Questions before I buy a Biktrix bike

[fristiac]

I'm leaning towards either Juggernaut/Ultra right now, but I've got a few questions before I buy them.

1) How do the wheels fare in rainy season? I'm in Seattle and I want to drive 30-35 miles(2 way) even in rain, maybe slightly slower. Would I need better wheels?

2) How often would I need servicing for the bike, and where? I don't mind spending a lil bit of time myself, but I'm no technician and I don't wanna spend a weekend every month or so fixing something.

3) The only reason I have right now to buy an Ultra over Classic is the torque sensor(I know that the motor is different, and there are many other features, but the Classic meets my needs). Is it worth it? I've test driven a few bikes and I have no idea what the difference feels like.

4) Since this is a Mid Drive, how specialized are the chains? Would I need to carry a chain with me everywhere in case this breaks and I can't walk this home?

5) Since they are giving Dual Piston Hydraulic breaks free with pre orders, is the Quad Piston worth the $299?

6) How easy is it to replace the stock seat and post with something comfy?

7)I'm not sure if this is allowed here but, is there anyone in Seattle that has one of these and is willing to let me test drive em? I can treat you a bubble tea if you do.

 

[tomjasz]

anyone in Seattle

Ask Roshan if he has a willing customer.

replace the stock seat and post with something comfy?

Simple, several sizes of posts and numerous seat choices.

Quad Piston worth the $299?

Anytime a bike is ridden in the high 20’s and low 30’s quad are an advantage

Would I need better wheels?

No.

How often would I need servicing for the bike, and where?

cal your local bike shops and ask. Typically you’ll need the same service as one would need on any bike. A bit more due to the nature of eBikes.

specialized are the chains?

Nothing special, but I do run $40 Connex eBike designated chains. Not much of an issue.

 

[fristiac]

Ask Roshan if he has a willing customer.

Simple, several sizes of posts and numerous seat choices.

Anytime a bike is ridden in the high 20’s and low 30’s quad are an advantage

No.

cal your local bike shops and ask. Typically you’ll need the same service as one would need on any bike. A bit more due to the nature of eBikes.

Nothing special, but I do run $40 Connex eBike designated chains. Not much of an issue.

This is great information.
Thanks for letting me know

 

[mbouck]

I'm leaning towards either Juggernaut/Ultra right now, but I've got a few questions before I buy them.

1) How do the wheels fare in rainy season? I'm in Seattle and I want to drive 30-35 miles(2 way) even in rain, maybe slightly slower. Would I need better wheels?

2) How often would I need servicing for the bike, and where? I don't mind spending a lil bit of time myself, but I'm no technician and I don't wanna spend a weekend every month or so fixing something.

3) The only reason I have right now to buy an Ultra over Classic is the torque sensor(I know that the motor is different, and there are many other features, but the Classic meets my needs). Is it worth it? I've test driven a few bikes and I have no idea what the difference feels like.

4) Since this is a Mid Drive, how specialized are the chains? Would I need to carry a chain with me everywhere in case this breaks and I can't walk this home?

5) Since they are giving Dual Piston Hydraulic breaks free with pre orders, is the Quad Piston worth the $299?

6) How easy is it to replace the stock seat and post with something comfy?

7)I'm not sure if this is allowed here but, is there anyone in Seattle that has one of these and is willing to let me test drive em? I can treat you a bubble tea if you do.

I have a 2019 Juggernaut Ultra just so you know my frame of reference....

1) Sounds like you're interested in commuting more than off-road. Unless otherwise specified Biktrix ships their bikes with knobby off road tires but I bet Roshan can set you up with road/hybrid tires if you ask. On my bike I'm running 29ers with Maxxis Hookworms and on pavement/hardpack they're excellent.

2) With a mid-drive it's essentially a normal bike from a drive train perspective. I'd say also normal maintenance but that depends on how hard you're thrashing the bike, etc. I think at some point I'll probably crack the motor open for wear inspection and to re-grease the reduction gears but that's something you should have to do infrequently. Again - depends largely on how you're treating the bike/motor.

3) To me the torque sensor is a must and I wouldn't buy an e-bike without one. The difference is a torque sensing motor will apply power in a much smoother/more natural manner compared to a cadence-sensor only motor. With a torque sensor the motor controller knows exactly how much force you are contributing and can thus scale the power assist accordingly - it essentially feels like you have super legs where the strength of your super legs is controlled by the level of pedal assist. With a cadence sensor only motor it feels unnatural - more like you are assisting the motor vs. the motor assisting you.

4) You don't need a special chain but do make sure to be mindful with your shifts (e.g. don't shift going up hills, downshift to your granny gears on the flat before you enter a climb, don't lean on the throttle on your small gears going up hill, etc.) Also make sure your derailleur is always adjusted correctly and your system cleanly shifts, chain is routinely cleaned/lubricated, etc. I don't carry a spare chain with me but I do carry a couple of master links and a multi-tool just in case. If your chain breaks it's usually just one link and you can use your multi-tool (with a chainbreaker) to remove the bad link and then replace it with a master link.

5) I have the dual piston Tektro brakes and they are just fine IMHO. Quad piston is fine too but I don't believe you need them for the extra stopping power unless you're bombing downhill single-track. Remember - the dual piston brakes have larger pistons than the quad piston brakes so the overall contact patch with the rotor doesn't vary as much as you might think. I think quads have a small performance difference but a large profit difference for the vendor/manufacturer. You can always upgrade the calipers to quads yourself relatively easily if you find you really want them later.

6) Replacing seat post is trivial - highly recommend a suspension seat post.

 

[fristiac]

I have a 2019 Juggernaut Ultra just so you know my frame of reference....

1) Sounds like you're interested in commuting more than off-road. Unless otherwise specified Biktrix ships their bikes with knobby off road tires but I bet Roshan can set you up with road/hybrid tires if you ask. On my bike I'm running 29ers with Maxxis Hookworms and on pavement/hardpack they're excellent.

2) With a mid-drive it's essentially a normal bike from a drive train perspective. I'd say also normal maintenance but that depends on how hard you're thrashing the bike, etc. I think at some point I'll probably crack the motor open for wear inspection and to re-grease the reduction gears but that's something you should have to do infrequently. Again - depends largely on how you're treating the bike/motor.

3) To me the torque sensor is a must and I wouldn't buy an e-bike without one. The difference is a torque sensing motor will apply power in a much smoother/more natural manner compared to a cadence-sensor only motor. With a torque sensor the motor controller knows exactly how much force you are contributing and can thus scale the power assist accordingly - it essentially feels like you have super legs where the strength of your super legs is controlled by the level of pedal assist. With a cadence sensor only motor it feels unnatural - more like you are assisting the motor vs. the motor assisting you.

4) You don't need a special chain but do make sure to be mindful with your shifts (e.g. don't shift going up hills, downshift to your granny gears on the flat before you enter a climb, don't lean on the throttle on your small gears going up hill, etc.) Also make sure your derailleur is always adjusted correctly and your system cleanly shifts, chain is routinely cleaned/lubricated, etc. I don't carry a spare chain with me but I do carry a couple of master links and a multi-tool just in case. If your chain breaks it's usually just one link and you can use your multi-tool (with a chainbreaker) to remove the bad link and then replace it with a master link.

5) I have the dual piston Tektro brakes and they are just fine IMHO. Quad piston is fine too but I don't believe you need them for the extra stopping power unless you're bombing downhill single-track. Remember - the dual piston brakes have larger pistons than the quad piston brakes so the overall contact patch with the rotor doesn't vary as much as you might think. I think quads have a small performance difference but a large profit difference for the vendor/manufacturer. You can always upgrade the calipers to quads yourself relatively easily if you find you really want them later.

6) Replacing seat post is trivial - highly recommend a suspension seat post.

Thank you for this. It is really helpful.

So, with absolutely no knowledge of cycles, I don't know what reduction gears or a derailleur are. Totally willing to learn though.

Is there anywhere I can go to to learn how I'm supposed to treat my ebike correctly? Wipe it down after a ride in the rain, grease my chain every x months, etc?

 

[mbouck]

Thank you for this. It is really helpful.

So, with absolutely no knowledge of cycles, I don't know what reduction gears or a derailleur are. Totally willing to learn though.

Is there anywhere I can go to to learn how I'm supposed to treat my ebike correctly? Wipe it down after a ride in the rain, grease my chain every x months, etc?

The derailleur is the mechanism which is responsible for moving your chain over the cassette gears. If it is not setup correctly your shifts will not happen, skip, be rough, push the chain off the cassette, etc. You don't need to necessarily understand how to adjust it yourself although I would recommend you learn - it's not hard. However, any local bike shop can adjust it for you for minimal cost and when you receive your bike I'd highly recommend you at least have a reputable bike shop give your bike an initial tune-up. Here's a quick tutorial for derailleur adjustment.

As far as lubing your chain I can tell you right now you'll want to use a good wet lube (vs. drive lube) being that you're in Seattle. Here's a good tutorial on cleaning/lubing your chain.