I recently moved about 25 miles from work, so I’m looking for a dependable commuter e-bike. So far I have the Smartmotion Pacer, EVELO Delta X, Juiced Crosscurrent S, and the Ohm Urban at the top of my list. I’m used to commuting to work on my bike, but it was only 5 miles before I moved. I would like a speed pedelec just because I want my commute to be closer to one hour. I live in Wisconsin so hills aren’t an issue. I’ll mostly be riding on the side of county roads and some paved and gravel trails. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Looking for Wisconsin commuter
- Thread starter DerekH
- Start date
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
The only bike that might do 50 miles on a single charge is the Juiced CCS, and only if you get the optional 52V 21Ah battery. Regardless, you'd probably have to pedal fairly hard to maintain a high average speed (and not use up all the battery). Otherwise I think you would need to get the lesser battery upgrade, and either carry the charger, or buy a second one. The biggest drawback to the Juiced bike is the wait to get one.
I had the Pacer on my radar for the longest time. If I hadn't found a great deal on my Haibike, I may have waited to get the SmartMotion. The other bikes that I think would be a fantastic long distance commuters are the Trek CrossRip+ and the Bulls Dail-E Grinder...in my opinion drop bars are far superior to mountain bike bars for longer rides. Not only are they more comfortable, the aerodynamics (even riding on the tops of the bars) is superior and will help you go faster easier.
I had the Pacer on my radar for the longest time. If I hadn't found a great deal on my Haibike, I may have waited to get the SmartMotion. The other bikes that I think would be a fantastic long distance commuters are the Trek CrossRip+ and the Bulls Dail-E Grinder...in my opinion drop bars are far superior to mountain bike bars for longer rides. Not only are they more comfortable, the aerodynamics (even riding on the tops of the bars) is superior and will help you go faster easier.
irishnutter
Member
Hi Derek, you might want to first see if you can narrow down your preference for either a hub drive or mid drive. I think they are all hubs above except for the Delta X. I looked at a few of these bikes myself - I think all are solid choices. I really like the Ohm Urban (at the 2017 closeout price) but the future of Bionx is still not certain. Two other mid-drive speed pedelecs you may want to check out are the Bulls Evo Lacuba E45 and the Haibike Trekking S models (you may still be able to find a 2017 Haibike XDuro Trekking 5.0 S at a great price).
irishnutter
Member
Also, you may want to spend time reading thru the various Juiced threads on the CCS. At the very least, it may be months before you can get one plus many on here have had issues with timely support when problems have popped up. Most people agree that the CCS is a very good value if you can deal with the other issues.
Thanks. I just read about BionX. The Haibike has been on my radar too. There’s a dealer in Madison that sells Haibike. I’ll take a ride down there and test ride one.
Thanks. I used to ride a CrossRip to work. I just worry about the tires, because I’ll probably be on gravel trails for several miles. I always worry about getting a flat on my way into work. I’ll probably just bring my charger with me to work too.
Ravi Kempaiah
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Halifax
You may want to try the BULLS Dail-E Grinder. It's made for gravel and has everything you need for commute. Bosch speed motor, big 2" tires, Supernova M99 lights, Di2 shifting, sturdy rack with 60lbs capacity etc.
As for range, just keep an extra charger at work and you're good.
You should also try Haibike Trekking S 5.0 which is on sale for $2999.
Incredible bike for the money. Check out Lenny's shop in Madison. He has all of them in stock and 3 techs on clock to help you with any repair.
Also, if you plan on commuting during the winter like I did, get this neoprene cover for the battery. Even at -20'c or -5'F, I was able to get 25+ miles out of 500Whr battery.
Lastly, check out the Izip Moda.
https://izipelectric.com/electric-bikes/speed/e3-moda-step-over
and Raleigh Lore IE. I tested this bike last weekend. With 2.8" tires, it was a blast.
Last edited:
Bruce Arnold
Well-Known Member
@Chris Hammond With your 60 mile commute you might want to chime in on this.
Chris Hammond
Well-Known Member
Okay, I'll play.
I commute 30 miles each way to work. I have been doing this intermittently on my road bike for years. Finally got tired of fighting the wind and started researching ebikes. I researched for about 5 months before finally ordering. I finally decided on the Juiced CrossCurrent S, for several reasons, but the biggest were value and battery size.
I can't stress enough the importance of getting a big battery for longer rides. You need to take range estimates with a huge grain of salt.
FWIW, here's what I do. I live in Utah so my commute is quite hilly relative to most. I bought the CCS with the 52V 21Ah battery, but it is not currently available with that battery. The 48V 19.2Ah battery is a better value per Wh at any rate, and will do the job you need.
I only am charging my battery to 80% to increase battery life. (This is a big deal, as the battery is by far the most expensive part of any ebike).
I ride as fast as the road, conditions, terrain, and bike will allow. This means my typical cruising speed is 24-30 mph. My average speed for my commute typically ranges from 22-25mph, which includes traffic stops, etc. I mostly ride in level 2 (this is the midpoint assist level for Juiced). I also pedal hard all the time I am riding. If you plan to use max assist all the time and not pedal hard, you are going to use the majority of a large battery pack in 25 miles. I generally consume a little over 500 Wh which is about half the capacity (into a big headwind over 600, tailwind under 400) from the pack each way. This means I recharge at work. (You will want to recharge as well. All ebikes experience performance issues as battery voltage drops. Not to mention the damage done to the battery by discharging to near zero.) I definitely notice the performance difference near the end of my ride. This problem will only be larger with 48V packs.
I have put ~870 miles on my CCS in the 3 weeks I have owned it. It really is an awesome bike. I love riding it. Yesterday I rode home into a brutal 20 mph headwind. This does slow you down even on an ebike, but the difference is so much smaller. I would never have tried to ride home on my road bike in those conditions.
I test rode 3 other bikes during my research btw. The only other bike that rides as well was the Trek SuperCommuter8S. That really is a nice bike that rides smooth and strong. The Bosch performance speed motor is nice. There are 2 big problems with it relative to the CCS. First is the battery has half the capacity. This means based on my experience, it would be dead before I get to work everyday. Second, it costs over $2K more than the CCS with the 52V battery. (Its $3K more than the 19.2Ah battery version.)
Also, for commuting on mostly flat terrain, hub motors are probably a better choice for most people. Mid-drives by design add significant wear and tear to the drivetrain of the bike. Mid-drive motors tend to be far more pricey both upfront, and if problems occur.
The only other bike that I can think of that would do a good job for your long distance commute is a Stromer St2S, and it costs far more than the Trek, but at least the battery can handle the job.
I commute 30 miles each way to work. I have been doing this intermittently on my road bike for years. Finally got tired of fighting the wind and started researching ebikes. I researched for about 5 months before finally ordering. I finally decided on the Juiced CrossCurrent S, for several reasons, but the biggest were value and battery size.
I can't stress enough the importance of getting a big battery for longer rides. You need to take range estimates with a huge grain of salt.
FWIW, here's what I do. I live in Utah so my commute is quite hilly relative to most. I bought the CCS with the 52V 21Ah battery, but it is not currently available with that battery. The 48V 19.2Ah battery is a better value per Wh at any rate, and will do the job you need.
I only am charging my battery to 80% to increase battery life. (This is a big deal, as the battery is by far the most expensive part of any ebike).
I ride as fast as the road, conditions, terrain, and bike will allow. This means my typical cruising speed is 24-30 mph. My average speed for my commute typically ranges from 22-25mph, which includes traffic stops, etc. I mostly ride in level 2 (this is the midpoint assist level for Juiced). I also pedal hard all the time I am riding. If you plan to use max assist all the time and not pedal hard, you are going to use the majority of a large battery pack in 25 miles. I generally consume a little over 500 Wh which is about half the capacity (into a big headwind over 600, tailwind under 400) from the pack each way. This means I recharge at work. (You will want to recharge as well. All ebikes experience performance issues as battery voltage drops. Not to mention the damage done to the battery by discharging to near zero.) I definitely notice the performance difference near the end of my ride. This problem will only be larger with 48V packs.
I have put ~870 miles on my CCS in the 3 weeks I have owned it. It really is an awesome bike. I love riding it. Yesterday I rode home into a brutal 20 mph headwind. This does slow you down even on an ebike, but the difference is so much smaller. I would never have tried to ride home on my road bike in those conditions.
I test rode 3 other bikes during my research btw. The only other bike that rides as well was the Trek SuperCommuter8S. That really is a nice bike that rides smooth and strong. The Bosch performance speed motor is nice. There are 2 big problems with it relative to the CCS. First is the battery has half the capacity. This means based on my experience, it would be dead before I get to work everyday. Second, it costs over $2K more than the CCS with the 52V battery. (Its $3K more than the 19.2Ah battery version.)
Also, for commuting on mostly flat terrain, hub motors are probably a better choice for most people. Mid-drives by design add significant wear and tear to the drivetrain of the bike. Mid-drive motors tend to be far more pricey both upfront, and if problems occur.
The only other bike that I can think of that would do a good job for your long distance commute is a Stromer St2S, and it costs far more than the Trek, but at least the battery can handle the job.
Chris Hammond
Well-Known Member
I converted my CCS to tubeless btw to minimize flats. The stock Kenda tires worked fine. The tread is pretty thick and well groved, I would think they would stand up to gravel paths fine.
i vote giant road-e+. mine has been doing great over 700 miles and it's more affordable than the Stromer and Trek (they raised their prices). i ride to work 1x/week for 24 miles and about 1k elevation gain and 'Power' it there, charge while i'm at work (9-10 hrs.), then ride home. my concern is the battery capacity a little bit down the road.
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