Lectric vs Aventon vs Globe

[bigcanoe]

I am cross shopping these three bikes. I plan to use for recreational rides, and maybe some errands. My kids are older so I do not plan to haul kids. I am heavy so I want a sturdier bike but also want to pedal for exercise. I have some mechanical skills and like to tinker and upgrade. I test rode the Globe and liked it. I have seen the Abound but not ridden it. I have had an older Lectric XP. $2500 is about the top of my budget. I want a throttle and would prefer 28mph if possible. Anyone have direct experience with these bikes? All are in stock right now with July shipping.

Lectric XPedition

$1900 with front rack, shipped

Plus

• 28 mph
• Dual battery
• Half twist throttle
• Good customer service
• Many accessories available

Minus

• 1 year warranty
• More clunky design
• Weak kick stand
• Cadence sensor

Aventon Abound

$2100 with front rack, shipped

Plus

• Free battery
• 2 year warranty
• LBS support
• Nice display and controls
• Torque sensor

Minus

• 20 mph
• Wobbly steering
• Spotty customer service

Globe Haul ST (Upway NOS)

$2500 with front rack and throttle, shipped

Plus

• 28 mph
• LBS support
• Torque sensor
• LBS support

Minus

• 1 year warranty thru Upway
• No suspension
• Tiny display and buttons

 

[Ender]

I'm not familiar with any of those, but I'd point out that there are many options in this category, it all depends on what's important to you. One thing that's under-appreciated is the weight of these bikes. Consider if you're going to need to lift this onto a car at some point or carry it up stairs. You could save a lot of weight by going less "cargo" if cargo hauling isn't your main thing (and still use a rack or basket.)

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Make sure you can get local service on your choice. Some shops will only service what they sell, some will only tackle mechanical problems, and some won't work on ebikes at all for insurance reasons.

You may be able to handle the mechanical end yourself, but the electricals can be tricky and are often proprietary.

A lot of shops carry Specialized ebikes, and Aventon has a growing service network. Don't know about Lectric.

The forum search function is your friend. Had a long thread on the Haul just a month or so back.

 

[S.Sage]

Having dealer support under warranty makes ownership much more pleasant, so think about dealer support! Will they actually help you if they don't sell that brand? I have a good Aventon/Trek dealer about 25 miles away. They don't charge for assembly and they also service other brands. I have an Aventon and a Ride1UP.. But its nice having the 2 year warranty on the Aventure, plus the great spare battery deal. My LBS recommended the Ride1Up brand even though they don't sell them, he had some in for service so I got to see the build quality. Ended up buying one later.

Are the cargo bikes more stable at higher speeds? I haven't ridden one. Most step throughs flex under my weight, I guess the cargo frame is much more sturdy? My Portola handles my weight good, but the 20x3 tires are twitchy compared to the 26x4 Aventure. I cruise the Portola at 16 mph, but it is Class 3 also. The $1195.00 Portola is a great value with the bigger battery, I haven't had any issues with mine.

My Aventon has a clicking noise coming from the hub motor when pedaling occasionally, but after 100 miles it isn't making the noise much anymore. Its nice to be under warranty and have local service available!

 

[sc00ter]

The Globe ST is much shorter than a Xpedition. You wont get a Globe LT at your $2500 limit. I have a Xpedition and I love it. It does everything I ask it to do. I use it mainly to ride 2-up. I've yet to test ride a Globe Haul LT. I keep reading good reviews on it and I kinda like the idea of at least trying torque sensor. I'll add the "T" word to mine. I could get the little trash cans for the forks and carry even more stuff on grocery runs, have easier access to battery removal and local support. But I don't want to have to use an APP of any kind, I prefer APP free ebikes. My "local" support dealer is kinda snooty and the other dealer is far away. But I still wanna test ride one. I saw a Aventon Abound in person and was very impressed. Good looking ebike. Not to big or small. Didn't take it out for a ride though. Perhaps it was a missed opportunity? A top speed of 20mph is acceptable to me with the kind of riding I do.

 

[bigcanoe]

Ya there was a definite air of snootiness when I was at the LBS checking out the bikes. I would only go there if I had to. I guess the concern would be after the warranty is up and I had to replace/repair electronics. I am moving to the middle of nowhere and would have to haul the bike an hour to visit any LBS.

I think 20 may be fast enough for me too.

I like the bikes with the integrated racks and enough capacity to carry me and some cargo. This leads me to the utility/cargo style bikes. I weight 240 and want to be able to carry some groceries or take it fishing (cooler, tackle box, etc).

 

[sc00ter]

For the price the Lectric Xpedition is hard to beat. They even make fishing pole holders! On a longer cargo style ebike the front suspension is kinda useless. But if you really want front suspension on a Xpedition get the Mooncool version/knock-off of the Xpedition.

 

[daveyo]

The Globe Haul is leaps and bound better (I've riden all three) but has nagging reliability issues (google E032 errors). I love my Globe Haul but it is a tortured romance. My understanding is that the bugs are fixable and Specialized is pretty responsive but you need to know that early on you may need to do some warranty repairs if you are unlucky.