New Trek Allant+ 8S owner - have some questions

[Twinmom]

After doing some research, I took the plunge and purchased my 1st e-bike - the Allant+ 8S (small stagger). Hopefully I made a good choice. It was difficult to try different models with the lack of available inventory. I had been keeping an eye on the inventory online and this bike became available. Apparently someone preordered it and decided not to buy it, so now it is sitting in my garage!

I have a few questions. I have an iPhone 13 pro max. It doesn't seem to fit very securely in the COBI. Are there any workarounds to secure larger phones? Also my bike did not come with a cable. Is the cable needed other than to charge the phone battery? What kind of cord is it?

I need a small bag to fit little stuff like keys, money, credit card etc. Any suggestions that will work with the stagger model? Also, anyone have any pannier recommendations? Do the Ortlieb panniers fit on the rack? The factory installed rack seems a bit odd to me - looks nice but not sure how functional it really is.

Security/theft protection. Any advice on bike locks or insurance options? Anyone have any luck adding it to their homeowners insurance?

I have taken it on 2 short rides so far and I am still getting used to it. Seems like a very nice, smooth ride. The motor seems very smart/intuitive. As someone on this thread said - "looking to many miles of smiles!"

Any advice anyone would like to share is greatly appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 43763]

You should have got a few small wires to charge as you ride.
Trek has a bag that mounts under your seat.
Also a pannier clips to the weird rack.
I use a folding lock if I must leave the bike unattended.
Nice bike.

 

[BlackHand]

Silicon bands like this can be found on Amazon for a couple $. The Bosch phone mount failed multiple times in the first month before breaking completely. I just use the band wrapped around the SPH base now without the generic phone mount and it works great

 

[retiredNH]

We use small handlebar bags with velcro straps to hold things. Rather than block the headlight, we put them on in reverse. They work fine. Hope you like the smartphone hub better than me. I find it a huge disappointment - lots of promise, little realized. Quirky. Poorly documented on top of that. Some have reported their phones coming loose while riding, so I use an old phone, without a sim card. My good phone rides in the bag. It works fine without a sim card. I used to use the system for navigation, but found that navigation shuts down when you're in the fitness screen (the one that shows cadence, power and heart rate), my favorite, so I don't use navi. If you do want to do navi, post here and I can walk you through some of the quirks.

 

[Akrotiri]

After doing some research, I took the plunge and purchased my 1st e-bike - the Allant+ 8S (small stagger). Hopefully I made a good choice. It was difficult to try different models with the lack of available inventory. I had been keeping an eye on the inventory online and this bike became available. Apparently someone preordered it and decided not to buy it, so now it is sitting in my garage!

I have a few questions. I have an iPhone 13 pro max. It doesn't seem to fit very securely in the COBI. Are there any workarounds to secure larger phones? Also my bike did not come with a cable. Is the cable needed other than to charge the phone battery? What kind of cord is it?

I need a small bag to fit little stuff like keys, money, credit card etc. Any suggestions that will work with the stagger model? Also, anyone have any pannier recommendations? Do the Ortlieb panniers fit on the rack? The factory installed rack seems a bit odd to me - looks nice but not sure how functional it really is.

Security/theft protection. Any advice on bike locks or insurance options? Anyone have any luck adding it to their homeowners insurance?

I have taken it on 2 short rides so far and I am still getting used to it. Seems like a very nice, smooth ride. The motor seems very smart/intuitive. As someone on this thread said - "looking to many miles of smiles!"

Any advice anyone would like to share is greatly appreciated.

The Cobi/Bosch phone mount on the allant 8s is one of the very few weak points on the bike.

The spring mechanism on mine broke twice and since then I use a generic phone mount and haven’t had any problems since.

 

[archerlc]

After doing some research, I took the plunge and purchased my 1st e-bike - the Allant+ 8S (small stagger). Hopefully I made a good choice. It was difficult to try different models with the lack of available inventory. I had been keeping an eye on the inventory online and this bike became available. Apparently someone preordered it and decided not to buy it, so now it is sitting in my garage!

I have a few questions. I have an iPhone 13 pro max. It doesn't seem to fit very securely in the COBI. Are there any workarounds to secure larger phones? Also my bike did not come with a cable. Is the cable needed other than to charge the phone battery? What kind of cord is it?

I need a small bag to fit little stuff like keys, money, credit card etc. Any suggestions that will work with the stagger model? Also, anyone have any pannier recommendations? Do the Ortlieb panniers fit on the rack? The factory installed rack seems a bit odd to me - looks nice but not sure how functional it really is.

Security/theft protection. Any advice on bike locks or insurance options? Anyone have any luck adding it to their homeowners insurance?

I have taken it on 2 short rides so far and I am still getting used to it. Seems like a very nice, smooth ride. The motor seems very smart/intuitive. As someone on this thread said - "looking to many miles of smiles!"

Any advice anyone would like to share is greatly appreciated.

 

[archerlc]

View attachment 107047

I have this on my medium Stagger.

 

[John from Connecticut]

After doing some research, I took the plunge and purchased my 1st e-bike - the Allant+ 8S (small stagger). Hopefully I made a good choice. It was difficult to try different models with the lack of available inventory. I had been keeping an eye on the inventory online and this bike became available. Apparently someone preordered it and decided not to buy it, so now it is sitting in my garage!

I have a few questions. I have an iPhone 13 pro max. It doesn't seem to fit very securely in the COBI. Are there any workarounds to secure larger phones? Also my bike did not come with a cable. Is the cable needed other than to charge the phone battery? What kind of cord is it?

I need a small bag to fit little stuff like keys, money, credit card etc. Any suggestions that will work with the stagger model? Also, anyone have any pannier recommendations? Do the Ortlieb panniers fit on the rack? The factory installed rack seems a bit odd to me - looks nice but not sure how functional it really is.

Security/theft protection. Any advice on bike locks or insurance options? Anyone have any luck adding it to their homeowners insurance?

I have taken it on 2 short rides so far and I am still getting used to it. Seems like a very nice, smooth ride. The motor seems very smart/intuitive. As someone on this thread said - "looking to many miles of smiles!"

Any advice anyone would like to share is greatly appreciated.

Hello,
What beautiful bike ! Love the color. You've made an excellent choice. I'm seriously considering an Allant + as well. I haven't decided on the model.
You asked about Security/Theft Protection. That's a very broad subject. Since you have Panniers, my choice for security would be a 10mm or
larger hardened steel bike chain for starters. Easily carried in you pannier, yet very difficult to cut with battery operated angle / die grinder.

If you're not familiar, if given enough time a thief can cut through almost any lock with a battery operated angle / die grinder. The combo below
will certainly slow a thief down or frustrate him to move on.

Yes, These choices are expensive, but your beautiful bike isn't a Huffy.
Abus Granit Citychain X-Plus 1060 Bicycle Chain lock and the Abus 540 Granit X-Plus U Lock

https://www.amazon.com/Abus-Citychain-1060-Bicycle-3-5-Feet/dp/B000OYFQZ6/ref=asc_df_B000OYFQZ6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241987970787&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13493552495337764982&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003193&hvtargid=pla

-456302086045&psc=1

As for Insurance, I'd start with your Homeowners / Condo etc carrier. I did and my carrier will insure
my two e-Bikes as personal property and each is in the same price range as your Allant

Good luck John

 

[folmonty]

Not so much a fan of the Zouma rack on the 8's. Nor a fan of mounting the phone on the handlebars. The Racktime on the 7's is a bit more versatile IMHO although you do need to buy a mounting bracket for a rear bag to make it really functional. Racktime makes good stuff. Jealous of your 625 battery though

 

[fooferdoggie]

Not so much a fan of the Zouma rack on the 8's. Nor a fan of mounting the phone on the handlebars. The Racktime on the 7's is a bit more versatile IMHO although you do need to buy a mounting bracket for a rear bag to make it really functional. Racktime makes good stuff. Jealous of your 625 battery though

I wanted to replace it right away but so far its been working fine. it holds my ortlieb bags fine.

 

[folmonty]

I wanted to replace it right away but so far its been working fine. it holds my ortlieb bags fine.

Bet it works great with those bags. Ortlieb is qualtiy gear. Think many people don't realize that rack is made mainly for painer application. Assuming that's what you're using?

 

[fooferdoggie]

Bet it works great with those bags. Ortlieb is qualtiy gear. Think many people don't realize that rack is made mainly for painer application. Assuming that's what you're using?

yes. I can see if you use a trunk it will suck.

 

[Deleted member 43763]

I only use one bag. It does well with tools, lunch and sometimes a sweatshirt.

 

[retiredNH]

yes. I can see if you use a trunk it will suck.

I modified the rack with an extension. Works fine. Sorry about the finger and messy background in the picture....

 

[fooferdoggie]

I had to use some foam to keep the handles from dropping through the crack and getting rubbed on he wheel.

 

[folmonty]

FWIW this is the Racktime "system" using a top bag. The bag locks into place using the rails attached to the bag. Super quick on - off but no where near the carrying capacity of the paniers.

 

[fooferdoggie]

hopefully Sunday I will have the second battery mount installed. Trek does not sell the kit without the battery so all the parts had to be ordered eperatly. Bosch does not like to sell the battery Y cable except for warranty replacement so it was a hassle to get it. Now that my wife can ride the tandem I dont need the second battry for the most part but you never know and it was far less then buying another tube battery.

 

[Sefutau2020]

I love my 8s, but hate the integrated rack, so I just decided to use a saddle bag and the 2 cage bosses for storage. I just prefer the cleaner look. I wish Trek would have just used the 7s rack on this model…..smh. In my estimation, the Giant Fastroad EX Pro, is similar to the 8s (rigid fork, 80+ nm), so Trek could have easily added a more formable true “bicycle rear rack.” Just my two cents…

 

[retiredNH]

I love my 8s, but hate the integrated rack, so I just decided to use a saddle bag and the 2 cage bosses for storage. I just prefer the cleaner look. I wish Trek would have just used the 7s rack on this model…..smh. In my estimation, the Giant Fastroad EX Pro, is similar to the 8s (rigid fork, 80+ nm), so Trek could have easily added a more formable true “bicycle rear rack.” Just my two cents…

Many of us have expressed the same complaint. Trek must be listening to someone else, though, since it's still around yet another year...

 

[fooferdoggie]

Many of us have expressed the same complaint. Trek must be listening to someone else, though, since it's still around yet another year...

my bulls rack had a stupid mouse trap on the top and it was attached to the same bracket the disc brake caliper was so nothing would have fit. plus as usual the fender was attached to it.