In the beginning, and desire...

[pcrdude]

Hi everyone, this is my first post. Way back in the beginning (sort of) of the eBike, there was the Currie US-Pro Drive (USPD) circa 1999. Being a gadget-guy, I was intrigued. I had a Trek 820 aluminum mountain bike with decent (for the time) specs. A 28 pound, 24 speed entry level bike, that was really fun to ride. I bought the USPD, and discovered that my spoke pattern didn't match, so I bought a new rear wheel with the proper spoke pattern, thinking I could switch out back wheels to get the bike totally back to stock if I wanted. The system used a 350 watt (rated), MAC motor with a secondary chain. SLA 24V 12AH battery pack was heavy, but lithium wasn't around then. The bike was a blast to ride, and served me well for a few years.

Then, in 2003, I got a MRSA bone infection, was in the hospital for a month, had a hip replacement and parked the bike. I pulled it out two weeks ago, removed the battery pack, and got the bike road worthy for pedal only (with the MAC-Can still attached). First ride was 3.4 miles, and I did 7.5 miles the following week. Not bad for a 50 year old @ 6'2" and about 220, and not having been on a bicycle for over a decade.

My replacement SLA batteries should arrive today ($50 total cost), and I shall see if the old USPD still works. I inquired on ES about upgrading to a 24v 10ah water-bottle style lithium pack (around $200 from golden motor), but someone posted that the new technology would make it sorta dumb to put any more money into the old Trek/USPD system. So now, I'm drooling over the iZip Dash, but can't justify the expense in my mind.....



Please help... (tongue planted firmly in cheek)

 

[James]

That's an awesome old school ebike! I hope you get everything fired back up and start biking again

 

[pcrdude]

Thanks James (but you're supposed to be hoping it doesn't work, and then tell me how glorious and wonderful the new E3 Dash is).

 

[James]

Ha, ok then I take it back... I hope someone steals it!

 

[pcrdude]

Oh nooooo, I emailed Chris at LI-electric bikes, and he tempting me......

{must not succumb to the desire, my homeowners insurance is due}....

:-/

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Wow...
That's a nostalgic bike

 

[pcrdude]

Thanks Ravi!

You're telling me that my ancient ebike is unsafe, so I need to buy a Dash....

Right?

 

[James]

That's what I'm hearing!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Thanks Ravi!

You're telling me that my ancient ebike is unsafe, so I need to buy a Dash....

Right?

If you haven't ridden, I think it's prudent to test ride couple of new ebikes like Stromer, Currie and easy motion. They are absolute delight to ride.

At $2600, dash is a great bike. A lot of them on this forum own that bike. I'm sure you'll love any of these.

 

[pcrdude]

Good advice!

Spec for spec, the Dash really fits the bill (on paper). Unfortunately, no shops near me have a Dash with which to compare, although there are some others...

And, my SLA batteries were not on my porch when I got home, so I have to wait and see if my ancient ebike even works....

Is it wrong if I secretly hope it doesn't?

 

[DashRiprock]

If you haven't ridden, I think it's prudent to test ride couple of new ebikes like Stromer, Currie and easy motion.
They are absolute delight to ride.
At $1600, dash is a great bike. A lot of them on this forum own that bike.
I'm sure you'll love any of these.

I think you meant $2600...I know...they just took that much off my card...

 

[pcrdude]

I kinda thought the price was a typo.



Please let us know how you like your Dash (just in case my ancient ebike "accidentally" falls down a cliff or something)

 

[Kyle hamor]

Dash is truly a blessing to ride. I love it and everyone else I've let use it! I am currently waiting for my second battery to arrive so I can ride it around 50 miles. The only thing that I had to upgrade was the saddle. Get the dash and in a year it will pay for most of itself, in gas savings, and pure enjoyment. I have only had mine for a few days but am happy that I bought it. pcrdude, that is really cool looking at your old school bike, when you get the batteries, please make a review of it and post on youtube. We would all like a look at how it rides!

 

[pcrdude]

Thanks Kyle. It was amazing the conversations I ended up in when I was riding the Trek+USPD. This was back in 1999-2001 time frame, so very few people even knew you could put an electric motor on a bicycle. Some people couldn't grasp why I didn't put a gasoline engine on it. Oh well, they just didn't get it!

My SLA batteries are "untrackable" through the USPS website, so I don't have a clue where they are.... I have the Currie case sitting on my table, waiting for them to arrive.

I would LOVE to pull the trigger on a Dash (wink @ Ravi), but I'm waiting for the SLA replacement to get a "feel" for how my eBike used to be.

I must admit, I'm getting a little worried about some owners reporting problems with the Dash. It's quite disconcerting considering how big an investment an eBike is.

Is there any feel for how many Dash eBikes have a problem? I know when things go wrong, people talk about it, and when they are all good, you don't hear much...

I am most worried since I would have to mail order a Dash, and I don't know how willing my Currie dealer would be to perform warranty work on a bike they didn't sell.

Awww, heck, I can't decide to pull the trigger or not......

 

[cellwhale]

Issues been there,done that, worn the tee shirt. All I can say is according to my dealer 2 dashes he sold had the bottom bracket issue, and only on the large size. My dealer has checked and retightened all of his stock and that Currie has done the same in their warehouse. The other known issues from the dealer support page just seem to be loose connections that are more of a just fix it youself sorta thing. On the local dealer servicing a mail order bike, the easiest way to find out is to call them and ask, I have never had any problem getting a bike worked on at a shop, no matter where i bought it.

 

[pcrdude]

Thanks cellwhale. Is the BB issue a simple tighten to fix before it rotates? Or, am I missing the problem entirely (wouldn't be the first time)?



Are there any other issues, or do any owners have regrets about their choice that they might care to elaborate on?

Either way, I'm gun-shy about pulling the trigger (see what I did there) due to financial stresses even though there are apparently some really good deals out there....

Sigh, maybe my antique eBike will be enough fun for me....

I doubt it!!!

 

[HumanitiesHaze]

Did u convert the NiCad to LiPo?

 

[pcrdude]

Well, my ancient ebike uses sealed lead acid, and I'm waiting for them in the mail...

 

[cellwhale]

The general gist of what I got from dealer and his mechanic was, yes tightening the bottom bracket before it rotates and pinches the wire is the fix. If you are really worried about dash reliability do the simple thing, wait. Let the brave pioneers find the issues, Currie will fix them and bang reliable bike. Most of the stuff I have found out about seems to be mostly early production stuff that should be gone in later batches.

 

[pcrdude]

Thanks cellwhale!

Right now, I have to wait anyway... I have funding issues, and I think they are selling out quickly...

Enjoy your rides!