There is always a first and this is my first review ever about my first e-bike. I ordered a white Lectric XP (835x) December 2019 and received it on the last day of the year. I started biking January 1st, 2020 and today I happily celebrated one full year of great pleasant riding my XP. I love it. The odometer says 3200 miles but from what I can read in the threads and from personal experience, that number could be increased by at least 15%. Some people complain about the odometer (and speed) being off but that is no big deal for me; the important is to enjoy the ride knowing that you are doing a bit more than what is says (as long as I don't get a ticket for speeding). 3200 miles does not really seem a lot, less than 10 miles a day (I live in Southern California) but it is impressive when you you think that I could have done a return trip from San Diego to Vancouver or would be half way back from Miami. I think that tells a lot about the reliability of this e-bike. Was is all a smooth ride? Overall yes; no big problems. Had to replace a pedal at about 550 miles (most probably not threaded properly to start with), 2 punctures. had to change rear tire because worn smooth at about 2800 miles, changed disc pads front and back once (could have nicer brakes but if adjusted regularly the are good), and just these last few days had to replace the battery (under warranty) because it was not holding the charge (did not fully charge and discharged very quickly). This last point is a bit of a concern for me and I hope that the original battery was somewhat defective. There might have been something defective to start with but it is hard to know when you have nothing to compare it with. I do not want to have to buy one every year and I don't think I will have to. Will let you know next year. 6000 miles?!
So what is the good and the bad?
Pros:
Did I mention reliability? Honestly I have not found many threads that speak about longevity. I will be contacting Lectric to see what kind of maintenance, if any, the Lectric motor needs.
Customer Service: Did not call them often but both for the pedal and the battery they were very responsive to my needs. I thought I would have had problems getting a replacement for my battery, but they asked me a few questions about its behavior and some details and before I knew it the battery was under way. Service was very important for me when I bought the XP and I am so happy that I can talk to knowledgeable people in Phoenix when I need to.
Cruise Control: I did not know it had one when I got it! Love this feature. I find that my preferred speed is between 15.5 and 16 on trails. PAS2 top speed is between 11.5 and 13.5 (depending on battery charge) while on PAS3 it is around 17, 18. One is too low and the other is too high, I set the cruise control at ~15.5, PAS on 2 and I can pedal comfortably trying to keep the power consumption around 2 or 3 amps (I think that is what it reads, flat and no wind). I found the instruction in a thread here).
Fat tires. Had not realized how nice they are when in traffic and having to deal with narrow grooves in the road.
Cons:
Only one really, the flywheel. I changed it when I got my first puncture, around 700 miles if I recall. I felt I was just spinning like an empty blender. Went to a 11-34. although I never used the 34. Some say you need to remove a washer but I did not have to. Love it now, as I feel I can actually contribute some energy, even at high speeds.
Would like a bit more autonomy. Hard to say how far you can go as wind can really reduce performance. I do not worry on 20-25 miles ride at 15mph but I pedal.
Do I have a wish list? Yes! Do you know any bike that can make an expresso on the go? I have looked around and for the price I cannot complain. Yes I would have like an updatable firmware or regenerative breaks but $$$$. I did not know what I was getting into when I bought it. Till the Covid-19 school closure I commuted to my school 9 miles one way and since March I try to keep a same routine and go for a 13 mile ride every day. If I had kept commuting I think I would have almost repaid the bike in the fuel I would have saved. I really hope she will still last for many more happy miles.
I would like a slightly wider handlebar for one hand control and to be able to place some accessories.
Foldable: I ended up buying a bike rack for the car because it is more convenient but was happy to be able to fold it when a friend comes pick you up when you have a flat or when storage is limited.
I hope this is useful to someone. I am not very often in this forum but will try to keep an eye for any questions you might have.
It is true that I don't not have anything to compare my Lectric XP to in real life but one thing for sure is I am so happy I decided to buy it. It has served me well this first year, and yes I used to bike quite a bit before but nothing like this. I don't even pay any attention to how strong the wind is blowing (I hate biking against the wind), I just get on the XP and go clear my mind!
Be safe and enjoy your riding.
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