Long John Ebike - any forum members own one ?
- Thread starter Brambor
- Start date
John ware
Active Member
I just brought back a LongJohn from my brothers in the Midwest. He and I bought it 35 years ago in Copenhagen and managed to get it back to the US. I restored it then and now it's in need of yet another rebirth. I'm seriously considering doing a complete rebuild and converting it to an ebike.
Heavy - yes. Capable of hauling lots of stuff in the cargo bay - yes. An absolute hoot to ride - yes.
If I didn't already own this one, the Steps eBullet from Larry vs Harry would be a real temptation.
Heavy - yes. Capable of hauling lots of stuff in the cargo bay - yes. An absolute hoot to ride - yes.
If I didn't already own this one, the Steps eBullet from Larry vs Harry would be a real temptation.
Yes. I had a Larry vs. Harry Bullitt Alfine 8 . I was injured shortly after getting it and then found the 50 lbs of bike plus the cargo too much. This year I bought the same bike with a Shimano STePS system built in. IT IS AWESOME.
Lots of great choices out there for long john cargo bikes, but the Bullitt appealed to me because of my background in performance bikes. It is light, fast and fun. I rarely get passed even with the power cutting out at 25 km/h The handling is comfortable, but not relaxed. I have it set up to be fairly upright with a short stem and metropolis bars. I'm nowhere near the 6' range like most of the Danes. They've used lots of standardized parts so not being in Europe isn't a concern. If the frame goes, well, that's something else ... still there is nothing in North America like it. It's a solid machine and my concern is low.
With STePS you can cruise comfortably or power full-on up hills, even with a moderate load. It has torque sensing so it dishes out the added power based on your pedaling demand and the setting of eco, norm or high. High is usually too much unless you are heavily loaded or headed in to some serious wind or hills. Even for max acceleration from a stop, max gets you there so quickly that you need to drop the assist down to make the bike feel 'normal'. Shimano's tech is a pretty smooth. After getting used to it and knowing your bike, capabilities and your needs, it rides very smoothly with very little surging and balanced power output between the rider and the electric motor. I'm comparing this to another e-bike, a Faraday, that I would describe as near perfect combination of pedelec power application. So while the STePS is not perfect, considering its application for a long john, it's pretty darn close. I've never ridden any other other integrated systems, but the STePS never leaves me wanting and doesn't even make me curious to try them. It works that well. Well, I do wish it didn't cut out at 25 km/h, but all systems follow that legislation.
You don't notice the weight when you are riding, but when you get cut off or start to lose it it becomes apparent VERY quickly. My bike runs 75-80 lbs empty, but you'd never know it when riding. I've probably added another 50lbs in kid and cargo, but have zero concern about more weight. It's all carried so low and the bike is very well balance overall. It's long and rides differently that anything else I have in my stable, or anything else I have ever ridden. It's not hard to ride, but does take some time to get used to. My biggest concern is usually where to store it and where to park it.
No regrets.
Lots of great choices out there for long john cargo bikes, but the Bullitt appealed to me because of my background in performance bikes. It is light, fast and fun. I rarely get passed even with the power cutting out at 25 km/h The handling is comfortable, but not relaxed. I have it set up to be fairly upright with a short stem and metropolis bars. I'm nowhere near the 6' range like most of the Danes. They've used lots of standardized parts so not being in Europe isn't a concern. If the frame goes, well, that's something else ... still there is nothing in North America like it. It's a solid machine and my concern is low.
With STePS you can cruise comfortably or power full-on up hills, even with a moderate load. It has torque sensing so it dishes out the added power based on your pedaling demand and the setting of eco, norm or high. High is usually too much unless you are heavily loaded or headed in to some serious wind or hills. Even for max acceleration from a stop, max gets you there so quickly that you need to drop the assist down to make the bike feel 'normal'. Shimano's tech is a pretty smooth. After getting used to it and knowing your bike, capabilities and your needs, it rides very smoothly with very little surging and balanced power output between the rider and the electric motor. I'm comparing this to another e-bike, a Faraday, that I would describe as near perfect combination of pedelec power application. So while the STePS is not perfect, considering its application for a long john, it's pretty darn close. I've never ridden any other other integrated systems, but the STePS never leaves me wanting and doesn't even make me curious to try them. It works that well. Well, I do wish it didn't cut out at 25 km/h, but all systems follow that legislation.
You don't notice the weight when you are riding, but when you get cut off or start to lose it it becomes apparent VERY quickly. My bike runs 75-80 lbs empty, but you'd never know it when riding. I've probably added another 50lbs in kid and cargo, but have zero concern about more weight. It's all carried so low and the bike is very well balance overall. It's long and rides differently that anything else I have in my stable, or anything else I have ever ridden. It's not hard to ride, but does take some time to get used to. My biggest concern is usually where to store it and where to park it.
No regrets.
