Ridge Rider - Tall Rider

[Ron from BC]

We picked up my wife's new Interceptor on Saturday and she's over the moon. Needless to say she's mentioned that I too should be joining which I'm not totally opposed to.

At 6'3, 193 pounds frame size is a consideration and looking briefly at some mountain bike options a lot of the frames are too small, my old road bike was a 60cm frame which translates into a roughly 23" frame in imperial. I'm very impressed with the Pedego build of my wife's Interceptor and the customer service was outstanding so it would be nice to stay with that brand but I'm skeptical that the Ridge Rider is big enough.

Any tall Ridge Rider experience would be appreciated.

 

[DDBB]

I recently test rode the ridgerider and it was a great fit for me but I'm 6' 0" and 175 lbs. I didn't check to see how much higher the seat post could have gone but I as able to get full leg extension. The bike did not feel at all "small" to me. Great bike BTW and we were impressed with the dealer, the store etc. etc. but they are a little pricey IMO and I think I want a mid drive for more off pavement riding and hill climbing. My wife is 5'5" and also tried the ridgerider and even w/ the seatpost all the way down she was on tippy toes at a full stop. That scared her so she tried a step-though but I can't remember which one. She liked the fit and convenience of the step though but not the looks of the bike

 

[Ron from BC]

Thanks for the input. I'd like to avoid having a real long seat post just to compensate for a frame that's too small, I'm going into the dealer tomorrow so I'll have a seat on it. I'm still going through the learning curve in this stuff but I did read that the mid drive is better suited to off road stuff which I don't expect I'll be doing. I would like to stay with a Pedego model.

 

[DDBB]

I'm new as well... I've been doing a lot of reading and watching youtube reviews and asking questions here. If you're doing mostly improved surface level riding the hub drive is supposed to be better AND easier on the drive train.. You can't beat Pedego's warranty and if you have a dealer that is close, that's a huge bonus. I'm afraid at 6'3" the ridgerider seat post might have to be all the way up but I could be wrong

 

[6zfshdb]

I'm 6' 3" and 250 lbs. I test rode the Ridge Rider and also found it a bit small compared to my Trek Shift 4 MTB. At 72, I don't do any serious mountain biking anymore but I do like riding off road trails, some of which can be on the rough side.

My wife loves her Platinum Interceptor step through and I found it quite comfortable to ride myself. It has front suspension, a 10 speed rear derailleur, hydraulic disk brakes, a rear rack for carrying my gear and 26" x 2" tires. These represent most of the basics I was looking for. With a little modification, I was able to make the bike both comfortable and capable as a mountain bike substitute.

I added the mag wheel option for strength, swapped out the cruiser style handlebars with the BMX type and added a stem riser to allow a more upright riding position. I also added a Thudbuster seat post for comfort. I do have 9" of seat post showing but it hasn't been an issue. I've got 500 miles on the bike so far, some on pretty rough trails and I'm very happy with the performance.

 

[Ron from BC]

Thanks....I'm 64 and ride a dual sport MC but that doesn't mean I do single track or anything more than some fire/gravel roads...

Can you post a pic of your modded Interceptor?

 

[ebikemom]

How about the large sized City Commuter?

 

[ebikemom]

I did read that the mid drive is better suited to off road stuff which I don't expect I'll be doing. I would like to stay with a Pedego model.

I'd heard so much hype about mid-drives that I asked the Pedego dealer about them. He said that hub drives need less maintenance and perform very well for my application, which is suburban, city, and bike path riding. I'm super happy with my bike.

 

[Ron from BC]

I'd heard so much hype about mid-drives that I asked the Pedego dealer about them. He said that hub drives need less maintenance and perform very well for my application, which is suburban, city, and bike path riding. I'm super happy with my bike.

Actually I did ride the City Commuter and I'd have to have a longer seat post for it too. The hub drive variety is just fine for my purposes too. I'll chat with them this morning when I drop by for lock information.

 

[TForan]

I'd heard so much hype about mid-drives that I asked the Pedego dealer about them. He said that hub drives need less maintenance and perform very well for my application, which is suburban, city, and bike path riding. I'm super happy with my bike.

Until you have a flat tire.

 

[6zfshdb]

Thanks....I'm 64 and ride a dual sport MC but that doesn't mean I do single track or anything more than some fire/gravel roads...

Can you post a pic of your modded Interceptor?

Here are the comparison pictures.
Stock Platinum Interceptor:



Modified:



Comparison:



The BMX bars cost $38, the BMX stem $20 and the stem riser $26. I chose BMX grade components for durability but any mountain bike style handlebar would work. Make sure you have at least 7.5 inches of straight bar end to accommodate the brake lever, throttle and shifter. The modifications took about an hour and required only allen wrenches and a torx screwdriver.

The mag wheel option cost around $400 and was necessary for me. I'm at the 250 lb. weight limit for a spoked wheel and I often carry a lot of gear.

At 6' 3", the stock seat post exposure was within safety limits for my height but I chose to add a 14" Thudbuster post for comfort.

The modified bike certainly doesn't resemble a mountain bike, it looks more like a scooter. The bike is surprisingly capable on the trail though. I thought quite a bit before going with the step through design. At 72, I can still swing my leg over a high bar bike but it gets a little harder every year. I want to keep this bike for a while so the step through made sense.

After reading up on the mid mount vs the hub motor debate, I decided it really didn't make a difference for my purposes. Mid mount motors have an advantage for hill climbing since you can leverage the motor torque using the gears. I was concerned the hub motor on the Interceptor wouldn't be up to the hilly riding I do but it does just fine.

I'll admit, I feel a bit silly sometimes while riding what amounts to a "girls" bike along side younger hardened cyclists but the thought disappears each time I mount and dismount the bike.

Note that this bike is the Platinum Interceptor. Pedego also makes the Interceptor which lacks the front suspension, hydraulic disc brakes and the gear train drops from 10 to 7 speeds.

 

[6zfshdb]

Until you have a flat tire.

I can't speak for all hub drive bikes but removing and replacing the rear wheel on the Interceptor is no more difficult than any cassette style rear wheel. The only extra step is unplugging the motor power cable.

 

[Ron from BC]

Here in British Columbia, if you're a BCAA (AAA) member, E-Bike road side assistance is included in your coverage. They'll either fix the flat on site and if they're unable to make the repair they'll take you and your bike to a shop or your home. A very good option for my wife, on my conventional road bike I've got out the tire levers and changed more than my share of tires in the past so the job wouldn't be that onerous and I'm sure no worse than breaking the bead and peeling off a dirt bike mc on the side of road/trail.

 

[Ron from BC]

Here are the comparison pictures.
Stock Platinum Interceptor:

The BMX bars cost $38, the BMX stem $20 and the stem riser $26. I chose BMX grade components for durability but any mountain bike style handlebar would work. Make sure you have at least 7.5 inches of straight bar end to accommodate the brake lever, throttle and shifter. The modifications took about an hour and required only allen wrenches and a torx screwdriver...................................

Thanks for the pics!

 

[ebikemom]

Until you have a flat tire.

A flat tire doesn't relate to motor/component wear and tear. For the two flats we've had, it took, I'd say, an additional 10 minutes to manage getting the rear tire on and off, for an experienced bike tech. I need more practice.

 

[ebikemom]

I can't speak for all hub drive bikes but removing and replacing the rear wheel on the Interceptor is no more difficult than any cassette style rear wheel. The only extra step is unplugging the motor power cable.

My non-Pedego local bike tech said that the Pedego Interceptor rear wheel was the easiest one to take off and put back on that he's seen on an electric bike.

 

[Feliz]

Here in British Columbia, if you're a BCAA (AAA) member, E-Bike road side assistance is included in your coverage. They'll either fix the flat on site and if they're unable to make the repair they'll take you and your bike to a shop or your home. A very good option for my wife, on my conventional road bike I've got out the tire levers and changed more than my share of tires in the past so the job wouldn't be that onerous and I'm sure no worse than breaking the bead and peeling off a dirt bike mc on the side of road/trail.

That's a good deal, I'm in BC as well and they also answer calls for motorcycle issues, between bikes and motorcycles that feature has saved my butt many times. I've never had to call them for car issues though. If a motorcycle has to be taken away they even put it on a flat deck truck to save any scraping scratching issues,

 

[larry-new]

My 19" Rad City is sized well for my 6-2", 32" inseam body. Definitely not too small.

 

[larry-new]

A flat tire doesn't relate to motor/component wear and tear. For the two flats we've had, it took, I'd say, an additional 10 minutes to manage getting the rear tire on and off, for an experienced bike tech. I need more practice.

Just had my first flat...a great YouTube video on rear wheel removal made it easy.

 

[ROCebike]

I'm two years in with my Ridge Runner and still love this ride. At 6' 2" and 225 lbs, I 've made a few changes.
1) Stem riser - cheap
2) Kenekt seat post- moderate but worth it. Get the longer post option though. Orange springs
3) Selle Anatomica seat - expensive. Similar to Brooks but no break in time for me.

Overall I've added a few accessories like carrier and trunk bag. But the best improvement was going to Schwalbe tires. I'm 80 % road and 20% rail trail. Unbelievable difference from the Marathon Mondial's in acceleration and durability. I run @ 55 psi.

I did have a warranty claim with the torque sensor. Pedego was great, sent me a new one which arrived next day. Since I'm not near a dealer, they walked me through how to pull the crank ($15.00 tool) and replace the sensor. Easy if you're used to hand tools. I did notice that the controller is exposed to water from underneath the frame at the crank. Maybe some ventilation reason, but I put some black waterproofing tape over it and haven't had any issues. Home Depot 3 inch wide.

Overall, I'd put this bike up against any $5000.00 + Euro bikes like R&M Charger or Stromer ST2. I like the rear hub motor a lot, but honestly haven't spent much time with mid drives. The Ridge Runner doesn't get enough street cred (pun intended) for its versatility and quality.

If I make any more changes, it might be the bars and ergo grips. I'm usually riding 30-40 mile rides and notice a bit of discomfort in my neck and palms afterwards.

Awesome bike when kitted. Highly recommend it.