I demo'd a Specialized Vado and loved it, what other bikes should I try before spending $3K-$5K?

[dollarbin]

Hey everyone,

I have a 15 mile commute from Mountain View to Newark, CA. Mostly flat, the only real hill is the Dumbarton Bridge, and with pretty good bike lanes or trails most of the way, but a few short stretches of dirt or poor pavement along the way.

Speed is essential, I'm trying to shave as much time off a regular bike commute as possible. I was able to ride at maximum boost on a Vado 3.0 all the way with about 20-40% of the battery remaining and I have charging at both ends. If I go with the Specialized I'm thinking 'd probably end up with the 5.0 to maximize cruising speed.

What other Class 3 commute bikes should I try that would allow me to go like a demon for 15 miles twice a day?

 

[Horseshoe]

I am very impressed with the Izip Moda (same as Raleigh Redux) that I picked up in May. So much so that I am picking up a second for my wife tomorrow. This is a well specd bike that has the feeling of a tool vs a toy. Comes with fenders and integrated lights. I can maintain 23-25 without breaking a sweat (in Phoenix!) and 28 with work. I generally recharge at 30 miles, with 40% capacity remaining.

The Moda seems to be fazed out for this year and they are getting hard to find, but if you do, bargains can be had. I paid 1999 for each of mine, with a retail of 3000-3700.

Enjoy, whatever you end up with! Ebikes are such a game changer.

 

[dollarbin]

Thanks for the suggestion. Fenders and integrated lights are a definite plus for year round usage so that I can still ride in the dark and rainy months.

 

[linklemming]

If speed is your top priority, definately check out the Juiced CCX or CCS2.

I have a CCX as well as the previously mentioned Moda and the CCX is way faster and requires alot less effort. The CCX battery has twice the capacity of the Moda as well.

 

[mbouck]

I researched commuter rigs pretty extensively before I pulled the trigger. I ended up getting a Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra 1000 with a 29" x 3" wheelset (which I mounted Maxxis Hookworms to). After some fairly simple tweaks I have a poor man's Riese & Müller Charger. Well, not really "poor man's", but I saved myself $2K easily and ended up with an arguably superior setup. I'd take a look at Bafang M620 (a.k.a. "Ultra" or "Ultra Max") bikes - this is a beast of a motor and has torque sensing with throttle.

 

[Alaskan]

With the speed and distance you plan to regularly travel, and the added power you will be applying at full assist through to the gearing, I would suggest looking at an internally geared rear hub and a carbon belt drive. This would eliminate the need for regular chain cleaning, lubrication and replacement. I would guess that chain replacement would need to be done about every 1,200 miles. The chain is the weak link (please forgive the pun). The rear cassette will also wear out faster with a good ebike regularly ridden hard at full assist, likely needing replacement every 2,500-3,000 miles. This may seem like an extreme replacement schedule but you are planning on riding fast with considerable added effort and torque from the motor on a drive train designed for human power only.

A Rohloff internally geared rear hub, belt driven will take you north of the $5,000 mark up front but will help you avoid fussing with the drive train and having to change chains and cassettes. This will offset the added cost. I am confident you would find that added investment well worth it, if it would still be affordable for you. Other internally geared hubs, like Vario/Nuvinci/ Shimano Alfine, etc have not proven to be as durable as the Rohloff for this kind of use.

I suggest you look into Wattwagon which is a very well speced new bike with lots of discussion on this forum that has the Rohloff/belt drive train. Riese & Muller makes several very nice bikes that offer that option. Most others are only available in Europe or are totally custom builds.

I suggest you test ride a Riese & Muller Nevo GX Rohloff HS. They retail around $7,500 but come quite complete with excellent lighting, fenders, a frame integrated rack front and rear, front air suspension and suspension seat post and a lock with key matching the battery lock. An integrated, second, 500 watt battery is optional. The comfort, durability, ride quality, component choice would be a step above most others and cost accordingly. There is a great review of the bike done by Court, our forum host https://electricbikereview.com/riese-muller/nevo-gx-rohloff/

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Damn, I do love the Nevos. How good are they going to look with the new smaller motor?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

What other Class 3 commute bikes should I try that would allow me to go like a demon for 15 miles twice a day?

For your budget, I would look at:

Redux iE

The Class 3 Redux iE gets things done. Built on a sleek aluminum frame with internal cable routing, this e-bike is powered by a Bosch Performance Line Speed motor and a semi-integrated 500Wh battery. The new Bosch Kiox on-board computer provides ride data

www.raleighusa.com

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Alaskan]

Damn, I do love the Nevos. How good are they going to look with the new smaller motor?

Dave it looks like we'll have to wait till at least 2021 to see them as Riese & Muller just redesigned the frame for the stealthier power tube battery and is not going to change to the smaller motor in 2020.

They show the 2020 Nevo in minute 3:25 of this video and it does not appear much changed, if at all, nor does the Homage. However the new "Super Delight" looks fantastic.

 

[dollarbin]

I suggest you test ride a Riese & Muller Nevo GX Rohloff HS.

Holy cow, that's a good looking machine. R&M dealers are not well distributed, I suppose I'm lucky that the closest one to me (New Wheel on Cortland) is only 30 miles away. Might be worth the trip up to San Francisco to try one out.

 

[jim6b]

Holy cow, that's a good looking machine. R&M dealers are not well distributed, I suppose I'm lucky that the closest one to me (New Wheel on Cortland) is only 30 miles away. Might be worth the trip up to San Francisco to try one out.

There went the budget.

"what other bikes should I try before spending $3K-$5K?"

 

[ChezCheese:)]

Try them all. Try every bike you can get your hands on. The one that feels best will stand out and will be the one against which you measure all the others. Don't think about the cost except in the case of the really expensive ones. If possible, don't even look at the pricetag until after you've test ridden it.

 

[dollarbin]

Hey everyone, thanks for your suggestions. I tried a lot of bikes and had a lot of fun. I thought everything with the Bosch Performance Line Speed motor (for example the Bulls Six50 E2) was plenty fast. The R&M bikes were really nice too, but ultimately a little above my price threshold for my first bike. Based upon fun and style, my final choice came down to the Stromer ST1x vs the Vado 5.0 . They're both very fast, and they're both beautiful bikes. The Stromer also had a few features I thought were really neat like the brake light and GPS tracking. I would have been happy with either bike but ultimately went with the Specialized because the dealer I bought it from is much much much closer to my house and I've owned two Specialized regular bikes in the past and I've always liked the brand.

Thanks again, I'll see you on the road!

 

[Dionigi]

Holy cow, that's a good looking machine. R&M dealers are not well distributed, I suppose I'm lucky that the closest one to me (New Wheel on Cortland) is only 30 miles away. Might be worth the trip up to San Francisco to try one out.

There is a dealer in Santa Cruz.