrist Rocket" because it flies like a rocket and it hurts my wrists.
After about 100 painful miles on the iZip, I took it back to the shop and traded it (and some extra $$$) for an E-Lux Malibu. THIS one is more like it! I call it "The Tank" because it weighs about half a ton. It has big fat tires, suspension fork, suspension seat post, laid-back riding posture, and a 14 amp-hour battery to fuel its 500-watt hub motor. I have been commuting to work on it whenever I can since the middle of August, plus a couple of recreational rides, and have clocked over 360 miles already. I did a 30-mile ride on a flattish rail trail on assist level 3 (out of 5), averaging about 15 mph, and got home without dipping into the last 20 percent of the battery. My round trip to work is only 12 miles, so I can blast back and forth at 20 mph with plenty of juice to spare.
What I like: It's very comfortable. It's fast! Although only a Class 1 (nominally 20mph assist) it goes 22 or 23 on the flats without any help from me, and downhill with a head of steam I've seen it reach closer to 30. It's very stable and predictable at that speed. The brakes are awesome. The throttle is a great way to launch quickly from a stoplight in traffic. I can plug my iPhone into the USB port to stay charged up while running my GPS app.
What I don't like so much: I preferred the mid drive on my Wrist Rocket, because on a steep climb you can gear down and rev up the motor. The simple cadence-sensing controller is rather surge-y; the motor is either on or off, and when it's on, it has a speed it wants to go at. These are minor quibbles; my daily commute doesn't have any *really* steep hills, and when I'm riding solo I'm happy to go as fast as the motor wants to. Still, someday, I may want to trade up to something with a torque-sensing controller.
For daily commuting, this bike is a game changer. I finally found a way to get to work that I like better than driving. I'm outside in the fresh air, working my muscles (a little), no noise, no fumes, just a few cents worth of electricity. Good for my body, good for my soul, good for the planet. What's not to like?
Philip
My friend, the eBike enthusiast/evangelist, organized a group eBike ride for a charity auction. The hour I spent on his iZip Moda convinced me that, yes, if I bought one of these expensive toys, I really would commute to work on it.
A few weeks later, I bought an iZip Dash. Soon after, I christened it "Wrist Rocket" because it flies like a rocket and it hurts my wrists.
After about 100 painful miles on the iZip, I took it back to the shop and traded it (and some extra $$$) for an E-Lux Malibu. THIS one is more like it! I call it "The Tank" because it weighs about half a ton. It has big fat tires, suspension fork, suspension seat post, laid-back riding posture, and a 14 amp-hour battery to fuel its 500-watt hub motor. I have been commuting to work on it whenever I can since the middle of August, plus a couple of recreational rides, and have clocked over 360 miles already. I did a 30-mile ride on a flattish rail trail on assist level 3 (out of 5), averaging about 15 mph, and got home without dipping into the last 20 percent of the battery. My round trip to work is only 12 miles, so I can blast back and forth at 20 mph with plenty of juice to spare.
What I like: It's very comfortable. It's fast! Although only a Class 1 (nominally 20mph assist) it goes 22 or 23 on the flats without any help from me, and downhill with a head of steam I've seen it reach closer to 30. It's very stable and predictable at that speed. The brakes are awesome. The throttle is a great way to launch quickly from a stoplight in traffic. I can plug my iPhone into the USB port to stay charged up while running my GPS app.
What I don't like so much: I preferred the mid drive on my Wrist Rocket, because on a steep climb you can gear down and rev up the motor. The simple cadence-sensing controller is rather surge-y; the motor is either on or off, and when it's on, it has a speed it wants to go at. These are minor quibbles; my daily commute doesn't have any *really* steep hills, and when I'm riding solo I'm happy to go as fast as the motor wants to. Still, someday, I may want to trade up to something with a torque-sensing controller.
For daily commuting, this bike is a game changer. I finally found a way to get to work that I like better than driving. I'm outside in the fresh air, working my muscles (a little), no noise, no fumes, just a few cents worth of electricity. Good for my body, good for my soul, good for the planet. What's not to like?
Philip
