Newbie Elby owner
- Thread starter v7i7c
- Start date
v7i7c
New Member
Both! I bought mine online because I didn't think LBS's carried Elby's and now wish I had been more patient and searched around locally. I prefer supporting brick and mortar stores who can provide you with needed after purchase support.
Yesterday, I went to an amazing e-bike shop in Redwood City CA on my way to a birthday party for my daughters boyfriend (Motostrano- 300 e-bikes from a huge variety of manufacturers and really friendly staff) and they had several Elby's in stock.
BTW, the sleek integrated appearance of the Elby's really stands out among all the other bikes which look more traditional in structure.
Yesterday, I went to an amazing e-bike shop in Redwood City CA on my way to a birthday party for my daughters boyfriend (Motostrano- 300 e-bikes from a huge variety of manufacturers and really friendly staff) and they had several Elby's in stock.
BTW, the sleek integrated appearance of the Elby's really stands out among all the other bikes which look more traditional in structure.
v7i7c
New Member
Well, it's been a bit over a week since the arrival of my Elby. I bought the Elby new on eBay from an Amazon reseller (!) at a very favorable price. It arrived in its original Elby box (without professional setup) and as their website's video shows it takes only a couple of minutes to set it up for riding (just straighten out the handle bars and adjust the seat, if needed.)
However, the box it arrived in was a bit banged up and upon inspection I found the rear fender was out of alignment about 1/2-3/4 of an inch, probably from one of the very strong struts which act as a its rear rack being bent a bit during shipment. This will be relatively easy to repair and meanwhile there still is plenty of clearance over the tire.
The only other issue I found was with the extraordinarily bright headlight which remains in the "on" position despite all attempts to turn it off. The folks at Elby are trying to diagnose and solve this problem. While they're pursing a "fix", I just unplug the light when I don't need it. I will report on the the "fix" when we get closure.
Now onto a mini-review of how the bike rides-
To be brief, the bike is a dream to ride!
Far more powerful than I had expected, the bike carrying my 165 lbs. will get to its maximum speed of about 20 or so mph in mere seconds on a level road using either pedals with motor assist or just the motor throttle. Very impressive! It gets me up hills with no sweat that I couldn't make on my 21 speed when I was 20 years younger. It's quite the bike for an older rider!
The motor is whisper quiet- it's a stealth bike and the included loud bell is very welcome. It's far more quiet than any electric bike I've ridden or seen.
The gear shifter works smoothly and consistently. The hydraulic brakes are amazingly strong and stop the bike from speed very quickly and stably. It is very easy and intuitive to move between different power assist levels (and regen levels!). The throttle is silky smooth as is its acceleration. The sad truth is that I use the throttle more than I probably should, but I'm old and lazy. When in power assist mode it seems to respond instantly to pedaling once you're moving at a slow walking pace. It rides true and straight and I cannot notice any frame flex whatsoever, but I'm no expert.
I haven't taken the bike on a long ride yet, so I can't really post a definitive comment on its range, but based upon extrapolating a series of shorter rides it seems as if 30-50 miles or longer per charge is well within its grasp.
Nor have I ridden it off-road yet on the well maintained dirt bike paths in the hills among the redwoods nearby my house, but those are next on my list. The seat is relatively comfy and the 2+inch tires seem to smooth out the bumps on streets so I am not sweating the lack of front or rear suspensions. At least, not yet. We'll see how I feel about that after riding on the dirt paths!
Of particular note is the clear and very visible information presented in the removable control panel which has plenty of options to choose among.
I should also mention that the built in rear rack is perfect for hanging a pair of Ibera Bicycle Bag PakRak Clip-On Quick-Release All Weather Bike Panniers. The nature of the Elby's step thru frame makes using a U-lock problematic, so I bought one of those humongous Kryptonite New York chain bike locks. Bike theft here in the Bay Area is epidemic.
I should also mention that the folks at Elby have been very personable and professional when I have contacted them for assistance. That's a major PLUS in my opinion for buying a bike sold primarily on the web.
Post any questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer them.
However, the box it arrived in was a bit banged up and upon inspection I found the rear fender was out of alignment about 1/2-3/4 of an inch, probably from one of the very strong struts which act as a its rear rack being bent a bit during shipment. This will be relatively easy to repair and meanwhile there still is plenty of clearance over the tire.
The only other issue I found was with the extraordinarily bright headlight which remains in the "on" position despite all attempts to turn it off. The folks at Elby are trying to diagnose and solve this problem. While they're pursing a "fix", I just unplug the light when I don't need it. I will report on the the "fix" when we get closure.
Now onto a mini-review of how the bike rides-
To be brief, the bike is a dream to ride!
Far more powerful than I had expected, the bike carrying my 165 lbs. will get to its maximum speed of about 20 or so mph in mere seconds on a level road using either pedals with motor assist or just the motor throttle. Very impressive! It gets me up hills with no sweat that I couldn't make on my 21 speed when I was 20 years younger. It's quite the bike for an older rider!
The motor is whisper quiet- it's a stealth bike and the included loud bell is very welcome. It's far more quiet than any electric bike I've ridden or seen.
The gear shifter works smoothly and consistently. The hydraulic brakes are amazingly strong and stop the bike from speed very quickly and stably. It is very easy and intuitive to move between different power assist levels (and regen levels!). The throttle is silky smooth as is its acceleration. The sad truth is that I use the throttle more than I probably should, but I'm old and lazy. When in power assist mode it seems to respond instantly to pedaling once you're moving at a slow walking pace. It rides true and straight and I cannot notice any frame flex whatsoever, but I'm no expert.
I haven't taken the bike on a long ride yet, so I can't really post a definitive comment on its range, but based upon extrapolating a series of shorter rides it seems as if 30-50 miles or longer per charge is well within its grasp.
Nor have I ridden it off-road yet on the well maintained dirt bike paths in the hills among the redwoods nearby my house, but those are next on my list. The seat is relatively comfy and the 2+inch tires seem to smooth out the bumps on streets so I am not sweating the lack of front or rear suspensions. At least, not yet. We'll see how I feel about that after riding on the dirt paths!
Of particular note is the clear and very visible information presented in the removable control panel which has plenty of options to choose among.
I should also mention that the built in rear rack is perfect for hanging a pair of Ibera Bicycle Bag PakRak Clip-On Quick-Release All Weather Bike Panniers. The nature of the Elby's step thru frame makes using a U-lock problematic, so I bought one of those humongous Kryptonite New York chain bike locks. Bike theft here in the Bay Area is epidemic.
I should also mention that the folks at Elby have been very personable and professional when I have contacted them for assistance. That's a major PLUS in my opinion for buying a bike sold primarily on the web.
Post any questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer them.
Getting my Elby today, so kinda excited. So, the Ibera panniers work...one review I read said the Elby rack bars were too thick.
Been riding it now for three days. I’m 74, 230 pounds, indolent—I would rather take my pickup to the mailbox rather than walk the 103 steps to retrieve my daily quota of advertising circulars. But the Elby has me moving off the couch into the Texas summer and enjoying it immensely. It is pure fun. Get winded? Take a deep breath and throttle up. The integrated computer is flawless (the Elby app does not work and probably never will unless the corporate masters get their ... together). The bike easily pushes all my of 6-foot-3 frame up all but the steepest hills without a shudder. It does balk, however at the steepest ones (I live in the hills around Austin and some of those hills are mountain-goat steep.). On these, a full throttle and a dozen or so strokes of pedal power gets you through the toughest ones. Speaking of pedal power, the 9 gear shift works quite well. I’m moving about 300 pounds of blubber, aluminum tubing, and plastic on this thing and on level ground have no trouble keeping a 15-20 mph speed (albeit, for 100 yards or so before my right thumb hits the accelerator). Like I said, I am too old and too everything else to be joining Lance Armstrong on a jog to Lake Travis, but Elby could get me there...and to my mailbox, if the truck isn’t available.
Congrats on your new bike & many many happy miles!
Don't worry about the light being on all the time. It actually will help you to be seen by drivers. With all the people texting behind the wheel, it's best to be seen as far away as possible. Additionally, you will be travelling faster than drivers expect you to be going and you don't want them pulling out in front of you.
The Elby is a cool looking bike!
Love the frame!Similar threads
