Pedego breaks new ground with its Ridge Rider

[Deacon Blues]

I took a Ridge Rider for a test ride and liked it so much I ordered one.
40 years of running + arthritis has taken its toll on my knees. I can still run, but only if I wear my 'Forest Gump' knee braces, so I've decided to take up cycling instead.
At first my knees were fine, but now that I'm cycling over 100km per week I'm noticing a small amount of pain in both knees.
I'm hoping the RR can take the stress off my knees while going up steep hills and I'm really looking forward to doing a lot more trail riding.
As for the throttle, I like it a lot. I found I used it a number of times while trail riding. It's great for powering over small logs, etc., that were across the trail.
I didn't look at the Stomer because the nearest Pedego dealer is only 10 minutes from my house, while the closest Stomer dealer is a 2 hour drive, one way, or a 2 hour ferry ride.

 

[Tara D.]

That's great to hear how electric bikes are helping you still enjoy an active lifestyle without so much pain @Deacon Blues.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Took my new Ridgerider for a 40km ride a couple of days ago. Most of the way I kept the electric assist at level 1, and used levels 3 and 4 on some steeper hills.
I ended up with 3 out of 5 bars remaining (battery life).
At my rate of consumption I should be able to do an 80 km ride (50 miles) on a single battery charge, which is awesome!
I really don't like the stock seat.

 

[Ann M.]

That's some good miles, Deacon Blues! You should check out the National Bike Challenge and join team EBR. Those guys had a lot of fun last year and they're gearing up for some more miles now. Now that seat... try a thudbuster or other seatpost suspension to help your spine.

 

[Deacon Blues]

The Pedego shop that I bought my e-bike from sells BodyFloat, which is very similar to the thudbuster. I had one put on when I bought the bike. .

 

[Deacon Blues]

I decided to try out my Ridgerider on one of our local logging roads. After cycling for 15km on paved roads I hit the gravel and everything was going great until it wasn't.
Halfway through my logging road ride I ran over a piece of metal/wire and got a flat tire......on the rear.
Since I didn't bring a spare tube I phoned my wife to come and get me. Thank goodness for cell phones and understanding wives.
Getting a flat tire out in the middle of nowhere is no fun.

 

[Ann M.]

Lucky you! May I suggest investing in some thorn resistant tubes and tire liners; then you don't have to worry so much about the flats.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Ha, that is exactly what I plan on doing.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I thought I'd test out my battery's life today and go for a long ride. I rode for 75km (46 miles) and ended up with 2 bars of battery life left. It was probably closer to 1 bar, as I had been riding for some time with 2 bars showing. I suspect that if I had cycled a couple more miles the battery life indicator would have clicked down to 1 bar.
I did 90% of the ride in level 1 to conserve energy and only used level 3 on four steeper hills. Instead of increasing the power level to 4 or 5 I geared down.
Usually I like to use a bit more e-power when I ride (for higher cruising speeds), but this time I wanted to go the distance and conserve as much power as I could.
The bike was a dream to ride. I swapped out the narrow Ridgerider saddle for a wider Pedego saddle and although it's not perfect I managed to get through the ride with only a bit of numb-bum.

 

[J.R.]

I thought I'd test out my battery's life today and go for a long ride. I rode for 75km (46 miles) and ended up with 2 bars of battery life left. It was probably closer to 1 bar, as I had been riding for some time with 2 bars showing. I suspect that if I had cycled a couple more miles the battery life indicator would have clicked down to 1 bar.
I did 90% of the ride in level 1 to conserve energy and only used level 3 on four steeper hills. Instead of increasing the power level to 4 or 5 I geared down.
Usually I like to use a bit more e-power when I ride (for higher cruising speeds), but this time I wanted to go the distance and conserve as much power as I could.
The bike was a dream to ride. I swapped out the narrow Ridgerider saddle for a wider Pedego saddle and although it's not perfect I managed to get through the ride with only a bit of numb-bum.

Great mileage! You could likely figure 10 to 11 watt hour per mile at the assist levels you used. You might even see 9 to 10 watt hour per mile. I'm curious what your average speed and the weather temperature for the day was. That would be helpful for other RR owners, trying to push the limits.

Edit: I'm getting similar mileage from my Easy Motion, but my range is less when the temps go below 40 F or my speed is over 20 MPH. It's still great mileage and much more efficient than ebikes were just a year or two ago, when 15-20 watt hour per mile was considered good.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I kept my speeds in the 15 to 20 mph range. I found that if I want to cruise at anything higher than 20 mph I have to use level 2 power.
The temperature for my ride was around 70 degrees F.
I plan on doing another ride later on this week. This one will be considerably shorter and faster, and I plan on using level 2 power more so I can keep my speed in the 20 to 25 mph range.

 

[Ann M.]

@Deacon Blues , have to say you nailed it on the head with the miles . Most riders forget that they have gears to help them deal with the pain of riding hills when there's electric assist. Your cooler temps make all of this easier, just keep riding.

 

[wren]

Stromer is a better built bike all around with a better warranty and a longer service history.

Stromer, a longer service history? Is that the same as "needs more repairs"? Pedego has a pretty good reputation for service.

 

[Va. Bch. Electric Bike Center]

Stromer, a longer service history? Is that the same as "needs more repairs"? Pedego has a pretty good reputation for service.

The Stromer is a very nice bike. Had some reliability/functioning issues in 2012 and 2013 with iffy support from Stromer but I think all that has been ironed out now.
My only gripe is the heavy direct drive motor that has a significant cogging effect. I prefer an internally geared hub motor that free wheels and coasts like a traditional bike. I know...gear wear...well in 12 years of riding a geared motor I have never had gear failure or have had to replace gears for any of my customers. Just my preference.

 

[Deacon Blues]

As far as quality goes I'm not sure if my 'pedal sense' is working as it should. I'm finding that at a steady pedal cadence the power will suddenly decrease. I can feel the decrease in assist and the level of assist bars on the display also drops off.
To get the power back I'm finding I have to stop pedaling for a few seconds. When I start pedaling again the power comes back on. This has happened at all 4 power levels.
I'm not sure if this is how the power system is supposed to work or if mine is malfunctioning.

 

[wren]

As far as quality goes I'm not sure if my 'pedal sense' is working as it should. I'm finding that at a steady pedal cadence the power will suddenly decrease. I can feel the decrease in assist and the level of assist bars on the display also drops off.
To get the power back I'm finding I have to stop pedaling for a few seconds. When I start pedaling again the power comes back on. This has happened at all 4 power levels.
I'm not sure if this is how the power system is supposed to work or if mine is malfunctioning.

Thanks so very much! This kind of feedback is highly, highly valuable in a field where quality and reliability is all just based on anecdotal evidence.

Hey nineteen!!

 

[Douglas Wever]

Two test rides on a Ridge Rider and around fifty miles total and I'm in. I was very worried at 6'1" the bike would be too small for me.

Pick it up next week. Franklin Tennessee dealer (Nashville).

 

[Deacon Blues]

You'll love this bike!
I took mine on another 30 mile ride a couple of days ago. Half of the ride was on a gravel fire road, with lots of hills and the bike tackled the hills like they weren't there.
I came blasting down a very steep hill and realized, as I neared the bottom, that the road veered sharply to the right. Thank goodness for hydraulic disc brakes that are both powerful and very easy to modulate. Luckily, I was able to slow down enough to make the corner....just barely.
At 64 years of age I don't relish the thought of crashing while speeding along on gravel.
I did change out the seat for another Pedego model, as I found the stock Ridgeline seat to be very uncomfortable. I also ordered my Ridgeline with a Bodyfloat seat post spring. Makes a big difference-especially on gravel roads.http://[B](Link Removed - No Longer Exists)[/B]
I must like the color black-I just bought a second all black bike. It's a Specialized Diverge Comp (carbon frame), for rides with my seniors riding group.

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[Douglas Wever]

I am also sold on the ridiculously priced BodyFloat. I have my BodyFloat's springs configured orange over black on my Raleigh; on one of my Ridge Rider test rides I borrowed a shim and used the BodyFloat, very nice and not bouncy like the Thudbuster.