Purchased New Boomerang Platinums Today

[Eu224]

After lurking here for a long time and asking questions we bought 2 Boomerang Platinums today. We're excited! Dealer in Alexandria, Virginia, was absolutely first class in knowledge, patience in answering a lot of questions, and willingness to give us a reasonable deal on these expensive (by our standards) bikes. If you are in the market for Pedegos and you live in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, or Maryland you have several Pedego dealers. Alexandria should be on your short list.

Bikes will be delivered tomorrow and we'll provide a review once we've ridden them for a while. Boomerangs suit us as we have balance and age challenges which these bikes meet. This model comes with certain functions which I hadn't seen discussed or needed clarification in my mind.

What we learned from dealer which we didn't know from previous research:
1. This model has a walk mode using throttle which limits speed to 3mph.
2. Bike can be used in either torque or cadence modes.
3. Top speed using throttle can be set to virtually any speed below maximum so you can save battery and keep top speed within your capability.
4. Top speed in each PAS number when in cadence or torque mode can be reduced using a setting called "European Mode".
5. Cadence and torque modes can be enabled or turned off in settings. You choose one or the other or none.
6. Taillight comes on when brakes engage and can be set to blinking or solid on when brakes are engaged.

What factors drove our decision:
1. We visited several local bike shops. Some of their models might work for us, however, virtually all (including two local REIs) had limited or no selection of ebikes available or to test ride. Pedego had their full line of bikes on display and available to test ride. We found a test ride essential for us to select the right bikes for us.
2. For our needs having a local bike shop with expertise in bikes they sell and service, ready parts availability, and a reputation for customer service were high on the list.
3. Nationwide dealer network for service when we travel with our bikes.
4. Court's recent positive review of Pedego Boomerang.
5. Shop owner took the time, and I mean a lot of time, to explain his bikes and help us decide what works for us. Without any hard sell. We test rode several bike models.
6. Excellent warranty and reputation for honoring that warranty -- five year warranty -- local warranty service -- warranty service at any Pedigo dealer. Shop owner states he will make minor adjustments free during warranty and during our ownership with minimum turnaround time. We saw this firsthand when owners brought in bikes with two hour turnaround on tuneups and adjustments.
7. Owner's willingness to negotiate a reasonable price and discount accessories.
8. An expert available when we receive bikes to set them up for our height/weight/capabilities and to explain/assist with all functions of the bike and owner maintenance.
9. Pedago has been at this for several years and their business is growing. They will be here tomorrow, next year, and beyond.
10. They've refined their products to be reliable and fairly long lasting (if you believe customer reviews). They've trained and honed their dealer network to provide excellent customer service.

Is this a lot of hand holding? Yes, perhaps. Many won't need it and I totally get it. Are these bikes expensive compared to similar outfitted bikes? Yes. For two aging Boomers who rode bikes all of our lives and now need a reliable, proven ebike platform, Pedego works for us.

Finally, thank you to forum members for helping us understand this ebike phenomenom and welcoming us into your fold as new owners.

 

[darksky]

A very well written of your buying experience. My wife and I bought two Boomerangs last February (a 24" for her and a 26" for me). They don't have some of the features as yours since they are not the Platinum model. We had the same great experience at our local dealer and chose Pedego for many of the reasons you state. I hope others reading this will realize the extra value you get buying from a local Pedego dealer.

 

[Eu224]

A very well written of your buying experience. My wife and I bought two Boomerangs last February (a 24" for her and a 26" for me). They don't have some of the features as yours since they are not the Platinum model. We had the same great experience at our local dealer and chose Pedego for many of the reasons you state. I hope others reading this will realize the extra value you get buying from a local Pedego dealer.

Thanks. Your threads on this forum were instrumental in our decision to purchase this model. I got the 26" and wife got the 24" similar to you. We considered the non-Platinum models but wanted the front suspension fork and Thudbuster seat so getting these options on the regular Boomerang was getting close to the price of the Platinum model. In our short test rides over a few weeks we also felt the torque assist provides just a little more control allowing variable speed control in each PAS as opposed to the cadence sensor bringing bike up to full speed associated with each PAS setting. Having both cadence and torque assist will allow us to test which we want to use in varous biking situations.

Another thing we learned which I didn't mention is these models come with 52V, 15Amp battery (upgrade) according to our dealer. I think this means these batteries have 780 watt-hour capacity. Google search on issue indicates we can expect on average to use about 20 watt-hours per mile. This results in an average distance of approximately 39 miles. Not bad for these heavy bikes. I understand mileage varies based on a bunch of variables including how much we're willing to assist with pedaling.

Still having challenge finding Thule Easyfold hitch racks compatible with these bikes. Really need the smallest footprint for storage in our townhouse garage. Otherwise we'd opt for something larger and cheaper. Now it's on to deciding which accessories to use. Looking for end cap mirror. Grip endcaps pop off for easy installation apparently. Also looking for a small trailer to haul a day's worth of gear for picnics and outings. Have several routes mapped out around the Washington D.C. area for our summer fun with these bikes.

Please continue to exchange info on what you've learned and what you have attached to your Pedegos.

 

[darksky]

Now that I have about 260 miles on my Boomerang and not having the features you mention on the Platinum edition I realize how nice it would be to have those. A few yeara go we bought (through Amazon) a Booyah brand pet trailer for taking along our small dog. We considered purchasing a used kid trailer at Goodwill or St. Vinnies but we didn't want to deal with converting the interior. At the time we purchased the trailer, they came in a couple sizes and a pet trailer would work great for hauling stuff taking note of the trailer's weight capacity.

I happened to be at my local REI yesterday and noticed they had a Thule Easyfold bike rack in stock. Maybe an REI store in your area has one. I know the Easyfold is sometimes hard to find, but it's a great rack and worth the effort to get one. I also like that it is so compact and easy to store. My sister-in-law also bought one to haul their two Trek electric bikes, and she came for a visit recently traveling over 600 miles roundtrip with no problem.

 

[Dewey]

Great write-up, for folks in the DC area I second Alexandria Pedego, Todd Ketch takes care of his customers. Just curious what percentage discount were you able to negotiate on a pair of Platinum models?

 

[Eu224]

Now that I have about 260 miles on my Boomerang and not having the features you mention on the Platinum edition I realize how nice it would be to have those. A few yeara go we bought (through Amazon) a Booyah brand pet trailer for taking along our small dog. We considered purchasing a used kid trailer at Goodwill or St. Vinnies but we didn't want to deal with converting the interior. At the time we purchased the trailer, they came in a couple sizes and a pet trailer would work great for hauling stuff taking note of the trailer's weight capacity.

I happened to be at my local REI yesterday and noticed they had a Thule Easyfold bike rack in stock. Maybe an REI store in your area has one. I know the Easyfold is sometimes hard to find, but it's a great rack and worth the effort to get one. I also like that it is so compact and easy to store. My sister-in-law also bought one to haul their two Trek electric bikes, and she came for a visit recently traveling over 600 miles roundtrip with no problem.

Thanks for the REI and trailer tip. Once you mentioned Amazon, I went on and had a look. Good trailer selection there. Just have to find one that's compatible with our ebikes and needs. Our dealer mentioned that getting the right frame attachment bracket and fitting correctly were important or we might mess up the rear wheel alignment to the frame, brakes, and other components. Perhaps we'll coordinate with dealer and have him install the trailer bracket. Also glad to hear Thule racks hold up to road trips as your sister's did because that's one use they will get with us. Did you say you have the extended ramp or is the normal ramp which comes with this Easyfold model up to the task?

I'm not sure the Platinum's were available when you purchased your ebikes. I think they are a recent addition to the Boomerang lineup. Should you decide you want the Platinum model in the future I'd suggest a conversation with your dealer. My dealer, at one time, had a recent purchased bike for sale that a customer purchased only to decide they wanted something else. He helped them sell it so they could move to another Pedego model.

 

[Eu224]

Great write-up, for folks in the DC area I second Alexandria Pedego, Todd Ketch takes care of his customers. Just curious what percentage discount were you able to negotiate on a pair of Platinum models?

Todd Ketch, Pedego's Alexandria, Virginia, dealer is definitely top tier among bike shop owners. He also has great staff who really understand these ebikes. Pedego in Alexandria, Virginia, is a great location to rent ebikes to tour Washington, D.C. and ride the famous Mount Vernon Trail to George Washington's Mount Vernon National Park. You literally hop on the bike at his store and a network of historic areas are within easy, safe biking distance.

Some Pedego dealers offer a military/veteran + two bike discount and perhaps other incentives. It pays to ask. This might amount to more than 5% off website listed prices. The more you buy the bigger the discount. Pedego also offers Black Friday incentives. I contacted more than one dealer within driving distance to see what they could offer though I'm glad I settled on Pedego Alexandia. Seems ebikes are in high demand. It's clearly a sellers market presently in our area. So I would view any negotiated discount as successful.

 

[reed scott]

Pictures pictures pictures. We must have PICTURES. Please.

 

[Eu224]

Pictures pictures pictures. We must have PICTURES. Please.

Yes, yes. We'll post photos as soon as the County finishes repaving our road which has delayed delivery of our bikes by two days. Can you believe it?

For now:

 

[darksky]

We had the dealer install the "hitches" on both our Boomerangs. The tech had to drill out the mounting hole a bit to fit the larger axle shaft on the Boomerang. The Platinum model was indeed available at the time we purchased our two Boomerangs in February.

 

[WingedVictory]

Very informative. Sounds like you had a knowledgeable salesperson. I'm just beginning to look at e-bikes and the Platinum Boomerang is the one I road. Did you get a sense of how rough of trails it might handle? I too saw Court's review and wish he'd explored some rougher areas a bit. If you encounter a flat, will you likely need to take it in to the shop? The person helping me acted as if people don't fix flats on these bikes.

I also was going to suggest REI for the Thule Easy Fold. It was definitely the best price. Their web site said I could expect to pick it up next week. Figured I should go ahead and get it since it was available. If you're not aware, you'll have a member credit available of about $80 if you get the $20 lifetime membership.

 

[Eu224]

Very informative. Sounds like you had a knowledgeable salesperson. I'm just beginning to look at e-bikes and the Platinum Boomerang is the one I road. Did you get a sense of how rough of trails it might handle? I too saw Court's review and wish he'd explored some rougher areas a bit. If you encounter a flat, will you likely need to take it in to the shop? The person helping me acted as if people don't fix flats on these bikes.

I also was going to suggest REI for the Thule Easy Fold. It was definitely the best price. Their web site said I could expect to pick it up next week. Figured I should go ahead and get it since it was available. If you're not aware, you'll have a member credit available of about $80 if you get the $20 lifetime membership.

Was lucky to find highly knowledgeable bike dealer with patience to answer a lot of my questions about ebikes. As Court says in his review the Boomerang models are a special type of ebike which fits a need not many other ebikes can match...lowest step over height, stable, with a heavy duty frame and reliable quality components. I'd classify it as a casual upright cruiser with some special qualities I've mentioned.

The types of surfaces we plan to ride on are paved/upaved roads and asphalt and hard packed gravel trails. Nothing approaching off-road rugged or mountain bike capable trails. We did that when young and our old bones aren't up to being over-jiggled or repaired for the upteenth time. Perhaps other owners can pipe in on this bike's trail qualities if they've used it for that purpose. I'd also discuss its capabilities versus your needs with your Pedego dealer.

 

[reed scott]

Was lucky to find highly knowledgeable bike dealer with patience to answer a lot of my questions about ebikes. As Court says in his review the Boomerang models are a special type of ebike which fits a need not many other ebikes can match...lowest step over height, stable, with a heavy duty frame and reliable quality components. I'd classify it as a casual upright cruiser with some special qualities I've mentioned.

The types of surfaces we plan to ride on are paved/upaved roads and asphalt and hard packed gravel trails. Nothing approaching off-road rugged or mountain bike capable trails. We did that when young and our old bones aren't up to being over-jiggled or repaired for the upteenth time. Perhaps other owners can pipe in on this bike's trail qualities if they've used it for that purpose. I'd also discuss its capabilities versus your needs with your Pedego dealer.

Still waiting for those pics.

 

[smorgasbord]

$4700 for a rear rack mounted battery, 500-watt hub motor, 20 MPH speed limit, and flexy frame?

For hundreds less, one could get something like an Evelo Aurora Limited. Still a step-thru, mid-drive 750-watt motor, Gates belt drive, integrated frame-mounted battery, Enviolo continuous internal drive gearing, 28 MPH speed limit.

I do understand for some the appeal of a full-service bike shop, which Pedego can offer, but you're not only paying a lot for that, you're getting a tail-heavy bike with lots of frame flex (which Court showed early on in his review).

 

[Eu224]

Still waiting for those pics.

Thanks for your reminder. Feeling lucky. Bikes should be here today. Once I figure out how to post thumbnails on this forum without garbaging up my thread, I'll take pics and post.

 

[Eu224]

$4700 for a rear rack mounted battery, 500-watt hub motor, 20 MPH speed limit, and flexy frame?

For hundreds less, one could get something like an Evelo Aurora Limited. Still a step-thru, mid-drive 750-watt motor, Gates belt drive, integrated frame-mounted battery, Enviolo continuous internal drive gearing, 28 MPH speed limit.

I do understand for some the appeal of a full-service bike shop, which Pedego can offer, but you're not only paying a lot for that, you're getting a tail-heavy bike with lots of frame flex (which Court showed early on in his review).

Thanks. Right you are. Potential buyers should question as you do and assess price versus components, motor size and type, battery location, frame type, and speed rating in their buying decision.

You can walk into one of over 160 Pedego dealers today to touch, feel, sit on, and test ride the $4700 almost fully loaded Pedego Boomerang Platinum you reference. For clarity and potential buyers, the fully loaded Pedego Boomerang with largest battery and mag wheels lists for just over $5000. Basic Boomerang for $2995 and the Boomerang Platinum version for $3995. That's quite a price spread with numerous choices. Load additional accessories and the sky is the limit...just like BMW's.

You can check it, get it adjusted and dialed in for your weight/height/capabilities before you leave the store. Dealer will install your accessories as you wait. Your credit card is charged immediately and you have the bike in your immediate possession.

The Evelo Aurora Limited and Galaxy 500 were on our short list. The Limited for me and the Galaxy 500 for my wife. Did a lot of research and read reviews. The technologies and apparent build quality of these bikes are impressive. They might work for us or for others and have a good warranty.

However, there are factors we considered regarding purchasing the Evelos:
1. No bike shops in our region sell them, have readily available parts, or routinely service them. Too bad as we'd love to inspect and test ride.
2. Not able to inspect, test ride, and see the bike before purchase to determine if it fit our particular needs.
3. Some bike shops in our area indicate they give maintenance and service priority to owners who purchase in their shop.
4. Aurora Limited currently not available until September and Galaxy 500 in August. So, our credit card is charged immediately with a promise but no guarantee bikes will be delivered months from now.
5. 21 day free home trial has restrictions we should clearly understand. Warranty issues must be resolved prior to returning the bike within 21 trial period. Bike must be returned in "as received condition", a phrase open to interpretation.
6. For us, upacking and checking for damage/building/testing/dealing with warranty issues/fully repacking/shipping and hoping the bike arrives back at dealer over 2000 miles away in "as received condition" is more than we want to deal with.

For us, as I described in my opening to this thread there are factors beyond comparative value of components among ebike brands, rear frame versus mid/low frame batteries, and maximum speed which led us to this brand. We will closely monitor for "flexy frame" and let you know.

 

[Eu224]

We had the dealer install the "hitches" on both our Boomerangs. The tech had to drill out the mounting hole a bit to fit the larger axle shaft on the Boomerang. The Platinum model was indeed available at the time we purchased our two Boomerangs in February.

Darksky, I think you mentioned you have the Thule Easyfold XT 2 bike rack. Ours finally arrived today and we are so happy to have it.

Question for you: Have you found a good method for mounting the bikes and securing them? You've had a few months to figure this out so you may be able to help us. Does the loading ramp work well to get Boomerangs up on the rack? Do you put the heavier 26inch bike on first on the inside ramp? Which way do the handlebars face, left or right as you face the rack? Does it matter? Where on the bike frame do you connect the securing rod clamps? Do you then mount the second bike on the outside ramp with the handlebars in the opposite direction and where on the bike frame do you connect the rod clamp mechanism? Looking for tips before we load bikes and experiment with this rack next week. Thanks.

 

[darksky]

We have the extended lengh ramp which is needed because our rack sits a bit higher on the back of our small motorhome. It takes a bit of practice to keep both tires in the ramp as you push up the bike. Yes, I put the 26" on the inside, however the weight difference between the 26" and 24" is minimal. The first bike (on the inside of the rack) I position the handlebrs left as I face the rack, mostly so there's no clearance problem with the rooftop ladder on the right side of the back of the motorhome. The 24" bike then goes on in the opposite direction. When rolling it into place I find I need to lean it toward me to clear the pedals against the first bike. I connect the clamps to the bike frame tube that runs from the seat down to the pedals (on both bikes). It takes a bit of practice to find the positioning that works best. Once I found the proper placement for the clamp rods I made a small mark with a paint pen where the clamp rods need to be positioned, making it easier next time they're loaded. I hope this long-winded description helps. Glad to share my advice.

 

[darksky]

$4700 for a rear rack mounted battery, 500-watt hub motor, 20 MPH speed limit, and flexy frame?

For hundreds less, one could get something like an Evelo Aurora Limited. Still a step-thru, mid-drive 750-watt motor, Gates belt drive, integrated frame-mounted battery, Enviolo continuous internal drive gearing, 28 MPH speed limit.

I do understand for some the appeal of a full-service bike shop, which Pedego can offer, but you're not only paying a lot for that, you're getting a tail-heavy bike with lots of frame flex (which Court showed early on in his review).

After 350 miles on my Boomerang (not the Platinum edition) I do NOT feel any frame flex. I saw Court's review and did not get the impression he noted "LOTS of frame flex". Nor do I have a problem with the weight of the battery on the rear rack. 20 mph is fast enough for me. I ride for pleasure and to enjoy the scenery. I'm not in a race. "For hundreds less, one could get something like..." yes there is always something that costs less, and in some people's opinion is "better".

 

[Eu224]

We have the extended lengh ramp which is needed because our rack sits a bit higher on the back of our small motorhome. It takes a bit of practice to keep both tires in the ramp as you push up the bike. Yes, I put the 26" on the inside, however the weight difference between the 26" and 24" is minimal. The first bike (on the inside of the rack) I position the handlebrs left as I face the rack, mostly so there's no clearance problem with the rooftop ladder on the right side of the back of the motorhome. The 24" bike then goes on in the opposite direction. When rolling it into place I find I need to lean it toward me to clear the pedals against the first bike. I connect the clamps to the bike frame tube that runs from the seat down to the pedals (on both bikes). It takes a bit of practice to find the positioning that works best. Once I found the proper placement for the clamp rods I made a small mark with a paint pen where the clamp rods need to be positioned, making it easier next time they're loaded. I hope this long-winded description helps. Glad to share my advice.

Thanks for your great info. Neither too long nor too long-winded. We are putting rack and bikes on today and will use your suggestions.