New Member

[Rasgcs]

Hello everyone! My name is Roger and I am in the process of buying my first ebike. I have only one ebike shop near me and I have narrowed it down to three that they carry. Surface 604 Colt, Aventon Level and Magnum Metro. Any comments or suggestions would be helpful including Cadence vs Torque. I ride trails for pleasure and exercise but at 69 years I now can use some help on hills and I have some problems with one of my knees.

 

[Bigal1463]

Good morning Roger, and welcome, you’ve come to he right place for information and help. I am no expert, but as a laymen, I can say that with cadence, You engage PAS (pedal assist) And all you have to do is pedal, there is no need to exert lots of pressure when pedaling. With torque, when you engage PAS, the more pressure you exert, the faster you go. Torque is more like riding a non powered bike, with power assist.
If you’re having knee problems, then personally, I would say to go with Cadence. There are lots of people on this forum that are far more qualified than me to offer advice. I thought that I would give you a general idea. Good luck in your search. BTW, I own an Aventon Pace 500, which is an excellent bike from a wonderful company. I am extremely happy, but had the Level been out when I purchased, Level would have been my choice. Front suspension, front and rear fenders and a rear rack. Also a longer battery life. A very nice looking bike and price wise, it’s hard to beat. Aventon has cadence assist.

 

[Rasgcs]

Good morning Roger, and welcome, you’ve come to he right place for information and help. I am no expert, but as a laymen, I can say that with cadence, You engage PAS (pedal assist) And all you have to do is pedal, there is no need to exert lots of pressure when pedaling. With torque, when you engage PAS, the more pressure you exert, the faster you go. Torque is more like riding a non powered bike, with power assist.
If you’re having knee problems, then personally, I would say to go with Cadence. There are lots of people on this forum that are far more qualified than me to offer advice. I thought that I would give you a general idea. Good luck in your search. BTW, I own an Aventon Pace 500, which is an excellent bike from a wonderful company. I am extremely happy, but had the Level been out when I purchased, Level would have been my choice. Front suspension, front and rear fenders and a rear rack. Also a longer battery life. A very nice looking bike and price wise, it’s hard to beat. Aventon has cadence assist.

Thanks Bigal1463, just the kind of info I am looking for.

 

[KLamond]

Hi Roger. I just recently joined myself. One of the bikes I tested before buying the one I did was the Magnum Metro. It was really a toss up for me between the bike I got and the Magnum Metro. I liked it a lot when I test rode it.

My wife's bike has a mid-drive (torque sensor) and my bike is a rear-hub with a cadence sensor. I've ridden both our bikes, so I can give you my take on how they feel different. The mid-drive/torque sensor feels more natural. It feels like riding a regular bike, but now you have bionic legs that makes it easier. The level of assist sets how much help it gives. The amount of power added by the motor is based on how hard you are pedaling.

The rear-hub/cadence sensor setup is more on and off. On my bike with the cadence sensor, the motor turns the rear wheel at a certain speed based on the assist level. At 1, this is 6 miles per hour, at 2, it is around 10 mph, and so on. Now, my pedaling can make the wheel go faster, but I can't go any slower. The cadence sensor has no way of telling how hard I'm pedaling. It just knows the pedals have started turning and when that happens it turns the motor on.

Both systems have pluses and minus. The mid-drive/torque feels more natural, but is also more complex and expensive. Most rear-hub cadence sensor systems allow you to use a throttle if you want, and are less expensive. Both systems are fun to ride and get the job done

 

[Rasgcs]

Hi Roger. I just recently joined myself. One of the bikes I tested before buying the one I did was the Magnum Metro. It was really a toss up for me between the bike I got and the Magnum Metro. I liked it a lot when I test rode it.

My wife's bike has a mid-drive (torque sensor) and my bike is a rear-hub with a cadence sensor. I've ridden both our bikes, so I can give you my take on how they feel different. The mid-drive/torque sensor feels more natural. It feels like riding a regular bike, but now you have bionic legs that makes it easier. The level of assist sets how much help it gives. The amount of power added by the motor is based on how hard you are pedaling.

The rear-hub/cadence sensor setup is more on and off. On my bike with the cadence sensor, the motor turns the rear wheel at a certain speed based on the assist level. At 1, this is 6 miles per hour, at 2, it is around 10 mph, and so on. Now, my pedaling can make the wheel go faster, but I can't go any slower. The cadence sensor has no way of telling how hard I'm pedaling. It just knows the pedals have started turning and when that happens it turns the motor on.

Both systems have pluses and minus. The mid-drive/torque feels more natural, but is also more complex and expensive. Most rear-hub cadence sensor systems allow you to use a throttle if you want, and are less expensive. Both systems are fun to ride and get the job done

Thanks KLamond for the comparison. I’m still on the fence and I have another appt at the end of the month with my local bike shop so the process continues. Appreciate the response.