Love my new Turbo S

[No Name]

I've been commuting on my Turbo S for 2 months. I love going to work on the bike.

I have some random questions.
1. How many people stay in turbo mode? I find I'm more confident when riding in turbo mode. I average +25MPH my whole trip. I ride on the MD Bethesda Trolley and Capital Crescent trails.

2. Do the back gears work? Every time I try to shift, the chain pops and I'm always on the smallest gear. It would be nice to have the ability to shift so that I can ride on more of my power in the future.

3. What do you do to maintain your bike? Are there things you do daily, weekly, monthly, annually?

4, Do you ride in the snow, winter, rain? I've ridden a few times in the rain and it was great.

Overall very cool purchase for my 8 mile commute (one way). This bike is incredible.

 

[Marko]

1. I mostly stay in 30% eco mode unless there is very heavy head wind.
2. My gears work like a dream. They are SRAM XO. Maybe you need to adjust yours if they are not functioning as they should.
3. Mostly just wash and chain lubrication. In autumn/winter the chains need oil more often.
4. I ride all year (@ 60 deg 10' north 25 East). Just changed studded tires today as it was starting to get subzero. Those slicks are lethal in ice or snow. Now (November) it has been a lot riding in rain.

 

[No Name]

Can you recommend some tires for winter/overall riding?
The tires I have do not instill confidence in me.

Any gear suggestions for the cold? I'm thinking about Nike gear.

I'm also starting to gain more confidence in eco40. I just initialize turbo when I'm in suburban traffic.

 

[Cameron Newland]

Can you recommend some tires for winter/overall riding?
The tires I have do not instill confidence in me.

Any gear suggestions for the cold? I'm thinking about Nike gear.

I'm also starting to gain more confidence in eco40. I just initialize turbo when I'm in suburban traffic.

For tires, you'll want to get a set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus. They seem to be the agreed-upon tire when it comes to avoiding flats, as flats are much more common on e-bikes due to their increased weight.

Regarding your shifting problems, you ought to take your bike back to the shop and tell them about the issue and they should be able to adjust your shifter cable tension and/or your rear derailleur in order to fix your shifting issue. The only other cause of the shifting issue I could think of is if you weren't pedaling while shifting. You have to pedal and move the chain/crank/cog in order to shift.

Regarding maintaining your bike, you'll want to check your tire pressure either every time you ride or every other time. Some people are confident enough to only check their tire pressure once a week, but whatever you choose, it's important to check it often, as sometimes your tires will lose a lot of air between rides and this can really affect the handling of the bike and hence your safety. You'll also want to clean and lube your chain with teflon-based lubricant (if you live in a dry-weather area) every few rides, and before you ride in the rain (and after a ride in the rain!), you'll want to clean your chain and then lube it with an oil-based wet lube. If you go out in the rain with dry lube (teflon), you risk rust on your chain.

 

[Marko]

Can you recommend some tires for winter/overall riding?

Depends what kind of winter you have. For snow and ice these are ok. Mine have 240 studs, size 28 x 1.60. I usually put in 4 Bar pressure.