Juiced Crosscurrent S vs Magnum metro plus (28 mph hub driven commuters).

[Andy_in_CA]

I haven't gotten the hbar yet...upcoming birthday present.. I'll let ya know when I get it.

 

[john peck]

Got my CCS a couple weeks ago, & yes, I swapped out the stem for adjustable & riser bars. And yes I did
have to wait, but the 9 speed comes perfectly tuned & shifts smooth as silk. The 17ah & motor,( as well as
the improved controller), offer more power, speed and range. I'm absolutely in love with my CCS!!!

 

[john peck]

Thanks so much Andy, that is really helpful. I'm in no hurry for the bike and one important point the CCS has is the upgradable battery. I plan on riding in NYC winters where the battery will probably lose 40% power in the cold so upgrading to the midsize would be worth it. Also, like yourself, I was thinking about switching the stem to get a similar height adjustment to the CCS. Did you have to extend the wires at all to upgrade to the Jones HBars? It's hard to tell if the brake wires are long enough. I love the body on the CCS but I also would prefer a more upright position by swapping out the stem.

I put on my CCS an adjustable stem & 5" riser bar without altering wires or cables, but it took a good deal of tweaking. I'm old & injuries
dictate a more upright position, but it was well worth the effort. I know how the Wrights must have felt that day at Kittyhawk.

 

[Andy_in_CA]

Upload a picture when you have a moment.

 

[john peck]

I really like the Crosscurrent S and I'm not familiar with the Magnum. So I'll just offer my 2 cents about pros and cons. I actually think an 8 speed cassette might be a pro over 9 speed cassette. If you're using the motor, you don't need nearly as many gears and as the industry has added gears to the rear cassette they have not made the spacing at the rear wheel wider, so the gears get narrower. That means a 9 speed will wear out faster than an 8 speed. Way back in the day 5 speed cassettes lasted a really long time. Today with 10 speed cassettes they need to be replaced relatively frequently.

I'm not sure I'd agree a suspension seat post is better.

Of course everyone has their own personal preferences. For me, on an electric bike I think a 5 or 6 speed cassette is preferable as it will last a lot longer and with the motor it's a lot easier to find a gear that will allow you to pedal at the cadence you want.

Actually the CCS rack is very sturdy, but had no attachment point for my hook type panniers. I solved this with a couple of those delta shaped
brake claspers found on older road bikes. They fit the base of the rack perfectly as if made to the purpose. As to the 9 spd, on one of my pedal bikes I have a
50 year old 5 spd Suntour Perfect freewheel that still works fine. However, I was very impressed with how smoothly the CCS 9 spd shifts. After riding bikes for more the 60 years, I opted for a cushy foam, spring saddle

 

[john peck]

I don't think many people are doubting Tora's skills and integrity. What is frustrating is a lack of communication at times, and clear and concise answers to direct questions.

I didn't get that at all. Tora & the rest of his outfit were very helpful even when I made a pest of myself with so many questions.

 

[john peck]

Put down a deposit on the CCS today. Hopefully will receive it in November.

I had to wait nearly 2 mos. for my CCS. It drove me crazy, but I couldn't be happier now that I've got it. There's always gonna a few little things
needed to personalize any bike, but the CCS is a terrific platform to start with. A 500 watt 13ah bike can't out perform a CCS, no way. It's not
just about speed & power either. I ride in eco-mode most of the time; this bike is a joy at 10 mph or 30. It does whatever I ask with the greatest
of ease. The one downside, installing & removing the battery pack can be tricky; it's a very precise
fit that takes practice to get it right.

 

[jazz]

I didn't get that at all. Tora & the rest of his outfit were very helpful even when I made a pest of myself with so many questions.

Good that is your experience but not everybody's

 

[john peck]

Good that is your experience but not everybody's

So you are implying everyone else's experience was negative. I'm very happy with my CCS. Anyone else out
there get one of the latest batch? I'd like your opinion?

 

[john peck]

I find that many OEM personnel are not competent enough. I agree with you.
Most companies just get stuff made in China and package it nicely and add service component on top of it but very few people can sit and build a bike scratch.
Even with companies like Bosch or Shimano. You ask the tech or the manager, how does the torque sensor function exactly? they don't know. They may throw in technical jargons but they are not engineers at heart. Somebody in Asia does it and the the market is facing lot of growing pains but as you said, it will shake out in a year or two when economies of scale ans standardization occur.

I can't speak for the industry as a whole. All I know is when my CCS arrived, all it needed was the front wheel attached & pedals mounted to be road
ready. I made personal changes to compensate for old injuries, but the brakes & derailleur came perfectly tuned. All these bikes are tested before they go out.
The components are good quality, though you could spend a lot more on the derailleur. I've replaced quite a few in 60 years & don't spend a lot of money
on one that will inevitably be damaged. One problem I did have was figuring a suitable way to add a mirror. the closed end, ergo grips are comfortable, but
don't allow for bar end mirrors, & the rest of the handle bar is pretty busy with other components. After considerable experimentation, I found I could back
cut a golf club mirror & mount it to the screw in the grip end, but this was a very challenging procedure. This is something Tora does need to address in future.
The easy solution is to just get a helmet mirror, but I personally don't like them.

P.S. Ravi, As for the torque sensor which measures magnetic stress, my feet are my torque
sensor. You can just turn it off in settings, as it does put some additional drag on the wheel.

 

[jazz]

So you are implying everyone else's experience was negative. I'm very happy with my CCS. Anyone else out
there get one of the latest batch? I'd like your opinion?

I think most people are generally happy with the CCS from what I have been reading. I was speaking more to the HyperFat, which I can say many people are unhappy about the communication over the past 6 months and the fact that it is months behind schedule. So I guess technically, this is not the correct thread for that

 

[john peck]

I'm curious about the hyperfat as well. There are a lot of beaches and back country around here for which the CCS is not
ideally suited. I'd like a fat bike, but the Hypers are kinda nebulous & pricy. One thing that sticks in my mind is that all
the 750 watt+ bikes have a single chainring, and those with a triple seem under powered with one exception, the Rich Bit.
I'd like a bike with a small enough additional chainring just so I could pedal without power when I chose to save on battery.
Actually, for the same reason, a 52/36 would be cool for the CSS. The Hyperfat videos are impressive, but it's a bit more
than I'd want to pay for a single chainring bike. The CSS is fine for improved trails, but not really for the rough stuff. I
like the stock tires. I have a pair of Schwalbe marathon+ 26"/1.75s hanging in the carport with less than 10 miles that were
a dismal disappointment when mounted, too rigid in the tread, too soft in the sidewalls, really wobbly to ride.

 

[jazz]

Fat ebikes are perfect for off road and trails. I love mine on trails because it is so smooth and feels solid. Without power though they are hard to peddle because they are so heavy and large to maneuver. However, on low assist, it is fine. I usually run mine on assist 1 or 2 and use throttle if I need a boost to get up an incline.

The original Hyperfat's were priced around $1000 and $1600 for the upgraded model. That was the early pricing, but now Tora has included a few extras like standard larger battery and the price has definitely spiked. I would say even at the new price, it is a decent deal but now it puts it in the realm of other ebikes that may be as good if not better like the Luna Fusion 500 and 1000 fat ebikes.

 

[john peck]

Fat ebikes are perfect for off road and trails. I love mine on trails because it is so smooth and feels solid. Without power though they are hard to peddle because they are so heavy and large to maneuver. However, on low assist, it is fine. I usually run mine on assist 1 or 2 and use throttle if I need a boost to get up an incline.

The original Hyperfat's were priced around $1000 and $1600 for the upgraded model. That was the early pricing, but now Tora has included a few extras like standard larger battery and the price has definitely spiked. I would say even at the new price, it is a decent deal but now it puts it in the realm of other ebikes that may be as good if not better like the Luna Fusion 500 and 1000 fat ebikes.

I'll have to look into the Luna Fusion; i'm not at all familiar with their bikes.

 

[Andy_in_CA]

I'm super happy with my CCS. No issues mechanically or electrical. Good feedback and communication with Juiced.

Happy customer here.

Andy

 

[john peck]

I'm super happy with my CCS. No issues mechanically or electrical. Good feedback and communication with Juiced.

Happy customer here.

Andy

Yup, it's amazing.

 

[AdamC]

I'm super happy with my CCS. No issues mechanically or electrical. Good feedback and communication with Juiced.

Happy customer here.

Andy

how long have you had the ccs how many miles? still working well?

 

[Andy_in_CA]

I've had it since September 3rd. I've probably put on about commuter 700 miles on it. I just did recently have an issue. I have a Abus lock on the down bar of the rear rack (mounted). It wasn't seated properly and it fell off and hit the back wheel on the way down. I didn't think it caused any damage... but a week later rack bolt near the rear hub came off while riding .... and in that process I broke 2 spokes. I don't think this is part of the spoke issues some have been having because I did something stupid....and there are other factors involved....

But in the meantime I just had the spokes fixed and its all good. Sam at Electric Bicycle Center fixed it under a warranty repair, since I purchased it from him. I really like this bike and I think they really starting to work on customer support in a much better way.

I spoke with Juiced Customer Service and they said if it happened again (spoke breakage) they would swap out my wheel for the new one (new spokes and different lacing pattern).

I got the Jones Hbar handlebars and I'm way more comfortable.... I love when I fly by other ebikes that top out at 20 mph.

 

[Andy_in_CA]

and yes... i still love this bike.

 

[john peck]

Me too! Sadly, my bike was injured today, but it's already on the mend. With the recent heavy rains & wind,
the bike lanes are littered with pine needles & debris. Musta flipped a stick into the spokes. Ordered
spokes just now; already straightened the slightly bent derailleur, spins true & shifts fine. Two spokes,
cudda bin 'much' worse. The bike will get a few days off & a good cleaning.