My Espin Sport

Hi...to the Espin Sport (or Flow) owners:

Do you guys love your Espins and would you recommend them? I've been so reluctant to pull the trigger on this bike. Seems like a pretty good deal at $1199. Help me jump off that fence. Thanks.
I am more than satisfied with the Espin Sport. That it was from the first batch from a new manufacturer in a new nation of origin indicates commitment to quality control. I'd buy another if I needed a second bike.
 
About PAS customization, I was told by Espin that it could be changed to 9 levels but after test riding a Pace, I don’t think I’ll need that many.

As for looks/frame, I would agree the Sport looks more like the Core-5 but if that’s the case, would that mean more like the LMTd with the fenders, rack, lights and suspension fork? :)
 
About PAS customization, I was told by Espin that it could be changed to 9 levels but after test riding a Pace, I don’t think I’ll need that many.

As for looks/frame, I would agree the Sport looks more like the Core-5 but if that’s the case, would that mean more like the LMTd with the fenders, rack, lights and suspension fork? :)
Did they say how it could be changed to nine levels?
 
Same. Almost cancelled and was going to get the XP Step instead but since they are delayed I figured I’ll try the Sport first.
 
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Well chocolate and vanilla and all that. I think the frame of the sport looks more like the Core 5 than the 700 series
To each his own. I like the cobalt blue color of the Sport, the welds and tubes are nice. The bike is very comfortable to me. The models share some common components.
 
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About PAS customization, I was told by Espin that it could be changed to 9 levels but after test riding a Pace, I don’t think I’ll need that many.

As for looks/frame, I would agree the Sport looks more like the Core-5 but if that’s the case, would that mean more like the LMTd with the fenders, rack, lights and suspension fork? :)
Well you don't have to use all of the levels. You can actually set it for only five levels from what I saw in a video about the 700 series display on YouTube. again the odds are I'd be totally happy with the 1 to 5 on the Espin sport but in my book having the ability to adjust and customize if I want is definitely a plus.
 
Hi...to the Espin Sport (or Flow) owners:

Do you guys love your Espins and would you recommend them? I've been so reluctant to pull the trigger on this bike. Seems like a pretty good deal at $1199. Help me jump off that fence. Thanks.
Dee. Yes I love my Espin Sport. It is a beautiful bike, very stable, and zippy. It seems very well put together. Nothing rattles. Rear rack is useful. I expected to replace the seat but even that was comfortable. Great deal. The hydraulic brakes are really nice. Stopping is very secure and predictable. Shifting is flawless. Controls are easy. I am 5'8" and it fits me well. Seat adjusts for taller riders. It is a big bike. If I were shorter or older I probably would order the step thru Flow. We liked it so much we ordered an Espin Nero fat tire bike for my husband. If you want a bike for commuting, for fun or for running errands I think you will like these bikes. A Bike should meet your needs.
 
Let’s ask someone who has both... @BET do you use all 9 PAS levels? :)
No I do not use all nine PAS levels. I usually use first three levels. I ride in level 1 or 2 and go up hills in levels 2 or 3. I like to peddle. I go slower on the bike paths, 15 mph limit there. I prefer street riding. My son can change his Ride1up 500 to 9 levels but he has it set for 5 levels and likes it that way. Being able to adjust power at each level is nice but I do not feel the need to do that. My bike is very controllable in level 1. I have not tested top speed. The Ride1up may have a higher top speed (28) but throttle cuts out at 20 on all of these class 2/3 bikes. Maybe ask someone else about top speed on the Sport. On the Sport I can use the throttle at the same time as the PAS, ie when going up hills. I saw a discussion with Kevin from Ride1up saying the throttle and PAS will not work at the same time on the 500. However, since people complained he changed that and offered owners a software update. Ride1up is very responsive to buyers.
 
Dee. Yes I love my Espin Sport. It is a beautiful bike, very stable, and zippy. It seems very well put together. Nothing rattles. Rear rack is useful. I expected to replace the seat but even that was comfortable. Great deal. The hydraulic brakes are really nice. Stopping is very secure and predictable. Shifting is flawless. Controls are easy. I am 5'8" and it fits me well. Seat adjusts for taller riders. It is a big bike. If I were shorter or older I probably would order the step thru Flow. We liked it so much we ordered an Espin Nero fat tire bike for my husband. If you want a bike for commuting, for fun or for running errands I think you will like these bikes. A Bike should meet your needs.

Wow that seems like a pretty enthusiastic recommendation...thanks so much. I just might have to buy this thing.
 
No I do not use all nine PAS levels. I usually use first three levels. I ride in level 1 or 2 and go up hills in levels 2 or 3. I like to peddle. I go slower on the bike paths, 15 mph limit there. I prefer street riding. My son can change his Ride1up 500 to 9 levels but he has it set for 5 levels and likes it that way. Being able to adjust power at each level is nice but I do not feel the need to do that. My bike is very controllable in level 1. I have not tested top speed. The Ride1up may have a higher top speed (28) but throttle cuts out at 20 on all of these class 2/3 bikes. Maybe ask someone else about top speed on the Sport. On the Sport I can use the throttle at the same time as the PAS, ie when going up hills. I saw a discussion with Kevin from Ride1up saying the throttle and PAS will not work at the same time on the 500. However, since people complained he changed that and offered owners a software update. Ride1up is very responsive to buyers.
Yeah after having read about it I consider being able to use the throttle along with PAS to be a big plus, my 700 is supposed to ship this week and I'm under the impression that it will work that way as well. I imagine if you're riding mostly in flat areas, which I will be, but then hit the occasional hill would be nice to be able to just goose the throttle a bit.
 
Let’s ask someone who has both... @BET do you use all 9 PAS levels? :)
I think to a certain extent were all guilty of confirmation bias. I doubt I will use all nine so maybe I'll change it to five levels. Or maybe with so many levels I'll make level one and two very subtle. I wouldn't argue that 9 levels is necessary but I also wouldn't argue that having a choice of 5 non adjustable levels is better than choosing between 5 levels, 7 levels or 9 levels that are all adjustable
 
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I totally agree that *adjustable* levels are preferred... they should actually do that for any type of rear hub drive cadence sensor system. But practically speaking, I just don't know that there is much difference/variance between 9 levels of PAS because would you be looking at 2mph/4mph/6mph/8mph/12mph/16mph/20mph/24mph/28mph or 9 percentage steps or however you would set it up and what would be the usage for certain levels?

So while 9 levels may be a sell point for many... in the end... for me, it's not... but the *adjustable* part is. And then again, if the proper percentages of the levels are done correctly... then there may not even be a need for having it to be adjustable (like 5mph/10mph/15mph/20mph/28mph).

I think if the PAS 1 is set low enough to not cause unwanted speed boosts and PAS 5 can hit the top speed, that's good enough for me.

I guess because when I rode the Pace 500, Level 1 seemed pretty powerful to me that I figured Level 5 would probably only be used for hills. At the same time, this thought went into my head... it would be much faster to get to Level 5 then to Level 9 if I needed it... 4 less clicks. :)
 
I totally agree that *adjustable* levels are preferred... they should actually do that for any type of rear hub drive cadence sensor system. But practically speaking, I just don't know that there is much difference/variance between 9 levels of PAS because would you be looking at 2mph/4mph/6mph/8mph/12mph/16mph/20mph/24mph/28mph or 9 percentage steps or however you would set it up and what would be the usage for certain levels?

So while 9 levels may be a sell point for many... in the end... for me, it's not... but the *adjustable* part is. And then again, if the proper percentages of the levels are done correctly... then there may not even be a need for having it to be adjustable (like 5mph/10mph/15mph/20mph/28mph).

I think if the PAS 1 is set low enough to not cause unwanted speed boosts and PAS 5 can hit the top speed, that's good enough for me.

I guess because when I rode the Pace 500, Level 1 seemed pretty powerful to me that I figured Level 5 would probably only be used for hills. At the same time, this thought went into my head... it would be much faster to get to Level 5 then to Level 9 if I needed it... 4 less clicks. :)
exactly, you could make level 1 a bit less powerful. I think the adjustments are in maximum percentage power at a given level. Plus as for your "level 5 only for hills" you could keep it in a lower level of assist and just use the throttle for a hill. I'm curious about how often people shift. I mean when pedaling a normal bike you can feel when you want/need to shift but I imagine with a good bit of assist it might be different
 
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My 700 series is supposed to ship this week and I look forward to assembling it but maybe I'm weird. The bike stand is supposed to be delivered today. Guess I'll have to get a mobile mechanic to give it the once over for the warranty though.
yeah, we actually discussed that in previous threads. Not as important to me in this style of bike, but it would still qualify as a plus.
 
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