IZIP E3 Peak - 1st Impressions

[gadgetguy]

Picked up my Peak from REI on Friday and have ridden it 39 miles (3 trips) in an hot hilly residential neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. This is my second ebike the first being an old mountain bike that I installed a 36 volt geared rear hub motor currently with a 48 volt battery 12ah with a twist throttle. The old machine had none of cadence and torque sensors that the Peak has.

First thing I noticed on the Peak was how quiet the motor is and the smoothness of the ride. No more reason to avoid poorly paved streets and trying to drive around speed bumps. I do find that I need to shift gears a lot more frequently if I want the bike to operate efficiently. Disc brakes are a vast improvement over my old rim brakes requiring only moderate hand pressure to stop the bike quickly. The Peak handles more like a regular bike than my old mountain bike. The center of gravity of the Peak is lower which results in better cornering and balance. With all the built in sensors I feel I have better control over my pedaling contribution to the movement of the bike. I think I am getting more exercise with the Peak while moving at a slower speed because the controls on the Peak give me more accurate control over the contribution of the motor at any given time. With my old bike there was a tendency to peddle hard and just open up the throttle when the going got tough and continue repeating the process. Overall I am very pleased with the bike and have already added a rack, some lights (not hard wired), a mirror, holder for my phone and water bottle.

My wish list:

I do miss the throttle only mode; sometimes you just don't want to peddle (that's one of the reasons I purchased an electric bike!). I wish IZIP would offer a firmware upgrade. I am sure it just takes a little programing.

A bike like this should have a place for a water bottle.

It would be nice if the thumb shifter indicated what gear you are in. Under load shifting can be rough. (Though about installing a mirror on right handlebar so I could see what gear I was in!)

The 38t front chainring is too low for pedaling over 20 miles per hour. The Dash has 46t and same rear cassette. I would like to know if anyone knows where you can buy a slightly larger chainring that will work on this setup or install a smaller gear on the rear cassette.

My old bike had a cycle analyst which displayed among other things the wattage the motor was consuming and how many amp hours the battery had burned. Adding wattage to the display could easily be done and help the operator determine which gear is most efficient to use. Would like to know if anyone on this forum has added a watt meter to the Peak and how they did it.

Option to purchase larger battery instead of just buying a second battery. Or if Izip builds one in the future making it installable on the Peak or Dash.

Seat - I don't like the seat at all. It is too hard for my rear, but the saddle is personal, so I will just buy another.

Wires & cables at the handle bars - Overall the bike is nicely designed and presented, but the cable management in the front of the bike is horrible!

Right brake handle, throttle & thumb shifter - Izip should have done a better job of getting the three to align. I don't like the space between the throttle and right brake. This is a problem that I have when I build my own bike but expect the manufacture would pay attention to this detail.​

Well that's my wish list. Overall, I very much enjoy the bike and am happy with my choice and look forward to hearing what others have experienced. I very much appreciate everyone's contribution to this forum.

 

[Rusty]

Picked up my Peak from REI on Friday and have ridden it 39 miles (3 trips) in an hot hilly residential neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. This is my second ebike the first being an old mountain bike that I installed a 36 volt geared rear hub motor currently with a 48 volt battery 12ah with a twist throttle. The old machine had none of cadence and torque sensors that the Peak has.

First thing I noticed on the Peak was how quiet the motor is and the smoothness of the ride. No more reason to avoid poorly paved streets and trying to drive around speed bumps. I do find that I need to shift gears a lot more frequently if I want the bike to operate efficiently. Disc brakes are a vast improvement over my old rim brakes requiring only moderate hand pressure to stop the bike quickly. The Peak handles more like a regular bike than my old mountain bike. The center of gravity of the Peak is lower which results in better cornering and balance. With all the built in sensors I feel I have better control over my pedaling contribution to the movement of the bike. I think I am getting more exercise with the Peak while moving at a slower speed because the controls on the Peak give me more accurate control over the contribution of the motor at any given time. With my old bike there was a tendency to peddle hard and just open up the throttle when the going got tough and continue repeating the process. Overall I am very pleased with the bike and have already added a rack, some lights (not hard wired), a mirror, holder for my phone and water bottle.

My wish list:

I do miss the throttle only mode; sometimes you just don't want to peddle (that's one of the reasons I purchased an electric bike!). I wish IZIP would offer a firmware upgrade. I am sure it just takes a little programing.

A bike like this should have a place for a water bottle.

It would be nice if the thumb shifter indicated what gear you are in. Under load shifting can be rough. (Though about installing a mirror on right handlebar so I could see what gear I was in!)

The 38t front chainring is too low for pedaling over 20 miles per hour. The Dash has 46t and same rear cassette. I would like to know if anyone knows where you can buy a slightly larger chainring that will work on this setup or install a smaller gear on the rear cassette.

My old bike had a cycle analyst which displayed among other things the wattage the motor was consuming and how many amp hours the battery had burned. Adding wattage to the display could easily be done and help the operator determine which gear is most efficient to use. Would like to know if anyone on this forum has added a watt meter to the Peak and how they did it.

Option to purchase larger battery instead of just buying a second battery. Or if Izip builds one in the future making it installable on the Peak or Dash.

Seat - I don't like the seat at all. It is too hard for my rear, but the saddle is personal, so I will just buy another.

Wires & cables at the handle bars - Overall the bike is nicely designed and presented, but the cable management in the front of the bike is horrible!

Right brake handle, throttle & thumb shifter - Izip should have done a better job of getting the three to align. I don't like the space between the throttle and right brake. This is a problem that I have when I build my own bike but expect the manufacture would pay attention to this detail.​

Well that's my wish list. Overall, I very much enjoy the bike and am happy with my choice and look forward to hearing what others have experienced. I very much appreciate everyone's contribution to this forum.

Great points! Allow me bolster some of them!

1. A larger front chainring or smaller rear gear - yes! The Peak is certainly capable of handling one - it would be a great option or retrofit. I would sure like to know if such could be fitted as well!

2. If you hold down the + button for 10-15 seconds or so and cycle the center button until you see an "9" the number next to it will show "watt/hrs" at least.

3. A larger battery would be a great option as well! Agree!

4. The seat seems to get better with time. I moved mine back aways and sloped it forward just a tad and move back and forth a bit on long trips to relieve pressure, but, as you said, it's a personal thing!

5. The cable routing is a bit messy, but it works! I added a few zip ties to help augment clearances here and there.

6. I just moved things around on the right bar end to better suit my preferences. It seems ok to me now, but you do have to compromise somewhat with all that stuff on the bar end. I even managed to fit in a bike bell.

As far as shifting goes, just pause or tap a brake lever (there is a motor cut off built in to the brake lever - you don't have to actually engage the brake) before you shift under load. Shifts really clean once you get the routine down.

And yes, give us a firmware update or something on the throttle!! That would be so neat!! Make it like the Dash. But then you would probably need that bigger battery.

I really enjoy my Peak, so far 500 trouble free miles. I really long for a larger front chain ring - I could really up my average speed easily. I found the Peak only 3 mph slower than the Dash, (30 vs 33mph in my tests) with a 38 vs a 46 tooth chainring! Imagine what a larger ring would do!

The bike is pretty amazing and does everything well from fast road work to single track. Glad to see you are enjoying yours too!
Rusty

 

[gadgetguy]

Rusty, thank for your comments. Will try your suggestion for #2.

I have been searching the internet for a compatible chain ring in the mid forty range and have not had any luck finding one. I do believe that the current one is undersized for my type of use which is mostly riding on the street. The motor has so much torque that I have not found a need to try the largest gears even on some fairly steep hills. I noticed that the 2015 version of the Peak has 10 speeds with the largest gear increasing from 34t to 36t. I also wonder if changing the chain ring would void the warranty on motor? Perhaps the search for a larger chain ring should be posted on another forum such as Endless-sphere.com.

Larger capacity battery - Will Currie produce a larger battery that is compatible with the Dash & Peak setup? I think they could generate a lot of sales for the aftermarket if they did so. I do not wish to carry two batteries on my bike. Having an undersized battery just makes me anxious. I know Pedego offers battery options on some of its models. I would like to see a 12-13ah battery from Currie. Does Tranz-x produce other sizes in this format? If Currie is not interested, I would like to know if we could just purchase a 3rd party electric bike battery and wire it up. When I removed the battery and looked at the technical information on removing the motor I noticed that the battery connection had four wires. How do we find out if the battery has some propriety circuitry that prevents the installation of 3rd party battery? Can the Currie people who monitor this forum shed any light on this subject?

Throttle mode - I would like more control over the motor operation of this bike. I noticed on other Currie bikes software upgrades were offered. Can this bike software be reprogramed after manufacture and what is Currie's position on modifying the Throttle control? Hopefully we can get a response from Larry or his technical support. This kind of support will make a good bike great and instill brand loyalty in the customer. I am hopeful that we can find some answers.

 

[DashRiprock]

I also wonder if changing the chain ring would void the warranty on motor? ... I would like to know if we could just purchase a 3rd party electric bike battery and wire it up... what is Currie's position on modifying the Throttle control?...This kind of support will make a good bike great and instill brand loyalty in the customer...I am hopeful that we can find some answers.

I'm not speaking for Currie (obviously)...but it may just be easier for you to forget the warranty issue all together as they most likely (also) won't offer you information as to modifying throttles or (especially) anything involving potentially explosive batteries...warranty or not.

 

[gadgetguy]

I'm not speaking for Currie (obviously)...but it may just be easier for you to forget the warranty issue all together as they most likely (also) won't offer you information as to modifying throttles or (especially) anything involving potentially explosive batteries...warranty or not.

I am asking Currie to improve the options for operation of the throttle by offering a software upgrade. As to the battery, I am suggesting that Currie offer a larger capacity battery. I recognize that any modifications that any of us make could potentially void the warranty.

Other reputable manufacturers make frame mounted batteries. Allcell is coming out with its Summit line which will include a 14.5 Ah frame mounted battery https://www.allcelltech.com/images/datasheets/summit/AllCell_Summit_36V_and_48V.pdf I just don't want to plug another battery in and burn up the motor in the process so I am asking if anyone knows anything about the battery connection to the motor which has four wires instead of two.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

I suspect that since the controller does not run in software it would be a firmware update, only a few e-bikes have firmware update capability. A brushless motor requires a complex series of impulses from the controller and hall effect sensors inside the motor, typically 3 phase, etc... so 4 conductors does not surprise, not that I know the circuit personally, the controller could be in the hub, etc.

If you want to tinker with voltages, batteries and such you may be better off with a retrofit and any open source control systems you can find or build. Maybe just a second battery would be the path of least resistance.

-S

 

[DashRiprock]

I am asking Currie to improve the options for operation of the throttle by offering a software upgrade. As to the battery, I am suggesting that Currie offer a larger capacity battery. I recognize that any modifications that any of us make could potentially void the warranty.

Other reputable manufacturers make frame mounted batteries. Allcell is coming out with its Summit line which will include a 14.5 Ah frame mounted battery https://www.allcelltech.com/images/datasheets/summit/AllCell_Summit_36V_and_48V.pdf I just don't want to plug another battery in and burn up the motor in the process so I am asking if anyone knows anything about the battery connection to the motor which has four wires instead of two.

Rusty, thank for your comments. Will try your suggestion for #2.

I have been searching the internet for a compatible chain ring in the mid forty range and have not had any luck finding one. I do believe that the current one is undersized for my type of use which is mostly riding on the street. The motor has so much torque that I have not found a need to try the largest gears even on some fairly steep hills. I noticed that the 2015 version of the Peak has 10 speeds with the largest gear increasing from 34t to 36t. I also wonder if changing the chain ring would void the warranty on motor? Perhaps the search for a larger chain ring should be posted on another forum such as Endless-sphere.com.

Larger capacity battery - Will Currie produce a larger battery that is compatible with the Dash & Peak setup? I think they could generate a lot of sales for the aftermarket if they did so. I do not wish to carry two batteries on my bike. Having an undersized battery just makes me anxious. I know Pedego offers battery options on some of its models. I would like to see a 12-13ah battery from Currie. Does Tranz-x produce other sizes in this format? If Currie is not interested, I would like to know if we could just purchase a 3rd party electric bike battery and wire it up. When I removed the battery and looked at the technical information on removing the motor I noticed that the battery connection had four wires. How do we find out if the battery has some propriety circuitry that prevents the installation of 3rd party battery? Can the Currie people who monitor this forum shed any light on this subject?

Throttle mode - I would like more control over the motor operation of this bike. I noticed on other Currie bikes software upgrades were offered. Can this bike software be reprogramed after manufacture and what is Currie's position on modifying the Throttle control? Hopefully we can get a response from Larry or his technical support. This kind of support will make a good bike great and instill brand loyalty in the customer. I am hopeful that we can find some answers.

I understand what you're after. What I attempted to offer you was in response to the following:
"If Currie is not interested, I would like to know if we could just purchase a 3rd party electric bike battery and wire it up..Can this bike software be reprogramed after manufacture and what is Currie's position on modifying the Throttle control? ...Hopefully we can get a response from Larry or his technical support. This kind of support will make a good bike great and instill brand loyalty in the customer..."
I'm merely suggesting that tying Currie's response to (shade tree) modifying anything on their current product to "instilling brand loyalty" or qualifying any support in regards to making their current engineered product a 'better' offering...is jumping a bit ahead of the traditional relationship between manufacturer and end user.
I'm not criticizing your goal or suggesting that you shouldn't ask these questions of everybody up here...just putting myself in their position should you not receive the answers that you seek directly (from them).

 

[Rusty]

Wonder if maybe we could fit a new cassette with a smaller cog in lieu of a bigger chain ring? And yes, the Dash is so much fun with that 20 mph throttle, but the Peak will get you in shape more quickly!!
Rusty

 

[Kaldeem]

Have you guys checked out the 2015 peak and dash...? I don't recal the specs off hand, but I'd be interested to know if any of ur suggestions were implemented in 2015. Another thing is how do I guys feel about the 350 watt mid drive motor on the peak? Is is powerful enough for what u guys are using the bike for? Also there's a new model coming out...peak DS and the Sumo fat bike.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

A 350 watt GEARED should be plenty torquey, if you are comparing to a 500 watt direct drive forgettaboutit, different application with speed at the top of the curve. At least the peak has hydraulic brakes. Test ride. -S

 

[gadgetguy]

Have you guys checked out the 2015 peak and dash...? I don't recal the specs off hand, but I'd be interested to know if any of ur suggestions were implemented in 2015. Another thing is how do I guys feel about the 350 watt mid drive motor on the peak? Is is powerful enough for what u guys are using the bike for? Also there's a new model coming out...peak DS and the Sumo fat bike.

I now have over 600 miles on my E3 Peak, only problem has been squeaking brakes. I really like the bike. From what I read they have not made any changes on my 'wish list'. The 350 watt motor had enough power if you are interested in riding a bike for exercise and not hot rodding around town. If the bike had more power I would get less exercise. I like the balance and the pedal assist, rarely use the throttle but glad it is there. I like the mid drive design and hydraulic brakes. I think the mid drive provides a more 'bike like' feel than the hub motor. I ride mostly on the streets in a hilly windy area. I have not found a hill that it won't climb. I rode the Dash and am glad I bought the Peak. But that is a personal preference. The Dash is a very nice bike.

I think for 2015 they changed the color, control buttons, mounting for display and added a 36t gear on the rear ( don't know why you would need it). I would buy the Peak again, and since the 2014 is an old model I would take advantage of any discount that were available. Performance Bike is now discounting the Peak.

 

[Kaldeem]

Great, thanks for that feed back. I have a 'Small Planet E-bike' shop about 45 mins away, and they are opening up a 2nd store in DT: Denver next month, so that's only 15 min drive. I am planning on heading over there in the coming weeks to try out the Dash, Peak and Stromer:Elite/Platinum so we'll see what's what and if I have to take out a small loan to cover the remainder of any bike purchase...ugh.

My personal taste leans towards a more mountain'y bike feel, I believe I'd like to take it off road on some of the great trails that are offered here in Colorado.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

My personal taste leans towards a more mountain'y bike feel, I believe I'd like to take it off road on some of the great trails that are offered here in Colorado.

I imagine a dual suspension mid-drive would be a requirement in the great state. I would consider one of the Haibikes too in that case (if you have a local dealer) , better to finance a bit than live with a slightly lesser machine.