Hello from Warsaw

Welcome to the forum!

Is your bike an e-bike? Or will the one for your wife be the first one in your family?

There are lots of good reviews here, but many of us feel one of the most important things to look for is a good local bike shop that can support you. An e-bike often needs a lot more service than a regular bike.
 
It will be first one in our family :) I am using Kettler with Gates belt (Alfine 8). Right now she is using Giant AluLite.
For her we are thinking of the Stromer ST2 (2017) bicycle.
 
I've heard great things about Stromer, especially for those in Europe. There have been some rumors about their North American distribution having some issues. Here in Montreal we have one (I think only) dealer for Stromer and I've looked at them (and drooled about them). Pretty amazing bikes but also quite expensive.
 
Archie said:
I will try to change your opinion about Poles talking about e-bikes - when I buy it :)
Click to expand...
I am just teasing of course. Stefan Mikes is a wealth of knowledge regarding e-bikes, and a highly contributing member of these forums.

The only place where we have ever disagreed is that he doesn't much like the aesthetics of Haibikes, where (as one with Czech heritage instead) I love them.

I'm really surprised he hasn't posted here yet, but he must be out riding his newest e-bike!
 
Hi @Archie,
We must be neighbours. First advice: Never ever buy a Stromer, especially an old model. Depending on your wife's needs, think Giant, the store at Bartoka being the cult site. I can say a word or two about other brands available in Poland and of several LBS as well.
(Możemy pogadać prywatnie).

@TMH, it's not I'm against Haibike. I simply don't like their looks 😃 For example, if Archie, for example, needs an S-Pedelec there are only the Specialized Turbo Vado 6.0 and the Haibike Sduro Trekking S 8.0 readily available and supported in Poland, and which both are street legal here. Stromer isn't. Haibike has attractive prices. It really depends on Artur needs.
 
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@TMH - Oops, I didn't catch the joke :)
@Stefan Mikes - Thanks for the advice. Making a bike reaserch for my wife, Stromer (in my opinion) looked great and it fell right into the top three. I am happy to talk about bicycles with my neighbor :), especially since Haibike SDURO Trekking S 8.0 is in the top three :)
 
@Archie, are you planning to buy an unused (new old stock) Stromer or a used one? Here are some points to consider:
  • Stromer e-bikes are not street legal in Poland, due to the excessive speed and lack of certification.
  • Stromer e-bikes are very heavy, especially because of very heavy Direct Drive hub motor
  • Getting a technical support on Stromer in Poland is problematic, or I might be wrong?
  • If this is an used e-bike, expect the battery to be in bad health. A new custom battery costs a fortune
  • Don't expect smartphone connectivity -- Stromers experience problems with that, especially on the 2017 model.
Now, there's a question if you're looking for a speed e-bike (the 45 km/h one) or a regular one (a 25 km/h with possible de-restriction).

Legally:
The 45 km/h Euro e-bike (L1e-B class) cannot be legally ridden on bike paths but only on public roads. You need to register and insure such an e-bike (I did it for my 45 km/h Turbo Vado). Or, your wife can pretend it is a regular e-bike (although the registration plate support better be removed but that would invalidate the warranty).

Or,
I am aware we Poles hate the 25 km/h restriction but would love to ride an e-bike. Get your wife one of the Bosch Gen 2 or Shimano or Yamaha (some Haibike/Giant SyncDrive) or Brose/Specialized mid-drive motor 25 km/h e-bike. There are de-restriction devices available; some of them can be mounted externally so they wouldn't invalidate the warranty.

But the Stromer? Oh, no. Electric bikes are far more complex than the traditional ones. Things break. Motors do break. Electronic problems happen. You need to have a strong Local Bike Store authorized to do the repairs, solid and dependable.

My own experience is:
  • Lovelec Diadem 2019, made by the company in Cesky Tesin with the Polish office in Cieszyn. It's a rear hub-drive motor unrestricted e-bike. You just ride it and it easily exceeds 30 km/h; it can be restricted by a menu option. Sold directly by Lovelec.pl and by MocneRowery.pl Besides, MocneRowery also carry Haibike. I rode 2269 km so far. When I needed any spare part, Lovelec were sending it to me, and the bike is serviced locally (on the mechanical side) in my little town.
  • A New Old Stock 2017 Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0, a 45 km/h street legal e-bike, registered and insured. By the way, don't buy Trek or Specialized e-bikes from skleprowerowy.pl They are terrible. There are far better dealers outside Warsaw.
  • A 2020 Giant Trance E+2 Pro e-MTB bought and serviced by Bikeman, the Ursynów LBS. Fantastic service! I ride the bike restricted as I don't need more speed off-road.
Hope that helps.
 
It is not so easy to buy a good and reliable e-bike in Poland, Artur. The key-point is the post-sales and warranty service. You wouldn't like to buy an e-bike and then to learn the manufacturer went belly-up, would you? Friends here say: The Big Three: Specialized, Giant, Trek. I would add Haibike, Merida and perhaps BH to the list. We are both now having a private conversation, so you'll likely avoid making mistakes.

Ride on!
 
Archie,

The Haibike Trekking 8.0 appears to my eye to be a gorgeous e-bike. I fairly recently purchased a Trekking 7.0 and was so happy with that bike's design, comfort, efficiency and performance that I purchased a second one for my wife. Although the integrated 'PowerTube' battery on the Trekking 8.0 is beautifully integrated into the bike frame and gives a more pleasing overall appearance, we have other bikes which use the older on-top-of-the-frame mounted Bosch 'PowerPack'. So for our Trekking 7.0's we already have spare batteries we could carry in our panniers if ever needed for extra-long rides. I also appreciate the excellent torque and the tuning possibilities on the Bosch motor as Stefan Mikes discussed above. In the U.S. we don't have legal restrictions to ride e-bikes up to 45km/h on the streets.

I believe that if your wife could test ride the Trekking 8.0 she would be very pleased with it.
 
Success. The bicycle search is over. The choice: Giant Explore E + 0. The bike has arrived, and thanks to Stefan's help, it was assembled and prepared for the first ride. Stefan's knowledge and professional, hardware preparation made a great impression. In addition, we have got gifts (pedals and a saddle) from Stefan, which were immediately installed and tested. Thanks Stefan. Thank you for all your advice and suggestions:) The wife's first ride impressions were enthusiastic. Giant_Explore_E__0_Pro_STA_navy_blue_metallic_blue[1920x1920].jpg
104112721_569460120438415_7271061506450375125_n.jpg
 
Archie said:
Success. The bicycle search is over. The choice: Giant Explore E + 0. The bike has arrived, and thanks to Stefan's help, it was assembled and prepared for the first ride. Stefan's knowledge and professional, hardware preparation made a great impression. In addition, we have got gifts (pedals and a saddle) from Stefan, which were immediately installed and tested. Thanks Stefan. Thank you for all your advice and suggestions:) The wife's first ride impressions were enthusiastic.View attachment 56110 View attachment 56111
Click to expand...
Congratulations!!!!!!

Please tell us more about your new bike... is it a 2020 model or 2019? Have you got a link to the specs on it? That's a model which is not available in Canada (or the US I believe) and if I'm correct, it's a much higher spec model than the 2019 Explore E+1 GTS that I have. I came across the specs once, and remember feeling very disappointed that I wasn't able to buy one.

Ride in good health!

(And Kudos to Stefan for his help to you!)
 
Archie said:
Success. The bicycle search is over. The choice: Giant Explore E + 0. The bike has arrived, and thanks to Stefan's help, it was assembled and prepared for the first ride. Stefan's knowledge and professional, hardware preparation made a great impression. In addition, we have got gifts (pedals and a saddle) from Stefan, which were immediately installed and tested. Thanks Stefan. Thank you for all your advice and suggestions:) The wife's first ride impressions were enthusiastic.View attachment 56110 View attachment 56111
Click to expand...
That's a beautiful bike. Congrats!
 
Archie said:
Thank you @Mtl_Biker :) This is a link to the specs (English version): http://www.bikester.co.uk/giant-explore-e-0-pro-sta-navy-bluemetallic-blue-1077029.html
Click to expand...
Oooh, that's a great looking bike with great specifications!! I'm jealous! It's a real shame that Giant decided not to bring the E+0 to North America. I see that for 200 Euros more, there is also a 625 Wh version. Now that would be really wonderful.

The best bike in the Explore E+ range that they brought into North America was the 2019 E+1. The 2020 models are (in my opinion) inferior in many ways. Other than of course for the E+0 you have.
 
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