Long time rider, new e bike owner

[rcschmidt6]

I've been a long time bike enthusiast. Presently have a Montague folding MTB converted to a SS, a Redline 29er SS, a classic Giant road bike converted to a Fixie and a GT Transeo Limited with a Nexus 8 internal hub gear. The sad thing is about 10 yrs ago I got back into motorcycling so every time I went out to the garage and I had to choose what to ride the motorcycle would always win. So those 4 bikes have been collecting dust for years. I've been interested in e bikes for years but have been waiting for the market to mature. I think it's finally there. I went for an MC ride yesterday because it was unusually warm here in Columbus, OH. Found my self riding by Orbit City Bikes a local e bike retailer. Stopped in with the intentions of just looking around. Took a spin on an EasyMotion EVO 29er. It's a 2015 model with the 350W motor but that's not an issue because the intention to get back on bikes for exercise. I loved the fact that it is a well specced bike and doesn't look like and electric bike. I went ahead and dropped the cash and took it away. Took it for a quick 20 mile ride last night and I'm pretty happy with it. Put a seat post rack on it and will change out the stem to one with a bit more rise on it and a different seat. I'm looking forward to putting some miles on this thing. Spent most of my time in either motor off or eco mode yesterday using the motor to attack hills as I still need to get my riding legs back. 20 mile ride and I still had 3 of 5 bars on the battery meter. I'm very happy with that kind of range. Since I skipped lunch before I went for the ride and got back to the my truck wiped out I'm confident that I will get the work out with no problem. I think this is going to get this 53 yr old back to riding. I can't wait to get this thing out on some trails. I'm not a hard core MTBer but I do love blasting through the woods. I'm lucky cause we have some decent intermediate trails that aren't real technical in the area and that's right up my alley.

Would be interested in hearing feedback from other EasyMotion owners with regards to any issues I should be on the look out for.

 

[J.R.]

Welcome! Fellow '15 Evo 29'er rider, MC rider, rust belt'er (PA) here, and just a little older than you. Sorry, not a dead head, but I like some of that too!

It's a great bike, I regularly do 40+ mile rides and a few in the mid fifty's. I wrote a review of the bike here:

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/evo-29er-my-new-bike-now-living-with-it.3233/

I should add an update to that thread soon. Enjoy your bike and this forum. Many good people here (many boomers), with good experience to share.

 

[rcschmidt6]

Welcome! Fellow '15 Evo 29'er rider, MC rider, rust belt'er (PA) here, and just a little older than you. Sorry, not a dead head, but I like some of that too!

It's a great bike, I regularly do 40+ mile rides and a few in the mid fifty's. I wrote a review of the bike here:

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/evo-29er-my-new-bike-now-living-with-it.3233/

I should add an update to that thread soon. Enjoy your bike and this forum. Many good people here (many boomers), with good experience to share.

Thanks. I took another ride today. Changed the saddle to a WTB which is wider then the stock. Thought I would be able to snag a shorter stem with some rise off one of my other bikes but they were all for smaller bars. I'll have to swing by a bike shop and find one. Also need to get a pump. I have two mobile pumps and they are both Presta.

I do have a question about the assist. I rode about 16 miles today meter only dropped one bar. Not surprising since like yesterday I stayed in zero or eco assist except when hitting a climb then right back down once I crest. On the ride back home I started to really pay attention and it seems that the motor surges and doesn't give linear power. Since this is my first e bike I'm not sure whether on a bike that only uses a torque sensor if that is normal. Or, if there is something I need to do with regards to riding? Am I in the wrong gear thus not producing enough torque. That said why would the motor surge if I'm maintaining a particular cadence. I know it doesn't use cadence sensors but If I attack a hill in a particular gear and maintain the same cadence up the hill and that is sufficient to wake the motor why would it surge. It seems to assist and then cut out for a second then come back. I guess I really don't understand how it should work.

 

[LimboJim]

Beautiful ebike, congrats! BH Bike's design team deserves accolades.

My 2015 EVO Snow does the same thing on hills. I've always thought it to be a wonky controller. It annoys me but I still enjoy the bike for trips to the PO etc... I have Haibike for my blasts through the woods!

My Snow hasn't had the following issue but some 2015 Easy Motion displays have had contact problems, causing their motors to cut out periodically. If you experience this, they should replace it under warranty.

Ride on!

 

[rcschmidt6]

Well I hope that's not the case. I don't want to think I paid 2 grand for a bike that doesn't work as intended. As far as the display it seems fine so far but I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[LimboJim]

Hope so too, my Snow's surges are subtle; the same with your 29er's? One thing I found on a 3 mile climb near me is that the motor's output is more consistent at higher cadence. It tends to phase in and out more when I try to climb in higher gears.

Are you sure there's no cadence sensing?

 

[rcschmidt6]

Ya, there is no cadence sensor on these mountain bikes. maybe on the street bikes but I don't know. I suspect that when your revolutions get below a certain point the torque sensor cuts out. A couple times though I put it in turbo mode and noticed the same thing. It feels like the motor surging to me. I might check with the shop and see if they know. I know when you have it in eco it really only works when you take off. That's good cause you gotta get the 51# bike moving but once you get above a certain speed it basically does nothing. I can always just put it on zero and use the throttle on the hills but I prefer using the assist. Their website doesn't really explain how the system works. I don't know if the torque sensor has any adjustment to it or not. I assume not, but I'm pretty ignorant with regards to how it all works.

 

[LimboJim]

Unless it's a speed pedelec, the motor will always cut off at 20 mph. Is it cutting off at different speeds?

 

[rcschmidt6]

Yup. No where near 20 mph. If I could pedal that thing to 20 mph up hill I wouldn't need an electric bike. lol.

 

[J.R.]

Thanks. I took another ride today. Changed the saddle to a WTB which is wider then the stock. Thought I would be able to snag a shorter stem with some rise off one of my other bikes but they were all for smaller bars. I'll have to swing by a bike shop and find one. Also need to get a pump. I have two mobile pumps and they are both Presta.

I do have a question about the assist. I rode about 16 miles today meter only dropped one bar. Not surprising since like yesterday I stayed in zero or eco assist except when hitting a climb then right back down once I crest. On the ride back home I started to really pay attention and it seems that the motor surges and doesn't give linear power. Since this is my first e bike I'm not sure whether on a bike that only uses a torque sensor if that is normal. Or, if there is something I need to do with regards to riding? Am I in the wrong gear thus not producing enough torque. That said why would the motor surge if I'm maintaining a particular cadence. I know it doesn't use cadence sensors but If I attack a hill in a particular gear and maintain the same cadence up the hill and that is sufficient to wake the motor why would it surge. It seems to assist and then cut out for a second then come back. I guess I really don't understand how it should work.

I haven't had any issues with surging. That said, on both ebikes I've owned it took a couple hundred miles to really understand how the bikes respond to my effort. If you continue to have issues, your dealer should be able to fine tune the torque sensor. Looking over all of the brands in the forum, most have owner's comments about surging or power application, irregardless of price or type of sensor.

 

[tomjasz]

Any Steal This Face Rider is "a friend of the devil and a friend of mine!"
Old enough to have bought the first 33 1/3. I love this place, polite and many older fellas with LOADS of information openly shared. You'll enjoy!

 

[tomjasz]

I haven't had any issues with surging. That said, on both ebikes I've owned it took a couple hundred miles to really understand how the bikes respond to my effort. If you continue to have issues, your dealer should be able to fine tune the torque sensor. Looking over all of the brands in the forum, most have owner's comments about surging or power application, irregardless of price or type of sensor.

Seriously?Am I reading this right. REGARDLESS OF PRICE all torque sensors tend to surge?

 

[Trail Cruiser]

.... Some systems are more bike like than others, but no ebike is completely push-bike-like. There's power! Otherwise, what's the point

The less powerful and less intrusive the motor, the more bike like it will feel. If you really want something that feels exactly like a bicycle then go get a regular bicycle. LOL.

Anyway, I experienced the same inconsistent battery output (surge and sag) on my 2015 Izip Dash on mild hills at low assist levels. It was partly remedied by moving the assist level one step higher and do pulse and glide (pedal and freewheel). It's interesting since it doesn't happen when I use my newer extra battery. So maybe it's a battery issue.

 

[Barkme Wolf]

No surge trouble for me on my Radwagon. My only trouble has been broke spokes and flats.

 

[rcschmidt6]

I went for another ride Saturday. 15 miles into a 15 mph wind and then back. What I noticed was that when I'm in the large chain ring the motor is more linear, it's in the second that it appears to surge. So it may have something to do with chain location. Again, I don't know anything about the system and am just making guesses. However, I don't see the need when riding paved trails to drop out of the big ring, maybe the second occasionally but I'll never use the third. If I need the extra boost I can just raise the assist level. 30 mile ride in eco mode left me with almost 60% battery remaining. I'm pretty happy with that. Changed out my stem before the ride to one about an inch shorter with 6° rise and had no neck pain. Just need to get some mtb pedals for my big feet and I'll be set. I will say that anyone that says you don't get a work out riding an electric bike is clearly ignorant. Pushing a 60# bike in eco mode was a work out for sure.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

What I noticed was that when I'm in the large chain ring the motor is more linear, it's in the second that it appears to surge. So it may have something to do with chain location. Again, I don't know anything about the system and am just making guesses. .

I had similar experience in lower gears. I seems that the pedal resistance is not high enough to activate the torque sensor, if I really push it then that's the time the motor kicks in. The assist kicks in and out and it felt like something is wrong.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I went for another ride Saturday. 15 miles into a 15 mph wind and then back. What I noticed was that when I'm in the large chain ring the motor is more linear, it's in the second that it appears to surge. So it may have something to do with chain location. Again, I don't know anything about the system and am just making guesses. However, I don't see the need when riding paved trails to drop out of the big ring, maybe the second occasionally but I'll never use the third. If I need the extra boost I can just raise the assist level. 30 mile ride in eco mode left me with almost 60% battery remaining. I'm pretty happy with that. Changed out my stem before the ride to one about an inch shorter with 6° rise and had no neck pain. Just need to get some mtb pedals for my big feet and I'll be set. I will say that anyone that says you don't get a work out riding an electric bike is clearly ignorant. Pushing a 60# bike in eco mode was a work out for sure.

Surging happens because of low cadence in combination with higher gearing.
Once you get the hang of the TTM4, it's pretty easy to keep steady power delivery. I used to ride BH Easy Motion Jumper 650B and put roughly 3500 miles. Did not experience surging. Any bike that uses TMM4 (Stromer, BH Easy motion, A2B) etc behave the same way.
Now coming back to the point, there is a sweet spot (gears 6,7,8), front chainring (2) [ it could be different for different riders]
You start off with low gear and then shift back to high gears. If you shift at the right time, the torsional displacement of the sensor remains roughly constant and the voltage coming out of the torque sensor stays steady under load.
If the cadence is irregular or if you're not used to the sensor's behavior then it takes couple of days of riding to find this sweet spot.

 

[opimax]

I have been through surging issues on my bike. It seems to have stopped after the my main board was replaced and even better after another electronic part was replaced. My results were confirmed when I rode other bikes of the same model. any chance you can test ride the same model to compare ? None of my replaced parts were attempting to repair a surge, they were due to complete failures of the part , it was a bonus!

 

[rcschmidt6]

I have been through surging issues on my bike. It seems to have stopped after the my main board was replaced and even better after another electronic part was replaced. My results were confirmed when I rode other bikes of the same model. any chance you can test ride the same model to compare ? None of my replaced parts were attempting to repair a surge, they were due to complete failures of the part , it was a bonus!

Unlikely, We don't have a huge electric bike retail market around here. The one I bought was 2015 on clearance. I don't think it is a part problem presently. I tend to believe it probably has more to do with how I'm riding it since in certain situations it seems to work fine. It will just have to, as has been mentioned, find the sweet spot as far a cadence in a particular gear that produces enough torque to engage the motor. The good thing is these bikes have a 5 yr warranty so I'm not real concerned. I've only got 75 miles on it so far, not really enough to learn the nuances of the system. If after an extended number of rides I still find I have a problem then I'll go back to the shop.

 

[supramax]

...
Would be interested in hearing feedback from other EasyMotion owners with regards to any issues I should be on the look out for.

That's a beautiful bike! If I can't convert my Globe Sport into an e bike to my satisfaction, Easy Motion is my top choice.