JoeinJP
Member
First to post in this reorganized thread I guess!
Because my Pedego City Commuter was stolen as mentioned in another post, my priority shifted not just to a 'no excuses' commuting bike, but also security. However many locks will not prevent a professional thief if the bike is in sight. I found the idea of lugging a 60lb CC up an angled flight of steps night after night burdensome, and the realization of a folding bike to be the answer. I was down to deciding between the Latch and the eJoe Epik SE.
Ride: Bike has a full-size feel to it, I was wondering how a bike with 20'' wheels would ride. Plenty of adjustment for the seat and handlebars to my liking, so I could get my legs stretched to the slight knee bend. No suspension vs the eJoe, but wheels are 2'' wide. Going along some pocket-marked streets at 20mph, note to self: avoid that! But I tried some dirt/gravelly paths and no problems at all. I could also get a gel seat cover or even replace with the larger comfortable CC saddle.
Speed: not a priority, but at 3rd gear, 3PAS, I reached the max pedaling effect on a level street ...ie, I would have to go 4PAS to go faster, and the Latch is only 3 speeds.
Power: Most of the time I was in 3/3 as my style is to pedal the bike and use power when I need it. I was in the 15-20mph, pedaling straight away at 2PAS I think was 10-15mph. So power is a bit of a trade-off here. Can make the hills, but at 4 or 5PAS whereas the CC I rarely went past 3PAS. There was enough power for a steep hill when I downshifted to 2 and 4PAS. The specs for the Latch is 5 levels of PAS, the 6th is throttle only, and you have to use the twister to engage. I didn't find much benefit for that, why not remain in an assist level and use throttle when needed. There are only 3 speeds but with 5PAS, I think that gives me enough for what I need...I remind myself this is my commuting bike first and foremost.
Battery: The unknown question will be how frequent will I need to recharge. On the one hand, a smaller wheel I'm told will not draw as much power, but with a 250w 36v 10amp battery, not as powerful as the eJoe or my CC. On the other hand, a folding bike will be in my apt, not outside, so I'll be more mindful of recharging when needed. So not an issue.
Price: Latch is about 1K more than the eJoe, but Pedego uses quality parts. And it also comes down to this: I have a local Pedego dealer (shout out to Mike of PedegoBoston) who is terrific. Responsive, no heavy sales pitch, he even picks up and delivers your bike during a tuneup if you request! There is no eJoe dealer in my area so I can't easily test ride as far as I know. I relied on Court's reviews and various website's specs. Maybe I would have been happy with eJoe but I had to go back to my purpose: what do I know and why do I want the bike.
A folding bike may be uncomfortable for a long ride (3o+ miles?) but for my 4.5 commute, occasionally a 12mile "scenic" commute version or longer 20mile recreational rides, I think it provides that. So rather than go home and further deliberate (paralysis by analysis! You should have seen my spreadsheet before I chose the City Commuter) between this vs the unknown eJoe ride, I'm now a Pedego Latch owner, having it delivered to me on Friday.
Because my Pedego City Commuter was stolen as mentioned in another post, my priority shifted not just to a 'no excuses' commuting bike, but also security. However many locks will not prevent a professional thief if the bike is in sight. I found the idea of lugging a 60lb CC up an angled flight of steps night after night burdensome, and the realization of a folding bike to be the answer. I was down to deciding between the Latch and the eJoe Epik SE.
Ride: Bike has a full-size feel to it, I was wondering how a bike with 20'' wheels would ride. Plenty of adjustment for the seat and handlebars to my liking, so I could get my legs stretched to the slight knee bend. No suspension vs the eJoe, but wheels are 2'' wide. Going along some pocket-marked streets at 20mph, note to self: avoid that! But I tried some dirt/gravelly paths and no problems at all. I could also get a gel seat cover or even replace with the larger comfortable CC saddle.
Speed: not a priority, but at 3rd gear, 3PAS, I reached the max pedaling effect on a level street ...ie, I would have to go 4PAS to go faster, and the Latch is only 3 speeds.
Power: Most of the time I was in 3/3 as my style is to pedal the bike and use power when I need it. I was in the 15-20mph, pedaling straight away at 2PAS I think was 10-15mph. So power is a bit of a trade-off here. Can make the hills, but at 4 or 5PAS whereas the CC I rarely went past 3PAS. There was enough power for a steep hill when I downshifted to 2 and 4PAS. The specs for the Latch is 5 levels of PAS, the 6th is throttle only, and you have to use the twister to engage. I didn't find much benefit for that, why not remain in an assist level and use throttle when needed. There are only 3 speeds but with 5PAS, I think that gives me enough for what I need...I remind myself this is my commuting bike first and foremost.
Battery: The unknown question will be how frequent will I need to recharge. On the one hand, a smaller wheel I'm told will not draw as much power, but with a 250w 36v 10amp battery, not as powerful as the eJoe or my CC. On the other hand, a folding bike will be in my apt, not outside, so I'll be more mindful of recharging when needed. So not an issue.
Price: Latch is about 1K more than the eJoe, but Pedego uses quality parts. And it also comes down to this: I have a local Pedego dealer (shout out to Mike of PedegoBoston) who is terrific. Responsive, no heavy sales pitch, he even picks up and delivers your bike during a tuneup if you request! There is no eJoe dealer in my area so I can't easily test ride as far as I know. I relied on Court's reviews and various website's specs. Maybe I would have been happy with eJoe but I had to go back to my purpose: what do I know and why do I want the bike.
A folding bike may be uncomfortable for a long ride (3o+ miles?) but for my 4.5 commute, occasionally a 12mile "scenic" commute version or longer 20mile recreational rides, I think it provides that. So rather than go home and further deliberate (paralysis by analysis! You should have seen my spreadsheet before I chose the City Commuter) between this vs the unknown eJoe ride, I'm now a Pedego Latch owner, having it delivered to me on Friday.
Last edited:
