Izip E3 Vibe vs. Izip E3 Path

[megaserg]

Hello,

I'm considering buying my first electric bike. I'm within a $2000 budget and considering daily commuting to the office (6-7 miles daily) and occasional longer trips on weekends, all roads pretty flat and I don't mind pedaling. So I'm looking into Izip E3 Vibe Li-Ion 9.4 Ah and Izip E3 Path. I've been looking into specifications and they look very similar to me. Here are the major differences I've found:

Top speed: 15 mph on Vibe (not sure if limited electronically), 20mph on Path
Brakes: linear pull on Vibe, disk on Path
Fork: suspension on Vibe (it's good right?), no suspension on Path
Also, Vibe allows for a second battery.

There are minor differences in battery position, handlebar style, and pedal material, but overall - motor, battery, frame, wheels, controller, TAG/PAS - looks pretty much the same. Still, EBR gives 3.5 to Vibe and 4.5 to Path. Am I overlooking something here?

Thank you!

 

[Admin]

Hey Sergey! Great summary there. You've nailed the major points about each bike and I like that you called out suspension. That's one thing I really appreciate on electric bikes because you tend to go faster and further. The bumps make my back and neck sore so I've pretty much only bought large-tire cruisers with big seats and oversized handlebars (those help to absorb the bumps) or mountain bikes that have big knobby tires and shocks (my last ebike was the Neo Jumper which has full suspension).

If price is a big factor for you then these two bikes are a good choice but I actually have one more idea to toss out there. Have you considered the eZip Skyline? I like this bike more than the Vibe because the battery is mounted just behind the seat post tube. This gives the bike a lower center of gravity and spreads the weight out more evenly across the frame. While your point about the Vibe allowing for a second battery pack is valid, all of these bikes have removable battery packs so you could easily top them off at the office or wherever you're riding. I'd rather bring my charger than an extra pack that will significantly increase the weight of the bike and strain the rear rack (especially if you're also carrying cargo with the rear rack on top of the battery). My commute was only five miles to work one way but I never had a problem making it (with any of my ebikes) and I don't think the extra weight would be worth it. That's just my opinion though...

The reason I gave a higher score to the Path is that it weighs 10 pounds less (that's a big deal), uses a Lithium-ion battery that will get better range, it's more balanced because of that reduced weight in the battery, it comes with fenders and goes five miles per hour faster. Both of these ebikes offer pedal assist and throttle which is awesome but if you're going to do more pedaling, the path is setup better for a comfortable stride. The frame is also larger and probably a better fit than the Vibe or Skyline if you're a guy in the 5'10"+ size range.

That's pretty much it. Given those price constraints and your interest in pedaling along, I'd recommend the Path, then the Skyline and then the Vibe. One other brand you could look at (and my review for it should be out soon) is the Daedalus by Emazing Bikes which costs ~$1,500 and rides very well with a smooth lightweight motor and mid-mounted battery pack. I actually really like these bikes and wish their website was better. I'm not sure if they will ship direct but you could email, they are pretty responsive and trying to grow. This bike wouldn't have the same network of support and you'd probably have to buy online but it's just food for thought



Also, their naming convention can be a little tricky at first. An example: Daedalus 73pd = Daedalus + 7 gears + 350 W DC motor + PAS + Disc brake.