Optimizing the E-Joe Epik Se

[Temecularider]

I just got my SE a few days ago, and am still setting it up to my liking. I had done a LOT of research, and this model is very close to the ideal bike for me, but once I rode it a few miles, I did feel need to change it a little.

First, the stock fenders were poorly mounted, being bent and had strangely uneven wheel gaps. While I did see I could fix the gaps by trimming the mounting rods, the more I fiddled, the more flimsy these fenders seemed. So, I don't generally ride in the wet anyhow, so I removed them altogether (for now). The rack that came with the bike isn't all that bad, and I left it on for awhile, but finally decided I didn't really need it, so off it came (it weighs well over a pound).

I got the seat height set just right for myself, but couldn't help notice the extra fifteen or more inches of seatpost in the tube .... so I shortened it about 10".

The handlebar stem was WAY too high by most adult bike standards, being a chest height for me.
The stem was still protruding above the secondary pylon it is attached to around an inch, meaning ti was bottomed in that piece. The stem is secured with a Quick release ring clamp that tightens holds the by means of a vertical slot that allows the ring clamp to compress it. I elongated the slot a couple inches, then cut two inches off the top of the pylon and moved the ring clamp lower. I then shortened the stem around six inches and put it all back together. The bar is now at "belly button height ... not racebike low, but comfortable.

Works a treat, and is near three pounds lighter.

Once the bike fit ok, I installed a Cateye wireless computer, which work great, and rode the bike around locally a few miles.

Now, I found I STILL have some difficulty climbing the last short steep hill to my house, and needed to zig-zag a bit to get up without standing. I need a bit lower gear than the 28T affords. AND, I find when cruising on level or even slight upgrades, the level one pedal assist is too powerful, and I max out the my comfortable pedaling speed at around 14mph (it feels like I'm going downhill all the time, which is NOT what I want).

SO I searched around and have found what I feel is the perfect simple change ... I ordered a 11T-32T free wheel to replace the stock 14t-28T. This will give me several mph more cruise speed and also let me climb that hill more easily.

I do wish the level one assist was adjustable to a bit less, but for now, I think I'll be happy.

 

[Tara D.]

Nice feedback @Temecularider. Looking forward to hearing how the new free wheel works for that hill.

 

[Stephen Cho]

I max out the my comfortable pedaling speed at around 14mph (it feels like I'm going downhill all the time, which is NOT what I want)

This is exactly the problem with most folding bikes. They use the same gear parts as the bigger wheel bikes and you wind up "hamster wheeling" at anything above 15 mph. Childrens' mountain bikes @ Walmart are geared higher. Some manufacturers try and make up for it by using a 52 teeth chainring but it makes very little difference. A special cassette is the only solution but it would drive up costs.

Good luck with the 11-32. At 11T you would be at 88 gear inches so you should be able to pedal comfortably at the max advertised speed of 20mph. Personally I would prefer a cassette with 9T. There is no reason why we can't have a 20 inch folding speed pedelec.

 

[RavingRoo]

Although, the stock gearing and smaller wheels do improve leverage on hills, I agree on flat roads there is a desire for some higher gears for speed.

 

[Temecularider]

This is exactly the problem with most folding bikes. They use the same gear parts as the bigger wheel bikes and you wind up "hamster wheeling" at anything above 15 mph. Childrens' mountain bikes @ Walmart are geared higher. Some manufacturers try and make up for it by using a 52 teeth chainring but it makes very little difference. A special cassette is the only solution but it would drive up costs.

Good luck with the 11-32. At 11T you would be at 88 gear inches so you should be able to pedal comfortably at the max advertised speed of 20mph. Personally I would prefer a cassette with 9T. There is no reason why we can't have a 20 inch folding speed pedelec.

Here's some of my rationale:

I'm a retired mechanical Engineer, and have lots of (dated) bicycle experience as well. Although I have seen 9T chain sprockets used on the likes of gocarts and engine-power kits for bikes, its really not such a good idea to to use a sprocket with less than around 12 teeth with bicycle pitch size. I know 11T has been used for decades, but its at the extreme for decent wear, power transmission and efficiency compared to say ... the 14T. But, rather than change the big ring to say ... 56T, then deal with trying to get a 36T or larger rear for hills fitted to the cluster, I feel the 11-32 is going fill the bill.

here is a great source online for sprocket/speed figuring: http://www.bikecalc.com/gear_speed

With respect to cost for the makers, I doubt there is more than a couple dollars source-cost difference between the Shimano 14-28T and Shimano 11-32T, though at my end, I'm paying $36 for the change, doing it myself with a borrowed freewheel removal tool.

Frankly, it mostly just the climbing gear I NEED, if there was a way to reduce the pedal assist boost around 20% or so since its not the 14mph, which I'm ok with, but rather, the lack of resistance while pedaling ruins my plan of getting at least SOME some exercise on the flats with the assist mode on. While I mainly got the bike for exercise, I already own a normal bike, but wanted help on the hills surrounding my neighborhood.

 

[Stephen Cho]

Although I have seen 9T chain sprockets used on the likes of gocarts and engine-power kits for bikes, its really not such a good idea to to use a sprocket with less than around 12 teeth with bicycle pitch size

Here is a 20" folding bike with a 9T sprocket:

http://www.nycewheels.com

Bike is crazy expensive.

Yes, I agree the 11-34 is perfect for folders with a 20mph speed limit and since they are mass produced relatively cheap.

BTW, voltbike has the Epik SE for $500 cheaper.

http://www.voltbike.ca/voltbike-urban.html

 

[Temecularider]

Here is a 20" folding bike with a 9T sprocket:

http://www.nycewheels.com

Bike is crazy expensive.

Yes, I agree the 11-34 is perfect for folders with a 20mph speed limit and since they are mass produced relatively cheap.

BTW, voltbike has the Epik SE for $500 cheaper.

http://www.voltbike.ca/voltbike-urban.html

Smaller than about 12T isn't efficient, and it gets worse a lot faster as it gets smaller. I have used the 11T on roadbikes before, when I was already stuck with an expensive 53T crankset, and wanted all the speed I could get with 26" wheels. It's a little rougher and noisier, but a reasonable compromise when its not very practical to retrofit something else due to cost or availability constraints. But I doubt I would go to a 9T even if it was as easy to get as the 11T, because its simply that much less efficient powerwise.

On the other end, I went with the 32T rather than 34T, mostly because of the compromise of trying to keep MOTOR speed a little higher to allow more assist amps without heating issues on long grades. See, its a sad thing, but if your "human" gear is TOO low, you can pedal easier, but the MOTOR can't work as efficiently as if it were going a bit faster. The difference is quite small, only around 6% faster to the motor, but since the motor IS geared around 5.5:1, I am assuming it will give a meaningful efficiency boost to the motor, while (hopefully) making that last hill on my ride home more tolerable. The switch from the standard 28T to the 32T will STILL give a healthy aid to the human powered climbing side.

As to the less expensive Epic you depict ... yes, I WISH it had been available locally, but Voltbike is in Canada, and I personally am not one to buy high dollar stuff from folks I don't know. I know that bike LOOKS the same as my Epik SE, but I have a local E-Joe dealer in town, and I feel I'm more likely to get decent treatment face to face than thru the ether. As to the $500 difference, yes, it's a LOT, but I got mine fully assembled and had a few extra's thrown in, and still got a little off list ... I'm sure shipping costs and headaches from Canada, and potential of as-delivered probs and assembly burden considerations would likely have still given the nod to the deal I got.

 

[Temecularider]

Here is a 20" folding bike with a 9T sprocket:

http://www.nycewheels.com

Bike is crazy expensive.

Yes, I agree the 11-34 is perfect for folders with a 20mph speed limit and since they are mass produced relatively cheap.

BTW, voltbike has the Epik SE for $500 cheaper.

http://www.voltbike.ca/voltbike-urban.html

BTW, The Voltbike you mention as a cheaper E joe Epic SE is not exactly like the bike I got. there ARE some differences in the spec's and that I see in the picture. Some differences might help explain the cost difference, others are simply just different (like gripshift vs thumbshift) . One of the dubious specs is the weight, which is listed UNDER 40lbs, compared to 42lbs claimed for my SE. Frankly, my bike weighed silghtly more than 42 even after I removed the fenders and rack, and I simply cannot see WHY the Voltbike would weigh near 10% less, since the only weight saving I see is lack of the disc brake at the rear, and lack of the metal pedestal that helps support the bike when folded so the chainring is off the ground ... I suspect these must be offset a little by the claimed larger capacity battery. I like the different control for the pedal assist and the inclusion of speed and distance obviates need for adding a cycle computer like I did.

Nonetheless, more choices is good, and had my dealer had both, I'd have loved to compare.

 

[Stephen Cho]

Smaller than about 12T isn't efficient

Does the loss in efficiency really matter with electric bikes? Izip makes a fatbike speed pedelec. Fatbikes are a beech to pedal but thanks to electricity a fatty speed pedelec is possible. I would be more concerned about wearing out the teeth on a 9t sprocket. I have worn the teeth of a 14t sprocket on a regular bike before but it was a cheap $100 bike from a dept store. I am hoping that the engineers at shimano know this and use a stronger metal/compound.

As for the voltbike, to each his own and its certainly a gamble if you dont have a dealer nearby... but you can buy an extra battery for $440 and have a 20Ah folding ebike for the same price as the ejoe version. BTW, shipping is $70 to the US.

 

[Temecularider]

Does the loss in efficiency really matter with electric bikes? Izip makes a fatbike speed pedelec. Fatbikes are a beech to pedal but thanks to electricity a fatty speed pedelec is possible. I would be more concerned about wearing out the teeth on a 9t sprocket. I have worn the teeth of a 14t sprocket on a regular bike before but it was a cheap $100 bike from a dept store. I am hoping that the engineers at shimano know this and use a stronger metal/compound.
As for the voltbike, to each his own and its certainly a gamble if you dont have a dealer nearby... but you can buy an extra battery for $440 and have a 20Ah folding ebike for the same price as the ejoe version. BTW, shipping is $70 to the US.

---------------------------------
Regarding efficiency, to each his own I guess. I bought MY bike to ride for health reasons, wanting to get more excercise in, as well as to have yet another interesting two wheeler. I have roadtested several fat tired E-bikes, and the pedaling effort was atrocious compared to even my 20" Epic" ... requiring power from the motor on the flats in order to maintain even 12mh, and since they weigh around 60+ pounds, lots of power is needed for hills, cutting battery life so much I couldn't consider them as options for my planned use.

If I didn't WANT to pedal, I would use My 1200cc Motorcyle, or even the 750cc one with sidecar. Or, I could use my 50cc moped, which HAS pedals, but after substantial mods I made, can climb that steep hill I use as a standard at around 15mph. I also own a decent hardtail bike with 8spd Shimano hub, but I found it a bit too much to go any long distance after I turned 70.

No, I want to get some sort of normal bicycle experience, yet get motor help I need when I need it from the motor. I think I can make it ok to the nearest store in town on my Ejoe, but it would require a substantial amount of pedal work from me, since its around 25 miles round trip with lots of long hills. I suspect a 9T sprocket would reduce efficiency enough to add undesirable extra drag at my highest cruising speed.

As to wear, yes, the chain AND both sprockets would wear a lot faster with such a mish-mash gearing setup as 50T/9T. I used to design production machines that ran 24/7 ... and no decent 1/2" pitch drivetrain would be used with less than around 16T, with 20T preferred, since the extra wear and tear would be too much.

Bikes, and motorcycles "get away" with tinier drive sprockets than good engineering practice dictates, but its because there are other compromises regarding weight, size, and appearances that got the nod. BUT, those chains and sprockets only last a small fraction of the time they could if set up for best life and efficiency.

 

[RavingRoo]

I guess the question is, what do you intend to use the electric assist for? Because obviously if exercise was the only motivation, a regular bike would suffice. But, there are of course legitimate reasons to go electric, even if exercise is a goal.

One reason to use electric assist is to tackle hills, especially if you are not in shape and just climbing back on a bike for the first time in a long time. This is what motivated me to get an electric bike, the belief that the electric motor assistance would help me overcome my lack of enthusiasm for tackling the hilly terrain where I live. So far so good on that front. Other than when I was sick a couple weeks ago, I've ridden every week, usually several times. This compares to not riding a bike for 15 years prior. I find the Epik SE climbs hills well, even without the electric assist compared to other bikes I have, but not being in the best shape, the electric assist is what gives me the ability to go on long bike rides without wearing myself out on the hills. I do know what you mean about the minimal resistance with pedal assistance on the Epik SE (even on slight inclines). I haven't experimented with this yet, but I'm thinking maybe turning pedal assist off in these situations and judiciously applying throttle when needed could be a good compromise between having some assistance but still getting some resistance for exercise? Not sure how well that would work, but it's a thought.

Of course, another reason to use electric assist would be if you have a lot of stop/start (intersections) where you ride, using the electric motor to more easily get you up to speed (and faster). If you are on relatively flat terrain in this case, again, just using the throttle only when needed instead of pedal assist might be the way to go. I did this when I was biking a trail a few weeks ago. I rode many miles with no assistance at all, and just used the throttle to get going when crossing roads. Of course, this would also help extend range on a long bike ride when you might want more assistance on the back end of the ride.

 

[Jim123]

Smaller than about 12T isn't efficient, and it gets worse a lot faster as it gets smaller

Efficiency is something that needs a scientist to measure, but cross gearing, setting the chain to a diagonal hold, seems to create the most binding for me. Another source of great inefficiency is cheap sprocket cassettes that have a 32 or 34 tooth that bends when slightly cross geared. I had a stock SRAM 830 cassette and upgraded when parts had worn to a better 850. The stiffness immediately translated in to efficient solid feel that rode faster and farther. On the other hand upgrading too high in cassettes will result in a light weight one that is brittle and you will find it making metal flakes and get a short lifetime for the cassette. As soon as teeth shorten from wear, your chain can even begin to slip on you. 9 teeth is the newest thing. I have no experience with them. But I imagine you would try to stay out of using it unless necessary to lengthen it's life.

 

[Temecularider]

Efficiency is something that needs a scientist to measure, but cross gearing, setting the chain to a diagonal hold, seems to create the most binding for me. Another source of great inefficiency is cheap sprocket cassettes that have a 32 or 34 tooth that bends when slightly cross geared. I had a stock SRAM 830 cassette and upgraded when parts had worn to a better 850. The stiffness immediately translated in to efficient solid feel that rode faster and farther. On the other hand upgrading too high in cassettes will result in a light weight one that is brittle and you will find it making metal flakes and get a short lifetime for the cassette. As soon as teeth shorten from wear, your chain can even begin to slip on you. 9 teeth is the newest thing. I have no experience with them. But I imagine you would try to stay out of using it unless necessary to lengthen it's life.

Efficiency is something that needs a scientist to measure, but cross gearing, setting the chain to a diagonal hold, seems to create the most binding for me. Another source of great inefficiency is cheap sprocket cassettes that have a 32 or 34 tooth that bends when slightly cross geared. I had a stock SRAM 830 cassette and upgraded when parts had worn to a better 850. The stiffness immediately translated in to efficient solid feel that rode faster and farther. On the other hand upgrading too high in cassettes will result in a light weight one that is brittle and you will find it making metal flakes and get a short lifetime for the cassette. As soon as teeth shorten from wear, your chain can even begin to slip on you. 9 teeth is the newest thing. I have no experience with them. But I imagine you would try to stay out of using it unless necessary to lengthen it's life.

 

[Temecularider]

Efficiency is something that needs a scientist to measure, but cross gearing, setting the chain to a diagonal hold, seems to create the most binding for me. Another source of great inefficiency is cheap sprocket cassettes that have a 32 or 34 tooth that bends when slightly cross geared. I had a stock SRAM 830 cassette and upgraded when parts had worn to a better 850. The stiffness immediately translated in to efficient solid feel that rode faster and farther. On the other hand upgrading too high in cassettes will result in a light weight one that is brittle and you will find it making metal flakes and get a short lifetime for the cassette. As soon as teeth shorten from wear, your chain can even begin to slip on you. 9 teeth is the newest thing. I have no experience with them. But I imagine you would try to stay out of using it unless necessary to lengthen it's life.

------------------
Jim, I'm wanting a faster cruising gear to deal with the pedal assist issue ... I've tried using the thumb throttle instead, and its not so good ... too hard to modulate for any distance.

The discussion regarding the 9T is getting strange ... WHY stay out of the gear you just installed because you WANT more speed because you want it to not wear out? The 9T would be a silly thing to me ... I am going with the 11T, which should be just right for me. If I need more speed, I'll replace the front ring with a larger one and go with a 34T or even 36T on the cluster.

Since I moved out here, I have been riding much because of all the hills around me .... some are around 30 degree, and I installed a granny gear on my bike to go along with the 8spd hub and 28T front ring ... that was barely enough, and I found myself not enjoying local rides. That's the reason I got the Ejoe, but I'm trying to tailor it to my needs here.

 

[Voltbike]

Here is a 20" folding bike with a 9T sprocket:

BTW, voltbike has the Epik SE for $500 cheaper.

http://www.voltbike.ca/voltbike-urban.html

Hi everyone, sorry for jumping into the discussion but I need to mention few things regarding our Voltbike Urban model.

Currently we are selling our 2016 version which is slightly upgraded compared to last year Urban. On top of that we addressed few small issues based on customers feedback.

The 2016 Voltbike Urban is now with front and rear disc brakes Tektro. (previous version was with front disc and rear v-brake from less reliable brand). We now use wider Kenda tires 20x.1.95". Battery is now 36v 10.4ah. (compared to 8ah before).

We added custom plastic chain guard on the bike addressing previous feedback where cables under the frame sometimes go over the chain. (When you fold the bike the cables actually extend a bit. Next time when you use the bike there was possibility that the cables would go over the chain. The new 2016 is addressing this.).

On the Voltbike.ca website we have updated the pictures for the white Voltbike Urban. However the black one is still showing old images.

I see there is some concerns for shipping to USA. We employ 2 warehouses. One in Vancouver, Canada and one in Bellingham, WA, USA which is just across the border from us. All orders to USA are shipped from our Bellingham, WA location with YRC Freight. There is no duty which you need to pay. Shipping usually takes few business days.

With our high shipping volume in the states we managed to negotiate aggressive pricing, so shipping to USA is just $70.

I would be happy to answer any other questions regarding Voltbike Urban.

 

[Temecularider]

Hi everyone, sorry for jumping into the discussion but I need to mention few things regarding our Voltbike Urban model.

Currently we are selling our 2016 version which is slightly upgraded compared to last year Urban. On top of that we addressed few small issues based on customers feedback.

The 2016 Voltbike Urban is now with front and rear disc brakes Tektro. (previous version was with front disc and rear v-brake from less reliable brand). We now use wider Kenda tires 20x.1.95". Battery is now 36v 10.4ah. (compared to 8ah before).

We added custom plastic chain guard on the bike addressing previous feedback where cables under the frame sometimes go over the chain. (When you fold the bike the cables actually extend a bit. Next time when you use the bike there was possibility that the cables would go over the chain. The new 2016 is addressing this.).

On the Voltbike.ca website we have updated the pictures for the white Voltbike Urban. However the black one is still showing old images.

I see there is some concerns for shipping to USA. We employ 2 warehouses. One in Vancouver, Canada and one in Bellingham, WA, USA which is just across the border from us. All orders to USA are shipped from our Bellingham, WA location with YRC Freight. There is no duty which you need to pay. Shipping usually takes few business days.

With our high shipping volume in the states we managed to negotiate aggressive pricing, so shipping to USA is just $70.

I would be happy to answer any other questions regarding Voltbike Urban.

--------SO------------
So, how about clearing the issue of just how much your Urban bike ACTUALLY weighs all up, with battery. pedals and everything? As I said, my Epik SE weighed more than the advertised 42 pounds, even after removing the rack and fenders ... in fact, even with the lights and side stand removed it STILL didn't quite make it to under 42lbs!

So, your Voltbike "URBAN" , which seems for all intents and purposes , spec'd about the same, is listed as only 33 pounds, and I fail to see WHERE the savings might be! I think it may be a case of blatant false advertising! Yes, I feel that way with E-joe as well, being some 10% higher than advertised, but if I don't miss my guess, the Voltbike Urban will be about the same as my bike.

 

[Voltbike]

Hi Temecularider, thanks for the feedback. I measured the Voltbike Urban this morning and the weight including fenders, battery, rear rack, chain guard etc is 45lbs. We have also updated our website with this measurement. Hope this helps and apologize for the confusion.

 

[Temecularider]

Hi Temecularider, thanks for the feedback. I measured the Voltbike Urban this morning and the weight including fenders, battery, rear rack, chain guard etc is 45lbs. We have also updated our website with this measurement. Hope this helps and apologize for the confusion.

--------

V, thanks for the prompt and candid reply. Like many bicycle riders interested in specs and performance, I am aware the importance of bike component and/or total bike weights. Most specs for decent components list weights because the realize it one of the very important attributes. Advertizing seriously lighter overall weight for a bike is akin to listing very high MPG for a car, right?

 

[Psych Ill Peace]

I just got my SE a few days ago, and am still setting it up to my liking. I had done a LOT of research, and this model is very close to the ideal bike for me, but once I rode it a few miles, I did feel need to change it a little.

First, the stock fenders were poorly mounted, being bent and had strangely uneven wheel gaps. While I did see I could fix the gaps by trimming the mounting rods, the more I fiddled, the more flimsy these fenders seemed. So, I don't generally ride in the wet anyhow, so I removed them altogether (for now). The rack that came with the bike isn't all that bad, and I left it on for awhile, but finally decided I didn't really need it, so off it came (it weighs well over a pound).

I got the seat height set just right for myself, but couldn't help notice the extra fifteen or more inches of seatpost in the tube .... so I shortened it about 10".

The handlebar stem was WAY too high by most adult bike standards, being a chest height for me.
The stem was still protruding above the secondary pylon it is attached to around an inch, meaning ti was bottomed in that piece. The stem is secured with a Quick release ring clamp that tightens holds the by means of a vertical slot that allows the ring clamp to compress it. I elongated the slot a couple inches, then cut two inches off the top of the pylon and moved the ring clamp lower. I then shortened the stem around six inches and put it all back together. The bar is now at "belly button height ... not racebike low, but comfortable.

Works a treat, and is near three pounds lighter.

Once the bike fit ok, I installed a Cateye wireless computer, which work great, and rode the bike around locally a few miles.

Now, I found I STILL have some difficulty climbing the last short steep hill to my house, and needed to zig-zag a bit to get up without standing. I need a bit lower gear than the 28T affords. AND, I find when cruising on level or even slight upgrades, the level one pedal assist is too powerful, and I max out the my comfortable pedaling speed at around 14mph (it feels like I'm going downhill all the time, which is NOT what I want).

SO I searched around and have found what I feel is the perfect simple change ... I ordered a 11T-32T free wheel to replace the stock 14t-28T. This will give me several mph more cruise speed and also let me climb that hill more easily.

I do wish the level one assist was adjustable to a bit less, but for now, I think I'll be happy.

I just got my SE a few days ago, and am still setting it up to my liking. I had done a LOT of research, and this model is very close to the ideal bike for me, but once I rode it a few miles, I did feel need to change it a little.

First, the stock fenders were poorly mounted, being bent and had strangely uneven wheel gaps. While I did see I could fix the gaps by trimming the mounting rods, the more I fiddled, the more flimsy these fenders seemed. So, I don't generally ride in the wet anyhow, so I removed them altogether (for now). The rack that came with the bike isn't all that bad, and I left it on for awhile, but finally decided I didn't really need it, so off it came (it weighs well over a pound).

I got the seat height set just right for myself, but couldn't help notice the extra fifteen or more inches of seatpost in the tube .... so I shortened it about 10".

The handlebar stem was WAY too high by most adult bike standards, being a chest height for me.
The stem was still protruding above the secondary pylon it is attached to around an inch, meaning ti was bottomed in that piece. The stem is secured with a Quick release ring clamp that tightens holds the by means of a vertical slot that allows the ring clamp to compress it. I elongated the slot a couple inches, then cut two inches off the top of the pylon and moved the ring clamp lower. I then shortened the stem around six inches and put it all back together. The bar is now at "belly button height ... not racebike low, but comfortable.

Works a treat, and is near three pounds lighter.

Once the bike fit ok, I installed a Cateye wireless computer, which work great, and rode the bike around locally a few miles.

Now, I found I STILL have some difficulty climbing the last short steep hill to my house, and needed to zig-zag a bit to get up without standing. I need a bit lower gear than the 28T affords. AND, I find when cruising on level or even slight upgrades, the level one pedal assist is too powerful, and I max out the my comfortable pedaling speed at around 14mph (it feels like I'm going downhill all the time, which is NOT what I want).

SO I searched around and have found what I feel is the perfect simple change ... I ordered a 11T-32T free wheel to replace the stock 14t-28T. This will give me several mph more cruise speed and also let me climb that hill more easily.

I do wish the level one assist was adjustable to a bit less, but for now, I think I'll be happy.

I believe that it was a wise move in taking off the rear rack and was not aware that it weighed well over a pound; wow! The reason I condone your wise decision is because of the flat tire I experienced as a result of a pinched tube that I recently experienced. I did some research and found that many e-bikes experience pinched tube flats as a result of the heavy rear hub motors (my flat was on the rear tube). It seems that taking off the rear rack may help prevent those types of flats as it would take off a little extra weight increasing the risk of a rear flat. Ultimately, I will definitely be avoiding potholes, large bumps, debris, and especially going up steep curbs as this will largely increase the chances of a pinched tube flat. As an extra precaution, I also "optimized" my ejoe epik se by adding kevlar linings and Mr. Tuffies thorn resistant tubes to prevent any future flats

 

[Temecularider]

I believe that it was a wise move in taking off the rear rack and was not aware that it weighed well over a pound; wow! The reason I condone your wise decision is because of the flat tire I experienced as a result of a pinched tube that I recently experienced. I did some research and found that many e-bikes experience pinched tube flats as a result of the heavy rear hub motors (my flat was on the rear tube). It seems that taking off the rear rack may help prevent those types of flats as it would take off a little extra weight increasing the risk of a rear flat. Ultimately, I will definitely be avoiding potholes, large bumps, debris, and especially going up steep curbs as this will largely increase the chances of a pinched tube flat. As an extra precaution, I also "optimized" my ejoe epik se by adding kevlar linings and Mr. Tuffies thorn resistant tubes to prevent any future flats

--------
Psych III,
I too have already experienced a leak in the front tube ... no nail or thorn visible, but it was losing 10psi/day. I put four oz of "green stuff" in it, and it seems to hold now ... BUT, when I installed the Green Stuff in the rear tube, the tube blew violently a few minutes after inflation to 60 psi! I can only assume the tube was faulty, as it was VERY thin in the 4" long section the blew, yet, when checking other cross section areas (messy job) the tube was thicker. I had a spare tube, and hope it holds, as its the same Kenda model tube as oem. I DO plan to buy better tubes soon.

That said, I must disagree regarding a few xtra pounds at the rear ... pinch flats are NOT caused by a few pounds of xtra weight, but rather, from too low a pressure for the terrain and weight. I'd guess they would not occur with a 225lb rider like me if pressures of over 4o psi is maintained, but I prefer higher pressures since the bike will roll easier, and perhaps I'd get better battery range as well.