Mid Drive Bike Suggestions

[traderfjp]

I live in the mountains of NC and wanted a bike with front forks, and a minimum of 1000w and 120nm torque with the battery integrated into the down tube for under 3600.00. I need a bike that can climb steep grades but nothing too razy. We are buying two bikes and we need a smaller frame. Minimum seat height no more than 31". I would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[cmc128]

I live in the piedmont of NC but spend a lot of time in Blowing Rock so I know what you're wanting. I currently have a Ride1Up Lmt'd which is a hub drive but it does pretty good. But it's a high step and I've got to get a step through. So I've been looking for a new bike. It looks like I'm going to buy the Evelo Omega. It's a new bike and won't be available until end of March. But it has everything I'm looking for. It's a little more than your $3600 ($4100) but comes with a 4 year warranty, 750W/960W peak, 115nm torque, belt drive with Enviolo CVT drive with Automatic, throttle and torque sensor. You need to give it a look.

 

[cmc128]

I failed to mention that the Evelo Omega doesn't have the front suspension. I asked sales about it not having a front fork with suspension and they said with the bigger tires, I wouldn't notice. But I'm still concerned so I'm going to put a RedShift suspension stem on it. That with a suspension seat post should be fine.

 

[traderfjp]

CVT on a bike is a cool idea. I really want a front fork to smooth out bumps. A suspension seat post adds a few inches to the min. seat height so that wouldn't work for me. I am intrigues with the Rize City MD. It's 2600 and comes with a middrive 120nm motor and lots of nice components.

 

[rich c]

CVT on a bike is a cool idea. I really want a front fork to smooth out bumps. A suspension seat post adds a few inches to the min. seat height so that wouldn't work for me. I am intrigues with the Rize City MD. It's 2600 and comes with a middrive 120nm motor and lots of nice components.

Every bicycle has a front fork. You are talking about a suspension fork I assume. A spring front fork is just barely better than a rigid fork. Not worth the extra weight for what you get in a minimal suspension. An air suspension front fork is the way to go. Infinitely adjustable. I suggest you ride a few eBikes before buying. Nobody needs 1,000w and 120nm of torque, unless they intend to ride like it's a scooter. I ride Bosch powered mid drives and it will climb any hill I've been on, and it has a max of around 500w motor and 75nm of torque. I'll be 70 this year, so my legs on that eBike climb really well.

 

[ElevenAD]

CVT on a bike is a cool idea. I really want a front fork to smooth out bumps. A suspension seat post adds a few inches to the min. seat height so that wouldn't work for me. I am intrigues with the Rize City MD. It's 2600 and comes with a middrive 120nm motor and lots of nice components.

The Rize City has a BBS02 motor, big downgrade from the Ultra powered Rize RX or Pro. Imo stick with your original specs,get something with an Ultra. Check out the Biktrix Ultra Duo, They feature a 1000watt motor, integrated battery,160nm of torque and a 31in min seat height. I have no idea why people are suggesting 500watt bikes when OP clearly said he was looking for a 1000watt bike? Sometimes i wonder if people even bother to read post before they start pushing their own agenda lol.

 

[retiredNH]

Spouse and I live in SW New Hampshire, where little is flat. When we shopped for ebikes a year ago, we wanted something that could handle hills, since I'm at the point (age and health) where even the lowest gear on an analog bike just wasn't working. We ended up with two Trek Allant 8s because that's what we could find. No Allant 7 were available last March that we could find. The speed feature of the Allant 8s is wasted on us, but we find that what matters is the gearing range. Early in the season we needed that lowest gear for climbing. I should add that the generous 30 day return policy was a factor too, since it meant I could try it out on the steepest hills. It worked.

I'd focus less on published torque or wattage and more on the drive train range. Good gearing is a great torque multiplier. From what I've seen this past year, both on this board and elsewhere, you may want to consider spending a bit more. The folks that are happy with the less expensive bikes seem to be either DIY types or living in flatter areas.

ElevenAD, perhaps some of us suggest lower wattage bikes because we realize that published wattage specs are mostly an advertising gimmick, not well connected to real world experience. Torque? What matters is what's at the wheel, more than at the motor, and the drive train influences that. Then of course, you get into the issues of peak, short duration and steady state power and torque. But I doubt you even thought about it.

 

[AHicks]

The Rize City has a BBS02 motor, big downgrade from the Ultra powered Rize RX or Pro. Imo stick with your original specs,get something with an Ultra. Check out the Biktrix Ultra Duo, They feature a 1000watt motor, integrated battery,160nm of torque and a 31in min seat height. I have no idea why people are suggesting 500watt bikes when OP clearly said he was looking for a 1000watt bike? Sometimes i wonder if people even bother to read post before they start pushing their own agenda lol.

An option to a BBS02 would be the BBSHD. That motor is rated for the same amount of torque as the Ultra (160nm) but it doesn't have the torque sensing. Great reputation as a bullet proof motor. There were a few bikes using that motor, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.

 

[traderfjp]

Every bicycle has a front fork. You are talking about a suspension fork I assume. A spring front fork is just barely better than a rigid fork. Not worth the extra weight for what you get in a minimal suspension. An air suspension front fork is the way to go. Infinitely adjustable. I suggest you ride a few eBikes before buying. Nobody needs 1,000w and 120nm of torque, unless they intend to ride like it's a scooter. I ride Bosch powered mid drives and it will climb any hill I've been on, and it has a max of around 500w motor and 75nm of torque. I'll be 70 this year, so my legs on that eBike climb really well.

There are lots of tradeoffs. It seems most of the bikes are for taller riders. I'll find a bike that I like with the components I like to only find it has a 36" min seat height. I'm still looking.

 

[traderfjp]

An option to a BBS02 would be the BBSHD. That motor is rated for the same amount of torque as the Ultra (160nm) but it doesn't have the torque sensing. Great reputation as a bullet proof motor. There were a few bikes using that motor, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.

I saw a few bikes with that motor. I think it would be fine. My only concern is needing a torque sensor since my wife is new to ebikes and I don't want her to end up like Simon Cowell. I bought her a Surron and she did a face plant after training her to ride so I can't get her a bike that will surge power to the pedals. It needs to be a smooth transition of power. What are tehy using in place of a torque sensor. I'm familiar with cadence and torque sensors.

 

[traderfjp]

Spouse and I live in SW New Hampshire, where little is flat. When we shopped for ebikes a year ago, we wanted something that could handle hills, since I'm at the point (age and health) where even the lowest gear on an analog bike just wasn't working. We ended up with two Trek Allant 8s because that's what we could find. No Allant 7 were available last March that we could find. The speed feature of the Allant 8s is wasted on us, but we find that what matters is the gearing range. Early in the season we needed that lowest gear for climbing. I should add that the generous 30 day return policy was a factor too, since it meant I could try it out on the steepest hills. It worked.

I'd focus less on published torque or wattage and more on the drive train range. Good gearing is a great torque multiplier. From what I've seen this past year, both on this board and elsewhere, you may want to consider spending a bit more. The folks that are happy with the less expensive bikes seem to be either DIY types or living in flatter areas.

ElevenAD, perhaps some of us suggest lower wattage bikes because we realize that published wattage specs are mostly an advertising gimmick, not well connected to real world experience. Torque? What matters is what's at the wheel, more than at the motor, and the drive train influences that. Then of course, you get into the issues of peak, short duration and steady state power and torque. But I doubt you even thought about it.

The Rip Current S is a bike I was considering but it is built for speed not climbing hills. Lots of users have changed out cassettes, etc, to get a lower gear for hill climbing so I understand who you mean. It just hard to find specs to compare the gearing.

 

[traderfjp]

I think I have my bike selection narrowed to the Juggernaut Duo 2 or 3 in a step through and the Rize City MD bike. Any feedback on the bikes or companies would be appreciated.

The Juggernaut Duo classic comes in a step through for 2800.00 but uses a cadence sensor and because my wife is new to ebikes I think the surge in power might be a bad thing for her.
750W Bafang BBS02 Mid-drive Motor
120Nm of torque for easy to moderate hills
265lb load capacity
On-Demand throttle makes pedaling optional
Cadence sensor makes pedal assist smooth and powerful
Includes 52V 17.5Ah 910Wh internal battery + charger
and a smaller frame which works for use. The one downside is that the bike uses a cadence sensor and not a torque sensor. I don't want a jerky bike for my wife.

The Duo 2 comes in around 3500.00 but offers a torque sensor and a larger Bafang Ultra M620 motor with improved build quality.
1000W Bafang Ultra M620 Mid-drive Motor
160Nm of torque for easy to moderate hills
300lb load capacity
On-Demand throttle makes pedaling optional
Cadence+Torque sensor makes pedal assist smooth and powerful
Includes 52V 17.5Ah 910Wh internal battery + charger

The Duo 3 is similar to the 2 but comes with SRAM shifting. Not sure if it's worth a 200.00 upgrade.
1000W Bafang Ultra M620 Mid-drive Motor
160Nm of torque for easy to moderate hills
300lb load capacity
On-Demand throttle makes pedaling optional
Cadence+Torque sensor makes pedal assist smooth and powerful
Includes 52V 17.5Ah 910Wh internal battery + charger

The Rize City MD step through is also an interesting bike for 2800.00 (probably the best bang for the buck)

Bafang BBS02 Mid-Drive​

Bafang Mid Drive 750w 120Nm G340 (BBS02) motor
Gear shift sensor
48v 15Ah Samsung 21700 50E Cell (720Wh)
Only 65lbs.

 

[PedalUma]

Here is a 1987 bike. It is 48V and has 90Nm with a torque sensor. I have found that once you get close to 100Nm or over you are in for drivetrain problems. This other one is a 2015 with an air fork and hydro discs. Bafangs suffer from surge and lurch with lag. They can also be ghost pedaled which is weird. And they have a bunch off ugly connectors, unhygienic. Better bikes are clean.

 

[PatriciaK]

How many bikes have you and your wife actually ridden? Paper specs are great, but you really, really need to ride some different bikes, ideally in the conditions you'll be using them.

I have a 250 W mid drive that I ride in a very hilly area in WA state and it does everything I need it to. The way I found that out was to ride the bike where I live and test it on my local, significant hills before purchasing. I also rode other bikes before purchasing - not an easy feat, since, 2 years ago, when I was looking, the closest place that sold ebikes was almost an hour's drive away.

After gaining experience with that bike, I bought a 500W geared hub drive to ride around our second home in the Piedmont Triad area, and it, too, does a great job (that was from a direct seller, so I was taking a chance, but felt pretty confident after riding my first bike for awhile).

Long story short, please ride some different bikes before making an expensive decision .

 

[teskow]

Have you considered a Ride1Up Prodigy. Most of the specs seem to fit the bill except the solid fork.

 

[AHicks]

I think I have my bike selection narrowed to the Juggernaut Duo 2 or 3 in a step through and the Rize City MD bike. Any feedback on the bikes or companies would be appreciated.

The Juggernaut Duo classic comes in a step through for 2800.00 but uses a cadence sensor and because my wife is new to ebikes I think the surge in power might be a bad thing for her.
750W Bafang BBS02 Mid-drive Motor
120Nm of torque for easy to moderate hills
265lb load capacity
On-Demand throttle makes pedaling optional
Cadence sensor makes pedal assist smooth and powerful
Includes 52V 17.5Ah 910Wh internal battery + charger
and a smaller frame which works for use. The one downside is that the bike uses a cadence sensor and not a torque sensor. I don't want a jerky bike for my wife.

The Duo 2 comes in around 3500.00 but offers a torque sensor and a larger Bafang Ultra M620 motor with improved build quality.
1000W Bafang Ultra M620 Mid-drive Motor
160Nm of torque for easy to moderate hills
300lb load capacity
On-Demand throttle makes pedaling optional
Cadence+Torque sensor makes pedal assist smooth and powerful
Includes 52V 17.5Ah 910Wh internal battery + charger

The Duo 3 is similar to the 2 but comes with SRAM shifting. Not sure if it's worth a 200.00 upgrade.
1000W Bafang Ultra M620 Mid-drive Motor
160Nm of torque for easy to moderate hills
300lb load capacity
On-Demand throttle makes pedaling optional
Cadence+Torque sensor makes pedal assist smooth and powerful
Includes 52V 17.5Ah 910Wh internal battery + charger

The Rize City MD step through is also an interesting bike for 2800.00 (probably the best bang for the buck)

Bafang BBS02 Mid-Drive​

Bafang Mid Drive 750w 120Nm G340 (BBS02) motor
Gear shift sensor
48v 15Ah Samsung 21700 50E Cell (720Wh)
Only 65lbs.

I hate to poop in your Cheerios, but there is another difference when comparing the BBSxx series to the Ultras, and at the moment it's a huge can of worms. In a word, ugly. Previously, the Bafang BBSxx and Ultra motor controllers were easily programmable, and dealing with situations like your wife's could be handled in a stride. They were all fairly simple for end users to program to their hearts content.

Briefly, Bafang decided to change the programming language (originally UART, now CANbus) the first of this year. This new CANbus language has locked down/disabled the controller setup functions (adjustability). Though most production Ultra's are now all CANbus, there are STILL UART based BBSxx motors being installed in some of the new production bikes. If the adjustability is important to you (as it would to me), you would need to contact the bike manf. (not Bafang) and confirm which you are getting.

Then, just to confuse things further, if your wife is fairly light (say under 140-150?), though some hills my be pushing it, she may be just fine on a hub drive in the hills. I mention that as they are hands down, unquestionably, easier to ride. They can be as simple as climb on and go. Absolutely awesome for rookie riders.

 

[retiredNH]

I hate to poop in your Cheerios, but there is another difference when comparing the BBSxx series to the Ultras, and at the moment it's a huge can of worms. In a word, ugly. Previously, the Bafang BBSxx and Ultra motor controllers were easily programmable, and dealing with situations like your wife's could be handled in a stride. They were all fairly simple for end users to program to their hearts content.

Briefly, Bafang decided to change the programming language (originally UART, now CANbus) the first of this year. This new CANbus language has locked down/disabled the controller setup functions (adjustability). Though most production Ultra's are now all CANbus, there are STILL UART based BBSxx motors being installed in some of the new production bikes. If the adjustability is important to you (as it would to me), you would need to contact the bike manf. (not Bafang) and confirm which you are getting.

Then, just to confuse things further, if your wife is fairly light (say under 140-150?), though some hills my be pushing it, she may be just fine on a hub drive in the hills. I mention that as they are hands down, unquestionably, easier to ride. They can be as simple as climb on and go. Absolutely awesome for rookie riders.

Please tell me why a hub drive would be :"hands down easier to ride"? Have you ever ridden a quality mid drive?

 

[tomjasz]

Bafangs suffer from surge and lurch with lag.

I guess I'm just the oddball. I no longer have any skin in the game, but I like my properly programmed BBSxx over TSDZ2.
I also prefer frames for the BBSxx that allow for the BBSxx to be mounted significantly higher than a TSDZ2. But full disclosure, I'm moving away from all mid-drives. My last 2 BBS01 350W are being retired. I do have a new recent build BBSxx 36V 500W.
No idea what I'll do with it yet.

 

[tomjasz]

Please tell me why a hub drive would be :"hands down easier to ride"? Have you ever ridden a quality mid drive?

Good lord man, there's all manner of posts from @AHicks It's very odd that anyone would take that comment as negative. Have you ridden any quality hub drives?

 

[retiredNH]

Good lord man, there's all manner of posts from @AHicks It's very odd that anyone would take that comment as negative. Have you ridden any quality hub drives?

Unfortunately, you gave a good "non-answer". Can't you do any better than that? Please explain!