Range might not be everything but it's a lot!

[EbikeR2]

Just reading Court's latest review of the Specialized 9K beast http://electricbikereview.com/specialized/s-works-turbo-levo-fsr-6fattie/ and I was surprised at the lack of range (25 to 55 miles). It's not a commuter bike so I guess it's not that important but if you're out for the day you will come back with barely anything left.
Range anxiety was a big part of why I chose the BionX (can easily do the 50km commute with over 1/3 battery left, no need to charge up at office) and I imagine Stromer buyers pick range as one of the most valuable assets of the bike (best in class?).

Guess this is kind of like the iPhone and the battery -- everyone always wants more, but damn if I pay 9G I want more than freakin 25-55 miles!

 

[Adrian]

My commute is 4.2 km so range wouldn't be an issue for me. Not everyone needs huge batteries to cover very long distances and some people use their own peddle power more than others, keeping the majority of the motor assistance for hills, in which case even a small battery can last a considerable distance.

Fwiw, I think it's an amazing looking bike and the only thing that really detracts is a way to effectively control gear mashing during shifting - something I'd expect for this price.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

All the mental work and planning needed to ensure you don't run out of battery can be tedious.
The thought you can go 70 miles without having to worry about range is empowering. Unlike Europe, the distances in US are so huge, range is everything.
Again, FSR Levo is not a commuter bike, it's for those niche MTB'ers.

 

[PowerMe]

No, range is everything! (IMHO)

 

[Adrian]

No, range is everything! (IMHO)

Enough range is everything perhaps but I just don't see most people using their ebikes for 100 mile, or even 50 mile jaunts. Most would think a 20 mile ride was a long way.

 

[PowerMe]

Maybe not in one ride, but certainly conceivable to do 40 or 50 miles in one day. As it is now, one has to recharge the battery (which takes from 3 to 5 hrs, depending) to make a return trip the whole way -or- purchase a 2nd battery and have that along with you, fully charged. Either way, it's not as convenient as one battery that can get a reliable 60 - 100 mi range.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Enough range is everything perhaps but I just don't see most people using their ebikes for 100 mile, or even 50 mile jaunts. Most would think a 20 mile ride was a long way.

@Jed Charlesworth commutes 50 miles each way to his work and has ~3000 miles on his ST2.
I commute 30 miles each way.

This is the thing, once you ride an E-bike, you never go back
You tend to ride more often and longer distances than normal bike, as shown by this research paper. So, what might look ENOUGH range for the time being, may not be the same 6 months down the line.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920915000140

 

[Adrian]

@Jed Charlesworth commutes 50 miles each way to his work and has ~3000 miles on his ST2.
I commute 30 miles each way.

This is the thing, once you ride an E-bike, you never go back
You tend to ride more often and longer distances than normal bike, as shown by this research paper. So, what might look ENOUGH range for the time being, may not be the same 6 months down the line.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920915000140

Yes, no doubt but I just don't see Joe Average doing 20 or 30 miles on any kind of bike and those that will, well, there are other ebikes they will choose. This one is obviously primarily designed for the more hardcore mountain bikers to assist going up a mountain.

 

[PowerMe]

On average I ride 20 to 23 mi. on my ebike at one time. And I think I'm actually below the average of most cyclists. The stated range by my bike's manufacturer is minimum of 30mi to maximum of 60mi. I can get 30, maybe 32 if I'm careful. 60? No way. That's what I'd like, but that's just not possible for me with this current battery of 36v/11.6ah. As a result, I do feel range anxiety, and don't push it. I stop and charge my battery back up to full (takes 4+ hrs).

Range is my holy grail. If my bike accommodated a 15 - 17ah battery my range anxiety would dissipate.

 

[EbikeR2]

Enough range is everything perhaps but I just don't see most people using their ebikes for 100 mile, or even 50 mile jaunts. Most would think a 20 mile ride was a long way.

50km commute here and I

On average I ride 20 to 23 mi. on my ebike at one time. And I think I'm actually below the average of most cyclists. The stated range by my bike's manufacturer is minimum of 30mi to maximum of 60mi. I can get 30, maybe 32 if I'm careful. 60? No way. That's what I'd like, but that's just not possible for me with this current battery of 36v/11.6ah. As a result, I do feel range anxiety, and don't push it. I stop and charge my battery back up to full (takes 4+ hrs).

Range is my holy grail. If my bike accommodated a 15 - 17ah battery my range anxiety would dissipate.

Yes, range was a deal breaker for me on many bikes -- happy with the D series BionX. Can go wherever I want with no worry -- max I do is 50km in one day and more than enough for that, even if I feel lazy and use max assist for a good portion.

 

[MLB]

On average I ride 20 to 23 mi. on my ebike at one time. And I think I'm actually below the average of most cyclists. The stated range by my bike's manufacturer is minimum of 30mi to maximum of 60mi. I can get 30, maybe 32 if I'm careful. 60? No way. That's what I'd like, but that's just not possible for me with this current battery of 36v/11.6ah. As a result, I do feel range anxiety, and don't push it. I stop and charge my battery back up to full (takes 4+ hrs).

Range is my holy grail. If my bike accommodated a 15 - 17ah battery my range anxiety would dissipate.

You have range anxiety when you are only using 2/3's of your current battery range as it is??????????????

People create range anxiety mostly by thinking about being anxious about range.......................... very few does it actually come up.

That's the same size as my haibike and falco trike and get at least 40 miles each, usually quite a bit more.

 

[MLB]

Just reading Court's latest review of the Specialized 9K beast http://electricbikereview.com/specialized/s-works-turbo-levo-fsr-6fattie/ and I was surprised at the lack of range (25 to 55 miles). It's not a commuter bike so I guess it's not that important but if you're out for the day you will come back with barely anything left.
Range anxiety was a big part of why I chose the BionX (can easily do the 50km commute with over 1/3 battery left, no need to charge up at office) and I imagine Stromer buyers pick range as one of the most valuable assets of the bike (best in class?).

Guess this is kind of like the iPhone and the battery -- everyone always wants more, but damn if I pay 9G I want more than freakin 25-55 miles!

My Stromer is a E (gas) hog. It has a bigger battery 14.something but less range than my other two bikes. Maybe the S2?

 

[KenM.]

I am a 63 year old, broken up old dude, (car hit me on my motorcycle 15 years ago, so also have Mr. Arthur Ritus come and visit for awhile at times ).
I ride the non e-road bike in the morrings, ( every day) 26 miles. Then the e-bike in the afternoon , when the wind is blowing more,( every day) 20 or 25 miles. I get about 60 on a battery charge this way of riding.
And I am only in the 190's in the rankings in The National Bike Challenge.
So I think Joe Average does a lot more then 20 miles a day.
Keep looking up! Ken.

 

[Adrian]

I don't think many people that read ebike forums are going to be average Joe's when it comes to biking by definition. The average Joe is closer to the person that bought a Sondors - and they can't hit that 20 mile mark even if they want to.

 

[Ann M.]

Adrian! Many folks who start out on an ebike may only be ready to ride a few miles when they start but 14 years in this business has taught me to not underestimate what the Joes & Janes on the road are capable of after some experience and sense of safety on the bike. A lot of my customers came in wanting to commute 5 to 10 miles to work, feel very empowered at what they can with the ebike and usually do a lot more miles - in errands, having fun... They figure out how to milk every last electron out of those batteries