Review: New LMT'D - new owner's perspective

Yep - exactly. Hot knife through butter. It's the best thing about this bike.

I don't know a lot about rear cassettes and gear ratios on a bike. I just know what feels useful to me. On this bike - so far: 8th gear, all day long. Take that as a sample of one, from a guy that is 52, weighs 180lbs, has relatively strong legs and good health. I like to go faster, get farther. My guess is that some LMT'D buyers take an easier-going approach than I do. R1Up needs to cover a broader range of buyers than just me/us...

The LMT'D in 8th would 44T chainring with the 11T on back and would be equivalent to the gear ratio of my Trek's second highest gear (48T/12T), so that would suffice me pretty well as I'm only occasionally riding in a higher gear than that. A lot of bikes have a lower top gear, so they require more hamster wheeling cadence at higher speed. One option is to replace with a larger chainring as others have done on some bikes, but I would rather avoid that. The Ride1UP bikes are as good or better than most for my use.
 
One month update. I'm at 150 miles and am still very happy with the LMT'D. I ride it almost daily - as long as the weather cooperates. Like many, I now work from home 5 days a week. My town has become super local - meaning people aren't doing a lot of traveling and they are sourcing things they need locally. Many people have a little extra time these days - no commute. So there are a lot more cars staying local - but still out and about - albeit going slowly. The crush/rush pace we all got caught up in seems to be easing - I wish it could stay this way. Driving anywhere during the heart of the day - especially on weekends - is an "easy pace". Fine. Parking is harder to find but not impossible. Fine. Biking anywhere has become MUCH easier than driving.

I generally try to get up and hop on my bike at 7:30 AM. Head out to get coffee. I'm amazed at how many people are outside walking, running, riding. Without a commute, you get a free 30-60 minutes at the beginning and end of the day. I'm glad I have the LMT'D to get out of my house and get some fresh air each day. I cover more ground than I might on a regular/analog bike and I get places faster/easier than I would in a car.

I made the pledge to R1Up that I'd replace 2 driving trips per month - to save $40 off my bike. In hindsight, that was an easy pledge. I replace way more driving trips than that in a week - sometimes I cover that pledge in a day.

More to come on my LMT'D. Some watching this thread have returned their bike or "pressed pause" on a LMT'D purchase. Buying a new model like the LMT'D has its risks, which I factored in. I think the bike "as is" works well. Could it be refined or dialed in - sure. A lot depends on the vendor's willingness to work with early adopters to iron out wrinkles. Ride1Up seems to be doing just that. More to come.
 
Yeah, it's a little risky, especially when paying the extra premium for the LMT'D over the 500 and 700. In the Ride1UP response that was posted, they didn't seem interested in addressing the PAS concerns. The 500 and 700 look like they may be better for my needs.
 
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This is the Ride1UP response I was referring to.

Ride1up: "It's definitely a different system, but it's not one that we plan on changing to be honest. It's designed to operate in this way. The only real option to smooth out your motor application w/ a hub motor torque combo is to add a cadence sensor as well. To me, you might as well just use a cadence sensor only at that point. I've ridden the 'torque+cadence' combos a bit, but they operate mostly like a cadence sensor."
 
If you start noticing the motor surging play around with your pedaling. I noticed this surging when I first got my LTD, but can easily compensate for it now.

What you want to try to do if the bike starts surging once you get to a constant speed is vary your pedaling technique. Try to manage your pedaling with less force but more distance and maintain pedal pressure all the way through the stroke.
 
I did try to to vary my cadence and pedal pressure. It didn't really help me but I'm sure other owners are finding they are either solving this problem or learning to adapt. I couldn't so I returned my bike. That being said, Ride1UP was amazing with the return process. I received my refund within a week after they received the bike back. You read horror stories about customer service form other online bike companies. This is not at all the experience from Ride1UP. I would not hesitate buying another one of their bikes. Anyone out there thinking of buying a product from Ride1UP, do not think twice. They are a company that stands behind their products with excellent support and attention to their customers. Read some reviews on Yelp about their competitors. Very Scary! Do not go by reviews these companies post themselves.
 
Torque sensor based PAS is supposed to be "more natural" they say. If I have to adjust my pedaling due to issues with the torque sensor PAS, that's not natural, that's a problem. That's why the bikes on my short list are all cadence sensor based PAS.
 
The best is going to be some combination of torque, cadence, and speed, but few have the software to make that work. Not all torque sensors work the same, not all cadence sensors are the same, and not all software is the same. Then we add not all motors, controllers, and batteries are the same, and one can hopefully see this is a complicated system which some companies have worked out and others have not. It is still improving even in the best implementations. This forum seems to be mostly black and white when they talk about torque sensors vs cadence sensors, like they all work the same as all the others in their category and all have the same benefits and flaws.
 
This forum seems to be mostly black and white when they talk about torque sensors vs cadence sensors, like they all work the same as all the others in their category and all have the same benefits and flaws.
Yeah, some are said to be much more smoother than the LMT'D. Some cadence sensor PAS is too strong in the lowest assist, some assists up to a specific speed instead of a percentage of power, and other various differences.
 
Hey All! (first post)

Lumpydog, Wings02 & GenX, I truly appreciate your continued updates to this thread. Your comments weighed in significantly in my decision.

After almost a week of intense scrutiny shopping for my first e-bike - watching videos and reading reviews for all types of bikes (and subsequently feeling like Court and I have a personal relationship) - I have decided to take a chance on the Ride1Up LMT'D as I couldn't find a bike at the price point with these specs: Throttle / Torque-Sensing / 750W (Not to mention the style is sleek and a bit unique.) I'm a bigger guy (6'2" 200lb) and I live in an area where hills are abundant and I am looking forward to 'slicing' through them.

That said, I am weary of the torque sensor issue. I expect a learning curve to get that dialed in, and I don't expect it to ever be as smooth as something like a Yamaha motor. But with the Ride1Up return policy, I decided to take a chance on this model.

GUYS - It's so hard to determine what will work for you by merely looking at 2D images on a screen. At some point, you just have to pull the trigger on a model and hope for the best - or the only thing you will be riding is the fence.

Looking forward to sharing my experience. Cheers!
 
Torque sensor based PAS is supposed to be "more natural" they say. If I have to adjust my pedaling due to issues with the torque sensor PAS, that's not natural, that's a problem. That's why the bikes on my short list are all cadence sensor based PAS.

In my limited experience, the mid-drive torque sensors have been really smooth and nice. I have tried them on the Gazelle (Bosch), and the Haibkie (Yamaha). If you have tried both types of motors, you'll understand what the "natural feel" is all about. Unfortunately, bikes that carry it will be starting around $3k. I wanted a bike with throttle (as I will be attaching a surfboard and that throttle is just plain fun) so many of those mid-drive options were kicked out off my short list.
 
Hey All! (first post)

Lumpydog, Wings02 & GenX, I truly appreciate your continued updates to this thread. Your comments weighed in significantly in my decision.

After almost a week of intense scrutiny shopping for my first e-bike - watching videos and reading reviews for all types of bikes (and subsequently feeling like Court and I have a personal relationship) - I have decided to take a chance on the Ride1Up LMT'D as I couldn't find a bike at the price point with these specs: Throttle / Torque-Sensing / 750W (Not to mention the style is sleek and a bit unique.) I'm a bigger guy (6'2" 200lb) and I live in an area where hills are abundant and I am looking forward to 'slicing' through them.

That said, I am weary of the torque sensor issue. I expect a learning curve to get that dialed in, and I don't expect it to ever be as smooth as something like a Yamaha motor. But with the Ride1Up return policy, I decided to take a chance on this model.

GUYS - It's so hard to determine what will work for you by merely looking at 2D images on a screen. At some point, you just have to pull the trigger on a model and hope for the best - or the only thing you will be riding is the fence.

Looking forward to sharing my experience. Cheers!
What exactly are they doing? Do you know something we don't?

For now, I'll say this - as posted on R1Up Owner FB pages by R1Up's owner - the next batch of LMTD's will have "tweaks and improvements we had time to make. Cable management, software, packing, and display are the main changes.."

The headline in that list is new controller software...
 
The only time I even notice the surge from the torque sensor is tooling around 18-20 MPH on PAS 2/9. The bike acts like it wants to go faster then reels it in. As I said it was easy for me to adjust my pedaling motion and it almost never happens for more than a few seconds now because i change my pedal motion as soon as I notice it.
 
I received my LMT'D on Monday. I'll post my experience here over time and answer any questions as I can. I'll start with my experience ordering/receiving and cover the assembly process. I'll add updates on what it's like to ride as I get out and use it.

Quick background on me - because it provides context. This is my first ebike. You can read in the "New LMT'd - who's in" post about why I chose the bike. I'm 52 years old. I'm 5'10" and 180lbs. I bought the bike to get around my small town, which is very congested traffic-wise but distance-wise, everything is close and is more or less bike friendly. It's often easier to get around by bike and I live by the ocean so biking vs driving is a major upgrade.

I ordered the bike within the first day of it becoming available on May 28th and received my order confirmation with a projected shipping date of early June. On June 5th I received an email saying the bike would ship June ~10th. So far so good! But, June 10, 11 and 12 came and went with no update on shipping/tracking, while others that ordered their bikes well after me received tracking details. I reached out to Ride1Up to ask what was up - and they were honest that there was a mixup. Some early orders got skipped in error. The net-net of it was, I received my bike one business day later than I would have - a Monday instead of a Friday on the East Coast. I point this out because Ride1Up is a small company that is growing fast. You get a very competitive product at a MUCH lower price - expect to trade that off with a little bit of patience and flexibility.

The bike arrived and I inspected the box for damage. It was intact with a few superficial marks but no punctures or signs of abuse. The package comes with one external strap to keep the box together. My opinion - they could use two - the side with no strap had the bottom flap beginning to give way.

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Opening the box, and pulling the bike out by myself was pretty easy. The bike was well protected. On initial inspection, no damage incurred during travel. As I unpacked it, I couldn't find any damage/marks. Awesome.

Fit/finish - the bike was perfect out of the box. Two other boxes contained the charger and pedals/bottle holder/reflectors. I’ll point out that the online pictures make the bike color look almost tan - in person it’s a light mat gray.

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The bike came with no tools. I think that's fine and frankly did not expect it. But - here is what I would recommend having on hand when you receive your LMT'D:

- Allen wrench set - from memory I needed a 3, 4, 5 and 6 mm sized Allen wrench. You can use a very basic Allen wrench set from your local hardware store but I'd recommend getting this torque wrench set if you're not going to get your local bike shop (LBS) to assemble.
- Wire cutters or robust scissors - to cut all the cable ties.
- An adjustable wrench - or set of spanner wrenches (for the pedals)
- Screw driver - Phillips or Slot - for the reflectors
- Acetone or brake cleaner or rubbing alcohol to clean the brake rotors.
- A clean rag or two
- Bike/air pump

The instruction manual needs a little updating - it appears to be the 700 or 500 series instruction manual with the front page altered to show the LMT'D - that's fine and most of the instructions still apply - but the listed torque settings all conflict with the torque settings labeled on the actual bike. More about this in a bit.

I started by cutting free the front tire. Be careful not to touch the brake rotor (You don't want oil or crud on it if you can help it - it will contaminate the calipers). Then I cut the front fork and the handlebar free. Fitting the front fork into the head tube was easy. The YouTube assembly video for the 700 is a good reference. It sounds like they will be posting a LMT'D assembly video soon. Make sure the cables are routed on the left side (as you sit in the seat) of the head tube.

As mentioned, the manual seems a little "mailed in". When it comes to torque settings, there were conflicts between the manual and what was printed on the bike... Manual: "Stem/Steerer Clamp" 8-9nm. "Handlebar Clamp" 8-9nm". BUT, it was printed on the bike "5nm" and "5-7nm" respectively. I went with what was printed on the bike. Same issue with the seat clamp: Manual says single saddle clamp bolt 16-17mm but on my LMT'D there are two saddle clamp bolts marked 12nm... Again, I went with what was printed on the actual parts. Torque settings matter a lot - especially with aluminum parts. Ride1Up should update the manual or align what is printed on the parts to the manual.

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After getting the forks installed and the handlebars installed, it was time to inflate the tires. They take 30-55lbs - I put them at a 45lbs and they are plenty hard. Next I used acetone to clean off the rotors. They had a lot of oil and crud on them. Rotors need to be free of that stuff or they won't work as designed. Brake cleaner, acetone or rubbing alcohol will work. Clean the rotors off - both!

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Next, installed the front tire. Pretty easy - getting the rotor into the calipers took a little trial and error but not to hard. Then - I put tire skewer in with the pointy end of the cone springs toward the tire and the clamp opposite the rotor side. Done. Time to use the kickstand and remove/cut off the rest of the packaging (which I left on to protect the bike as I worked on assembling it). The next step was to wind the cable wrap/cable covers around the brake and throttle/display cables.

This brings me to my only real issue with the bike so far - it's not major but Ride1Up should consider addressing this in future bikes: The cables enter the frame through an oval cutout on the underside of the downtube and exit the frame near the cranks through a similar cutout on the lower underside downtube. The cutout is wide open and has no grommet or protection from the elements which poses two problems: 1) Wire and hydraulic tubes are exposed to the sharp frame edges and 2) Easy water ingress point. Problem 1 is compounded by the fact that right where the cables enter the frame - the outer cable covering ends, exposing the internal colored wires - my LMT'D came with super fragile wires hanging out and exposed to potential damage from the sharp frame edges. See the pictures below. My solution was to use the cable wrap and run it over the exposed cables and push it into the frame so they are somewhat protected, But, the hydraulic brake cable is still up against the sharp edge of the frame... that feels like a future problem/accident. Problem 2, water ingress, is going to be compounded by the lack of fenders (which I prefer) but without them, any water spray from the tires is going to go right into the frame where the electronics/controller are... no way around it. The 700 comes with a nice rubber grommet where the cables enter the frame...

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Next stop - removing the battery and getting it charging. The keys were hanging off the handlebars. Getting out the battery was as simple as turning the key. Popped right out. The battery, like the rest of the bike is beefy/substantial and feels very solid. Using the charger, the DC 2.5 port on the battery is behind a rubber cover that pops up and then rotates out of the way like the arms of a clock - don’t fold it back, rotate it. After 3-4 hours the charge indicator turned green, indicating full charge.

With the battery charging, it was time to put on the pedals, I couldn't find the marking on the pedals of left/right per the manual, but the left pedal should tighten counterclockwise and the right pedal should tighten clockwise. The pedals are actually pretty nice. I was going to replace them but they have a nice/wide base with good cleats to prevent your feet from slipping off.

Next - I installed seat/seat-post. Check. Then on to getting the display tilted properly - along with the left thumb throttle angle (mine was a little higher than I wanted). I then went over and checked the tightness of every screw/bolt. I was glad I did as some were a little loose. I found that the cap on the front shocks marked “air” was loose and needed tightening/securing.

All-in-all, a pretty easy build. Ride1Up could do a better job with the manual to make it more accurate to the specific bike. I completed my bike yesterday - and left the battery to charge overnight. This bike is really nice - way nicer than expected. I know I nit pick here/there - again, tradeoffs (and feedback for Ride1Up)! Today I installed my accessories and took it for a spin. I'll report back on the accessories soon and the ride experience once I get more miles.
I have a torque wrench that does ft-lbs but not sure how to do nm with an Allen bolt
 
I have a torque wrench that does ft-lbs but not sure how to do nm with an Allen bolt

Try this... 😉



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For now, I'll say this - as posted on R1Up Owner FB pages by R1Up's owner - the next batch of LMTD's will have "tweaks and improvements we had time to make. Cable management, software, packing, and display are the main changes.."

I mentioned a few weeks ago that they had updated their LMT'D product page from "APT 500C Full Color LCD Display" to " "Programmable KD218 Full Color LCD Display".

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/new-lmtd-whos-in.33441/post-300052

Alert! Since I posted that, they have changed the description again, this time to "KD218 Adjustable Speed Color Display". That's a little concerning that it no longer says "programmable". I would hate to not have the option to adjust power settings per assist level. I don't care about speed adjustment. I checked the 500 series which has said "programmable" for even longer, and they changed that one from programmable to "KD21C Adjustable Speed LCD". The KD21C was the display in use when it was programmable, so I hope they didn't change the software to take that great feature away, but it's very suspicious that they went in and edited the description of the LCD removing the word "programmable" from multiple bikes.
 
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