Need help choosing: iZip Dash or Evo Cross

[rickgassko]

I'm trying to choose my first electric bike and would love any opinions from this amazing community. I live in Santa Monica and have local dealers for both. I have a 7 mile pretty flat commute to work which is what I expect to use the bike for (I'm 6'0, 180).

The bikes are priced the same and seem to have similar features. I'm trying to find out whether there are differences in performance, comfort, customer service, and wear-and-tear that should sway my decision.

I really appreciate your help in advance!

 

[John L.]

Welcome! This is a great group for sharing information. Both bikes look like a good choice for what you want to use it for. Looking over the reviews, it seems like a major difference is that the iZip Dash uses a gearless hub motor and the Evo Cross uses a geared hub motor. The gearless motor may be a little lighter, but the geared motors, as I understand it, may be a little more efficient under load and uphill. Since your commute is pretty flat, this probably wouldn't be an issue most of the time, but should you decide to ride it in the local mountains or tow a little trailer, the geared motor might run a bit cooler. The iZip Dash has a 3x8 drivetrain and the Evo Cross has a 1x10. The Dash will probably give you a wider range of gears than the Cross, which might not matter in the flats of Santa Monica, but for hills or hauling stuff, the wider gear ratio of the 3x8 is nice to have. Since you've got dealers nearby (lucky you!) you should be able to test ride both. I think fit and comfort are very important. Which bike feels the most comfortable to you? Which dealer seems to offer the best service and is willing to spend time to make sure the bike is properly fitted and has accessories you might eventually want to add?

Whichever one you choose, I hope you'll post your feedback and let us know how it's working for you.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

Great points @John L. - I will just add that the Evo has hydro brakes which should provide much better stopping power and way less maintenance than the Dash. Conversely the Dash has a 48 Volt battery that provides the gearless hub motor with quite a bit of juice. I've owned the Dash but must admit the fit and finish of the Evo looks superior. -S

 

[George S.]

Two top dealer bikes. Blue chip bikes from blue chip companies. Both rated 10 on this site. The Evo has a more versatile throttle, but they are both pedal assist. Maybe they are too similar and you should at least look at other flavors, but these bikes work for commuting. You must have done some homework? You can run down the components, assess the bike as a bike. It seems like it would be your personal 'on the bike' experience that matters, with these two bikes.

If someone says they want to spend half what these bikes cost, it is more of a challenge. At this price level the bikes and dealers are pretty solid. If you go up another thousand you won't get any capability you suggest you need. If you go up another $3,000 the bikes get pretty specialized. Most owners say they are pretty happy, unless the bike literally falls apart. Bikes are being sold for off road or trail capability, which is really pushing price at the high end.

It's not a long commute. Performance is not an issue. A lot would depend on what level of fitness you are at. You could take either bike and let it do most of the work. Most people want some fitness out of the deal, so maybe assess the bike as a bike, how it rides and all. Basically, either way, you probably end up with a bike where you do a moderate amount of work and go 20 mph. On a regular bike you might go 10 mph, with moderate pedaling. That's what you pay for.

 

[rickgassko]

I really appreciate the responses - thank you. @George S. I have a high level of fitness and definitely want to get fitness out of the deal without sweating on the way to work (way home will hopefully be different

I've done as much homework as I can find on the Web and I'll keep test riding. I'm set at my budget level, but the tough thing to figure out is how they are going to last. Thank you for the note about the hydro brakes, @Shea N Encinitas - great point. Sounds like another test drive this weekend - and hopefully a purchase.