iZip Moda E3 First Ride Report & Updates

[linklemming]

Despite already having 2 ebikes (Bulls eMTB 27.5+ hardtail & Juiced CCX), the local ebike shop (LeBS) recently started carrying the iZip line and had a step-thru that I test rode.

Prior to buying my CCX on christmas eve, I was considering a 2017 Raleigh Redux IE which was heavily discounted locally but watching all the videos of Tora riding around china had me go with the CCX instead. Just a few days later after buying the CCX, raleigh heavily discounted the Lore which was such a bummer as I would have gone with that instead.

So that being said, the CCX is a great fast bike (effortlessly fast) with huge battery and range. If I want to go fast and far, its the bike for the job. Not the highest quality but sufficient for my use. Did I mention its fast!

I just couldnt get over the price on the iZIp Moda e3 ($2249 for a Brose speed pedelec) and decided to order a stepover model. I also really like this shop (ebike of colorado, louisville)

Originally, I wanted to go with a L based on iZips height recommendations. Their height recommendations are basically garbage.

My Bulls is a 46cm frame and my CCX is a large, both are 'roughly' 18inch frames (seat tube). I find I 'generally' like a 19inch frame for my 6ft height, 32inch pants inseam. Usually to get a 18 inch frame to work requires a longer seatpost and the Bulls and the CCX required a longer 400mm seatpost (stock were 350mm) as both were right at the maximum extension and I just prefer to play it safe.

So the LeBS called me back and told me the large was not available but that a medium would work. Not convinced I went down to the shop and we did measurements and sure enough, the step-thru model they had ("M/L" sticker on seatube) was basically a 19inch frame and matched the dimension on iZips website of a M. Im very glad this worked out the way it did as the L would have been too big. Ironically, they dont mention a M/L on their website and my stepover has no such size sticker to add to all the confusion.

Received the bike today and spent a few hours removing things I dont need (for now). Removed the kickstand, rear rack and fenders and rear integrated light (major hassle having to remove the brose motor side plate and cutting wires and sealing off, probably an easier way to do this). I much prefer seperately powered rear lights like the planet bike blinky 3 mounted to seatpost as its easy to reach around while riding and turn it on/off.

The alloy fenders are actually quite awesome, the CCX fenders dont even compare. Perhaps I will use them in the future.

Stock tubes didnt have removable presta cores so they were replaced and stans was added for flat prevention. Been doing this for over 10 years and never had a flat. I have tried and used tubeless for many years and just find that running stans in tubes works the best for me.

Overall, VERY impressed with the quality of this bike. Its about the stealthiest ebike (which I highly value) other than my Bulls. Love the thru-axles.

I did a HARD 40mile ride on the CCX yesterday and should have taken an off day but just had to try the new bike. 18 miles at full assist (rolling 4-8% hills) used about 40% of the battery. While not as fast as the CCX (especially above 25mph) its an impressive bike and way lighter and more maneuverable.

More posts will follow

 

[JohnJ]

Glad you like the bike. A month ago I nearly went with the CCX also but chose the Moda due to the lingering CCX battery issues. The Moda seems 'bullet-proof' and I like the fine detail and workmanship like the nearly invisible, welds. My area is very hilly and the Brose has no problems.

I am curious if your display has any range information other than the battery status. When I purchased it directly from iZip they said it did but mine does not. My software version is V 5.321 Unfortunately, there are no LBS shops who carry Raleigh/iZip that I can turn to.

Hope you enjoy the experience. The Moda is a workhorse and fun. Enjoy!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Despite already having 2 ebikes (Bulls eMTB 27.5+ hardtail & Juiced CCX), the local ebike shop (LeBS) recently started carrying the iZip line and had a step-thru that I test rode.

Prior to buying my CCX on christmas eve, I was considering a 2017 Raleigh Redux IE which was heavily discounted locally but watching all the videos of Tora riding around china had me go with the CCX instead. Just a few days later after buying the CCX, raleigh heavily discounted the Lore which was such a bummer as I would have gone with that instead.

So that being said, the CCX is a great fast bike (effortlessly fast) with huge battery and range. If I want to go fast and far, its the bike for the job. Not the highest quality but sufficient for my use. Did I mention its fast!

I just couldnt get over the price on the iZIp Moda e3 ($2249 for a Brose speed pedelec) and decided to order a stepover model. I also really like this shop (ebike of colorado, louisville)

Originally, I wanted to go with a L based on iZips height recommendations. Their height recommendations are basically garbage.

My Bulls is a 46cm frame and my CCX is a large, both are 'roughly' 18inch frames (seat tube). I find I 'generally' like a 19inch frame for my 6ft height, 32inch pants inseam. Usually to get a 18 inch frame to work requires a longer seatpost and the Bulls and the CCX required a longer 400mm seatpost (stock were 350mm) as both were right at the maximum extension and I just prefer to play it safe.

So the LeBS called me back and told me the large was not available but that a medium would work. Not convinced I went down to the shop and we did measurements and sure enough, the step-thru model they had ("M/L" sticker on seatube) was basically a 19inch frame and matched the dimension on iZips website of a M. Im very glad this worked out the way it did as the L would have been too big. Ironically, they dont mention a M/L on their website and my stepover has no such size sticker to add to all the confusion.

Received the bike today and spent a few hours removing things I dont need (for now). Removed the kickstand, rear rack and fenders and rear integrated light (major hassle having to remove the brose motor side plate and cutting wires and sealing off, probably an easier way to do this). I much prefer seperately powered rear lights like the planet bike blinky 3 mounted to seatpost as its easy to reach around while riding and turn it on/off.

The alloy fenders are actually quite awesome, the CCX fenders dont even compare. Perhaps I will use them in the future.

Stock tubes didnt have removable presta cores so they were replaced and stans was added for flat prevention. Been doing this for over 10 years and never had a flat. I have tried and used tubeless for many years and just find that running stans in tubes works the best for me.

Overall, VERY impressed with the quality of this bike. Its about the stealthiest ebike (which I highly value) other than my Bulls. Love the thru-axles.

I did a HARD 40mile ride on the CCX yesterday and should have taken an off day but just had to try the new bike. 18 miles at full assist (rolling 4-8% hills) used about 40% of the battery. While not as fast as the CCX (especially above 25mph) its an impressive bike and way lighter and more maneuverable.

More posts will follow

At $2250, Class 3 Moda is a fantastic product. Quiet Brose motor = very pleasant ride.

 

[linklemming]

Glad you like the bike. A month ago I nearly went with the CCX also but chose the Moda due to the lingering CCX battery issues. The Moda seems 'bullet-proof' and I like the fine detail and workmanship like the nearly invisible, welds. My area is very hilly and the Brose has no problems.

I am curious if your display has any range information other than the battery status. When I purchased it directly from iZip they said it did but mine does not. My software version is V 5.321 Unfortunately, there are no LBS shops who carry Raleigh/iZip that I can turn to.

Hope you enjoy the experience. The Moda is a workhorse and fun. Enjoy!

Still learning the display functionality but stepping thru the display (per the obtuse manual) didnt show any range displays. Not a biggie for me as Im the best range estimator

Yes, nice touch cleaning up the welds, not a biggie for me but nice touch. The bike is so nicely done.

I have been riding MTB knobbies on roads for over 20 years and know their limitations well. That being said, I was amazed at how much grip the 2.4 motox tires had on pavement/asphalt. Im so used to the 'drift' of knobbies in hard cornering on asphalt/pavement and the motox tires had none of this (requiring me to adjust my lines). I did reach their limits on some gravel sections pretty easily though. Not sure what the final tire solution will be.

Going up a ~6%grade in lowest assist level had me in the lowest gear so I will be updating that soon. Easiest solution would be a 42t front chainring(still able to reach 28mph at 90rpm cadence) but Im considering going to something like 11-42 in the rear with an XT rear derailler and keeping the front 48T chainring.

Took an off-day today, while I wanted to ride my legs were toast from the last few days riding.

 

[linklemming]

Got to do a nice long ride on the Moda today.

Started out the first 11 miles in tour mode (3 power modes: cruise, tour,sport) and rode from my house down to a city area with lots of nice bike paths, I set it to cruise and just explored about 10 miles of bike paths. This bike is actually very enjoyable in cruise once you come to terms with the reduced power. Its the most non ebike like ebike I have.

In a few open sections with nobody around I went to sport just to see what she would do. Anything over around 23mph and its all up to the user for power. When I had a DIY tsdz2 mid-drive bike (with power output display), I noticed required motor power was pretty conservative up to about 23mph and then it went up really quickly. Usually anything above 26mph was pulling 650watts (which is what i had the power limit set to). I had to be careful when using this much power as the motor(tsdz2) would start getting pretty warm.

After i got back out of town and into more open non-paved offroad areas I felt tour mode was a better place to be so about 5 miles in tour mode. At the trailhead turnoff for a fun offroad section, I ended up just in front of "Mr 25 year old XC MTB racer" on a beautiful carbon hardtail MTB with 4/10 bars left on the display. He was seriously decked out in every aspect Im guessing his matching team shorts/jersey were about $150. Good for him. He tailed me for a good mile or so on a mild downhill section(terrifying on the motox tires) and then we started uphill and it was time for sport mode for 400ft climb, average 3.5%grade that I was able to go up averaging 15mph. He slowly faded away and he was doing his best and it was apparent he was super fit. So then about 2 miles of flat offroad into a good 15mph wind and a fun downhill to the next trailhead. When I arrived at the trailhead I noticed two flashing bars left (signifies 20% left).

Still about 7 miles to get home so I rode in Cruise/Off for about 4 miles and then cruise up the last hill and paths to my house. Even in cruise mode I was able to pass riders of similar weight/age easily.

Still had 1 flashing bar when I got home..just barely made it

37.12 miles, 16.1mph average, 1360ft elevation. Legs are pretty sore and beer is sure going to taste good in a few minutes.

Tomorrow will be a much easier ride on the CCX.

Will post WH put back into the battery once the battery is charged back up.

Overall very impressed with the bike. Im able to easily maintain 16mph in flat no wind section with no assist, about 18 in cruise, about 21 in tour and up to 23 (easily) in sport. No complaints, this is pretty much what I want. While 20mph seems too slow on my bulls eMTB, 23mph seems about perfect(while pedaling) and if I really need to, 28mph is doable. Definately requires more input than the CCX (level 1 on the CCX seems on par with the Moda on sport).

This brose speed motor seems different than the normal one on my Bulls. The 20mph limit on the Bulls can be abrupt/annoying. On the CCX, when I reach the set limit of 28mph, I dont notice such a thing...basically I just dont go any faster. Same thing with the Brose speed motor. Also, the bulls on no assist really isnt any fun and the moda with no assist is actually doable (except for hills/wind). Perhaps this is just the 27.5+ offroad tires on the bulls causing more drag.

 

[JohnJ]

You certainly put the bike thru its paces - speed, hills, elevation, etc.. I would have expected/hoped for more miles based on my limited experience with the bike. With your extensive experience on other e-bikes, what are your thoughts on the mileage for this ride?

Appreciated your report. Will be looking forward to more.

 

[linklemming]

You certainly put the bike thru its paces - speed, hills, elevation, etc.. I would have expected/hoped for more miles based on my limited experience with the bike. With your extensive experience on other e-bikes, what are your thoughts on the mileage for this ride?

Appreciated your report. Will be looking forward to more.

I actually think I did pretty good range wise (about what I would expect from a 500wh battery). The section with MTB racer boy Im guessing easily cost me 10 miles of range. The section where I really opened it(speed wise) up on sport also cost some range. I came up on a guy on the prettiest carbon aero road/TT bike I have ever seen. Im guessing the wheels alone on that bike cost as much as my moda. When I first merged on the road behind him, he definately sped up so followed him well back for a mile or so at about 24mph in sport. He looked like he wore himself out eventually so I overtook and kept the speed up to 28mph for about 2 miles until I reached another trailhead.

The bar display definately goes down differently as the voltage gets lower. All my bikes do this so it can be misleading.

I have been out 60 miles on my bulls (650whish) and on my CCX. While that is fun to experience. Im just as happy limiting my rides to about 40 miles. After about 2 hours, Im pretty much done anyways. While the CCX has the bigger battery, Im usually riding it at a faster speed.

I have actually been slowing down my rides lately and using more human power and less distance. I am able to get 2 rides out of the bulls and CCX when I do this(about 50 miles, 2000ft elevation of rolling hills)

I think the Bulls(Evo 3 27.5+ hardtail) is the best overall(for me). The 27.5+ tires and 120mm fork are good enough for anything offroad I have tried it on. If I wanted a little more speed, I could throw on some narrower 29 wheels/tires. The Bulls also has a double front chainring (38/28) and I am amazed at what it can climb. The Brose equipped Bulls bikes usually have larger batteries than most around 650wh. My only real complaint is the speed limit. While Im perfectly happy cruising just under 20mph(while pedaling) and just enjoying the experience, a speed limit of 23-24mph would be about perfect.

That being said, the Moda is a keeper and I wont be getting rid of it anytime soon. I would sell the CCX way before that. The CCX is a better commuter (speed,range, amount of effort) but the Moda is a better bike IMHO.

 

[Johnny]

Thank you for sharing your experience. You are one of the few who has experience with both a good mid drive and a budget hub motor bicycle, CCX.

It would be great if you write a detailed comparison between Moda and CCX. I know you said CCX is a better commuter and Moda is a better bike and I completely understand that statement. What I am interested in for example how does the maintenance cost stack up(chain and drive train life), bicycle comfort, difference in acceleration(getting up to speed after full stops), average speed under windy conditions etc.

Again thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[linklemming]

Thank you for sharing your experience. You are one of the few who has experience with both a good mid drive and a budget hub motor bicycle, CCX.

It would be great if you write a detailed comparison between Moda and CCX. I know you said CCX is a better commuter and Moda is a better bike and I completely understand that statement. What I am interested in for example how does the maintenance cost stack up(chain and drive train life), bicycle comfort, difference in acceleration(getting up to speed after full stops), average speed under windy conditions etc.

Again thanks for sharing your experiences.

Hard to say on comfort, I have all my bikes setup the same dimension wise and they all feel about the same. The cheap fork on the CCX is nice to take the edge off bumps but thats about it.

Anything power/speed wise favors the CCX. There is only so much that can be done on a european based 250W(530W peak) speed pedelec mid drive vs the 750W(1kW peak) on the CCX. The hub drive also has more advantages at higher speeds as your not reducing the torque thru your gearing like on a mid-drive at the higher speeds.

Hill climbing as expected favors the mid-drive Moda although I have had no issue going up 8% grades on my CCX. On the CCX, I just make sure to slow down/use less assist as the going gets steeper. Just for fun, the other day I went up a 3%grade in sport mode at 24mph for about a mile and got the CCX motor warm (probably 100F on a 40F day which isnt really that bad for a brushless motor at all, should be good up to about 160F winding/magnet wise, not sure about the plastic gears).

The brose motors definately have better feel torque sensor feel wise, almost telepathic.

An annoying thing on the CCX is the brake motor cutoff which seems to keep the motor off for a few seconds after releasing the brakes. This drives me crazy.

Forgot to record the WH consumed on my last Moda Ride.

Did a 19.5mile ride on the Moda today keeping it in the middle power setting(cruise) the whole time and tried to keep my HR between a modest 120 and 130 and averaged 16.1mph and used 4 bars on the display so Im guessing 250-300WH used.

The same ride on my Bulls (perceived assist, HR) averages about 14.3mph, The CCX does it at around 18mph in level 1, in S mode I have done around 21.5 but much of the speed is limited due to required turns.

The Bulls original chain lasted about 2200miles of 70% offroad before my shimano TL-CN42 chain check tool said to change it. Cassette and chainrings were fine and there were no issue like skipping when I put on the new chain.

If you wait to long in changing the chain, you will need to replace the chainrings and cassette. This has happened to me many, many times.

I usually change the chainrings/cassette every other chain replacement.

Nothing special on my chain maintenance these days. I simply wet a rag with WD40 and wipe off the chain and then put a drop tri-flow on each link.

I tend to always keep a high cadence when riding, usually 80-90rpm. Perhaps using slow cadence and mashing the pedals harder causes more chain wear.

Im not too concerned about chain wear, its a maintenance/wear item

 

[linklemming]

The 19.5 mile ride on the Moda mentioned in the previous post took back 320wh thru the charger so considering 90% charging efficiency, thats about 290wh.

Did a quick ride 20 mile on the CCX yesterday all at S mode with the goal to see how fast I could do my test loop. About 20.5mph average and 480wh consumed. In all honestly, it wasnt really that much fun. Required too much braking for all the continuous gravel corners and the long motor cutout after releasing the brakes and motor run-on after stopping pedaling were driving me nuts.

Took the Moda out for a longer ride today just to try some new routes and enjoy a great day. 29.66miles, 16.6mph average, 1208ft elevation. Probably 60% cruise/eco, 30% Tour and 10% sport. Showed 3 bars left after I got home and about 4 bars an hour later.

Im coming to terms with how the Moda Power Settings work and am able to extract more mileage. I consider the battery usage vs speed & distance for this ride pretty good.

Considering selling the CCX now and getting a second battery for the Moda. I just enjoy the Moda so much more and the extra speed of the CCX(while nice), isnt really needed for what Im doing. Perhaps if I was commuting, the story might change.

Bought tools to replace the 48t chainring with a 42t. I will post details when I do this. Its not 100% clear what is needed tool wise so I will figure it out.

Basically going to do what is shown in this video. Im pretty sure the castellated nut tool shown in the video is the park BBT-18 (much cheaper than many of the 'brose tools' being advertised and only available in europe).

 

[Ricky]

Im coming to terms with how the Moda Power Settings work and am able to extract more mileage. I consider the battery usage vs speed & distance for this ride pretty good.

Considering selling the CCX now and getting a second battery for the Moda. I just enjoy the Moda so much more and the extra speed of the CCX(while nice), isnt really needed for what Im doing. Perhaps if I was commuting, the story might change.

Bought tools to replace the 48t chainring with a 42t. I will post details when I do this. Its not 100% clear what is needed tool wise so I will figure it out.

Basically going to do what is shown in this video. Im pretty sure the castellated nut tool shown in the video is the park BBT-18 (much cheaper than many of the 'brose tools' being advertised and only available in europe).

Hi, I have an iZip Moda that I just got an only have 100 miles on so far. I have a Diamondback Lindau e-bike that I have over 3500 miles on as well. I am interested in what you think after changing the chainring from 48T to 42T. My Lindau has a 42T and I replaced the rear cassette on it and loved changing the gear ratios. I just love the 42 front with a 12-34 in the back on the Lindau. It seems like the Moda needs the power on Tour in order to climb hills (at least for me). The 42 front would help with that, but maybe make the top speed slower?

Thanks,
Rick

 

[linklemming]

I am interested in what you think after changing the chainring from 48T to 42T

I have already run 42t front 11 rear on several ebikes (CCX and DIY tsdz2 bike). I prefer to spin at a cadence of 80-90rpm always and this equates to 28mph (roughly).

Its turning out to be a hassle on the Moda, initial testfit of the chainring I got (Shimano SLX M6600 10 Speed 42t) shows I need some different chainring spacers as this chainring is offset about 1mm towards the outside, just enough for it to be possible for the chain to get caught between the chainring and the inner guard. Should be able to do another testfit tuesday with different spacers. There also might be an issue with the chain rubbing against the inner/outer guard although it looks like it will work (although close). The 42t recesses the chain more into the guards so its more likely to rub.

An easier option(possibly for you) would be to go with a 11-36 rear cassette (the Deore derailler can handle a 36), gives the same lowest gear as using a a 42t chainring with the stock cassette. You would need a new chain though.

Or just go all out and get an 11-42 cassette, goatlink and new chain(Im still considering this although a 11-36 would work for me with the 42t chainring)

Im trying to account for a hill on one of my rides that requires a 38t chainring and 32t cassette cog on my Bulls eMTB to climb. This equate to 34.02 gear inches. A Moda with 42t chainring and stock 32cog on the cassette only gets down to 36.41, with an 36cog gets to 32.52.

 

[Ricky]

I have already run 42t front 11 rear on several ebikes (CCX and DIY tsdz2 bike). I prefer to spin at a cadence of 80-90rpm always and this equates to 28mph (roughly).

An easier option(possibly for you) would be to go with a 11-36 rear cassette (the Deore derailler can handle a 36), gives the same lowest gear as using a a 42t chainring with the stock cassette. You would need a new chain though.

Or just go all out and get an 11-42 cassette, goatlink and new chain(Im still considering this although a 11-36 would work for me with the 42t chainring)

Im trying to account for a hill on one of my rides that requires a 38t chainring and 32t cassette cog on my Bulls eMTB to climb. This equate to 34.02 gear inches. A Moda with 42t chainring and stock 32cog on the cassette only gets down to 36.41, with an 36cog gets to 32.52.

Thanks for your reply. I just may get a new rear cassette as that is easier to do. I also like to spin at a high cadence (typically high 80s or above). So, the fact that you think 42-11 still works for 28 mph is good to know. My old e-bike was a class 2 not 3 so I couldn't go 28 (except down hill).

When you say I could get a 11-42 cassette what is a goatlink? I know I would need a new longer chain with a 11-42 instead of 11-32 that is currently there.

My old e-bike with over 3500 miles that I still love has a 42t chainring and a 12-34 cassette. What chain would I need for a 48t chainring and a 11-42 cassette?

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

What chain would I need for a 48t chainring and a 11-42 cassette?

Mid-drives do need reinforced chain. KMC 10e is a 10 speed ebike specific chain. It comes with 136 or 138 links and you can shorten it based on your setup. Most mechanics know this and can help you get this done.
The important thing is, unlike your old bike, your new one will need ebike specific chain for better durability.

 

[linklemming]

When you say I could get a 11-42 cassette what is a goatlink? I know I would need a new longer chain with a 11-42 instead of 11-32 that is currently there.

The goatlink is used to allow certain deraillers which were not designed to run large cogs (>36) to run large cogs.

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/components/products/goatlink

The Moda derailler is listed as Shimano Deore M610, SGS. Im not 100% sure it would work, while the derailler is 'shadow', its not 'shadow +'. Some people say it works, you would have to search around to determine if its worth trying.

As Ravi points out, definately get the KMC 10e chain.

Im guessing Im going to get the current 42t chainring to work for now with the stock 11-32 cassette and see how it does on some test hills, possibly going to a 11-36 cassette if required.

 

[linklemming]

I replaced the stock front 48t chainring with a 42t a few weeks ago. I did have to replace the stock 4.5mm chainring spacers with 3.5mm for the Shimano SLX M6600 10 Speed 42t chainring to center the chainring between the two chainring guards (using the stock spacers could let the chain drop off and get stuck between the chainring and inner guard.

I got the aluminum shimano SLX chainring becuase it was cheap ($6). Probably would have been better to use a steel chainring for longer life.

Decided to try a whole ride in cruise/eco last night just to see what kind of range I could get.

34 miles, 966ft elevation, 14.6mph average, only used 4 bars (out of 10). Im pretty impressed with the range and speed. That being said, the last third of the ride was pretty brutal facing a headwind. Im pretty sore today.

 

[linklemming]

The last ride (34 miles) took 280wh(measured with kill a watt meter) measured at 120V the charger to get back to full charge. Assuming 80% charger efficiency, thats 224wh and 6.6wh/mile.

Im guessing that in cruise/eco I could do 60 miles. That being said, I dont plan on using cruise/eco exclusively... just too much work.

I will do this same ride in a few days in 'tour mode' just to see what happens.

In the lowest assist level (eco/cruise) i still feel like I needed a better gear ratio. An 11-36 cassette will arrive soon

 

[linklemming]

Did the same ride today only using tour assist level.

34 miles, avg speed 17.1mph, 3 bars left on the display.

I really happy with these numbers, I can definately do 40 miles using only tour mode at a pretty good speed.

Will do another shorter ride in a few days in turbo mode for the whole ride.

While the super motox tires do pretty well offroad/gravel. Im going to try some Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB tires (27.5x2.25) and see how they work.

 

[linklemming]

Yesterdays 34 mile, avg speed 17.1mph ride took 430wh at the charger to recharge. Assuming 80% charger efficiency yields 344wh used or 10.68wh/mile.

Did a shorter faster ride tonight (90% turbo) of 22.4 miles with 800ft elevation gain and avg speed of 18.2mph. Got two flashing bars at about 20 miles so I turned the assist level down to tour for the last 2 miles.

So not much to be gained avg speed wise but a dramatic decrease in range.

Looks like its best to just run it in tour mode most of the time and only use turbo if needed. Best compromise of speed/range.

I had already figured this out just based on feel, good to see the numbers though.

 

[Ricky]

Thank you for the updates Link. I agree that on the bottom mode it seems like it needs a lower gear ratio for going up hills. I too haven't figured out what the range is yet on the various settings. It seems to me for my commute to work, I will be using Tour mode mostly, with a stab to Sport on the very steepest hills and then back to tour at crest of hill.

How many miles do you have on the iZip Moda now? Mine has 180 miles. But, I have only been using it since March 27.

Thanks,
Rick