Like my Transcend E+ so much we bought a Vida E+ for spouse.

[Coolbob]

We rode a Specialized mountain bike, Momentum LaFree, Trek Townie, and a Giant mountain bike last summer at a couple of shops about an hour from our home. The Giant impressed me the most, I really liked how smoothly the motor assist was integrated into the bicycling experienced so I ordered a Momentum Transend E+ and I've loved riding it. Spouse has been thinking about getting an eBike for about 8-months now but wanted to hold off until the shop where I got my bike opened their new store in our town. The new store is about four miles from our house and we've dropped in a few times since they opened a couple of months ago, but they never has an eBike in stock when we visited.

We dropped in late last Friday afternoon and they had a Momentum Vida E+ that had arrived a couple of days earlier. She took it for a spin around the parking lot. She liked it, but it she didn't love the color and was very hesitant about spending money on an eBike. I told the store manager that I had purchased a Transend E+ from their associate store in another town and that two of my friends also purchased a Transend E+ on my recommendation and asked if he could knock a little off the price of the Vida. He called the owner at the other store and they knocked $150 off the price, so we bought it.

She hasn't ridden a bike in 10, maybe 15-years so we went for a slow ride around the neighborhood this morning with me coaching her on her gear selection and cadence. We rode a 2-mile loop that includes two large hills back to back that I doubt she could have climbed 20 years ago on her analog mountain bike. She had the biggest grin on her face when we finished our loop and was eager to go for another lap. The second time around I let her take the lead and set the pace and she rode like a champ.

When we got home she installed the Giant RideControl app on her phone, set up her account and we updated the firmware on her new bike. She is looking forward to accessorizing her bike like mine, so I ordered a Topeak rear rack, handlebar bag, seat bag and a cable lock for her bike today. She's good to go on riding solo and we are looking forward to riding together as we used to do many many years ago.

 

[Dewey]

May you enjoy many more happy miles. How are you finding your Transend E+? Is the Nexus 7 IGH a good match for the SyncDrive Life motor, does it have a reasonable cadence in both low and high gears when riding slow or at Class 3 speed? Any skipping or slipping after you change gear?

 

[Coolbob]

Thanks @Dewey!

How are you finding your Transend E+? Is the Nexus 7 IGH a good match for the SyncDrive Life motor, does it have a reasonable cadence in both low and high gears when riding slow or at Class 3 speed? Any skipping or slipping after you change gear?

I'm really enjoying the Nexus/Syncdrive combo. Plenty of range for hills and hauling butt. My driveway is one of the steepest hills I encounter in our hilly town and climbing the driveway is easier than when I rode my Canondale M400 mountain bike in it's lowest gear. I've hit the 28mph assist limit a few times and I wouldn't change a thing about the gearing.

Zero skipping or slipping if I stop peddling, allow the motor to stop assisting (about one second) and change gears before resuming peddling. I've only had skipping or slipping if I don't stop peddling before changing gears or try to shift several gears at a time. Pause, click one gear at a time and then you'll have no slipping or skipping.

The Vida is Class 1 and has a slightly smaller (38t) chainring, so it climbs hills even better than the Transend. Also, the Vida has a wider, softer saddle and slightly more upright riding position and the handlebars are slightly taller and more swept back than the Transend. Other than those few differences, they both ride very smoothly and feel well sorted out.

 

[Coolbob]

UPDATE -
My wife and I are in our 60s and hadn't ridden our old bicycles in a very long time because we live a couple of miles from the city limits and there are lots of hills everywhere, even in our neighborhood.

Two weeks ago we bought a Momentum Vida E+ (class-1, 60nm mid-drive with a 7-speed rear hub) for my wife. Her bike has a smaller chainring than mine (four tooth difference), so even though we have the same wheels and rear hub ratios, her bike is geared slightly lower. She's taken it for a laps around the neighborhood twice, climbing a few hills and riding about 4-miles each time. Yesterday she set the bike to max assist (5) and left the neighborhood which means climbing two steep hills, riding on a loose gravel shoulder of a 2-lane highway for 1/2-mile, up one of the steepest double hills in town, around town and back home. She covered 9-miles, over 800ft elevation gain, her average cadence was 43 and her average speed was almost 12mph. She was so proud of herself and her back, which has been bothering her for a few days, feels great. Not bad for her first 'long' bike ride in almost 20-years and with 'only' 60nm of motor torque. We're both very pleased with her bike and her ride.