XyloSesame
New Member
My wife just bought a Giant Lafree and I'm in the market for a PAS as well to keep up with her. I'm a few years shy of 50, around 5' 11", weigh in at 230#, and have been fairly inactive for the past 4-5 years (though I've never been perfectly fit). I rode both distance and flatland BMX as a youth through young adult, so I'm comfortable on two wheels. My goal is to commute 2mi one-way to work, grocery store and errands, and fitness and fun. I hope, once on a PAS, my wife and I will both extend our range and be in the saddle as much as possible. Two bikes is a fairly major investment for my family, but I don't want to buy something less than what I need; I'd love to stay under $4k if possible, but my taste seems to run nearer to $5k :/
While my wife was test riding, I had the opportunity to ride a few, too. My experience on these bikes didn't match what I expected after reading the forums and watching (too many) review videos, so I'm a bit confused...
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Trek Supercommuter 8S
The LBS only had a size large, but the seat at it's lowest was a good fit. The ride was phenomenal. I felt safe at high speeds and felt like it cornered and handled with confidence and ease. At low RPM, I could feel the Bosch assist kick in and at mid-speed it sometimes felt like it was taking over, but assumed this would be an easy adjustment that I would soon not even notice. The price of the Supercommuter is hard to swallow, for sure; comparing it to other online models, I'm still not sure why it is priced at $4,800 on sale.
Trek Verve
I think the Supercommuter skewed my view of this bike, but I was a bit unimpressed...
Townie, Loft, Pedego, Day6
The Electra Loft was like floating on wheels. But the 'relaxed' pedal-forward ride is not my cuppa.
Giant Quick E
I didn't really even notice the Yamaha SyncDrive, it was just easier to get up to speed and maintain; something about the motor's curve/tuning made it effortless at low speeds. Compared with the Supercommuter's Bosch, it was invisible and I preferred it's method. However, something about the ride or my posture made me feel less stable than the Supercommuter. I initially thought it was the bars, but after researching, I see they are identical to the Supercommuter.
Giant Road E
Still thinking the bars were my issue with the Quick, I asked about drops. I wasn't looking for a road bike, but my LBS suggested I try the Road E to get a feel for the Toughroad since they didn't have on in store. As with the Quick-E, I didn't even notice the SyncDrive, it was just easy. Too easy, as I quickly reached 25mph and never once felt the motor increase or reduce. The handling was like no other PAS I had ridden, the shifting was decisive and smooth, and I felt like I could take on anything. I'm not opposed to a road bike, but it wasn't in my initial thoughts; it doesn't check as many commuter boxes, is a bit more bike than I had envisioned or need, and is over my budget. But man, that ride was simply amazing.
Giant ToughRoad E
Unfortunately, this was not in store for me to ride. Comparing the geometry and style, it seems like this bike may be closer to a Quick with drops than a Road with larger tires. My LBS thought it would be a perfect middle-ground between the Quick and Road.
Trek Crossrip+
After riding the Road-E, I went back to my Trek shop and asked about the Crossrip; it looks to be a perfect bike to compare. No one has it, and no one was able to provide anything to help me guess the ride. Understandable, but unsatisfying as I had hoped there would be a Road/Toughroad type comparison to be had with Trek.
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Here's what I don't get: on the Giant models, I felt better with drop bars. My body position felt similar on both Giants, but having my elbows tucked seemed more stable. This is contrary to what I have read and what the LBS expected. I know this is all subjective, but there's still a disconnect in the logic side of my brain. Is it possible I was fitted wrong on the Quick and should have been more upright? I didn't have this issue on the Supercommuter and I'm not sure why.
Can anyone comment on the Road vs Toughroad? Is riding a Road similar enough to make the decision to buy a Toughroad?
There is a local IZIP retailer that I haven't visited. Should I add them to my schedule?
I would prefer to support my LBS, but are there any models online that can somewhat directly compare to what I have ridden?
Any help would be appreciated, and thanks!
While my wife was test riding, I had the opportunity to ride a few, too. My experience on these bikes didn't match what I expected after reading the forums and watching (too many) review videos, so I'm a bit confused...
-----
Trek Supercommuter 8S
The LBS only had a size large, but the seat at it's lowest was a good fit. The ride was phenomenal. I felt safe at high speeds and felt like it cornered and handled with confidence and ease. At low RPM, I could feel the Bosch assist kick in and at mid-speed it sometimes felt like it was taking over, but assumed this would be an easy adjustment that I would soon not even notice. The price of the Supercommuter is hard to swallow, for sure; comparing it to other online models, I'm still not sure why it is priced at $4,800 on sale.
Trek Verve
I think the Supercommuter skewed my view of this bike, but I was a bit unimpressed...
Townie, Loft, Pedego, Day6
The Electra Loft was like floating on wheels. But the 'relaxed' pedal-forward ride is not my cuppa.
Giant Quick E
I didn't really even notice the Yamaha SyncDrive, it was just easier to get up to speed and maintain; something about the motor's curve/tuning made it effortless at low speeds. Compared with the Supercommuter's Bosch, it was invisible and I preferred it's method. However, something about the ride or my posture made me feel less stable than the Supercommuter. I initially thought it was the bars, but after researching, I see they are identical to the Supercommuter.
Giant Road E
Still thinking the bars were my issue with the Quick, I asked about drops. I wasn't looking for a road bike, but my LBS suggested I try the Road E to get a feel for the Toughroad since they didn't have on in store. As with the Quick-E, I didn't even notice the SyncDrive, it was just easy. Too easy, as I quickly reached 25mph and never once felt the motor increase or reduce. The handling was like no other PAS I had ridden, the shifting was decisive and smooth, and I felt like I could take on anything. I'm not opposed to a road bike, but it wasn't in my initial thoughts; it doesn't check as many commuter boxes, is a bit more bike than I had envisioned or need, and is over my budget. But man, that ride was simply amazing.
Giant ToughRoad E
Unfortunately, this was not in store for me to ride. Comparing the geometry and style, it seems like this bike may be closer to a Quick with drops than a Road with larger tires. My LBS thought it would be a perfect middle-ground between the Quick and Road.
Trek Crossrip+
After riding the Road-E, I went back to my Trek shop and asked about the Crossrip; it looks to be a perfect bike to compare. No one has it, and no one was able to provide anything to help me guess the ride. Understandable, but unsatisfying as I had hoped there would be a Road/Toughroad type comparison to be had with Trek.
-----
Here's what I don't get: on the Giant models, I felt better with drop bars. My body position felt similar on both Giants, but having my elbows tucked seemed more stable. This is contrary to what I have read and what the LBS expected. I know this is all subjective, but there's still a disconnect in the logic side of my brain. Is it possible I was fitted wrong on the Quick and should have been more upright? I didn't have this issue on the Supercommuter and I'm not sure why.
Can anyone comment on the Road vs Toughroad? Is riding a Road similar enough to make the decision to buy a Toughroad?
There is a local IZIP retailer that I haven't visited. Should I add them to my schedule?
I would prefer to support my LBS, but are there any models online that can somewhat directly compare to what I have ridden?
Any help would be appreciated, and thanks!
