My first ride report. You can find pictures by
clicking this link. Bike #407x ordered 8/16/19; delivered 9/27/19. Ride was approximately 9 miles in distance, and the battery indicator dropped 2 bars.
The Good:
- Unboxing and setup was straightforward and easy.
- Battery was already pretty much fully charged, but put it on charger anyway. Light turned green in about 1 hour.
- I could not find one loose screw anywhere. Everything seemed to be tightened down and secure.
- The pedals were securely fastened and there felt like some sort of grease (maybe Loctite) around them. I could not tighten the pedals any further. They did not come loose during the ride and never felt loose at any time.
- Inflated the tires to 25 PSI for first ride. The tires are pretty nice. I rode them over a lot of questionable material and they performed well. I was thoroughly impressed when I rode the bike over the small crunchy seashells along the shoreline. If anything could have punctured them, these had the ability to do so. No problem.
- Tested the shifter without any PAS. I bent back the guard and everything shifted OK. Some difficulty between gear 6 and 7 at times. A bit of clunking at times. Would not want to ride this any distance without PAS.
- I had no issues whatsoever with the brakes. Stopping power was good, no squeaking, rubbing, smells, or bad sounds of any sort. I will still probably get them looked at, however.
- No discernible battery rattle. In fact, no discernible rattles of any sort.
- Took my usual ride across town from west to east and back. Rode across pavement, beach sand and some open grassy fields. The bike bogged down in deep sand but rode quite beautifully along the lakeshore. Rocks, pebbles and small crunchy shells were no obstacle. Did not change PSI across any terrain.
- I found that riding at PAS 2 with the gear shifter at 7 provided a nice balance between exertion and ease. I could tell I was pedaling but was never out of breath. What few small inclines I took were conquered easily. I can see myself riding right at this level easily for large distances. I did not bother to go over PAS 3. I do not think at this point I will increase the setting to get the 28 MPH top speed. I may try it once or twice, but practically speaking I don't think I will ever truly need it.
- Into a small headwind I was able to get up to 18 MPH with full throttle. I noticed here that the energy bar went down substantially when I was drawing this much current (20). It recovered as soon as I released the throttle and went back to pedaling.
- I never once got that stinging nerve sensation between my thumb and index finger that I usually get on longer rides on my cruiser bike. Being 5'10" tall the adjustments to seat and handlebars provided a good position.
The Sorta Bad:
- There was a small area of paint chipping around the downtube joint where the bike folds. I'll have to touch that up. No other dings or chips.
- The latch was a new mechanism I hadn't seen in any pictures. The security latch is now built right in, and to loosen the latch you just slide the lever forward and then lift the latch. It's going in this column but if all continues to go well I'd move it up to The Good.
- Not sure I am thrilled with the position of the key. I like that it's out of the way when you ride and doesn't bang on anything, but it is a PIA to get under there and insert it.
- Comparing the bike's computer to the Map My Ride app, the GPS showed about a consistent 0.5 mile difference in distance as well as MPH. I am not a fanatic about such things, so for me it's hardly an issue, but it does have to be chalked up as a "sorta bad" item. You can see comparison photos in my Google album referenced above.
- The shifter probably needs a tuneup.
- The handlebars are short and not much real estate on them for additional gear. I had to squeeze in my phone holder. But I find them adequate for riding. The grips were OK for me. I need to install a rearview mirror.
- Turning is tricky. Finding that right combination of PAS and speed will take a little practice. I did not make any sharp maneuvers.
- The lights are adequate. I will probably add a flashing red light to the seatpost.
The Ugly
- The lack of suspension was noticeable to me. The ride across open grassy fields was bone-rattling. My Surface 604 and the Rad Mini both have suspension forks, so I have been used to having suspension. I could reduce the PSI for more comfort, but I also think a suspension seat post and new saddle are in the future for me. I took a particularly bumpy stretch of bad road in my neighborhood at full throttle (20 MPH) and it was touch-and-go there for awhile.
- I don't really like the display all that much. It tells you what you need to know, but it's kinda ugly-looking.
- The bell sucks. It's not really worth the handlebar real estate it takes up.
First impression: A good bike for the money. The Rad Mini overall is a better quality bike, and rides much nicer, but not $600 nicer. I've called this the "Volkswagen Bug" of electric bikes, and I think this first ride confirms that. I drove a lot of VWs (bugs, vans, squareback) in the late 60s/70s, and riding this ebike feels like driving a VW. I can tell I am going to enjoy this bike. I'm heading for the 1000 Islands for a little getaway, and will be taking the bike up there and doing more riding. Local Rails-to-Trails rides will come next, and hopefully before the winter hits I can get on a part of the Erie Canal Trailway. Feel free to ask any questions!
